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Uzbekistans President Shavkat Mirziyoyev on June 6 arrived on an official visit to Turkey and quickly joined Turkish counterpart Recep Tayyip Erdogan in expressing an ambitious goalthe two countries will focus on ramping up their bilateral trade volume to $5bn from the $3bn recorded in 2023.

bne IntelliNews recently described how Turkey and Uzbekistan, the two largest countries in the Turkic world, have fostereda closer relationship, with the Organisation of Turkic States (OTS) emerging as a new regional alliance bringing together shared strategic, economic and security interests. Turkey and Uzbekistan, with populations of 85mn and 35mn, respectively, constitute the majority of the 165mn people in Turkic-majority states.Mirziyoyevs predecessor Islam Karimov became wary of perceived difficulties in finding common paths with Turkey and put a brake on deepening relations, but the coming to office of reformist Mirziyoyev in late 2016 heralded a new era in the Turkey-Uzbekistan relationship, economic and otherwise.

Turkish companies in Uzbekistan are engaged in more than 100 projects, with recent investment amounting to towards $10bn.

In trade with Uzbekistan, Turkey does not come close to matching ChinaUzbek-Chinese trade last year stood at around $13.7bnor RussiaUzbek-Russian trade in 2023 amounted to approximately $9.8bnbut both Uzbek and Turkish officials are bullish on prospects.

The highlight of Mirziyoyevs appearance in Ankara was the convening of the third meeting of the high-level bilateral strategic cooperation council.

Discussions centred on bolstering the two nations comprehensive strategic partnership across domains including the political, trade-economic, investment, transport-communication, education and cultural-humanitarian.

Mirziyoyev toured aerospace and defence company Turkish Aerospace Industries (TAI) in Ankara. The company, established in 1973, has emerged as a leading Turkish technology hub for aerospace systems.

At the first meeting of the Uzbekistan-Turkey Business Council, both parties agreed to establish an Uzbekistan-Turkey industrial cluster.

Mirziyoyev emphasised the importance of developing public-private partnerships (PPPs), with plans for joint projects worth $3bn based on this approach.

Additionally, the leaders deliberated on regional issues of significance, including the evolving situation in Afghanistan.

In a closing gesture, Mirziyoyev extended an invitation to Erdogan to visit Uzbekistan for the next meeting of the council.

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Mirziyoyev and Erdogan declare $5bn trade goal as Uzbek leader visits Turkey - bne IntelliNews

Levent Kenez/Stockholm

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has assumed the authority to declare a mobilization and a state of war. The authority to declare a mobilization previously belonged to the Cabinet, while the decision to declare war was made by the parliament.

Turkey introduced an executive presidential system in 2018giving Erdogan sweeping powers and preventing parliament from conducting its oversight of the executive branch.

According to the new regulation published in the Official Gazetteunder President Erdogans signature, the Mobilization and State of War Regulation has replaced the former Mobilization and State of War Decree, effectively ending the practicesin placesince 1990. With the new regulation in effect, several older regulations havebeen annulled, including the 1980 Turkish Armed Forces logistical mobilization preparedness regulation, the 1991 Turkish Armed Forces personnel mobilization regulation and the 2010 Reserve Personnel deferment regulation. References to the repealed decree in existing legislation will now point to the new regulation.

The 52-page document defines the regulations purpose as enabling the swift and effective transition of all state power and resources from a state of peace to a state of mobilization or war.

Mobilization isdefined as the preparation, assembly, arrangement and utilization of all state power and resources, especially military power, to meet wartime needs. This process allows for the partial or complete restriction of citizens rights and freedoms by law. The Ministry of Defense describes mobilization as the state during which the country and the nation prepare for war.

Partial mobilization pertains to one or more regions of the country, requiring only a portion of the states power and resources. The new regulation underscores the presidents pivotal role in these preparations and activities during mobilization.

Some legal expertsnote that this change is a routine adjustment necessitated by Turkeys transition to a presidential system of governance following a 2017 referendum, which transferred powers previously held by the Cabinetto the president.

