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RFI goes behind-the-scenes of one of the week's major stories.

  1. 6d ago

    Houthi attacks put Turkey’s new Saudi defence pact to the test

    Attacks by Yemen's Houthi rebels on Saudi Arabia are putting Turkey's new defence pact with the kingdom to its first major test – forcing Ankara to weigh support for its ally against the risk of being drawn deeper into the conflict. Turkey, Saudi Arabia and Pakistan signed the Mecca Joint Defence Agreement on 7 August, committing themselves to the principle that an attack on one is an attack on all. The three countries' military chiefs met in the Saudi capital on Friday, a day after the Iran-backed Houthis launched their latest barrage of missiles targeting Riyadh and Saudi Aramco oil facilities in Yanbu. In recent weeks, Saudi Arabia has reported intercepting numerous Houthi drone and ballistic missile attacks from neighbouring Yemen. The military chiefs discussed intelligence sharing, military coordination and integrating their capabilities, Saudi and Pakistani statements said. Turkey's defence ministry did not comment on the meeting. Erdogan hints at larger nuclear partnership with Russia, unsettling Turkey's allies Saudi expectations Turkey has so far stopped short of committing itself to military action. Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan said this month that Ankara was looking into providing what he called “technical support”, without elaborating on what that could involve. Saudi Arabia could look to Turkey for air defence systems, counter-drone technology, radars and maritime security, given the expertise and capabilities of the Turkish military and defence industry, said Amed Khuzaie of the Washington-based think tank N7 Foundation. “The Mecca Agreement pact will prove its vitality and importance only if it's deemed to be functional,” Khuzaie told RFI. The Riyadh meeting followed talks in New York on Thursday involving the Saudi and Turkish foreign ministers and Pakistan's deputy prime minister and foreign minister on the sidelines of the United Nations General Assembly. Turkish media citing foreign ministry sources said the meeting focused on ongoing “technical negotiations”. But providing support to Saudi Arabia could expose Turkey to retaliation from the Houthis. “By God, if Turkey and Pakistan become involved, we will strike them with an iron fist,” Mohammed al-Bukhaiti, a senior member of the Houthis, said in an Iraqi television interview. Turkey seeks Black Sea shipping deal as attacks threaten grain trade Risk of retaliation The warning should be taken seriously given the Houthis' military presence around the Bab al-Mandeb strait, a critical waterway linking the Red Sea and Gulf of Aden, explained Amed Nagi, a Yemen expert at the International Crisis Group. “[The Houthis] targeted US and UK shipping in the Red Sea,” Nagi said. “They could do the same beyond [that] to the Gulf of Aden, because we know Turkey is very active in the Horn of Africa. "So I think these are the areas that the Houthis will think about if there is any sort of retaliation against Turkey.” In 2024, the Houthis attacked US military and commercial shipping in the Red Sea, damaging the Gibraltar Eagle bulk carrier with a cruise missile and sinking the British-linked cargo ship MV Rubymar. Saudi Arabia could also look to Israel for support if its new partners do not provide what it needs, Khuzaie said. “Who has better intelligence in the region than the Israelis today?” he said. “Diversifying resources, if one fails you, you have another side that could assist.” The risks for Ankara go beyond possible Houthi retaliation. Turkey must also manage its relationship with Iran, which backs the Yemeni group. “It is not in the interest of Turkey to have a direct confrontation with any actor in the region, and the Houthis have become a proxy of Iran; Turkey doesn't want a confrontation with Iran directly," said Bilgehan Alagoz, an international relations professor at Istanbul's Marmara University. "Turkey is trying to solve the issue from a diplomatic point of view.” In a joint statement last week, Turkey, Saudi Arabia, Pakistan and Egypt said that dialogue and diplomacy were the only sustainable way to resolve the region's conflicts, while affirming Saudi Arabia's right to defend itself under international law. Fidan met his Iranian counterpart Abbas Araghchi in New York on Friday. Fidan later said they discussed Iran's negotiations with the United States and conditions for reopening the Strait of Hormuz, but that diplomatic efforts had yet to produce a breakthrough. What the SDF’s dissolution means for Syria’s Kurds and neighbouring Turkey Iran balancing act The diplomatic efforts come as Turkey's relationship with Iran faces other strains. Turkey-based international relations analyst Soli Ozel said Ankara has for decades walked a “fine line” between rivalry and cooperation with Tehran while balancing its relationships with Iran and Western allies, particularly the United States. Turkey's banking regulator recently revoked the operating licence of Iran's Bank Mellat branch in Istanbul, although the official notice did not say the move was intended to enforce US sanctions. The US Treasury also said Ankara had agreed after talks with Washington to stop flights by Iran's Mahan Air as part of efforts to comply with US measures against Tehran. Three Turkish airlines also suspended flights to Iran. Turkish authorities have also repeatedly accused Iran of hostile operations inside the country, including assassinations and abductions of Iranian dissidents. In January, security forces arrested six people suspected of spying for Iran and gathering information about the Incirlik air base, which is used by US forces. Becoming involved in the conflict against the Houthis could upset Ankara's already delicate relationship with Tehran, Ozel told RFI. “The Iranians who actually have a lot of [intelligence] capabilities in Turkey, we’ve seen that before, then you find yourself in a hot or cold war,” he said.

