Politics
Türkiye’s growing influence in Europe disturbs Greece
Greece is increasingly disturbed by its historical archrival Türkiye’s growing influence in Europe and the EU’s ambitious plans to strengthen its security mechanism.
Although Türkiye and Greece pursue rapprochement in their formerly hostile relations, Athens also works to bolster its defenses by new acquisitions, while Türkiye’s flourishing defense industry raises its profile, especially with sales of uncrewed aerial vehicles (UCAVs) to other countries and boosting its military arsenal with locally-made products.
Ankara and Athens are particularly at odds on their maritime borders in the Aegean Sea, which has been the venue for dogfights between Turkish and Greek fighter jets in the past.
In an interview with the Greek daily “Naftemporiki” last Friday, Greece’s Defense Minister Nikos Dendias made pointed remarks about Türkiye’s pursuit to join the EU’s Security Action for Europe (SAFE) program.
“The partners must decide what kind of Europe they want. No, Europe is without principles, values and respect for the rules of international law. It is also unthinkable that countries that threaten EU member states or do not recognize EU members should indiscriminately participate in the project of rearming Europe,” Dendias told Naftemporiki.
EU countries have adopted a regulation last month setting up SAFE, a new financial instrument designed to support member states that wish to invest in defense industrial production through common procurement, focusing on priority capabilities.
Under the approved part of the regulation, joint defense procurement of the bloc may include third countries not members of the EU, such as Türkiye.
Europe aims to reinforce its defenses as the United States reconsiders its generous support to the continent’s defense since World War II. Türkiye is eager to contribute to Europe’s security architecture, although the bloc stalled its accession for years.
Regarding Greek-Turkish relations, Dendias was also adamantly unoptimistic about the mutual push for rapprochement in the past two years.
“Regarding the ‘good atmosphere,’ I would like to underline that this narrative that Türkiye may be using cannot be considered credible,” he said, repeating a point he often raises to undermine what Ankara and Athens have called a “new phase” in historically strained ties.
The Greek defense chief further criticized Türkiye’s “Blue Homeland” doctrine, a maritime strategy introduced by Turkish naval officers in 2006 and later adopted by the government, calling it “revisionist.”
The doctrine aims to expand Türkiye’s control over surrounding waters and maritime resources, which has been a source of disputes with Greece in the Aegean and Eastern Mediterranean.
‘Barrack the Turkish agent’
Greek media, too, has added fuel to the fire, even accusing the U.S. Ambassador to Ankara, Thomas Barrack, of being a “Turkish agent” for “acting in favor of Türkiye.”
“The U.S.’ pro-Türkiye Ambassador Tom Barrack has officially become an agent for Türkiye. Instead of serving American strategic interests, he’s serving Turkish interests,” Greek magazine Hellas Journal wrote.
The journal said Barrack “secretly” traveled to Washington and met with President Donald Trump and Secretary of State Marco Rubio at the Oval Office last Friday.
“I spent my afternoon with President Trump and Secretary of State Rubio at the White House. We discussed Middle East issues related to Türkiye and Syria. I can assure you that the President’s vision, with the Secretary’s implementation, is not only promising but also doable,” Barrack reportedly wrote on X following the meeting.
“We do not know exactly what Mr. Barrack meant, but according to diplomatic sources, it is certain that he advanced the Turkish agenda in the White House,” Hellas Journal said.
The journal claimed the U.S. ambassador is “racing against time to make President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan’s visit to Washington happen.”
According to Hellas Journal, Barrack is working to ensure Erdoğan returns from a trip to Washington with “many gifts,” most notably the lifting of sanctions under the Countering America’s Adversaries Through Sanctions Act (CAATSA) on the Turkish defense industry.
Touting Trump’s “more open, more constructive” approach, Erdoğan last month said he believes the CAATSA sanctions would soon be “overcome.”
Erdoğan said he had discussed the matter with Trump and Washington’s new ambassador to Ankara.
“With my friend Trump taking office, we reached a more open, more constructive, more sincere communication,” he said.
The move, if implemented, could see Türkiye purchase at least $20 billion in U.S. military equipment, which could increase Ankara’s naval capabilities, notably in the Aegean Sea.
Following the suspension of Gaziosmanpaşa Mayor Hakan Bahçetepe amid a corruption probe, the municipal council has elected the ruling Justice and Development Party’s (AK Party) Eray Karadeniz as acting mayor in a decisive third-round vote.
