Secrecy and silence have fueled rumors about the future of Özgür Özel after he announced that he would establish a new, as-yet-unnamed party. The man who delivered the first tangible success in decades for the main opposition Republican People’s Party (CHP) in the 2024 local elections remains confident of winning the next vote. However, hours after his historic declaration, few people publicly endorsed his new bid.

Among those mentioned was Mansur Yavaş, the Ankara mayor, who is widely viewed as a popular figure and a potential future presidential contender. While the mayors of Adana and Mersin, whom Özel mentioned in his speech on Tuesday while calling on them to join him, signaled their intention to remain in the CHP, Yavaş maintained his silence on Wednesday. Cemil Tugay, the mayor of the CHP stronghold of Izmir in western Türkiye, also reportedly chose to remain in the party.

Earlier on Wednesday, Özel held talks at a hotel in Ankara with the party assembly and central executive board of his new party, as well as lawmakers who have remained loyal to him since he was ousted from the CHP chairmanship in May. His predecessor, Kemal Kılıçdaroğlu, who was reinstated by a court ruling, also convened the CHP’s Central Executive Board on Wednesday.

Özel initially decided to remain in the CHP and challenged Kılıçdaroğlu to hold a new intra-party vote, confident that he would defeat him again. However, as the process dragged on and public pressure mounted, Özel changed his mind and began working to establish a new party.

The party, rumored to be named “Istiklal” (“Independence”), is expected to be ready in time for the 2028 presidential election. However, it will not be eligible to receive Treasury funding allocated to most political parties under Turkish law, which stipulates that a newly established party must secure at least 3% of the vote in the first election it contests. This means Özel and his associates will have to rely on private donations, which could prove challenging.

Key figures close to Özel have also been accused of buying votes in the 2023 intra-party election that ended Kılıçdaroğlu’s leadership. Özel’s name has also surfaced in an investigation involving CHP mayors who allegedly confessed to handing over large sums of cash, either personally or through intermediaries, to Özel and his aides to secure their candidacies. Moreover, CHP municipalities have already suffered reputational damage, as multiple mayors and municipal bureaucrats stand accused of running criminal networks involved in bribery and tender rigging.

Media outlets reported that Özel’s new party could secure up to 90 seats in Parliament through defections from the CHP. If that happens, it would become the second-largest party in Parliament.

In his speech on Tuesday – his last as the CHP parliamentary group chair following his removal from the position in May – Özel said the split within the CHP stemmed from disagreements over the party’s future amid its declining public support. He said some within the party argued for maintaining the current course and focusing on the next local elections, while others warned that the CHP risked losing voters unless it embraced change.

Describing the current state of the main opposition, Özel said: “People will not go into another local election with us if we continue like this. If we act this way, they will turn their backs on us. Voter turnout will fall to a historic low. Don’t you see the polls? The party has dropped to around 13% or 14% and continues to decline.”

He added: “A major defeat is coming. After another local election disaster, people will lose hope in the ballot box altogether. We have to act.”

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Justice Minister Akın Gürlek on Wednesday hosted his Saudi counterpart, Walid bin Muhammad Al Samaani, in Ankara. During the meeting, the two ministers exchanged views on strengthening judicial cooperation between their countries.

Gürlek highlighted the close ties between Türkiye and Saudi Arabia, citing cooperation across various fields, from the economy to defense. He said the two countries attach particular importance to cooperation in the fields of law and justice.

“We are members of a shared civilization that embraces the principle that ‘Justice is the religion of the state,'” Gürlek said.

He stressed that they aim to reflect the strong vision set out by the leaders of the two countries in the field of law and justice and to develop practical and effective cooperation that will benefit both peoples.

Gürlek said that the Century of Türkiye Vision and Saudi Arabia’s Vision 2030 both underscore the importance of strong, efficient and accessible justice systems. He added that increasing mutual delegation visits and strengthening direct contacts between legal experts would make a significant contribution to bilateral relations.

The justice minister also noted that Türkiye has implemented numerous reforms in recent years to make judicial services faster and more accessible. He said the digitalization of the judiciary, the development of alternative dispute resolution mechanisms and improving citizens’ access to justice remain among the country’s priorities.

Gürlek said the National Judiciary Informatics System (UYAP) enables judicial processes in Türkiye to be conducted digitally and added that the country is ready to share its expertise in digital justice.

“We are prepared to share with the Saudi Ministry of Justice our experience in the digitalization of the judiciary, artificial intelligence-supported applications, cybersecurity, judicial cooperation and alternative dispute resolution mechanisms,” he said.