  2. Sep 18

    Sweeping raids leave Turkey’s LGBTQI+ community fearing what comes next

    Turkey has jailed dozens of people pending trial as a sweeping crackdown on LGBTQI+ groups widens, prompting international condemnation and protests outside Turkish embassies on Friday. By Thursday, courts in several provinces had jailed at least 82 people following raids on LGBTQI+ organisations, clubs, cafes and homes. The cases include LGBTQI+ activists and members of rights groups as well as people accused of prostitution, drug offences and other crimes. Not everyone jailed is accused of gay rights advocacy. The United Nations human rights office has called on Turkey to uphold human rights without discrimination on the basis of sexual orientation or gender identity and to immediately release anyone arbitrarily detained. Protests were held outside Turkish embassies in cities including Paris, Brussels, London, Oslo and Washington on Friday. The crackdown began on Saturday, when police carried out coordinated raids targeting nine LGBTQI+ organisations. Justice Minister Akin Gurlek said legal action was being taken against 162 people, nine associations and 13 businesses in 15 provinces. Turkey arrests dozens in ongoing crackdown on LGBTQI+ groups Mass detentions The raids prompted protests across Turkey, including outside Istanbul’s main courthouse on Tuesday. Police broke up the demonstration and detained more than 100 people, including journalists. They were later released. “I am here because I want to say that LGBTQ+ friends are not alone in this country,” said Ayse, a protester who asked to be identified only by her first name. “I want to support them and to stay in solidarity with them, which is not easy these days in Turkey, but they are not alone, and we are not alone, and we will be here until the end.” Opposition DEM Party parliamentarian Ozgul Saki remained at the protest, protected from arrest by parliamentary immunity. “This oppression against LGBTQ+ people is an attempt to compress society into a single type; to build an Islamist, Turkish, racist society,” Saki said. “Those who are here say, 'No! Society will live equally, freely and honourably with all its diversity,' and that's why they were all detained.” The operations have been defended by Gurlek, from President Recep Tayyip Erdogan’s conservative Justice and Development Party (AKP). “No criminal organisation, abuse network or illegal activity which targets children, youths or families will be tolerated,” Gurlek posted on social media. Among the organisations affected was Istanbul-based SPoD, which provides psychological support to LGBTQI+ people. “As a community, we were expecting that such an operation would come one day. But we didn't imagine it as that violent, that much unlawful,” said a SPoD representative who asked to remain anonymous. “They raided our office; I think four or five have been detained, and they are still in custody. What will happen to the LGBTQ+ community after this day? Like they can implement a kind of informal criminalisation upon our community, so my personal feeling is an immense feeling of uncertainty.” Surge in anti-LGBTQ disinformation targets Pride in Europe Obscenity allegations Homosexuality has been legal since the foundation of the Turkish republic in 1923, but authorities are using an obscenity law as part of the crackdown. “All of our board members are detained due to the allegations of obscenity,” said Yildiz Tar of Ankara-based KAOS GL, Turkey’s leading LGBTQI+ news portal. “They look into our social media account, and our news articles are seen as obscene because, for example, there is one picture of two women kissing, and they see that it's obscene. So that is why they have been detained.” The measures resemble actions taken against LGBTQI+ communities in Russia and Egypt, Tar said. “It's very similar to Russia and Egypt, like the things they want to do is very similar to anti-gay propaganda laws, and there were huge operations, and people got detained,” Tar said. “So it's very similar to both countries. And actually, like the Turkish government is very fond of Putin's way of dealing things.” The crackdown has also drawn condemnation from the European Union and international human rights groups. “It's an attempt to show LGBTQ+ people as immoral and against the family. But in fact, none of this does anything to protect the family at all,” said Emma Sinclair-Webb, who leads Human Rights Watch’s Turkey office. “It's all about discrediting and stigmatizing people for their sexual orientation or gender identity.” Turkey marks a decade since the coup that never was, but never really ended Wider crackdown The arrests form part of a broader crackdown on people regarded as opposing the government, Sinclair-Webb said. “This operation should be set in the context of a very wide crackdown on anybody who is regarded as oppositional to the government, whether in terms of being politically or in terms of their lifestyle or their outlook… there is a general attempt by the government to impose as well as, you know, ideological conformity on people, lifestyle,” Sinclair-Webb said. President Erdogan routinely refers to LGBTQI+ people as perverts and has stepped up his rhetoric ahead of much-rumoured early elections. Gurlek has called on prosecutors to increase investigations into the LGBTQI+ community, fuelling fears of further arrests. The crackdown has also prompted condemnation across Turkish civil society, with trade unions, doctors’ associations and opposition parties voicing their opposition. For Tar, that support offers some hope amid fears over what could follow for Turkey’s LGBTQI+ community. “If this attack won't be stopped, it would mean a lot of maltreatment and torture; it can also cause hate crimes; it incites hatred inside the country too,” Tar said. “And it will mean that you cannot be openly queer; if they succeed in their operation, that is a really, really hellish scenario.”

