Erdogan’s global peacemaker spotlight hides tumult within Turkiye

Erdogan’s global peacemaker spotlight hides tumult within Turkiye
Turkiye’s President Tayyip Erdogan shakes hands with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky during a joint press conference in Ankara, Feb. 18, 2025. (Reuters/File)
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Updated 14 May 2025
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Erdogan’s global peacemaker spotlight hides tumult within Turkiye

Erdogan’s global peacemaker spotlight hides tumult within Turkiye
  • Erdogan’s growing capital as international statesman is turbocharging Turkiye’s rising regional influence
  • “Erdogan has never been this pivotal of a player in geopolitics,” said Birol Baskan, a Turkiye-based political scientist

ISTANBUL: Turkiye’s President Tayyip Erdogan has probably never held more global sway: he will host the first direct Russia-Ukraine peace talks in three years on Thursday, days after his country’s militant nemesis, the Kurdistan Workers Party (PKK), dissolved.

His growing capital as international statesman — working toward stability in Eastern Europe and the Middle East, and receiving accolades from US President Donald Trump for it — is turbocharging Turkiye’s rising regional influence.

Yet the timing of it appears odd and even agonizing to many at home who fear it could bolster his domestic political goals.

The arrest and jailing of Erdogan’s main political rival, Istanbul Mayor Ekrem Imamoglu, prompted the largest protests in a decade in March and April over what critics called a politicized and anti-democratic legal crackdown.

Imamoglu denies the charges he faces, while Ankara denies the criticism of autocratic behavior.

Yet these seemingly parallel universes — international versus domestic — underscore Erdogan’s tendency over 22 years running Turkiye to shift the focus abroad when political or economic problems are brewing at home.

In line with this pattern, Erdogan in May 2022 blocked the planned enlargement of NATO at a time when Turkiye’s inflation rate was soaring toward 85 percent, waiting until early last year to finally approve Sweden’s membership bid in exchange for concessions.

“Erdogan has never been this pivotal of a player in geopolitics,” said Birol Baskan, a Turkiye-based political scientist. “There were dramatic twists and turns in geopolitics, with the re-election of Donald Trump of particular note, though I think Erdogan’s biggest gain is indisputably Syria.”

According to Turkish government officials, Erdogan’s backing of Syrian rebels over the last decade finally paid off for them — and him — when they ousted former President Bashar Assad in December, leaving Ankara with heavy influence in Damascus and beyond as the region sought to recover from war.

Erdogan’s sway grew in January when Trump returned to the White House, given their close ties in Trump’s first term.

Trump, who boasts of “great relations” with Erdogan, said he will be a good host for Russia-Ukraine peace talks in Istanbul. He also said US Secretary of State Marco Rubio would make a last-minute trip there, and even floated attending in person.

Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelensky, set to visit the Turkish capital Ankara on Wednesday, has dared Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin to meet him in Istanbul on Thursday to agree a ceasefire, though Putin has not committed to meet.

Erdogan — fielding calls or visits from US, Russian, Ukrainian, Saudi, French, Italian, NATO and other world leaders in the last week alone — has urged seizing the opportunity for peace between its Black Sea neighbors to the north.

KURDISH MILITANTS DISBAND
Peace is also within reach to Turkiye’s south, where PKK militants are now largely based after a 40-year insurgency against the Turkish state that killed more than 40,000 people.

Weakened after years of Turkish bombardment, the group said on Monday it decided to disband and disarm at a congress last week in northern Iraq.

While a tricky path lies ahead, it marked a significant victory for Erdogan. He had sought to capitalize on vulnerabilities of PKK-affiliated Kurdish forces in northern Syria after Assad’s fall, including his bet that Trump would soon pull out US troops allied with those forces.

Musavvat Dervisoglu, chair of Turkiye’s opposition nationalist IYI Party, warned that Erdogan was using the PKK decision to secure a “lifetime presidency,” given that the support of Kurdish voters could help him adopt a new constitution and extend his rule beyond 2028 when his term expires.

Erdogan says a new constitution is a priority but has not said whether he wants to run again.

Imamoglu’s lead over Erdogan in polls has edged higher since the mayor was arrested in March — which at the time hit Turkiye’s lira and set back the central bank’s battle with years of soaring inflation.

