Metin Lütfi BAYDAR

CHP Foreign Policy Council Current Assessments 1. OTS Ankara Meeting. We welcome the convening of the Organization of Turkic States in Ankara, the participation of the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus, and the transfer of the rotating chairmanship to Türkiye. We support taking all necessary steps to further develop the Organisation. In this regard, we welcome the Ankara Declaration, which includes decisions to strengthen relations, particularly the establishment of the Organization of Turkic States Defence Industry College, the adoption of a perspective on the Cyprus issue consistent with current political realities, and cooperation projects to develop the East–West Corridor. 2. Israeli Elections and the Knesset. It is evident that the outcome of Israel’s long-awaited general election will create new balances both within Israel and across the region. We expect an executive and peaceful government to be formed in the Knesset without the need for a repeat election, and we regard this as important for regional stability. 3. Cooperative Meeting in Tehran. We view the contacts that the parties to the Mecca Agreement held with Iran in Tehran on 26 October as developments that will enable the countries of the region to take ownership of the sought-after security cooperation. We hope that, within this framework, through an institution such as the Organisation for Peace and Cooperation in the Middle East (OBIT), confrontational processes will be replaced by dialogue-based and cooperative approaches. 4. Türkiye–Libya–EEZ. We regard the forthcoming meeting in Türkiye with representatives of the Tripoli and Benghazi administrations, aimed at overcoming differences and achieving political unity, as a development that will facilitate the implementation of the Türkiye–Libya EEZ Agreement (2019). We hope that this agreement (under Article 123 of UNCLOS) will serve as an encouraging example for states in the region that have not yet delimited their Exclusive Economic Zones with Türkiye. 5. Türkiye–Iraq–FAW. Given that the bottleneck in oil and commercial shipping in the Gulf of Basra is anticipated to persist for a long time, it is clear that oil transport, transport links, and rail and road connections between Iraq and Türkiye will present significant opportunities for consumers in Europe and the Mediterranean region. In this context, we believe it would be beneficial to make every effort to accelerate the Iraq Development Corridor (FAW) Project. @herkesicinCHP