  3. Sep 12

    Erdogan hints at larger nuclear partnership with Russia, unsettling Turkey's allies

    Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan is signalling a move to expand nuclear power cooperation with Russia, just as his country’s first Russian-built nuclear station prepares to go live later this year. The deepening partnership is likely to unsettle Turkey’s western allies. On the sidelines of a recent gathering of regional leaders in Kyrgyzstan, Erdogan told his Russian counterpart, Vladimir Putin, that Russia and Turkey “will take steps together to open some new power plants, along with the opening of the Akkuyu nuclear power plant”. The Akkuyu nuclear power plant, built by Russia’s state nuclear company Rosatom on Turkey's Mediterranean coast, is due to go online later this year. Erdogan’s announcement comes amid strained ties with Russia, as the Turkish leader has deepened relations with United States President Donald Trump. Ozgur Unluhisarcikli, head of the Ankara office of US think tank the German Marshall Fund, describes Erdogan’s move as a “gesture” to Putin. “Although Turkey is competing with Russia geopolitically, and although Turkey is firmly anchored in NATO and is improving its relationship with the United States, it does not intend to sever all ties with Russia,” Unluhisarcikli explained. “Indeed, Turkey sees the Turkey-Russia relationship as a long-term strategic one. And this is, by the way, consistent with Turkey's balancing act.” Trump tests Turkey's energy dependence on Russia with lure of US power Nuclear lifeline For Ankara, nuclear energy promises to help it break free from its heavy reliance on imported power. Once operational, the Akkuyu plant in southern Turkey will supply as much as 10 percent of the country’s electricity. Rosatom owns the Akkuyu power plant and will recoup the estimated €21.5 billion construction costs by selling electricity to Turkey, generating annual income of around €2-3 billion. Such income could be a vital tool for Moscow to mitigate tightening sanctions by both the European Union and the United States. “The Akkuyu nuclear power plant allows Russia to build itself various state-to-state payment channels to store liquidity in Turkish banks without necessarily interfering with any sanctions regulations,” according to George Voloshin of Acams, a global organisation dedicated to anti-financial crime, training and education. Voloshin believes that, given the project's 60- to 80-year lifespan, Turkey’s commitment to Russian nuclear power will shape bilateral ties for the long term, with consequences. “It will be a source of scrutiny from western partners of Turkey. At the same time, nuclear energy has been so far shielded from any sanctions, so for Russia it is clearly a kind of lifeline,” he said. Turkey seeks Black Sea shipping deal as attacks threaten grain trade Since Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, Ankara has maintained that it is not bound by EU or US sanctions on Moscow. Yet behind the scenes, it has quietly followed many restrictions and secured crucial waivers, especially for Russian gas. By leveraging its pivotal location near Syria and Iran, Ankara has walked a diplomatic tightrope between its western partners and Moscow. However, deepening nuclear cooperation with Russia threatens to complicate the already difficult balancing act. “It would reinforce the already existing distrust between Turkey and Europe and Turkey and the United States,” warned Unluhisarcikli. “But at the same time, Turkey is in talks with other countries, the United States and South Korea. These are the main two competitors for Russia.”  Mutual dependency Turkey’s dependence on Russian fossil fuels has stirred unease at home, and the idea of doubling down with Russian nuclear energy only heightens the sense of anxiety. “It is a dilemma,” Unluhisarcikli conceded. Yet with Russia willing to shoulder the hefty construction costs, cash-strapped Ankara has a strong incentive to continue the partnership. Russia expert Zaur Gasimov of Istanbul’s Turkish-German University points out that more than a decade of joint investment makes it tough for Turkey to turn to alternative suppliers. "It's quite a profound project,” said Gasimov, “Russia conducts the training of Turkish specialists in the field of nuclear energy, which started 15 years ago. We now have three or four waves of Turkish engineers who stayed for longer periods in Russia; they learn the Russian language for two years, and you have an infrastructure of specialists.” However, Gasimov stresses that, given the scale of investment by both sides, it has created an important mutual dependency. “Its importance makes the two sides, somehow, at the end, interested in preserving a certain level of the relationship,” he said. This shared reliance might help keep Turkish-Russian rivalries in check, from North Africa to the Middle East, the Caucasus and the Black Sea. Yet any step toward deeper nuclear cooperation is bound to invite sharper scrutiny and rising suspicion from Ankara’s western allies.