The council convened under the leadership of First Deputy Chair Erdoğan Yıldırım Özçelik after Bahçetepe, detained as part of an investigation into the Aziz Ihsan Aktaş criminal network, was formally removed from office by the Interior Ministry. The AK Party nominated Karadeniz, the party’s current group deputy chair on the council, while the main opposition Republican People’s Party (CHP) put forward Murat Topaloğlu as its candidate.
Neither candidate secured an absolute majority in the first two rounds. In the third and final round, Karadeniz was elected with 21 votes, defeating Topaloğlu, who received 16. Following the result, CHP council members left the hall in protest, chanting slogans and striking desks.
In his first remarks as acting mayor, Karadeniz emphasized his deep ties to the district: “Serving Gaziosmanpaşa, whose 16 neighborhoods I know intimately, is a profound responsibility and an immense honor,” he said. He pledged to fulfill his role with dedication, stating, “No one should doubt that I will live up to this responsibility in line with our belief that ‘those who serve earn honor.’”
Karadeniz also extended his condolences to the family of Manisa Mayor Ferdi Zeyrek, who died recently after a tragic electrical accident at his home.
The council meeting drew high-level observers, including AK Party Istanbul Provincial Chair Abdullah Özdemir and CHP Istanbul Chair Özgür Çelik. Security forces were deployed around the municipal building throughout the session.
Moreover, elections took place for the Avcılar and Büyükçekmece districts.
Born in Istanbul in 1986, Karadeniz holds degrees from Istanbul Commerce University’s Faculty of Law and Anadolu University’s Business Administration Department. He has held numerous leadership roles within AK Party’s youth branches, including as head of Gaziosmanpaşa’s youth wing between 2009 and 2018.
He also served as a political adviser in the 2019 local elections and was program director at the Gaziosmanpaşa Election Coordination Center in the 2023 general elections. In addition, he led several EU-funded youth initiatives.
Karadeniz now assumes interim leadership in a district at the center of one of Istanbul’s most high-profile corruption investigations.
In the first wave of 2025 operations against municipalities, Istanbul Mayor Ekrem Imamoğlu and 105 others were detained on March 19 and remain incarcerated in pretrial detention. The CHP has nominated Imamoğlu as its candidate in presidential elections due in 2028, but whether he can run depends on the fate of numerous trials and probes.
Türkiye on Tuesday hit back at allegations that a Liberian-flagged container ship that docked at its southern Mersin Port, was carrying steel for Israel’s military industry.
“The loading manifest and customs records of the ship that arrived from Spain, docked at Mersin Port at 2 pm (1100 GMT) on June 9, 2025, and the unloading procedures of which began at 3:25 pm (1225 GMT), have been meticulously examined.
“No steel or military-purpose items registered under the name of Israel Military Industries (IMI) or any similar institution were detected on the ship,” Türkiye’s Center for Combating Disinformation said on X.
A total of 461 containers were unloaded at Mersin Port from the ship, the center said, adding it was reported that 220 of these containers were empty, while 241 were loaded.
It has been confirmed that the loaded containers do not contain any steel or materials that could be used for military purposes, it added.
Besides, it was determined that 1,570 of the containers on board were transit cargo destined for other countries, while 33 loaded containers-whose inspections had been completed-originated from Türkiye and were bound for Palestine, primarily containing food supplies, the center noted.
Turkish ports handle tens of thousands of international cargo ships each year, processing about 8 million containers in full compliance with international rules and with complete transparency, the center said, adding: “Türkiye completely suspended all trade relations with Israel as of May 2, 2024.
“Since that date, Türkiye’s customs system has been closed to all foreign trade transactions involving Israel. No commercial activity linked to Israel is permitted in free zones or ports.”
Türkiye is among the first countries to take the clearest and most principled stance against Israel’s unlawful attacks in Gaza,” it highlighted.
The center also called for not giving credence to “the unfounded allegations.”
On May 2, 2024, Türkiye suspended all export and import operations with Israel due to its “aggression against Palestine in violation of international law and human rights,” according to the Trade Ministry.
Justice Minister Yılmaz Tunç has disclosed the findings of an expert report on the tragic death of Manisa Metropolitan Municipality Mayor Ferdi Zeyrek, who was electrocuted at his residence. The report, prepared by a panel of electrical and mechanical engineers, reveals serious safety lapses that led to the incident.