But last week, a Turkish court order blocked Imamoglu’s access to his social media X account, potentially further isolating him as he awaits a court hearing on corruption charges.

Meanwhile the nightly protests in which tens of thousands of Turks filled streets nationwide to denounce the president for wielding the judiciary for political gain — charges he denies — have largely faded.

Harun Armagan, vice chair of foreign affairs for Erdogan’s AK Party, said Imamoglu’s case “is not a political process, but a judicial one” that is separate from the “significant political developments unfolding” elsewhere.

“The PKK laying down arms and disbanding...will be recorded as historic milestones in the context of Turkish politics,” he told Reuters.

TURKEY-BROKERED PEACE DEAL?
While some European leaders denounced the arrest of Imamoglu, many have also endorsed Erdogan’s offer to host Russia-Ukraine talks, including French President Emmanuel Macron who stressed on a call with Erdogan on Sunday the “necessity” of Russia agreeing a ceasefire.

In another diplomatic boon for Erdogan, Europe has warmed to Turkiye in recent months, diplomats say, as it scrambles to bolster defenses and find guarantees for Ukraine under any forthcoming ceasefire deal pushed by Trump.

Turkiye has NATO’s second-largest army and makes armed drones used extensively by Ukraine against Russia. At the same time, Ankara has rejected Western sanctions on Moscow, walking a fine line between the warring nations and maintaining their trust.

“Even if peace talks stumble in Istanbul, Erdogan still gets credit. He loves his name stamped next to a peace deal,” said Onur Isci, associate professor of international relations at Kadir Has University.

“He is in a very powerful diplomatic position and appears to be scoring more and more points.”

The latest point was scored on Tuesday when Trump, in Riyadh, made the surprise announcement that the US would lift all sanctions on Syria, after sources said Erdogan and Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman urged him to do so.

Erdogan and Trump have held at least three calls since Trump’s re-election, and spoke again on Wednesday with other leaders about the Syria decision.

Trump also appointed a longtime adviser, Thomas Barrack, as US ambassador to Turkiye who upon arrival last week said he intends to elevate the relationship from a “great” one to an “extraordinary” one.


UN blasts new US-backed aid distribution system in Gaza

UN blasts new US-backed aid distribution system in Gaza
Updated 9 sec ago
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UN blasts new US-backed aid distribution system in Gaza