  4. Sep 6

    Turkey seeks Black Sea shipping deal as attacks threaten grain trade

    Turkey is racing to restore safe passage for cargo ships in the Black Sea as attacks on shipping disrupt grain exports and push up prices. Russia and Ukraine are major global wheat exporters, but Black Sea trade has been severely disrupted as both sides step up attacks on shipping and port infrastructure. Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan announced this week that Turkey was working on a plan to ensure safe passage in the Black Sea for commercial shipping and said he was in touch with both Ukraine and Russia. Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan confirmed that he raised the issue with his Russian counterpart, Vladimir Putin, on the sidelines of a gathering of regional leaders in Kyrgyzstan. The Turkish move comes as Ukraine and Russia have ramped up their attacks on shipping and ports in and around the Black Sea. In 2022, Turkey and the United Nations brokered a deal between Ukraine and Russia to ensure safe passage for Ukrainian grain exports through the Black Sea. The agreement lasted a year. While Turkey has maintained good ties with both sides, reaching another agreement will be much harder, warned international relations professor Huseyin Bagci of Ankara’s Middle East Technical University. “The tension is increasing more than ever before,” Bagci said. “It's not enough to have good relations, because the two sides – the Ukrainians and Russians – should sit down and talk about a common solution to this problem. Turkey cannot solve this problem alone.” What the SDF’s dissolution means for Syria’s Kurds and neighbouring Turkey Growing attacks In August Ukraine offered a ceasefire on commercial shipping, but the offer was rejected by Moscow, which said it wanted a broader deal. Ukrainian drones continue to strike Russian shipping, while Russia has continued missile attacks on Ukrainian ports and ships. This surge in attacks comes as both nations rush to export their grain harvests. Grain prices have risen sharply, by as much as 30 percent, international grain broker Can Atbasoglu said, even as both sides scramble to find new routes for their exports. “Russia will do their best to export as much as they can, both from Russian Baltic ports and EU Baltic ports like Latvia and Lithuania; they're also exporting,” Atbasoglu said. “Ukraine will also export as much as they can from Romania as well and through the Danube ports. But the export pace will be definitely lower. So it will definitely stay bullish for the markets. Prices are definitely going to stay like this or can have a further increase.” Fears of wheat price surge amid Ukraine-Russia clashes in the Black Sea Ships staying put At one of Istanbul's many shipyards, the docks are crowded with ships that once braved the Black Sea. One vessel bears the scars of a drone attack and is under repair. Others undergo routine maintenance as shipowners hesitate to risk new journeys into dangerous waters. The superintendent of one ship, speaking anonymously, says repairs are nearly finished, but uncertainty clouds the future. “We wanted to take the ship out to the Black Sea before entering the shipyard, but because of that risk, we didn’t enter the Black Sea and didn’t take on any cargo. We’ve been in the shipyard for 50 days for repairs, but we don’t know what will happen once the repairs are finished,” the superintendent said. Turkish shipowners warn that many are on the brink of bankruptcy, as idle ships rack up costs of up to 50,000 euros a month in mooring and crew expenses. Ziya Ustel, CEO of Turkish shipping company VI-ZA STAR, says high freight rates are being offered for Black Sea routes, but the risks are too great. “They are offering high freight rates, etc,” Ustel said. Without a diplomatic solution, few shipowners will be prepared to risk their vessels, Ustel warned. “The main thing is to find out a real solution,” Ustel added. “Otherwise, no one will try anything anymore.” Turkish diplomacy Ankara is expected to step up its efforts to find a solution. Grain brokers say hopes of a diplomatic breakthrough may be one reason prices have so far remained below the record highs seen at the start of the war. But if Turkish efforts fail and attacks on Black Sea shipping continue, higher grain prices could have a considerable impact, especially on the world’s poorest nations, many of which depend on Russian and Ukrainian grain.

