Main political events in Türkiye in the last week.
Main political events in Türkiye in the last week.
Last week, Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan’s surprise visit to Russia topped the agenda.
President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan’s meeting with Greek Orthodox Patriarch Bartholomew was another widely discussed development.
Meanwhile, preparations for the NATO Summit to be held on 7-8 July in Ankara, continued at full speed.
Foreign Minister’s visit to Moscow
Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan paid a surprise official visit to the Russian Federation on June 16–17, 2026. During his visit, Fidan held talks in Moscow and Kazan with a number of high-level figures, most notably Russian President Vladimir Putin and Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov.
According to reports in the press, the meetings addressed bilateral relations as well as regional and global issues, particularly the ongoing war in Ukraine.
The meeting between Fidan and Putin took place in Kazan. Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov and presidential aide Yuri Ushakov also attended the meeting.
At the start of the meeting, Putin said he was pleased to host Fidan, stressing that relations between the two countries were “on an upward trajectory” and had “gone beyond official contacts to acquire a genuinely friendly character.” Putin also underlined that President Erdoğan’s approach had played a decisive role in the development of these relations and conveyed his greetings to Erdoğan. Minister Fidan thanked Putin and conveyed President Erdoğan’s greetings in return.
After the meeting, Fidan stated that the latest developments in the region and on the international agenda had been discussed in detail, adding that Putin’s experience on these issues was of great importance to Türkiye.
Fidan also held meetings with Putin’s advisers Vladimir Medinsky, Russia’s chief negotiator in the 2022 Russia-Ukraine peace talks, and Igor Levitin, responsible for transport and infrastructure strategies.
In Moscow, Fidan held comprehensive talks with his Russian counterpart Sergey Lavrov. Reports indicated that, among other issues, the intensifying war in Ukraine was also discussed.
Fidan reiterated that Türkiye was ready to play any mediating role necessary for a permanent ceasefire and the resumption of negotiations. Stating that Türkiye was prepared to host a new round of talks, Fidan said: “Our country’s fundamental priority is for Russia and Ukraine to return to the diplomatic table.”
The situation in the Black Sea, in connection with the ongoing war in Ukraine, was also discussed during the meeting.
Fidan noted that recent attacks targeting Turkish-flagged vessels and fishing boats had heightened concerns in Ankara. “We exchanged views on what can be done to ensure the safety of navigation in the Black Sea,” he said.
Lavrov also said they were in agreement on this issue, adding that the Kyiv administration’s provocative attempts targeting ships carrying grain to Türkiye, threats against the TurkStream and Blue Stream pipelines, are cause for concern.
At the press conference, Lavrov emphasized that Türkiye and Russia continued to maintain intensive contacts at every level, pointing to concrete results in the fields of energy and tourism.
The meeting also covered developments in Syria, the South Caucasus, Gaza, and West Asia.
Fidan underlined the importance of preserving Syria’s territorial integrity and cooperating in the fight against terrorism, while calling for joint efforts to end the suffering in Gaza.
Erdoğan’s meeting with Greek Orthodox Patriarch Bartholomew
Another important item on last week’s agenda was the meeting between President Erdoğan and Greek Orthodox Patriarch Bartholomew.
The meeting took place at the Presidential Complex in Ankara. It was shared with the press that the reopening of the Halki Seminary was discussed during the meeting. Reports said Patriarch Bartholomew asked Erdoğan for support regarding the opening of the school.
According to a statement from the Patriarchate, the meeting addressed under what status and through what kind of educational model the school could resume its activities.
During a previous visit to Greece, Bartholomew had claimed that the seminary would reopen and become operational in September.
The status of the Weminary, however, remains a matter of debate. While it has been suggested that the school could reopen as a private school under the Ministry of National Education, other options have also been raised, including reopening it as an institute affiliated with a state university, as part of a foundation university, or as a faculty of theology.
The Patriarchate insists that the school should be able to admit not only Turkish citizens but also students from other countries.
According to a report by Hürriyet newspaper from Türkiye, citing the Greek press and sources, Erdoğan took a positive view of efforts to reopen the school and instructed the relevant institutions to take the necessary steps to move the process forward.
According to Patriarchate sources, the meeting focused not only on the reopening of the school but also on how its educational model would be shaped. It was said that Patriarch Bartholomew proposed the creation of a two-year master’s-level theology program, and that Erdoğan responded positively to the proposal.
NATO Summit preparations in Ankara
Preparations are continuing at full speed in Ankara for the NATO Summit of Heads of State and Government, which will be held on July 7–8, 2026.
The meeting, described by US Secretary of State Marco Rubio as “the most important summit in history,” is expected to be attended by many high-level leaders, including US President Donald Trump, British Prime Minister Keir Starmer, French President Emmanuel Macron, and German Chancellor Friedrich Merz.
For the summit, Ankara has effectively been placed under extraordinary security measures, while renovation works are being carried out at the airports to be used by the leaders.
The Ankara Governor’s Office announced that public employees in many districts of the city would be considered on administrative leave between July 6 and 12. Throughout the summit week, all exams, symposiums, panels, concerts, and similar events across the city will be banned, and no public gatherings that could disrupt traffic will be permitted.
As the NATO Summit approaches, various political parties and organizations have also been issuing statements and organizing actions against NATO.
Speaking at the Ankara Book Fair, Vatan Party Chairman Doğu Perinçek said: “The meeting they will hold in Ankara in July will be NATO’s death meeting.” Perinçek added: “There is no place for NATO on Turkish soil! Even its corpse cannot be allowed to pollute this land.”
The Communist Party of Türkiye announced that it would organize a protest rally against the summit. The rally is scheduled for July 5 at Tandoğan Square in Ankara.