Politics
Damascus, PKK-linked SDF reach deal on Daesh camp
SDF, an umbrella group led by the terrorist YPG, which controls northeastern Syria, announced on Monday that they have reached an agreement with the government in Damascus to evacuate Syrian citizens from a sprawling camp in the desert that houses tens of thousands of people with alleged ties to the Daesh terrorist group.
Sheikhmous Ahmed, an SDF official, said an agreement was reached on a “joint mechanism” for returning the families from al-Hol camp after a meeting among local authorities, representatives of the central government in Damascus, and a delegation from the U.S.-led international coalition fighting Daesh. Ahmed denied reports that administration of the camp will be handed over to Damascus in the near future, saying “there was no discussion in this regard with the visiting delegation or with the Damascus government.”
Human rights groups for years have cited poor living conditions and pervasive violence in the camp, which houses about 37,000 people, mostly wives and children of Daesh fighters, as well as supporters of the terrorist group. They also include Iraqis as well as nationals of Western countries who traveled to join Daesh.
The U.S. military has been pushing for years for countries that have citizens at al-Hol and the smaller, separate Roj Camp to repatriate them. Iraq has taken back increasing numbers of citizens in recent years, but many other countries have remained reluctant.
As for Syrians housed in the camp, a mechanism has been in place for several years to return those who want to go back to their communities in the YPG-controlled areas. Before now, however, there had not been an agreement with the government in Damascus to return them to areas under the central government’s control.
The new agreement comes amid attempts to increase the cooperation between the YPG and the new leaders in Damascus after former regime head Bashar Assad was unseated in December.
Under a deal signed in March between Syria’s interim President Ahmad al-Sharaa and Ferhat Abdi Şahin, ringleader of the YPG, the SDF is to be merged into the new government armed forces. All border crossings with Iraq and Türkiye, as well as airports and oil fields in the northeast, are to come under the central government’s control.
Prisons where about 9,000 suspected members of Daesh are held are also expected to come under central government control.
The deal marked a major step toward unifying the disparate factions that had carved up Syria into de facto mini-states during its civil war that began in 2011 after the brutal crackdown by Assad’s government on massive anti-government protests. However, implementation has been slow. Washington has been pushing for its enactment and, in particular, for Damascus to take over management of the prisons in northeast Syria.
President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan said last week that the YPG should follow the PKK in dissolving itself, adding that they were closely monitoring the development on that front. He also called upon the Syrian administration to concentrate on the matter of the integration of the YPG into security forces in post-Assad Syria. As the U.S.-backed terrorist group thrived during the Assad era in Syria, occupying parts of northeastern Syria, Türkiye launched cross-border offensives in Syria to help Syrian opposition forces drive out the YPG from several towns. Yet, after the fall of the Assad regime, the YPG kept clinging to their so-called autonomous zone.
The president stated that the YPG issue had multiple aspects, including the state of Daesh prisoners held by the group. Erdoğan said Türkiye had a joint committee with the U.S., Syria and Iraq to tackle the issue. “We are also following how the YPG would respond to (the PKK’s dissolution). It is unclear whether they will heed the call for dissolution or remain committed to the March 8 deal with Damascus. They may want to have it both ways, too. Certainly, the PKK’s decision to dissolve itself covers its Syrian wing too. The YPG is searching for a response and the upcoming days are critical in this process. Our relevant authorities monitor all armed groups’ integration into the Syrian army. We are particularly monitoring the YPG,” he said.
Erdoğan underlined that Damascus should remain committed to this issue, although they have “plenty of things to handle.” “Iraq should also be committed to the camp issue,” he said, noting that the majority of those held in al-Hol were Iraqi and Syrian nationals. “Once this issue is resolved, the YPG will lose significance and hence, their integration into the Syrian army will be easier,” he said.
Speaking at the parliamentary group meeting of the ruling Justice and Development Party (AK Party) on Wednesday in Ankara, President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan said the region would eventually have peace, and it would be “despite Israel, Israel’s provocations.”
He criticized the “massacre” network that has turned terrorism and occupation into state policy and has done everything over the past 10 days to sabotage the U.S.-Iran deal.
Erdoğan champions the Palestinian cause and led Türkiye to cut off ties with Israel after a new round of Palestine-Israel conflict broke out in 2023. Türkiye sees Israel as the main adversary in the region due to the latter’s expansionist policies, which brought conflicts to the levels of genocide in Gaza and spilled over into Syria and Lebanon. Ankara has accused the Netanyahu administration of pursuing a “promised land” ideal, especially in light of the U.S.-Israel-Iran war. Israel was not a party to the recent U.S.-Iran deal to end the conflict and continued attacks in neighboring Lebanon.