  5. Aug 31

    What the SDF’s dissolution means for Syria’s Kurds and neighbouring Turkey

    Nearly a week after the Syrian Democratic Forces agreed to dissolve, the consequences are beginning to take shape for Syria's Kurds and neighbouring Turkey. As the former US-backed force is absorbed into the Syrian state, questions remain over what the country's Kurds have secured in return – from language and political rights to protections for women – and what the end of more than a decade of Kurdish-led autonomy means for Turkey's own conflict with Kurdish militants. SDF leader Mazloum Abdi announced the force's dissolution last Tuesday, saying its fighters would be integrated into the Syrian army. At its height, the predominantly Kurdish force numbered around 100,000 fighters and controlled nearly a fifth of Syrian territory in the northeast, including major oil fields and fertile land. Under SDF rule, Kurds gained cultural and political rights denied to them under previous governments in Damascus. “It means the end of Kurdish autonomy. After more than one decade of freedom, now they are under the control of Damascus,” said Syria expert Fabrice Balanche of Lyon University, who frequently visited the region. Kurdish rights “There are no guarantees for the Kurdish language because it's just a presidential decree: ‘let the Kurds use their language and teach Kurdish in schools,’ but there is nothing in the constitution,” Balanche said. The decree, issued by President Ahmed al-Sharaa in January, recognised Kurdish as a national language and allowed it to be taught in schools in areas with significant Kurdish populations. It also restored citizenship to Kurds who had been left stateless under measures stemming from a controversial 1962 census and made Nowruz, the Kurdish New Year festival, an official national holiday. The Education Ministry followed up on 27 August with rules providing for three Kurdish-language classes a week in public and private schools in areas with significant Kurdish populations, with marks counting towards pupils' final grades. ‘Words and promises not enough’ as Syria’s Kurds face uncertain future Abdi was also appointed as an adviser to al-Sharaa on Friday, days after announcing the SDF's dissolution. It remains unclear whether the role will be more than ceremonial. But questions remain over what the end of the Kurdish-led administration will mean for women. The SDF and affiliated institutions used a system in which governing bodies were jointly headed by a man and a woman. “During these 10 years of autonomy, men and women were equal,” Balanche said. “In the region’s administration. It was always a co-presidency. In Raqqah, for example, the mayor was Leyla Mustafa, a woman, and the co-president was a man. Now that is no longer the case.” Balanche also said the change could threaten restrictions on polygamy introduced under the Kurdish-led administration. Another unresolved question is what will happen to female SDF fighters as the force is absorbed into Syria's armed forces, which currently have no female troops. Shifting alliances For years, the SDF was Washington's main partner on the ground in Syria in the fight against the Islamic State group. But its position weakened as the United States built closer relations with Syria's new rulers. A Syrian government offensive in January seized large areas held by the SDF and pushed the Kurdish-led force back into negotiations over integration with Damascus. Washington, meanwhile, has increasingly embraced al-Sharaa's government, dismantling broad sanctions against Syria in 2025 and last week removing the country from its list of state sponsors of terrorism. Turkey has emerged as one of al-Sharaa's main foreign allies and has long pressed for the SDF to disarm and integrate into the Syrian state. Ankara considers the SDF a terrorist organisation linked to the Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK), which launched an insurgency against the Turkish state in 1984. The SDF has rejected Turkey's claim that it is an extension of the PKK. A year after Assad's fall, Syrian hopes for transitional justice are fading The United States and European Union designate the PKK as a terrorist organisation, but not the SDF. Turkey has carried out several cross-border military operations against the SDF in northern Syria since 2016 and still has thousands of troops stationed in the country. Ankara says those forces will remain until the security threats it faces have been eliminated. The SDF's dissolution therefore achieves a longstanding Turkish objective in Syria. Turkey's ruling AK Party welcomed the move last week as an important step towards strengthening Syria's unity. “Stability in Syria means Turkey perhaps being able to divert some of the resources it's been spending on counterterrorism into other areas of its defense that are absolutely necessary at a time like this, a time of regional turmoil,” said Turkey expert Asli Aydintasbas of the Washington-based Brookings Institution. Turkey's Kurdish conflict The SDF's dissolution could also remove an obstacle to the fragile peace process between Ankara and the PKK. The process is intended to end the PKK's decades-long armed campaign against the Turkish state through the group's disarmament and dissolution. Jailed PKK leader Abdullah Ocalan called on the group to disarm and disband in February 2025, and the PKK announced three months later that it would do so. A group of militants symbolically burned their weapons at a ceremony in northern Iraq in July 2025. Turkey's parliament passed a law in August establishing a legal framework for the PKK's disbandment. Kurdish politicians have said broader democratic and legal reforms will also be needed for lasting peace. Macron to become first Western European leader to visit post-Assad Syria For Ankara, however, the process does not stop at Turkey's borders. It has repeatedly insisted that the SDF must also dissolve, because it regards the Syrian force as part of the same militant movement as the PKK. The SDF has disputed that characterisation, with Abdi saying in 2025 that the PKK's decision to disarm did not apply to his forces in Syria. The dismantling of groups Ankara regards as PKK affiliates across the region is essential to the process, said Middle East expert Serhan Afacan of Istanbul's Marmara University. “The PKK should not exist anywhere in the region. This is what Ankara has been saying for more than a year,” Afacan said. “If there is going to be any kind of peace process or reconciliation, the PKK is not supposed to exist anywhere in this region, in Turkey, in Iran, in Iraq, Syria.”

