Politics
Galata Bridge rally aims to revive global focus on Gaza war
Turkish Youth Foundation (TÜGVA) Chair Ibrahim Beşinci has called on the public to join a large-scale march to be held on Jan. 1 on the Galata Bridge in Istanbul, to draw attention to the ongoing humanitarian crisis in Gaza and to demand compliance with the cease-fire process.
Speaking at a press briefing organized by the National Will Platform on Tuesday, Beşinci said the march aims to keep international attention focused on Palestine and to mobilize public conscience at a time when global pressure is weakening. He described the Galata Bridge as a symbolic venue, stating that it will serve as a “platform of conscience” rather than merely a physical crossing point.
Beşinci also expressed condolences for police officers who were killed during a counterterrorism operation against Daesh in Yalova, northwestern Türkiye, noting that the march will be carried out under the motto “Blessings for the martyrs, support for Palestine.”
According to Beşinci, the day will begin with morning prayers at several historic mosques across Istanbul, including Hagia Sophia, Sultanahmet, Süleymaniye, Fatih, Yeni Cami and Taksim mosques. Participants will then proceed in organized groups toward the Galata Bridge, where the main gathering will take place.
He emphasized that the initiative goes beyond a symbolic demonstration, framing it as a civic call to bear witness. The program on the bridge will include public addresses, religious hymns and various forms of collective expression intended to amplify the voices of civilians affected by the conflict.
Referring to developments in Gaza since Oct. 7, 2023, Beşinci recalled that tens of thousands of civilians have lost their lives and that large-scale destruction has been inflicted on residential areas. He argued that Israel has failed to fully implement the cease-fire provisions agreed upon and said declining international scrutiny has allowed violations to continue on the ground.
Beşinci criticized what he described as ineffective international responses, stating that the process should not be left to the political calculations of Western leaders. He underlined that civil society must assume an active monitoring role to ensure that cease-fire commitments are upheld and that sustained public pressure remains in place.
The TÜGVA chair said nearly 400 civil society organizations are expected to participate in the march, adding that the call has also been supported by Türkiye’s major sports clubs. He noted that their involvement reflects a broad-based consensus that the issue of Palestine is fundamentally a humanitarian concern that transcends political, religious and ethnic boundaries.
Concluding his remarks, Beşinci said the Jan. 1 march is intended to reignite global civic engagement on Palestine, arguing that visible public participation can contribute to renewed international pressure. He added that even limited individual involvement can play a role in influencing the broader public agenda and shaping global awareness.
Thanks to Türkiye
The National Will Platform also released a video ahead of the rally, containing messages from Palestinians in Gaza. Palestinians in the devastated city urged more people to join the rally and praised Türkiye for standing with them during the tough times.
The first rally for solidarity with Gazans was also held on the Galata Bridge on Jan. 1, 2024, a few months after a new round of the Palestine-Israel conflict began. Türkiye is the fiercest critic of Israel’s genocide in the Palestinian territories and cut off ties with Tel Aviv after the conflict began. Since 2023, people of diverse political affiliations have staged rallies across the country to protest Israel.
Speaking to Anadolu Agency (AA) on Monday, Hatice Yılmaz, chair of the board of the Türkiye Youth and Education Service Foundation (TÜRGEV), said the Palestinian cause represents a multilayered area of responsibility for civil society.
Emphasizing the importance of CSOs and the public acting as advocates for Palestine, Yılmaz said Türkiye has supported Palestine from the very beginning both diplomatically and internationally, as well as through humanitarian aid.
“Türkiye has taken responsibility for the Gaza issue. Israel is not complying with the cease-fire rules and is committing numerous violations in legal and humanitarian terms. At this point, showing a reaction is of great importance,” she said.
Drawing attention to the decline in mass demonstrations in Western countries following the cease-fire decision, Yılmaz added: “In Europe and the United States, public demonstrations have almost come to a halt. We will come together on Jan. 1 to break this silence and keep awareness alive. Our aim is to ensure Palestine is not forgotten.”
Yılmaz said that, while individual and social media reactions continue, mass protests in Europe and the U.S. have largely ceased, emphasizing the importance of continuing demonstrations involving diverse societal segments.
Speaking at an event in Istanbul on Tuesday, Turkish Cypriot President Tufan Erhürman said talks with Greek Cypriots cannot be resumed unless the political equality of both sides is guaranteed.
“This should be the state before negotiations. U.N. Secretary-General Antonio Guterres is also aware that the system of negotiations in place failed to produce a solution,” he said.