The president said they managed to keep the country out of the “ring of fire” during the U.S.-Israel-Iran war. “We did not give in to Israel’s attempts to stir up new conflicts in our region,” he said.
Erdoğan emphasized that one of the riskiest conflicts since World War II had been successfully managed thanks to their policies and coordination with allies. He stated that throughout this difficult process, all institutions, especially the foreign affairs and security bureaucracy, had displayed great effort and dedication.
Explaining that they had contributed to the negotiation process between the U.S. and Iran with great care, “sometimes through back-channel diplomacy, sometimes by taking a direct stance, and at other times by intervening before disagreements escalated,” Erdoğan said: “We are now in a period that requires even greater sensitivity. We know that Israel cannot tolerate even the slightest possibility of peace. Looking at the statements they have made over the past 10 days, one can see that what stands before us is not statecraft but rather a group of radicals who have lost all sense of reason. The situation is so grave that everyone is accusing one another of killing too few people and shedding too little blood. Both the government and the opposition are constantly trying to outdo each other in advocating genocide. A frenzied crowd, competing with one another in recklessness, never wants the guns in our region to fall silent. This network of slaughter, which views its national security as dependent on the instability of everyone else, including its neighbors, and which has turned terrorism and occupation into state policy, has been doing everything in its power over the past 10 days to sabotage the agreement reached through the tremendous efforts of all parties. They will continue every kind of mischief until they achieve their goals. If peace comes to our region, it will come despite Israel. If stability is established in our region, it will be despite Israel’s provocations. No matter what this network of slaughter does, it will not be able to prevent peace, tranquility, justice, stability and prosperity from prevailing in our region, Allah willing,” he said.
“As Türkiye, we will not refrain from doing whatever falls upon us to ensure that even the slightest opportunity for peace is utilized. In the coming period, we will continue to provide every possible support to efforts aimed at achieving a lasting resolution to the Iran crisis,” Erdoğan added.
‘Chaotic’ opposition
As he praised the government’s actions for peace diplomacy, Erdoğan had an equal share of criticism for the opposition, namely the Republican People’s Party (CHP). Though he said Ankara did not care about the infighting in the fragmented CHP, he devoted a substantial part of his speech to criticize the party and warn it not to prevent Parliament from functioning.
“Chaos and turmoil reign in the opposition as our People’s Alliance stands united,” Erdoğan said.
The CHP is engaged in a bitter row over who will lead the party after Özgür Özel was relieved of duty as leader in May over a court verdict affirming that his victory in a 2023 intra-party vote was dubious, over allegations of vote-buying to defeat then incumbent Kemal Kılıçdaroğlu. Kılıçdaroğlu was reinstated to his office, while Özel continues to call for another election in the party. Since the court ruled for “absolute nullification” of the Özel administration and Kılıçdaroğlu’s return, the party has been de facto divided in two. The Özel camp refuses to recognize the legitimacy of the Kılıçdaroğlu administration. Özel was relegated to the post of parliamentary group chair of the CHP and insisted on holding parliamentary group meetings of the party for two weeks in a row, while Kılıçdaroğlu appears to be bowing to the pressure and instead prefers to hold party meetings at the CHP’s headquarters.
Erdoğan said the CHP was involved in “mud-wrestling” and tried to “drag them to mud as well.” Özel insists on portraying what is happening in the CHP as “an intervention” by the judiciary and the government to divide the party, and his supporters squarely blame Kılıçdaroğlu for betraying the party by accepting the job to lead the CHP.
The president said the CHP took its fight to Parliament, recalling how supporters of Özel occupied the parliamentary hall allocated for the CHP to prevent Kılıçdaroğlu supporters from entering. “They turned their backs on the one they fervently applauded. The folk hero of yesterday is now the public enemy,” he said, referring to the Özel camp’s criticism of Kılıçdaroğlu, who unsuccessfully ran against Erdoğan in the 2023 presidential elections.
President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan said Wednesday that he is likely to hold a one-on-one meeting with U.S. President Donald Trump during the NATO summit scheduled to take place in Ankara on July 7-8.
Speaking to reporters after a parliamentary group meeting of the ruling Justice and Development Party (AK Party), Erdoğan said a bilateral meeting with Trump was “highly likely” on the sidelines of the summit.
President Trump confirmed last week that he plans to attend the gathering in the Turkish capital, telling reporters during an event for the newly commissioned Air Force One aircraft, “I will be going to Türkiye soon.”
U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio has also said Trump would attend the Ankara summit, describing it as one of the most significant meetings in the alliance’s history.
The visit would mark Trump’s first official trip to Türkiye since beginning his second term in office.