  6. Aug 22

    Turkey, Saudi Arabia and Pakistan strengthen ties as Israel tensions rise

    Tensions between Turkey and Israel have intensified after an Israeli airstrike targeted a Syrian military airbase near the Turkish border. The strike came days after Turkey’s new military pact with Saudi Arabia and Pakistan. Ankara swiftly condemned Tuesday's Israeli airstrike on Syria’s Abu Duhur military airbase, 70 kilometres from its border, calling it illegal and a breach of Syrian sovereignty. Ankara is a key ally of Syria's new authorities. Israel justified its actions, accusing Turkey of seeking to expand its military footprint in Syria, which it sees as a serious threat. “Israel is uneasy about the Turkish presence in Syria, and Turkish ambitions to play a major role in Syria’s future are unsettling from an Israeli perspective,” explains Turkey expert Gallia Lindenstrauss of Israel's Institute for National Security Studies. “There's concern that Turkey will establish its own bases in Syria,” she added. Israeli-Turkish tensions have risen over Israel’s war in Gaza and Lebanon, and Ankara’s support of Hamas, evolving into a broader regional rivalry. “In general, there's uneasiness [in Israel] about Turkey's assertiveness, both in Syria and in the Mediterranean and other parts of the Middle East and the greater regional arena," said Lindenstrauss.  Landmark agreement Earlier this month, Turkey, Saudi Arabia and Pakistan made headlines by signing a landmark military accord in the Saudi city of Mecca. Known as the Mecca Accord, this alliance pledges mutual defence if any member is attacked, akin to NATO’s Article 5. Turkish international relations expert Soli Ozel claims the impetus for the agreement is uncertainty around Washington’s willingness or ability to protect its regional allies amid ongoing tensions involving Iran. “Undoubtedly, the United States is proving to be an increasingly unreliable partner. Countries worldwide, especially in the larger Middle East region, are looking for other ways to provide security for themselves,” said Ozel. Iran says ‘Muslim Nato’ pact reflects retreat from US security umbrella The Mecca Accord members view each other as bringing complementary strengths to deal with shared concerns. "Pakistan brings military capabilities and is a nuclear power. The Saudis have the money. Turkey has a budding defence industry and a large army. It claims not to be against any country, but I think those three parties agree that Iran is a destabilising actor, as is Israel,” explained Ozel. The Mecca Accord is set to boost defence and intelligence ties, with Saudi Arabia expected to bolster Turkey’s expanding defence sector. But many analysts see Iran and Israel as the accord’s principal focus. “The deal is meant to signal both to Iran and Israel that they will be isolated in the region if they continue with assertive, belligerent policies,” said Asli Aydintasbas of the United States-based Brookings Institution. Turkey steps up as Europe's indispensable and uncomfortable defence partner 'Two axes in the Middle East' Despite Iran’s recent attacks on Saudi Arabia, Aydintasbas argues that while the Mecca Accord has a mutual defence clause – meaning an attack on one member is an attack on all – Turkey and Pakistan will not be drawn into a conflict with Iran. “We know that they have no desire to get involved. But it does mean there will be greater military cooperation,” said Aydintasbas. Countering Houthi rebel attacks in the Red Sea on Saudi tankers could be the first real test of the alliance. But Aydintasbas cautions that the Mecca Accord will not replace the US as the “ultimate security provider” for the region. Instead, it's more about burden sharing, a move that fits well with Washington’s wider agenda. Washington has given its blessing to the accord, and expansion talks are already under way.  European Union slams 'inflammatory' Houthi Red Sea tanker attack Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan hinted that Egypt could be the next member, with Turkish media reporting that Egypt’s foreign minister will join his Saudi, Turkish and Pakistani counterparts for a meeting in Istanbul later this month. “Developments in Egypt are of major concern to Israel,” said Lindenstrauss. But she believes the Mecca Accord is an opportunity for Israel, given there are mutual concerns among its allies over the Accord. “Israel already has very close relations with Greece, Cyprus, the United Arab Emirates and India,” she noted. "And I do envision a deepening of this relationship. And so we have the formation of two loose axes in the Greater Middle East."