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President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan welcomed Joshua Harris, a 12-year-old autistic boy recognized for his “Cake Not Hate” anti-Islamophobia campaign, praising efforts to promote kindness and inclusion.

Erdoğan met with Harris and his family at the Presidential Dolmabahçe Working Office in Istanbul on Wednesday.

Earlier on Wednesday, Harris visited the ruling Justice and Development Party (AK Party)’s Istanbul provincial headquarters.

Harris, accompanied by his father, Dan Harris, was welcomed by AK Party Istanbul Chair Abdullah Özdemir, who praised the young campaigner’s efforts to foster friendship and mutual respect among people of different faiths through the initiative he launched in the United Kingdom.

During the meeting, the sides discussed Harris’ campaign, which promotes solidarity and counters prejudice by encouraging dialogue and acts of kindness across religious communities.

Özdemir congratulated Joshua and his father for their stand against hate speech and anti-Muslim sentiment, or Islamophobia, saying the message delivered by the young campaigner carries universal significance despite his age.

He also underscored the importance of people from different faiths and cultures living together on the basis of mutual respect, adding that the values of love, solidarity and brotherhood should always prevail over hatred and discrimination.

Joshua and Dan Harris expressed their appreciation for the hospitality they have received in Istanbul and thanked their hosts for the warm welcome and support throughout their visit.

The meeting concluded with a commemorative group photograph.

Joshua has already visited Fatih Mosque on Sunday, Büyük Çamlıca Mosque and Mihrimah Sultan Mosque in Üsküdar on Monday, and Taksim Mosque on Tuesday. He is next scheduled to visit Ortaköy Mosque and Aziz Mahmud Hüdayi Mosque on July 24 as part of his 10-day program in Istanbul.

The campaign began after a far-right anti-Muslim hate incident at a mosque in Peterborough, England, last year.

In October 2025, far-right extremist Alexander Hooper entered a mosque in Peterborough and attacked members of the congregation and police officers.

Following the incident, Dan Harris and his then-12-year-old autistic son Joshua, who lived near the mosque, baked cakes and distributed them to worshippers as a gesture of solidarity.

After launching the initiative, the father and son received numerous threatening messages. In response, they decided to visit even more mosques and continue their campaign.

Their anti-Islamophobia “Cake Not Hate” campaign has since expanded to several countries, while the pair have visited more than 100 mosques across the U.K. to promote solidarity and stand against anti-Muslim hatred.

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Türkiye’s Parliament approved the first seven articles of a legislative package on Thursday that introduces stricter rules for novice drivers, including the cancellation of licenses for repeated traffic violations during a two-year probationary period.

The amendments to the Highway Traffic Law were adopted as part of a broader bill that also includes provisions to increase the minimum pension. The changes were introduced following a ruling by Türkiye’s Constitutional Court requiring revisions to the existing legislation.

Under the new rules, individuals obtaining a driver’s license for the first time, as well as motorists whose licenses have previously been revoked and later reinstated, will be classified as probationary drivers for two years from the date their license is issued.

During this period, a probationary license will be revoked if the driver commits any offense that results in the temporary suspension of a driver’s license, accumulates more than 75 penalty points, or is found driving with a blood alcohol concentration exceeding 0.20 promille, regardless of vehicle type.

The legislation also provides for the cancellation of a probationary license if the driver commits any of three key traffic violations three times during the probation period. These include failing to comply with turning rules, failing to yield to pedestrians at designated crossings and violating mandatory seat belt or other protective equipment requirements for drivers and passengers.

Drivers whose probationary licenses are revoked must complete the licensing process again. They must re-enroll in a certified driving course, pass the required examinations and obtain a new driver certificate before reapplying for a license.

Applicants will also be required to undergo a psychotechnical assessment and psychiatric evaluation demonstrating they are fit to drive, pay all outstanding traffic fines, and complete any mandatory waiting period associated with previous suspensions or revocations.

At the beginning of this year, Parliament approved a comprehensive amendment to the Highway Traffic Law, significantly increasing penalties for dangerous driving, in a move officials say is aimed at cutting road deaths by half.

The law imposes a TL 140,000 (approximately $4,375) fine on drivers who alter license plates to make them unreadable, along with a 30-day vehicle impoundment. Failing to yield to vehicles with the right of way carries a TL 15,000 fine.

Running a red light six times in one year will result in permanent revocation of a driver’s license. Drivers who cause accidents by running red lights will face a 60-day suspension and must undergo a psychotechnical evaluation before regaining their licenses.