Former Turkish Navy commander Mehmet Dagc voiced his criticism of the recent change during an interview on X, where he emphasized that the shift of authority to declare a mobilization from the Cabinetto the presidency is concerning as it centralizes power in a single individual. Dac expressed his apprehensions, suggesting that the underlying motive behind the regulation appears to be safeguarding the regime against internal unrest and potentialuprisingsrather than primarily addressing external threats.

Meanwhile, legal expert Hatice Yldz expressed concerns that the new regulation could restrict certain fundamental rights and freedoms, noting the ambiguous language used. According to the regulation, even our private cars could be confiscated under the pretext of mobilizationwithin six hours, she said.

Yldz also highlighted another critical aspect of the regulation, that mobilization can now be declared not only against external enemies but alsoin response to internal uprisings or insurrections. Its not just about a state of war with an external enemy; it also includes the potential for internal uprisings or insurrections, she said. For instance, if this authority had existed during the Gezi Park protests in 2013, a mobilization decision could have been ordered. The president could claim, I see an uprising in the country, and I am making this decision. So who decides what constitutes an uprising or insurrection? It will be Erdogan himself.

Text of the new Mobilization and State of War Regulation:

The most striking provision in the new regulation is that individuals dismissed from state institutions through emergency decrees canbe called up as reserve personnel during periods of mobilization. Notably, following a controversial coup attempt on July 15, 2016, tens of thousands of people, primarily from the military and other state institutions, were expelled without court rulings on charges of membership in a terrorist organization. Ironically, these individuals may now be assigned duties during critical periods when reliable and trustworthy personnel are needed most.

Ruling party spokesperson mer elik said at a press conference on Wednesday, In light of changing war conditions and developments, it is necessary to update old decrees. elik explained that the former regulation, whichwas first draftedin the 1990s, has undergone six or seven changes. Since 2011, input has been gathered from all institutions. It was supposed tobe reviewed earlier, but the earthquake agenda took precedence. We decided what coordination for national security entails, and the regulation was published, he said.

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Erdogan grants himself the authority to declare war - Nordic Research and Monitoring Network

Turkeys President Recep Tayyip Erdogan speaks during a press conference with Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis (not seen) at the Presidential Palace in Ankara, on May 13. [Umit Bektas/Reuters]

Press conferences convened by heads of government, are usually carefully planned and choreographed occasions. Typically, prior to taking the podium, each leaders staff usually finesse their agreed-upon statements and decide whether to field questions from the gathered press pool. In a perfect world, this should not be a forum where surprises are sprung upon one leader by the other.

This was not the case at a meeting between Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis and Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan on May 13. It is a well-established fact that Turkey and Greece disagree on many foreign policy issues, ranging from maritime border and airspace disputes, all the way to how to settle the Cyprus dispute. While these issues are difficult to resolve, summits between Greek and Turkish leaders have not been occasions where these differences act out. Leaders are usually cordial and respectful towards the other. A new issue where Turkey and Greece (and most of the Western Hemisphere for that matter!) hold opposing views is the Gaza war. While Greece supports Israels right to defend itself against Hamas an EU and US designated terrorist organization, responsible for the murder of over 1,200 Israeli civilians on October 7, 2023, Turkey sees things differently. Erdogan refers to the group as a group of mujahadeen resistance fighters, struggling to end Israels oppression of Palestinians.