  7. Aug 15

    In Turkey, one of the world's longest conflicts reaches a turning point

    Turkey stands on the threshold of closing a conflict spanning almost 50 years, after the Turkish parliament this week passed a law allowing exiled Kurdish militants to return home and rejoin society. The legislation aims to end the war with the Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK), which has battled the Turkish state for independence since 1984. On Monday, legislators voted 468-88 in favour of a law detailing how the PKK will lay down arms, disband and guide most members back into civilian life. Many see this legislation as a turning point after decades of bloodshed. “This law in question is going to make a giant contribution,” predicts sociologist Mesut Yegen of the Diyarbakir-based Kurdish Studies Center. “If the PKK militants are convinced that they can be safe in Turkey, it's estimated that some 15,000 people in Europe, in Syria, in Iraq and in the prisons in Turkey are going to be either released or are going to be able to come back home.” The PKK leadership, based primarily in Iraq, is not covered by the legislation. Nor is the group's founder and leader Abdullah Ocalan, imprisoned since 1999 in a Turkish jail. He initiated the peace process and last year called for the disarmament and dissolution of the PKK. Hope, caution Istanbul, now the city's with the world’s largest Kurdish population, became a sanctuary in the 1990s as hundreds of thousands fled the violence raging in Turkey's southeast. At the conflict’s peak, the Turkish army destroyed villages in relentless scorched-earth campaigns. In Istanbul's Bagcilar district, home to a vibrant Kurdish community, conversations reveal a fragile mix of hope and caution. “This law seems good for the honour of the Kurds and to stop bloodshed,” said 31-year-old Ahmet, who only wanted to be identified by his first name. “Mothers should not shed tears anymore.”  But others were more wary. “The state has been delaying our rights for decades; I do not believe this process will be different,” said Kava, who also preferred not to give his full name. “I do not trust an arrangement in which Kurds do not have legal status.”  Kurds make up around a fifth of Turkey’s population, but are not legally recognised as a minority. Emotions appear equally divided among Turks. “If they’re agreeing to live under the Turkish flag and love our country, that’s fine – let them,” said 51-year-old Mehmet Tas. But 40-year-old Ertugral Zengin is unconvinced. “They committed a crime – and now they are to be pardoned? Do I want something like that? No, I won’t accept it.” PKK ends 40-year fight but doubts remain about the next steps Political momentum The decades-long conflict has claimed 40,000 lives and forced more than 3 million people from their homes. While major political parties support the peace process, hardline nationalist groups remain staunchly opposed, insisting it rewards a PKK they see as already defeated. The process hinges on the laborious task of disarming the PKK and verifying its weapons are gone. Maintaining the current political momentum is vital, warns Asli Aydintasbas, a Turkey expert at the Brookings Institution, a think tank in Washington DC. “If this drags on, political support for the legislation and for the return of former PKK members, seen by many Turks as terrorists, would become politically problematic for the government. Timing and moving fast is very important to achieve reconciliation,” she says. The government is expected to face growing pressure to address Kurdish rights, including Kurdish-language education in schools and local autonomy, along with broader democratic reforms. Social media buzzes with questions: how can PKK members walk free while critics of President Recep Tayyip Erdogan remain behind bars? Peace or politics? Turkey’s fragile path to ending a decades-long conflict Yegen warns that since the new legislation fails to address Kurdish rights and democratisation reforms, the government needs to move swiftly. “The fact that these two issues are not touched upon by the law has created many doubts on both Kurdish and Turkish sides about whether disarmament will be the government's only agenda,” he says. For Erdogan, steering the peace process to success could secure the vital Kurdish vote in the 2028 elections. Yet extending Kurdish cultural rights risks alienating Turkish nationalists, and relaxing pressure on the opposition brings its own perils as their electoral strength grows. For now, the negotiations present a rare window for reconciliation and lasting peace.

