The Ministry of National Defense condemned the drone attack targeting Saudi Arabia last weekend and the actions of the Houthis. Ministry spokesman Zeki Aktürk said at the ministry’s weekly press briefing in Ankara that such actions, which threaten regional stability, must end as soon as possible.
Aktürk said the continued threat originating from the Houthis in the Red Sea and the Bab el-Mandeb Strait was adversely affecting not only regional security but also international maritime trade and global stability.
Call for concrete measures against Israel
Aktürk said Israel’s simultaneous attacks on Lebanon, Syria and Palestine had further deepened regional instability. He welcomed steps led by the United Kingdom, France and Canada, together with nine other countries, to prohibit trade and business relations with illegal Israeli settlements in the occupied West Bank.
Aktürk called on the international community to go beyond statements and take concrete and deterrent measures against Israeli attacks targeting camps housing displaced Palestinians in Gaza and residential areas in southern Lebanon.
Aktürk said Israel must immediately end actions that violate international law in order to establish peace and regional stability.
Statement on the Mecca Defense Alliance
The ministry said the Mecca Defense Alliance between Türkiye, Pakistan and Saudi Arabia is based on the countries’ long-standing relations, defense cooperation, and the principles of defense and collective deterrence.
It said the alliance was not directed against any country and did not constitute an alternative to the parties’ existing relations with third countries. Efforts among the three countries to develop military cooperation, increase interoperability and strengthen defense capabilities were continuing in coordination, while efforts to institutionalize the alliance were also ongoing.
Warning to Greece over Kastellorizo
The ministry also criticized Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis’ visit to Kastellorizo, known as Meis in Türkiye. Ankara said it was closely monitoring Mitsotakis’ contacts with military personnel stationed on the island.
It said the presence of military personnel and a warship on the island was incompatible with its demilitarized status under the 1947 Paris Peace Treaty and did not contribute to peace and stability.
Greece was called on to comply with its obligations under international treaties and refrain from activities incompatible with the demilitarized status of the islands. The ministry said Türkiye supported improving relations with Greece on the basis of good-neighborly relations and dialogue, while remaining determined to protect its rights and interests under international law.
Decision on the arms embargo against the Greek Cypriot administration
The ministry said the U.S. decision to extend for another year, until September 30, 2027, the lifting of its arms embargo on the Greek Cypriot administration could negatively affect the delicate balance and security environment on the island.
The ministry called on third parties to refrain from steps that could undermine the delicate balance on the island and to end practices that ignore the Turkish Cypriot people.
The statement said Türkiye, as a guarantor country, would continue taking the necessary measures in cooperation with the authorities of the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus for the security, peace and welfare of the Turkish Cypriots.