While the two Aegean countries are unlikely to change their views on Hamas, admonishing a countrys leader for their countrys position, at a publicly televised press conference, is a gross violation of diplomatic protocol and tradition. Yet, this is exactly what Erdogan did. In addition to reiterating his support of Hamas, Erdogan lectured Mitsotakis, remarking that if one calls Hamas, [which] has lost 40,000 of its people, a terrorist organization, this would be a heartless approach. While this was certainly a shocking rebuke of his counterpart, Erdogans second outburst at the joint press conference shocked audiences. The Turkish leader openly admitted that more than 1,000 members of Hamas are under treatment in hospitals across Turkey. Mitsotakis managed to maintain a stoic disposition, simply stating, Lets agree to disagree. Meanwhile, reporters were busy soaking up the news that the president of a NATO country admitted on live television that it was providing medical care to Hamas fighters. The question that still lacks an answer is glaringly obvious: Given that Gaza is under the control of the Israeli Defense Forces (IDF), how did 1,000 terrorists manage to get medevacked to Turkey? Before this could be investigated further, an alleged Turkish official, told Reuters, on the condition of anonymity, that Erdogan misspoke, and it was not Hamas fighters who were receiving medical treatment, but Palestinians from Hamas-run Gaza. The official may be telling the truth, as Turkey and Egypt have been permitted to evacuate gravely ill and injured Gazans to hospitals in their countries. But then again, they may not, and Erdogan did not misspeak. Ankara has not issued any official correction of his remarks. In the event that the presidents remarks needed to be corrected, a press official would be quick to engage in a what he really meant to say type of clean-up effort, rather than rely on an anonymous official to contain the spread of a bombshell admission. More importantly, the officials comment to Reuters is not a correction. For one thing, its not an official statement. Furthermore, we have no way of knowing if the official is a government representative, authorized to speak on behalf of Erdogan, or whether the 1,000 people evacuated from Gaza to Turkey are actually civilians and not Hamas. Bottom line: If Erdogan wanted to be crystal-clear on the issue of whether his country is aiding and abetting members of a terrorist organization, he could unequivocally do so. The fact that he has not is suspicious.

Unless of course, it is in keeping with Turkeys wider ambition to be Hamas main patron on the world stage. Erdogan has not shied away from championing Hamas since the October 7 attacks. Since then, Turkey has steadily increased its hostile stance towards Israel, calling the war a genocide against Palestinians; an act, which, Erdogan stated, Hitler would have been jealous of. On May 2, 2024, Erdogan imposed a complete trade embargo on Israel, breaching numerous existing contractual trade obligations that are likely to be contested in court.

If Recep Tayyip Erdogan wanted to be crystal-clear on the issue of whether his country is aiding and abetting members of a terrorist organization, he could unequivocally do so

Most damning has been Ankaras granting of safe harbor and sanctuary to Hamas and its leadership. Senior leaders like (the late) Saleh al-Arouri and Ismail Haniyeh received Turkish passports, allowing them to travel freely internationally. Turkey is likely the biggest financial hub for the terrorist entity, allowing Hamas donors to use Turkeys financial system to facilitate the transfer of hundreds of millions of dollars to its Gaza base. On May 14, the London-based Times newspaper revealed the story of the IDF finding a document in the Gaza home of Hamza Abu Shanab, the chief of staff to Yahya Sinwar, the leader of Hamas in Gaza and the mastermind of Hamas October 7 attacks. The document reveals Hamas exploring the possibility of establishing a base in Turkey that could be used to launch terror attacks inside Israel. We do not know if any of these goals were ever realized, but between April 19-20, Erdogan hosted Hamas chief Ismail Haniyeh in Istanbul, where among many other topics, they discussed the possibility of relocating Hamas external headquarters from Qatar to Turkey.

Finally, on May 15, Erdogan addressed his parliamentary group, this time going further than before, to accuse Israel having ambitions on taking Turkish territory, and that Hamas [was] the first line of defense against eventual military expansion by Israel into Anatolia. All this should serve as a harbinger of Erdogans real intentions to prioritize the mission of a terrorist entity above those of Turkeys existing obligations towards treaty allies. By refusing to designate Hamas as a terrorist entity, and instead nurture it, Erdogan undermines the security interests of NATO, the EU and the United States. It also makes it clear to them that Turkey does not share their values and threat perceptions. Just prior to October 7, Erdogan was exploring ways to normalize ties with Israel, even attempting to nail down a possible date that Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu could visit Ankara. Following the attacks in Israel, it took Erdogan no time to abandon what some already perceived to be an insincere initiative in the first place. Barely weeks had passed following October 7, when Erdogan called Irans president to coordinate peace efforts. By the end of January 2024, both Iran and Turkey were coordinating their condemnation efforts of Jerusalem.