  8. Aug 8

    Turkey's new opposition party offers hope, but its future is already in jeopardy

    The launch of the Yeni Party in Turkey promises to energise the country's struggling opposition. But while some polls show it leading, it remains vulnerable – already beset by arrests it says are "politically motivated".  In a glitzy video, set to pumping music and shared widely across social media, Ozgur Ozel launched the Yeni Party – "New Party" – vowing to usher in a new era in Turkish politics and end President Recep Tayyip Erdogan’s long rule. Ozel founded the New Party after a court removed him from leading the main opposition party, the Republican People’s Party (CHP). His rival, former party leader Kemal Kilicdaroglu, 77, who lost every election during his decade in charge of the CHP, replaced him. Many in the country believe Erdogan played a role in the removal of Ozel, as his popularity grew thanks to tireless campaigning. Riding the wave The New Party is settings its sights beyond the CHP’s usual supporters. "It covers the whole political spectrum in Turkish political life," explains Ozel's advisor Ilham Uzel. "There are critical elements like democratisation, rule of law, secularism and a pro-Western approach, so we maintain these main pillars. But it is not confined to social democracy; we reach out to every section of Turkish society, including Islamists and conservatives, nationalists and liberals. We have Kurdish supporters." The New Party is riding a wave of excitement. Ninety-one out of 135 CHP parliamentary deputies have defected to its ranks, joined by dozens of mayors and it is swiftly becoming the main opposition in parliament. Turkey opposition worries that Europe is sacrificing democracy for security Some polls show the party soaring above 30 percent, leaving Erdogan’s Justice and Development Party behind, while the CHP’s support has collapsed. The New Party’s broad approach is finding fertile ground. "Even those who still support the governing coalition, the AK Party and MHP, are unhappy with how things are or how politics is practised, especially regarding economic issues. So there is a push towards change," says political commentator Sezin Oney. "There is a yearning to change things at the grassroots, and the New Party may be the only party that can represent a new way of doing politics. But they have to live up to it, of course." Corruption charges Erdogan has remained in power for more than 20 years partly by exploiting divisions within the opposition, which is made up of conservatives, hardline secularists, and both Kurdish and Turkish nationalists.  The New Party has a key advantage over the strongly secular CHP, whose history is linked to past policies targeting Turkey’s large Kurdish minority and religious conservatives. "CHP is identified with many bad experiences that the Kurds and conservative people had in past decades," said Mesut Yegen of the Diyarbakir-based Kurdish Studies Center. "If you look at what Ozgur Ozel says during his speeches, you may clearly see the Yeni Party doesn’t have the baggage of CHP." Erdogan has also often exploited the CHP’s history, painting it as anti-religious and hostile to Kurdish minority rights. The New Party faces the tricky task of keeping CHP loyalists on board while reaching new supporters. But for now, simply staying out of jail may be the most pressing concern for its representatives.  Turkey marks a decade since the coup that never was, but never really ended Several mayors who joined the New Party have been arrested on corruption charges, widely seen as politically motivated. In the past two years, 26 opposition mayors and hundreds of officials have been imprisoned on corruption allegations, compared to two mayors from Erdogan’s AK Party. "They are cracking down on our party – every other day, mayors are arrested," says Uzgel. "They filed another charge against our leader. Nobody is safe in this authoritarian regime. So Mr Ozel is on the spot, definitely." Ozel is protected by parliamentary immunity, but Oney warns he may be running out of time. "Ozgur Ozel might be imprisoned himself once his immunity is removed by a parliamentary vote, that's a possibility. The only immunity he can have is the immunity bestowed upon him by the people. So only public opinion is protecting him. How much can it protect him? We'll see." With parliament about to break for summer until October, Ozel has a brief window to strengthen his party and rally public support.

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RFI goes behind-the-scenes of one of the week's major stories.

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  • Creator
    RFI English
  • Years Active
    2017 - 2026
  • Episodes
    33
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    Clean
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