Erhürman was recently in New York to hold talks with the U.N. chief over the decades-old Cyprus question.
Cyprus has been mired in a decades-long dispute between Greek Cypriots and Turkish Cypriots, despite a series of diplomatic efforts by the U.N. to achieve a comprehensive settlement. The Greek Cypriot side is recognized as a political entity by most of the international community, while the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus (TRNC) pushes for recognition, with the support of Türkiye.
Erhürman said they presented a four-article methodology for talks to the United Nations.
The Turkish Cypriot leader said his nation had joint and equal sovereignty rights legally on the island, from security and energy to maritime jurisdiction, rights on hydrocarbons and international trade routes, but these rights could not be exercised so far. He accused the Greek Cypriot administration of ignoring the existence of Turkish Cypriots on the island while they signed security, energy and hydrocarbon deals with Israel, the U.S., France and India. He noted that the European Union financed the Great Sea Interconnector (for electrical interconnection between Greece, the Greek Cypriot side and Israel), but even Greek Cypriots did not consider this project as economically viable.
“Despite this, the EU claims to work for a solution in Cyprus, though they seek to exclude Turkish Cypriots and Türkiye,” he lamented.
Erhürman stated that the island had strategic importance and wealth, and Turkish Cypriots should be viewed as an equal partner in the entire island. he also stressed that Türkiye should be recognized as a guarantor state.
“Regional developments demonstrate that you summon your elder brothers when you are not strong enough to fight others. This is what Greek Cypriots do. They want to summon their brothers, but everyone knows that once these brothers arrive, it is difficult to eject them,” he said. Erhürman said Greek Cypriots’ deals risked the entire island. “But it is us forced to share this risk, though we don’t share the authority,” he complained.
The president said they did not want to start negotiations with Greek Cypriots from scratch. “There should be a time frame. We don’t intend to squander our time on negotiations table,” he stated. “If they avoid negotiations, we will not go back to the status quo.”
“We will not go back to a status quo where direct commerce and flights (to the TRNC) are not allowed,” he added.
The National Solidarity, Brotherhood and Democracy Commission, established under the goal of a “terror-free Türkiye” initiative, approved its report by majority vote on Wednesday, following deliberations among party representatives at the Turkish Grand National Assembly (TBMM).
The commission, chaired by Parliament Speaker Numan Kurtulmuş, said 47 lawmakers voted in favor of the report, two voted against it and one abstained, underlining that the report is a cornerstone in the initiative that aims for the full dissolution of the terrorist group PKK.
The 60-page report includes recommendations for Parliament for future legislative steps to facilitate the process. Among them are legal reforms that will go hand in hand with the PKK’s moves to get rid of its weapons and fully dissolve itself. Reform proposals urge the judiciary to review current legislation and suggest more compliance with the European Court of Human Rights (ECtHR) and Constitutional Court rulings. The report, whose parts were published in Turkish media earlier this week, is portrayed as a guide for strengthening democracy in Türkiye and ensuring the elimination of PKK terrorism.
During his remarks, Kurtulmuş stated that the report consists of seven sections: “In the first section, titled ‘Commission Activities,’ the process regarding the commission’s work is explained. The second section emphasizes the commission’s main objectives within the framework of our discussions. The third main heading addresses the historical roots of the Turkish-Kurdish brotherhood and the legal framework of that fraternity. The fourth section focuses on areas of consensus that emerged from the speeches delivered by individuals heard by the commission, based on an analysis of their statements. The fifth section covers the ‘Process of the PKK Dissolving itself and Laying Down Arms.’ The sixth includes legislative proposals related to the process, while the seventh presents ‘Recommendations on Democratization.’ The report concludes with a section on results and evaluations,” he noted.
Kurtulmuş continued by saying that the commission’s work reflects a historic responsibility undertaken within the representative authority and democratic legitimacy of the TBMM to strengthen social peace, unity and national solidarity.
He said issues that the public has faced for many years at great cost gain the prospect of a lasting solution when addressed through the legislative and supervisory authority of Parliament.
“Today we are passing through a historic period regarding the issue of terrorism,” Kurtulmuş said. “In this process, our Parliament, as the embodiment of the national will, has undertaken its duty without hesitation.”
He said terrorist acts that have consumed the country’s energy and resources for decades have narrowed Türkiye’s development prospects, strained social bonds and confined politics to security reflexes. Following the end of the Cold War, terrorist groups increasingly became instruments of division, proxy conflicts and fragmentation in the region, he said, adding that local problems were turned into tools of global calculations that deepened social fault lines.