Erdogans Turkey is the country for which the Biden administration and Congress approved the sale of new fighter jets and military equipment a deal thats worth $23 billion. The time for introspection and deliberation about Erdogans intentions has surely passed. What is the virtue and value in continuing to coddle a leader who undermines everything that we and our allies value? What more does Erdogan have to do to demonstrate that he is nurturing a country that is only an ally in name, and a growing adversary with each passing day?

Sinan Ciddi is a non-resident senior fellow at the Foundation for Defense of Democracies (FDD), where he contributes to FDDs Turkey Program and Center on Military and Political Power (CMPP). He is also an associate professor of Security Studies at the Command and Staff College-Marine Corps University and Georgetown Universitys School of Foreign Service.

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Erdogans Turkey: Champion of Hamas, and an adversary of the West - Kathimerini English Edition

ISTANBUL (Reuters) -Turkish fiscal policy will not add to inflationary pressure as the country begins to experience some disinflationary relief in the second half of the year, President Tayyip Erdogan said on Saturday.

Addressing the Foreign Economic Relations Board, Erdogan said annual inflation should peak in May before cooling, echoing the forecasts of the central bank and offering his latest endorsement of the economic programme.

"We will enter a disinflationary period in the second half of the year. We will not allow for inflationary pressures through fiscal policy," he said.

The economic programme mainly aims to lower inflation to single digits, Erdogan added. "We are aiming for a sustained drop in inflation, not temporary relief."

Annual consumer price inflation was near 70% in April and is expected to touch about 75% this month. The central bank has aggressively hiked interest rates to 50% since June last year, reversing a years-long easy-money policy under Erdogan.

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Turkey's Erdogan says fiscal policy will not stoke inflation - Investing.com

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan renewed his resolve to draft a new constitution for the country, saying the one in force after the military coup of 1980 cannot sustain the new Trkiye.

It's not possible for the current constitution to sustain Trkiye anymore, Erdogan said following a cabinet meeting in Ankara on Monday.

Despite all the amendments introduced to the current constitution, we have not been able to eliminate the spirit of guardianship that the coup plotters have injected into it, he said.

The Turkish democracy should settle old scores with the tradition of coups by adopting a new and civil constitution, he added.

Erdogan also stressed that he does not want a new constitution for himself. Trkiye needs this. This is what our nation needs. Future generations deserve to be governed by a liberal constitution, he said.

After being re-elected to a new and final presidential term in May 2023, Erdogan pledged to introduce a new liberal civil constitution to replace the current one, which according to him, is a product of the (1980) coup.

His insistence raises concerns that the move will help him cement his power indefinitely by allowing him to run for president again in the 2028 elections.

On Tuesday, Erdogan welcomed a Turkish court sentence of ex-leader of the pro-Kurdish Peoples Democratic Party (HDP), Selahattin Demirtas, to 42 years in prison and HDP's former co-chair Figen Yuksekdag to 30 years and three months for their alleged involvement in the Kobani protests in 2014.

The protesters in Trkiyes mainly Kurdish southeast accused the Turkish army of standing by as ISIS militants besieged Kobani in plain view just across the Syrian border in October 2014. The protests led to the deaths of 37 people.

Speaking at the appointment ceremony of judges and public prosecutors, Erdogan said: Ten years after the insurrection attempt, we see that justice has been served, albeit late, and we are pleased with this.

He dismissed the sharp criticism of the judiciary for the overblown rulings in the case and called them politicized.

We know well, especially from our experience, the damage caused by political and ideological polarization in the judicial system. We won't let that happen again, he said.

The Kobani trial involved 24 convicted politicians among 108 defendants, who were sentenced to a combined 407 years and seven months in prison.

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Erdogan: Current Constitution Cannot Sustain the New Trkiye - Asharq Al-awsat - English