Trump has repeatedly criticized NATO members for insufficient defense spending and has called for a more balanced distribution of security burdens within the alliance. His administration has argued that Europe should take a leading role in defending the continent while the United States reduces some of its long-standing military commitments.
Those debates are expected to feature prominently in Ankara.
The July 7-8 summit will be NATO’s 36th leaders’ meeting and the second NATO summit hosted by Türkiye after the 2004 Istanbul summit.
Preparations are being made for the needs of the at least 6,000 people who will attend the summit.
Turkish authorities have detained 237 people in operations carried out across 42 provinces over the past two weeks as part of an investigation targeting the Gülenist Terror Group (FETÖ), the Interior Ministry said Wednesday.
According to the ministry, the operations were coordinated by public prosecutors and units of the National Police, including intelligence, counterterrorism and anti-smuggling departments. 128 of the suspects were arrested pending trial, while 61 were released under judicial control measures.
Legal proceedings for the remaining suspects are ongoing.
Authorities said that the suspects were active in various branches of the movement, including its financial, student and secretive networks and had maintained communication through pay phones. Some were also accused of providing financial support to the terrorist group.
The FETÖ orchestrated the defeated coup of July 15, 2016, in Türkiye, in which 252 people were killed and 2,734 were wounded. The group is behind a long-running campaign to overthrow the state through the infiltration of Turkish institutions, especially in the military, police and judiciary.
In a separate operation in the central province of Kayseri, police detained a former police chief who had been sentenced to eight years, one month and 15 days in prison for “membership in a terrorist organization,” authorities said.
The suspect, identified only by the initials M.A., was taken into custody during a raid on a residence and transferred to prison following legal procedures.
Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan will pay an official visit to Canada on June 25-26 for talks aimed at deepening bilateral relations, expanding economic cooperation and discussing key regional and global security issues, according to Turkish diplomatic sources.
Fidan is scheduled to begin his visit in Toronto on Thursday with a tour of the Darlington Nuclear Generating Station, one of Canada’s largest nuclear energy facilities. Turkish officials said the visit is intended to provide firsthand insight into Canada’s capabilities and expertise in the nuclear energy sector as Ankara seeks to expand its own energy portfolio.
The foreign minister will also attend a meeting with business leaders, academics and representatives of civil society organizations to discuss opportunities for economic cooperation and investment between the two countries.
On Friday, Fidan will travel to Ottawa for talks with Canadian Foreign Minister Anita Anand. The meeting is expected to focus on strengthening political dialogue, boosting trade and investment, and elevating Türkiye-Canada relations to the level of a strategic partnership.
Turkish officials said Fidan will emphasize the importance of increasing high-level contacts and reciprocal visits, while calling for efforts to remove barriers to trade and accelerate negotiations on a long-discussed free trade agreement.
Bilateral trade between Türkiye and Canada reached approximately $2.7 billion (TL 125.54 billion) in 2025, with Turkish exports totaling $1.57 billion and imports from Canada standing at $1.16 billion. Turkish officials have said there is significant potential for further growth in trade and investment ties.
Energy cooperation is also expected to feature prominently in the discussions. Fidan is expected to highlight opportunities for collaboration in nuclear energy and other energy sectors, while advocating closer cooperation in the defense industry and stronger military ties between the NATO allies.
Regional security issues are also expected to be on the agenda. Sources said Fidan will stress the need to remain vigilant against attempts to undermine the recent understanding reached between the United States and Iran. He is also expected to underline the importance of restoring unrestricted navigation through the Strait of Hormuz, describing it as vital for global trade and energy supplies.
The Turkish foreign minister is expected to reiterate Ankara’s support for diplomatic efforts to end the Russia-Ukraine war and call for increased international pressure on Israel over its policies in Gaza, the West Bank and Lebanon.
Relations between Türkiye and Canada have expanded in recent years, particularly in defense and nuclear energy cooperation. Canada is home to an estimated 130,000 Turkish citizens, while direct air connectivity has increased following Turkish Airlines’ decision to raise its weekly flights to Canada from 12 to 21 earlier this year.
Fidan has maintained regular consultations with his Canadian counterpart. Most recently, Canadian Minister Anita Anand visited Türkiye on March 17, 2026.
A Turkish court has ordered the arrest of the mayor of Istanbul’s Adalar district and several senior municipal officials as part of a corruption investigation alleging that municipal authorities solicited payments from institutions and individuals in exchange for permits and administrative approvals.
The investigation, conducted by the Istanbul Anatolian Chief Public Prosecutor’s Office, centers on allegations that officials from the main opposition Republican People’s Party (CHP)-run Adalar Municipality demanded money in return for occupancy permits and other municipal procedures.
According to the Sabah newspaper report, municipal officials allegedly collected nearly TL 3 million ($65,000) from representatives of a Greek Orthodox foundation on Büyükada, despite the institution’s legal exemption from such fees.