UN blasts new US-backed aid distribution system in Gaza
  • The issue of aid has come sharply into focus amid a hunger crisis in the territory
  • Intense criticism of the Gaza Humanitarian Foundation, which bypassed the longstanding UN-led system in Gaza
GAZA CITY, Palestinian Territories: The UN on Wednesday condemned a US-backed aid system in Gaza after 47 people were injured during a chaotic food distribution, where the Israeli military said it did not open fire at crowds.
The issue of aid has come sharply into focus amid a hunger crisis coupled with intense criticism of the Gaza Humanitarian Foundation (GHF), a shadowy group that has bypassed the longstanding UN-led system in the territory.
According to the UN, 47 people were injured in the mayhem that erupted on Tuesday when thousands of Palestinians desperate for food rushed into a GHF aid distribution site, while a Palestinian medical source said at least one had died.
Ajith Sunghay, the head of the UN Human Rights Office in the Palestinian territories, said most of the wounded had been hurt by gunfire, and based on the information he had, “it was shooting from the IDF” — the Israeli military.
The Israeli military rejected the accusation, with Col. Olivier Rafowicz telling AFP that Israeli soldiers “fired warning shots into the air, in the area outside” the center managed by the GHF, and “in no case toward the people.”
With the war sparked by Hamas’s October 2023 attack on Israel entering its 600th day on Wednesday, Palestinians in Gaza felt there was no reason to hope for a better future.
In Israel, the relatives of people held hostage in Gaza since the October 7 attack longed for the return of their loved ones, with hundreds gathering in their name in Tel Aviv.
“Six hundred days have passed and nothing has changed. Death continues, and Israeli bombing does not stop,” said Bassam Daloul, 40, adding that “even hoping for a ceasefire feels like a dream and a nightmare.”
The UN has repeatedly hit out against the GHF, which faces accusations of failing to fulfil the principles of humanitarian work, and Philippe Lazzarini, head of the UN agency for Palestinian refugees, on Wednesday reiterated the criticism.
“I believe it is a waste of resources and a distraction from atrocities. We already have an aid distribution system that is fit for purpose,” he said during a visit in Japan.
In Gaza, the civil defense agency said Israeli air strikes killed 16 people since dawn Wednesday.
Heba Jabr, 29, who sleeps in a tent in southern Gaza with her husband and their two children, was struggling to find food.
“Dying by bombing is much better than dying from the humiliation of hunger and being unable to provide bread and water for your children,” she said.
Israel imposed a full blockade on Gaza for over two months, before allowing supplies in at a trickle last week.
A medical source in southern Gaza said that after Tuesday’s stampede at the GHF site “more than 40 injured people arrived at Nasser Hospital, the majority of them wounded by Israeli gunfire,” adding that at least one had died since.
The source added that “a number of other civilians also arrived at the hospital with various bruises.”
On Tuesday, the GHF said around “8,000 food boxes have been distributed so far... totaling 462,000 meals.”
UN agencies and aid groups have argued that the GHF’s designation of so-called secure distribution sites contravenes the principle of humanity because it would force already displaced people to move again in order to stay alive.
Israel stepped up its military offensive in Gaza earlier this month, while mediators push for a ceasefire that remains elusive.
In Israel, hundreds of people gathered to call for a ceasefire that would allow for the release of hostages held by militants in Gaza since their 2023 attack.
Protesters gathered along the country’s roads and on the main highway running through the Israeli coastal city of Tel Aviv at 6:29 am, the exact time the unprecedented October 7 attack began.
Most Israeli media headlines read “600 days,” and focused on the hostage families’ struggle to get their relatives home.
Other events were planned across Israel to make the 600th day of captivity for the 57 remaining hostages still in Gaza.
Some 1,218 people were killed in Hamas’ October 7, 2023, attack, mostly civilians, according to an AFP tally based on official figures.
The health ministry in Hamas-run Gaza said on Wednesday that at least 3,924 people had been killed in the territory since Israel ended a ceasefire on March 18, taking the war’s overall toll to 54,084, mostly civilians.

Pope Leo appeals for Gaza ceasefire, laments deaths of children

Pope Leo appeals for Gaza ceasefire, laments deaths of children
Updated 28 May 2025
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Pope Leo appeals for Gaza ceasefire, laments deaths of children

Pope Leo appeals for Gaza ceasefire, laments deaths of children
  • ‘The intense cries are reaching Heaven more and more from mothers and fathers,’ he said

VATICAN CITY: Pope Leo appealed on Wednesday for a ceasefire in Gaza, and called on Israel and Hamas militants to “completely respect” international humanitarian law.

“In the Gaza Strip, the intense cries are reaching Heaven more and more from mothers and fathers who hold tightly to the bodies of their dead children,” the pontiff said during his weekly general audience in St. Peter’s Square.

“To those responsible, I renew my appeal: stop the fighting,” said the pope. “Liberate all the hostages. Completely respect humanitarian law.”

Leo, elected on May 8 to replace the late Pope Francis, also appealed for an end to the war in Ukraine.


Italy demands Israel stops strikes, blasts expulsions of Gazans

Italy demands Israel stops strikes, blasts expulsions of Gazans
Updated 28 May 2025
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Italy demands Israel stops strikes, blasts expulsions of Gazans

Italy demands Israel stops strikes, blasts expulsions of Gazans
  • Antonion Tajani: ‘The bombings must stop, humanitarian assistance must resume as soon as possible, respect for international humanitarian law must be restored’

ROME: Italy’s foreign minister on Wednesday again urged Israel to stop its strikes on Gaza, while warning that expelling Palestinians from the territory “is not and never will be an acceptable option.”
“The legitimate reaction of the Israeli government to a terrible and senseless terrorist act has unfortunately taken on absolutely tragic and unacceptable forms, that we ask Israel to stop immediately,” Antonion Tajani told parliament, referring also to Hamas’s October 7, 2023, attack on Israel.
“The bombings must stop, humanitarian assistance must resume as soon as possible, respect for international humanitarian law must be restored,” he said.
“Hamas must immediately free all the hostages which are still today in its in hands, and who have the right to return to their homes.”
Tajani also condemned US President Donald Trump’s plan for US control of Gaza and the forced displacement of the Palestinians living there.
“I want to reiterate today in this chamber with the utmost clarity – the expulsion of Palestinians from Gaza is not and will never be an acceptable option,” Tajani said.
“This is why we wholeheartedly support the Arab plan led by Egypt for the recovery and reconstruction of the (Gaza) Strip, which is incompatible with any hypothesis of forced displacement.”