Kurtulmuş emphasized that Türkiye would continue to pioneer integrative policies in the region despite global power pressures. In an environment where power balances are shifting and geopolitical risks are rising, he said, strengthening domestic unity while ensuring lasting peace and stability in the region would create new opportunities for both national security and regional order.
He said a natural alliance among Turks, Kurds, Arabs and other peoples of the region would undermine scenarios of fragmentation and division designed by external actors.
“Resolving the issue of terrorism in Türkiye permanently requires multidimensional, multilayered and multi-actor policies that go beyond security measures alone,” he said, adding that political legitimacy, social acceptance and democratic capacity must be strengthened simultaneously.
The Turkish Parliament, he pointed out, is the legitimate address for resolving all issues concerning the nation’s future. The National Solidarity, Brotherhood and Democracy Commission was established to bring this historic responsibility onto the parliamentary floor.
Adopting a common-sense approach that prioritizes shared ground, the commission was able to discuss issues in depth without departing from consensus, he said. Recent political contacts, growing public demand for peace and developments regarding the organization’s laying down of arms made parliamentary consultation more visible and necessary.
He said the goal of a “terror-free Türkiye” also opens onto a broader vision of a terror-free region, adding that each step reinforcing domestic tranquility enhances Türkiye’s strength in the pursuit of regional and global justice.
Kurtulmuş said Parliament’s role is to establish the legal framework for shared life, amplify diverse voices into a common future and strengthen a democratic structure in which every citizen feels equal, secure and respected.
He said the commission’s report is not the conclusion of a completed process but a “cornerstone guiding” future steps.
Kurtulmuş also thanked President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan for adopting the issue as a matter of state policy and taking initial steps, as well as Nationalist Movement Party (MHP) leader Devlet Bahçeli for his calls that helped initiate the process. He also expressed gratitude to opposition leaders and political parties that supported the commission’s work.
He said 137 individuals from various fields including former Parliament speakers, ministers, representatives of public institutions, the head of the National Intelligence Organization, families of fallen soldiers, veterans, civil society representatives, bar association leaders, human rights organizations, labor unions, employer representatives, academics, think tanks, retired security personnel, and youth and women’s groups were heard by the commission and contributed to the report.
He thanked commission members, administrative staff and media representatives for their efforts and expressed appreciation to the public for its support.
“Our greatest gratitude is to our noble nation,” Kurtulmuş concluded, commemorating fallen soldiers with mercy and veterans with respect, and emphasizing that their memory reinforces the responsibility to uphold human dignity, justice and a shared future.
Moreover, during his speech on Wednesday, Erdoğan also addressed the commission, saying he has repeatedly stressed that the fight against terrorism is not solely a security issue.
“I have frequently emphasized that counterterrorism is not just a matter of security,” Erdoğan said. “We continuously address its legal and social dimensions as well. At present, we are handling this matter very carefully together with our Parliament speaker and our colleagues on the commission. With patience, wisdom and determination, we are proceeding on this path. At the end of this road, the terrorism problem that has harmed our country for years will, God willing, be permanently removed from our agenda,” Erdoğan remarked.
The committee was formed in August 2025 to support a potential new phase in efforts to end the campaign of terrorism that has killed more than 40,000 people and stymied economic development.
Türkiye plays a vital role in NATO’s deterrence posture and efforts to maintain stability across its southern flank, a senior alliance official said, highlighting Ankara’s growing strategic importance as NATO advances a comprehensive “360-degree” security approach ahead of an upcoming summit in Ankara.
Speaking in an exclusive interview with Anadolu Agency (AA), Javier Colomina, NATO secretary-general’s special representative for the southern neighborhood, described Türkiye as a central actor in shaping alliance policy toward the Mediterranean and wider southern neighborhood, citing its military capabilities, geographic position, and active contributions to regional security.
“Türkiye plays an essential role… is an actor that is well known for its ability to secure the shores, for its ability to provide defense industry assets, for its ability with their armed forces, and is indeed one of our more committed allies,” he said.
“And particularly in the Mediterranean, it plays a huge role in ensuring that the Mediterranean is a secure basin, together with the other Allies.”
Colomina said Ankara has been instrumental in developing NATO’s Southern Neighborhood Action Plan and remains a key supporter of its implementation, particularly as the alliance strengthens deterrence and resilience against interconnected threats ranging from terrorism and irregular migration to geopolitical competition.