Prosecutors allege that Deputy Mayor Hüseyin Yılmaz pressured foundation representative Vasil Poridis to make payments related to an occupancy permit, arguing that the municipality needed funds. Wiretap records included in the case file allegedly show discussions between Yılmaz and Mayor Ali Ercan Akpolat regarding the collection of the payments.
The investigation claims that the payments were made in several installments. One intercepted conversation dated Jan. 26, 2026, allegedly references the receipt of TL 1.68 million in cash. Prosecutors say additional payments were later requested.
Authorities also allege that municipal officials monitored the permit process and linked its progress to the collection of funds. The prosecutor’s assessment states that an institution legally exempt from municipal fees was allegedly compelled to make payments under the guise of permit charges, providing financial benefit to senior municipal officials.
The case file further alleges that municipal authorities examined similar permit-related matters involving other religious institutions in the district, including the historic Halki Seminary on Heybeliada.
Last week, police detained 42 suspects, including Akpolat and Deputy Mayors Hüseyin Yılmaz and Fırat Durak. The operation targeted 90 locations across four provinces.
Following questioning, 39 suspects were referred to court while three were released. The court later ordered the arrest of 35 suspects, including Akpolat and the two deputy mayors. Four others were released under judicial supervision pending trial.
A draft report prepared by a parliamentary committee on the prevention of juvenile crime was recently wrapped up and includes diverse suggestions to authorities.
In 2025, Parliament set up the Committee on Children Driven to Crime, a legal term for underage individuals committing crimes, after several murders of children committed by their peers grabbed headlines, along with the rise of criminal gangs recruiting minors as hitmen.
The report proposes a myriad of measures to curb the disturbing phenomenon. Among them are screening programs among preschoolers and primary school students to assess their mental health and social factors affecting their upbringing. Other proposals include broader surveillance of schools and legal amendments for minors involved in crimes to ensure “social justice.”
The draft report will be presented to Parliament’s presidency after more input by lawmakers. The report is composed of six chapters and 691 pages. In an introduction to the report, the committee’s chair, Müşerref Pervin Tuba Durgut, said the issue was tackled by the committee not as a mere judiciary matter but a multi-layered phenomenon affecting society. Durgut said they assessed risk factors driving children to commit crimes within a wide scope of interactions, from the impact of families, schools and peers to neighborhood ties, the digital world and public policies.
For months, the committee heard academics, experts and those affected by crimes committed by children driven into crime and made field visits.
Explaining that a cross-sectional study was also carried out with 610 children selected via stratified random sampling from 4,989 children in juvenile closed penal institutions and juvenile education houses, Durgut said they examined the risk factors the children were exposed to.
“The findings obtained from these studies have clearly demonstrated the need for inter-agency coordination, the importance of early intervention mechanisms, the dissemination of best practices developed at the local level, and the necessity of holistic policies that center the child in crime prevention. The committee’s work has contributed to understanding the multi-dimensional structure of juvenile delinquency and has revealed the importance of holistic, interdisciplinary and practice-based approaches in policy development processes,” she said.
The report also included official statistics and academic studies regarding juveniles dragged into delinquency in Türkiye.
Stating that juvenile delinquency has become a rising trend, the report stated that research on judicial incidents involving children and adolescents has generally developed in an upward direction.
According to the official data, the number of incidents involving children who came or were brought to security units due to an alleged crime rose from 133,829 in 2015 to 202,785 in 2024. The report stated, “Accordingly, an increase of approximately 51.5% occurred in the number of incidents involving children in the last 10-year period. This increase reveals that children’s contact with the judicial system has become more widespread.”
Among other suggestions in the report are mandatory hospitalization and treatment for children (if the court rules in favor) with anti-social behavior, disorders and substance addiction, effective public service models for psychological counseling and crisis intervention for at-risk families. Lawmakers suggested that families at risk should receive employment support and be included in income-generating programs, to prevent children from turning to crime to support themselves or their families.
The report also proposes the installation of camera systems in all schools and the introduction of electronic passes for entry to schools, in light of recent school shootings that have emerged as another threatening aspect of the phenomenon.
Erdoğan assures peace in region despite Israel’s provocation
Clear message from the Speaker of the Grand National Assembly of Turkey, Numan Kurtulmuş: Türkiye supports the TRNC in every field
Erdoğan signals one-on-one talks with Trump at NATO summit
Erdoğan assures peace in region despite Israel’s provocation
Clear message from the Speaker of the Grand National Assembly of Turkey, Numan Kurtulmuş: Türkiye supports the TRNC in every field
Erdoğan signals one-on-one talks with Trump at NATO summit
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