Israel hits Houthi targets including last plane at Sanaa airport

Israel hits Houthi targets including last plane at Sanaa airport
Updated 17 min 16 sec ago
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Israel hits Houthi targets including last plane at Sanaa airport

Israel hits Houthi targets including last plane at Sanaa airport
  • The strike had completely destroyed the last of the civilian planes that Yemenia Airways was operating from the airport
  • Three other Yemenia Airways planes were destroyed in an attack earlier this month

JERUSALEM/ADEN: Israel said it had struck Houthi targets including the last remaining plane used by the group at Sanaa international airport, after the Yemeni militants launched missiles toward Israel a day earlier.

The General Director of Sanaa International Airport, Khaled Al-Shaief, said in a post on his X account that the strike had completely destroyed the last of the civilian planes that Yemenia Airways was operating from the airport.

The airport is the largest in Yemen and came back into service last week after temporary repairs and runway restoration following previous Israeli strikes.

It was mainly being used by UN aircraft and the plane destroyed in the latest Israeli strikes. Three other Yemenia Airways planes were destroyed in an attack earlier this month.

“This is a clear message and a direct continuation of the policy we have established: whoever fires at the State of Israel will pay a heavy price,” Israel’s defense ministry said in a statement.

The Houthis did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

Part of Iran’s “Axis of Resistance,” a regional alliance that includes Hamas in Gaza and Hezbollah in Lebanon, the Houthis control territory where about 60 percent of Yemen’s population resides.

Since the start of the war in Gaza in October 2023, the group has fired at Israel and at shipping in the Red Sea in what it says are acts of solidarity with the Palestinians.

Most of the dozens of missiles and drones fired toward Israel have been intercepted or fallen short. Israel has carried out a series of retaliatory strikes.

The US also launched intensified strikes against the Houthis this year, before halting the campaign after the Houthis agreed to stop attacks on US ships.

In a statement on Wednesday, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said that any harm directed at Israel will be met with greater force.

“But, as I have said more than once, the Houthis are only the symptom. The main driving force behind them is Iran, which is responsible for the aggression emanating from Yemen,” Netanyahu said.


At least 47 wounded, mostly by gunfire, as Palestinians crowd aid hub in Gaza

At least 47 wounded, mostly by gunfire, as Palestinians crowd aid hub in Gaza
Updated 28 May 2025
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At least 47 wounded, mostly by gunfire, as Palestinians crowd aid hub in Gaza

At least 47 wounded, mostly by gunfire, as Palestinians crowd aid hub in Gaza
  • The UN and other humanitarian organizations have rejected the new system, saying it won’t be able to meet the needs of Gaza’s 2.3 million people

GENEVA: A UN official says 47 Palestinians were wounded, mostly by gunfire, when crowd overran Gaza aid hub.

Ajith Sunghay, head of the UN Human Rights Office for the Palestinian territories, told reporters in Geneva that it appeared Israeli army fire had caused most of the injuries.

On Tuesday, crowds of Palestinians overwhelmed a new aid distribution hub set up by an Israeli and US-backed foundation. The crowd broke through fences and an Associated Press journalist heard Israeli tank and gun fire, and saw a military helicopter firing flares.

The distribution hub outside Gaza’s southernmost city of Rafah was opened the day before by the Gaza Humanitarian Foundation, which has been slated by Israel to take over aid operations.

The UN and other humanitarian organizations have rejected the new system, saying it won’t be able to meet the needs of Gaza’s 2.3 million people and allows Israel to use food as a weapon to control the population. They have also warned of the risk of friction between Israeli troops and people seeking supplies.

Palestinians have become desperate for food after nearly three months of Israeli blockade pushed Gaza to the brink of famine.