“The Southern Neighborhood, it’s been an important topic for the alliance for many years, but it was a year and a half ago that we decided to approve a Southern Neighborhood Action Plan,” he added, noting that Türkiye played “a very important role in making that happen.”
Southern Neighborhood Action Plan and Ankara summit
Colomina said the Southern Neighborhood Action Plan, which is based on pillars such as political dialogue, practical cooperation, regional presence, and coordination with organizations such as the African Union, the U.N., the EU, the Gulf Cooperation Council, and the Arab League, is heavily reliant on cooperation among allies.
“In all of those pillars… It’s been very clear the support from Türkiye,” he said.
The upcoming NATO summit in Ankara is expected to focus primarily on implementing decisions taken at last year’s summit in The Hague, including increased defense investment targets and continued support for Ukraine.
Colomina emphasized that the geographical location of the meeting carries symbolic and strategic importance.
“The fact of having this summit in the Southern Neighborhood, geographically located in the south, as it’s Ankara, would mean a lot for our Southern Neighborhood Action Plan, for the approach we have to our partners, and for all the work that we’ve been doing in the last couple of years,” he said.
While concrete deliverables specific to the southern flank remain under discussion, he indicated that the southern dimension will likely feature prominently.
Eastern Mediterranean security and Türkiye’s role
Addressing NATO’s priorities in the Eastern Mediterranean, Colomina underscored long-standing cooperation frameworks such as the Mediterranean Dialogue, launched more than three decades ago, and the role played by southern allies.
“We have partners in the Mediterranean and allies that do play a role in the southern side of the alliance, from Türkiye… to Greece, Portugal, Spain, Italy,” he said, highlighting efforts to safeguard energy corridors and maritime routes.
According to Colomina, Türkiye is particularly influential in regional security due to its military capabilities and strategic position. He added that Ankara contributes significantly to ensuring that the Mediterranean remains “a secure basin.”
NATO’s evolving defense concept focuses on threats across all strategic directions, north, east, west, and south, reflecting an interconnected security environment, Colomina said.
“The 360-degree approach is at the core of everything that we do,” he explained, linking the strategy to collective defense planning and deterrence efforts across the Euro-Atlantic area.
He pointed to growing challenges across the southern neighborhood, including terrorism, irregular migration, maritime and energy security concerns, cyber threats, and geopolitical competition involving Russia, China, and Iran.
NATO’s response involves cooperation with a wide network of partners, including 12 southern partners among its 35 global partners, according to Colomina.
“NATO doesn’t have to be the first responder for all of them,” he said, emphasizing instead capacity-building initiatives and cooperation with regional partners to promote stability.
The alliance is closely monitoring developments in Syria, Lebanon, Gaza, the Gulf, and the Red Sea, he said, stressing the need to contribute to stability without necessarily taking a leading operational role.
Responding to debates in some allied countries about burden-sharing and collective defense credibility, Colomina said NATO remains strong and united following decisions taken at the 2024 summit in The Hague.
“I think we had a historical summit in The Hague last summer, where we took historical decisions to increase our investment to 5%,” he said, calling the move evidence of the alliance’s “good health” and continued commitment to Article 5 mutual defense guarantees.
He noted that many allies have significantly increased defense spending and capabilities while emphasizing the continued role of the US within NATO.
“That doesn’t mean that the Americans will no longer be with us. They still have 80,000 soldiers in Europe,” he said, adding that greater European and Canadian contributions will ultimately strengthen the alliance.
Despite regional crises, NATO continues to rely on structured dialogue mechanisms such as the Mediterranean Dialogue and the Istanbul Cooperation Initiative, which bring together partners from the Mediterranean and Gulf regions.
“We need to work with all of them,” Colomina said, stressing flexible and tailored approaches to cooperation. He noted that NATO marked the 30th anniversary of the Mediterranean Dialogue and the 20th anniversary of the Istanbul Cooperation Initiative in 2024, underlining their continued relevance.
Congratulating Türkiye on the 74th anniversary of its NATO membership, Colomina described Ankara as a major contributor to alliance security and defense efforts.
“Türkiye contributes greatly to our security and defense efforts, particularly in the southern neighborhood, being one of the countries more exposed to southern neighborhood challenges,” he said, praising the country’s defense industry and military capabilities across land, sea, and air.
“We’re very pleased with the work that we continue to do with our Turkish friends everywhere where we are deployed and in Brussels, where we work on a daily basis,” he added.
Germany’s defense minister on Wednesday underscored Türkiye’s strategic importance to European security, commending Ankara for its significant contributions to NATO’s defense planning and collective deterrence efforts.