In a statement on social media, Tunç confirmed that the Manisa Chief Public Prosecutor’s Office is conducting a thorough investigation into the fatal accident. He said that one deputy chief prosecutor and two prosecutors have been assigned to the case, 12 individuals have been questioned and two remain in custody.
“The report prepared by the team of electrical and mechanical engineers revealed that the pool pump motor was faulty; the building lacked a residual-current device (RCD) at its main entrance; all metal equipment showed signs of corrosion; there was moisture and water at cable connections; and the RCD in the pool’s power room was itself corroded and malfunctioning. Additionally, the distance between the pool energy room and the pool did not meet international safety standards.”
The incident has sparked concerns over residential safety standards and oversight, particularly in facilities with electrical installations near water sources.
He added that the investigation is being carried out comprehensively based on these technical findings.
Tunç extended his condolences to Zeyrek’s family and loved ones, saying, “May Allah have mercy on him.”
Zeyrek’s funeral was held in Manisa on Tuesday with a broad participation of the political circle.
Zeyrek, a member of the main opposition Republican People’s Party (CHP), had earned wide support from Manisa residents in the March 31 local elections, in which he became the first CHP mayor of the city in decades.
President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan issued a message of condolence following the news of Zeyrek’s death. In a post on social media, Erdoğan said: “I am deeply saddened by the passing of Manisa Metropolitan Municipality Mayor Mr. Ferdi Zeyrek as a result of a tragic accident. I extend my condolences to his family, colleagues, the citizens of Manisa and the entire CHP organization.”
The ruling Justice and Development Party (AK Party) is set to turn introspective and tackle problems in the field across Türkiye in an annual camp scheduled for later this month, party sources said Monday.
From June 23 to 25, AK Party lawmakers and provincial chairs will convene at the party headquarters in the capital Ankara, and discuss solutions to various problems encountered by AK Party officials at district levels. The camp will also draw up a roadmap and other suggestions to better convey the party’s operations and achievements directly to the public.
A second camp is slated from July 11 to 13, which will assemble lawmakers and headquarter executives of the AK Party, as well as the party chair, President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan.
The July meeting is mainly focused on the recent developments in the terror-free Türkiye initiative, sources said, as well as citizens’ expectations about the process.
The initiative, launched last year by Erdoğan’s ally Devlet Bahçeli, aims to end four decades of PKK terrorism in Türkiye after the organization declared in a landmark decision last month to disarm and disband itself.
The PKK’s bloody terror campaign, which exploited the Kurdish community under the pretext of fighting for their rights, a self-styled Kurdish state in southeast Türkiye, has claimed at least 40,000 lives since the 1980s.
After years of military operations to eradicate the group, Türkiye initiated a “reconciliation process” previously in 2013 in a bid to prevent the PKK from justifying its actions.
The process saw the reinstatement of the rights of the Kurdish community, but it ultimately collapsed when the PKK resumed its terrorist attacks after a brief lull.
The PKK’s disarmament process is expected to be completed in the coming months, with the group handing over all of its weapons and some 3,500 members leaving their hideouts in Iraq’s north.
The AK Party cadres are also expected to discuss the constitutional overhaul efforts at the July camp.
Erdoğan’s government has been pushing to overhaul the Constitution for over a decade now, which was enforced in 1982 following a military coup that led to the detention of hundreds of thousands of people along with mass trials, torture and executions, which still represents a dark period in Turkish political history.
The AK Party has a comprehensive draft prepared by a scientific council during the pandemic, which it’s hoping to submit to Parliament.
The party has held several workshops with academicians and legal experts on a new constitution in the past year and is currently preparing to convene an exclusive commission tasked with outlining a method to produce a draft.
Manisa Metropolitan Municipality Mayor Ferdi Zeyrek died after suffering an electric shock while inspecting a malfunction in his home swimming pool, Türkiye’s health minister announced Monday.
Zeyrek had been receiving intensive care at Manisa Celal Bayar University Hafsa Sultan Hospital since the June 6 incident at his home in the Yunusemre district. Despite all medical efforts, he succumbed to his injuries.
Health Minister Kemal Memişoğlu confirmed the news in a statement on social media, offering condolences to Zeyrek’s family and loved ones. “Mayor Ferdi Zeyrek, who had been undergoing treatment at the hospital following an accident at his home, has passed away despite all intervention,” Memişoğlu said. “May he rest in peace. Our condolences to his family, friends, and all who loved him.”
Zeyrek, a member of the main opposition Republican People’s Party (CHP), had earned wide support from Manisa residents in the March 31 local elections, in which he became the first CHP mayor of the city in decades.