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German lawmaker Maximilian Krah recently said parliamentary officials had twice blocked planned visits to the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus (TRNC), arguing that Turkish Cypriots and their institutions deserved international recognition.

Speaking to Bayrak Radio Television (BRT), Krah noted he and his fellow lawmaker Achim Köhler had submitted two requests to Germany’s parliamentary Human Rights Committee to visit the territory, but both were rejected.

“They stopped us, but we will come anyway,” Krah emphasized, alleging that some political circles in Germany did not want lawmakers to examine conditions on the island firsthand.

Krah described the current status quo in Cyprus as unsustainable and said previous settlement efforts had failed because of the Greek Cypriot side’s position. He argued that Turkish Cypriots had established functioning state institutions and a legal system that merited recognition.

He linked renewed international attention on Cyprus to Türkiye’s growing geopolitical role, the strategic importance of the eastern Mediterranean and continuing human rights debates.

Krah called for a settlement that protects the rights of both communities, including property rights, while promoting peace in the eastern Mediterranean.

He called the decision to block the visits “hypocrisy.”

The lawmaker, who served six years in the European Parliament, currently sits on the Bundestag’s European Affairs Committee and serves as rapporteur on Cyprus and Türkiye.

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A new bill proposed by the ruling Justice and Development Party (AK Party), which calls for life imprisonment for perpetrators of serious offenses committed between the ages of 15 and 18, was approved by Parliament’s Justice Committee early Wednesday.

The bill is one of the most comprehensive legislative packages addressing children involved in crime. Its most notable provision is the introduction of life sentences for offenders as young as 15, although such sentences would remain at the court’s discretion.

Murders committed by minors and the increasing use of children by criminal gangs to carry out shootings have come under the spotlight in Türkiye in recent years.

A series of fatal stabbing incidents involving teenagers has intensified public debate over youth violence and the factors driving minors toward crime. One of the most widely reported cases occurred on Jan. 24, 2025, when 14-year-old Mattia Ahmet Minguzzi was stabbed by a 15-year-old attacker at a street market in Istanbul. Minguzzi died on Feb. 9 after spending 16 days in intensive care.

Just two months later, another fatal stabbing shocked the public in the northern province of Tokat, where 17-year-old national athlete Berkay Melikoğlu was killed.

In one of the most recent incidents, 17-year-old Atlas Çağlayan died after being stabbed during an argument in Istanbul on Jan. 14, with initial findings indicating that the suspect was 15 years old.

Briefing the committee during deliberations on the bill, Mehmet Ökmen, director general of legislation at the Justice Ministry, disclosed statistics on children driven to crime.

“Investigations were launched into 187,300 children in 2025. The total number of alleged offenses in these investigations stands at 412,775. However, this does not mean that all of these children will be convicted or sent to prison,” Ökmen said.

Ökmen also shared data on recidivism rates among both children and adults. According to the data, individuals, whether juveniles or adults, who commit theft are likely to commit the same type of offense repeatedly. In contrast, children who get into one-on-one fights with classmates or friends at school, in the classroom, in dormitories or at training courses generally have a very low rate of repeating such behavior.

Referring to increased penalties for parents whose actions lead to their children becoming involved in the criminal justice system, Ökmen cited a court ruling from Germany as an example.

“In Germany, a father noticed traffic signs that had been removed from the streets in his child’s room but did nothing about it. When a fatal traffic accident later occurred because those signs were missing, the court held the father responsible,” Ökmen said.

Officials also shared additional figures with the parliamentary committee.

There are currently 1,372 convicted juveniles and 3,191 juveniles in pretrial detention in the 12-18 age group. Another 10,700 children are under probation supervision.

As of 2025, 78,733 counseling and rehabilitation sessions have been conducted as part of rehabilitation efforts. Authorities held 16,238 family meetings, while 2,541 children participated in group counseling or intervention programs. A total of 1,033 training courses were organized, with 11,595 participants enrolled.

In 2025, courts issued 97,881 protective measures concerning children. Of these, 43,270 were counseling measures, 23,612 were education measures, 23,251 were health-related measures, 7,710 were care measures, and 72 were shelter or accommodation measures.

There are currently 2,300 specialists working in juvenile education centers and prisons, including 990 psychologists, 208 social workers and 369 sociologists. Officials announced that by the end of the year, the system will be reinforced with 427 additional specialists, including 290 psychologists, 10 child development specialists, 52 social workers and 75 teachers.

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