Speaking to reporters after observing NATO’s Steadfast Dart 2026 military exercise in the Baltic Sea, Boris Pistorius said NATO allies are united and prepared to confront security challenges.
“Türkiye is a very, very important NATO partner on the southeastern flank with considerable capabilities, which have become impressively evident today, for example, with the amphibious boats,” he told reporters. “These are new to the Turkish Navy and have proven to be of high quality.”
The Steadfast Dart 2026 exercise, NATO’s largest of the year, tests the rapid deployment and integration of the Allied Reaction Force (ARF). Running from January to March 2026, it involves around 10,000 personnel from 11 NATO countries.
Pistorius thanked Türkiye for its substantial contribution, which includes around 2,000 military personnel, Bayraktar TB3 armed unmanned aerial vehicles, its largest warship TCG Anadolu, several frigates, and various other indigenous assets. He praised the quality of Turkish equipment and forces.
“The contribution of the Turkish allies, the Turkish friends here at this deployment exercise, is of central importance, of course, for NATO as a whole. Because it shows that NATO is bigger than some people believe. And that Türkiye has always played a central role in this, and probably even more so today,” Pistorius said.
President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan on Tuesday conveyed his wishes for a blessed Ramadan, expressing hope that the holy month brings goodness and prosperity to Türkiye, the Islamic world and all humanity while strengthening unity and solidarity.
In a statement posted on social media, the president said he prays that the sacred days, marked by the opening of the gates of mercy, reinforce national unity and togetherness.
The people in Türkiye will start fasting on Thursday, but various countries started fasting on Wednesday.
Muslims around the world will fast for approximately 12 to 15 hours a day during Ramadan. In the Northern Hemisphere, fasting hours will lengthen as days grow longer, while in the Southern Hemisphere, they are expected to gradually shorten.
Governors from 81 provinces joined newly appointed Interior Minister Mustafa Çiftçi on Wednesday as President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, fresh off a visit abroad, hosted the Governors’ Meeting at the Presidential Complex.
Before delivering awards to governors with outstanding accomplishments and after remarks underlining that the governors “embodied the state in the field,” Erdoğan urged caution to the highest public administrators in every province while conducting their work.
“You should not be drunk with power while serving people and should not seek any interest other than for the people you should be honored serving,” he said, adding that serving people should be their priority rather than “focusing on advancing your career.”
Erdoğan also pointed out that recent complaints against public officials were especially related to social media. “As social media platforms proliferated, a major portion of communication and information services (of public institutions) shifted there. Naturally, our institutions and officials utilize them more and more. Nevertheless, we occasionally witness the excess (on the part of officials) on social media, for the sake of gaining favor and interaction. The privacy of people is violated and we see people acting in contradiction to the seriousness that conducting the state’s work requires. These behaviors devolve into communication mishaps and crises. I believe you and people working under you will act sensibly in those matters,” he said.
“If administrators act arrogantly against people, they will lose favor,” Erdoğan added.
The president said they expected governors to come up with fast and efficient solutions to people’s problems and “win hearts.” “They have to act with maximum efficiency. This is actually what leadership takes. A successful governor means a good leader. Good leadership requires taking responsibilities and risks and staying away from referring matters they can solve locally to Ankara,” he underlined.
“The state, in Turkish tradition, does not merely refer to an administrative organization. It also embodies meanings such as power and compassion. Justice lies at the foundation of the nation’s millennia-old state tradition. In this sense, governance is intertwined with wisdom. One cannot ensure administration without establishing justice and goodness,” he stated.
Erdoğan said the Turkish nation has never been without a state at any point in its history and has upheld the principle of “Ebed Müddet” or the eternal state, passing it on to future generations.
“Our national and spiritual values, our human and cultural heritage, and our vision of the past and the future are directly embedded in our philosophy of the state,” he said. “That is why, for us, the state does not merely signify an administrative structure. It also encompasses meanings such as power, prosperity, compassion and mercy.” He said justice forms the foundation of the centuries-old state tradition, with people at its center, and virtue and morality at its core.
“In this respect, governance is intertwined with wisdom,” Erdoğan said, citing Yusuf Kamil Pasha, who served in senior posts including grand vizier during the Ottoman Empire. Erdoğan quoted him as saying, “Government is inseparable from wisdom.”
“You cannot ensure administration without establishing justice and goodness. If you disregard people and exclude wisdom, you cannot secure peace and stability,” he said. “You must use the resources entrusted to you by our state with great diligence for the benefit of our people and our cities,” he also said.
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