His passing prompted an outpouring of condolences from across the political spectrum.
President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan issued a message of condolence following the news of Zeyrek’s death. In a post on social media, Erdoğan said: “I am deeply saddened by the passing of Manisa Metropolitan Municipality Mayor Mr. Ferdi Zeyrek as a result of a tragic accident. I extend my condolences to his family, colleagues, the citizens of Manisa, and the entire CHP organization. May Allah have mercy on him.”
Nationalist Movement Party (MHP) Chairman Devlet Bahçeli expressed sadness over the loss, saying: “It is with deep sorrow that I learned of the passing of Manisa Metropolitan Municipality Mayor Mr. Ferdi Zeyrek following the unfortunate accident he suffered at his home. I offer my condolences to his family, loved ones, and the CHP community.”
Parliament Speaker Numan Kurtulmuş also extended condolences, saying: “May Allah have mercy on Manisa Metropolitan Mayor Ferdi Zeyrek, who lost his life after a tragic accident. My sympathies to his family and loved ones.”
The ruling Justice and Development Party (AK Party) spokesman Ömer Çelik shared similar sentiments, noting Zeyrek’s contributions to public life: “We are deeply saddened by the loss of Mayor Ferdi Zeyrek. We offer our condolences to his family, loved ones, the CHP community, and the people of Manisa.”
Ankara Metropolitan Mayor Mansur Yavaş said he was “deeply pained” by the loss of his fellow mayor and friend. “He was one of the honorable sons of this country, devoted to the Republic and known for his honesty,” Yavaş said. “May his soul rest in peace.”
Former CHP Chairman Kemal Kılıçdaroğlu also paid tribute to Zeyrek, saying: “I am profoundly saddened by the passing of our beloved Mayor Ferdi Zeyrek, who had won the affection and trust of the people of Manisa. I offer my heartfelt condolences to his family, supporters, and all Manisa residents.”
Zeyrek’s funeral arrangements are expected to be announced by municipal officials.
A widening corruption probe into the Istanbul Metropolitan Municipality (IBB) has taken a dramatic turn as prominent businessperson Ahmet Sari, owner of Sarılar Inşaat, confessed to paying over TL 232 million in bribes to collect nearly TL 3 billion in unpaid municipal debts.
Sari, who was previously detained, was released after becoming a key informant in the investigation.
According to his May 27 testimony to the prosecutor’s office, Sari detailed how a bribery network allegedly functioned within the municipality from 2019 to 2024. He said his company faced significant difficulties securing payments for completed infrastructure projects under the administration of Istanbul Mayor Ekrem Imamoğlu. Sari emphasized that despite legal efforts, some receivables could not be recovered through formal channels, prompting illicit payments.
The businessperson named two central figures in the scheme: Ertan Yıldız, who served as deputy secretary general of IBB and Fatih Keleş, the former head of the CHP Istanbul provincial organization. Sari alleged that the two demanded bribes in exchange for facilitating payments owed to his company.
Sari said he was first invited to the municipality’s auxiliary building in Bakırköy in late 2022, where he was informed by Yıldız and Keleş that he would not receive any money unless he paid them first. He claimed to have delivered portions of the money to Bakırköy and the majority to the former mayoral residence in Florya. The cash was received by individuals identified as Zafer Keleş (Fatih Keleş’s brother) and a man named Murat, reportedly a relative of Keleş.
Payments to Ertan Yıldız were allegedly collected via company visits by drivers whose identities were communicated by a municipal affiliate, Ziya Gökmen Togay.
In his sworn statement, Sari provided a detailed account of the payments, stating he paid Yıldız TL 63 million across various dates from 2022 to 2024. He also listed payments totaling TL 169.5 million to Fatih Keleş during the same period. Sari said he would submit receipts to support his claims.
Notably, Sari said he was instructed never to involve municipal department heads in these dealings. In early 2024, he was told that no more payments should be made to Yıldız, suggesting a shift within the alleged network.
The Istanbul Chief Public Prosecutor’s Office continues its investigation as public scrutiny over municipal finances intensifies ahead of further legal proceedings. Meanwhile, Imamoğlu, currently in detention on separate charges, has not been directly implicated in the bribery claims made by Sari but remains a central figure in the broader investigation.
This latest testimony underscores growing concerns over governance and transparency within Türkiye’s largest municipality, once considered a stronghold of opposition leadership.
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