Politics
Türkiye to intensify anti-terror fight in 2026, MGK says
Türkiye’s National Security Council (MGK) on Wednesday set out priorities for the year ahead, vowing to intensify counterterrorism operations, support Syria’s territorial unity, expand humanitarian assistance to Gaza and safeguard regional stability amid tensions in Iran and the Black Sea.
The council reaffirmed Türkiye’s determination to continue operations against the PKK, its Syrian offshoot YPG, the Gülenist Terror Group (FETÖ) and the Daesh terrorist group at home and abroad, underscoring progress toward its “Terror-Free Türkiye” vision. The statement said all necessary steps will be taken to reinforce security, stability and prosperity in the country and its neighborhood.
The terror-free Türkiye initiative launched by government ally Nationalist Movement Party (MHP) leader Devlet Bahçeli involves disarmament of the PKK terrorist group. The PKK is responsible for the killing of tens of thousands of people since the 1980s in its campaign of violence, under the pretext of founding a self-styled “Kurdish state” in southeastern Türkiye. Disarming the PKK is a highly divisive issue for Türkiye, although opinion polls show the public supports the initiative.
On Syria, the MGK reiterated Türkiye’s strong support for the country’s sovereignty, territorial integrity and political unity. It said Ankara will maintain efforts to improve the safety and well-being of the Syrian people while backing initiatives aimed at ensuring full implementation of the cease-fire and integration process.
Turning to Gaza, the council assessed the latest developments and the future of the cease-fire, stressing that Türkiye will continue delivering substantial humanitarian aid. As a founding member of international mechanisms addressing the crisis, Türkiye stands ready to work with partners to rebuild Gaza and help secure lasting peace, it said.
The MGK also reiterated firm support for Somalia’s sovereignty and noted that Türkiye will continue assisting the Somali people in their fight against terrorist groups.
On Iran, the council said the stability and security of the neighboring country are crucial for the region. Regarding the Russia-Ukraine war, it warned of spillover risks to the Black Sea and called on all sides to act responsibly.
The statement added that Türkiye will continue its diplomatic, humanitarian and security efforts across Asia, Africa and Europe in 2026 as part of its broader objective to strengthen peace and stability.
Finland wants to deepen cooperation with Türkiye by partnering with its strong construction sector to support Ukraine’s rebuilding efforts while expanding their already close defense ties, Finnish Ambassador to Ankara Pirkko Mirjami Hamalainen said.
Hamalainen told Anadolu Agency (AA) that Finland expects to expand the two countries’ collaborative efforts into new areas, particularly in the construction industry.
She noted that joint projects are possible bilaterally and in third countries and that Helsinki is eager to collaborate with Ankara on the reconstruction of Ukraine.
She stated that Türkiye’s support for Finland’s NATO accession is important in the face of European security risks.
Hamalainen said the two countries’ NATO memberships will allow them to collaborate more closely and work together.
She noted that Türkiye has the largest land forces in Europe, making it an important partner for Finland, particularly on NATO’s southern flank.
She added that the signing of a defense cooperation deal between the two countries last year prompted corporate cross-promotion and bilateral defense efforts to ramp up even further.
Parliament Speaker Numan Kurtulmuş received the final decision of the Gaza Tribunal from the head of the Islamic Cooperation Youth Forum (ICYF) during a meeting at Parliament, officials said Thursday.
According to a statement from the speaker’s office, ICYF President Taha Ayhan briefed Kurtulmuş on the findings of the independent initiative and formally presented the tribunal’s final ruling, announced in Istanbul on Oct. 26, 2025.
The tribunal’s conscience jury concluded that Israel and those supporting its actions were responsible for ongoing genocide and serious international crimes in Gaza.
The ruling highlighted alleged violations, including the use of starvation as a weapon, widespread destruction of homes and civilian infrastructure, environmental devastation, attacks on health facilities and personnel, and the targeting of journalists and educational institutions.
Evidence and witness testimonies collected during the proceedings were compiled by legal experts and are set to be submitted to relevant international bodies, including the International Criminal Court and the International Court of Justice, for use in ongoing or potential legal cases.
The Gaza Tribunal was established in London in November 2024 as an independent people’s court initiative led by global civil society in response to what organizers described as insufficient enforcement of international law.
Chaired by former U.N. special rapporteur Richard Falk, the process included hearings in Sarajevo in May 2025 and final sessions in Istanbul attended by thousands of participants and dozens of experts and victim witnesses.
Officials said the initiative aims to strengthen international accountability efforts and raise global awareness of alleged violations in Gaza.
President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan’s chief adviser Akif Çağatay Kılıç on Wednesday received Igor Khovayev, Moscow’s special representative for the normalization process between Azerbaijan and Armenia
Kılıç said on the social media platform NSosyal that he received Khovayev along with the Russian delegation at the Presidential Complex in the capital Ankara.
The meeting addressed the bilateral relations between Ankara and Moscow, the ongoing Baku-Yerevan normalization process aimed at establishing lasting peace between Azerbaijan and Armenia, as well as the latest developments in the South Caucasus, he noted.
On Aug. 8, 2025, Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev and Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan met in Washington under U.S. mediation and signed a joint declaration reaffirming their commitment to ending decades of conflict. On the same occasion, the foreign ministers of both countries initialed a peace agreement, underscoring a shared determination to advance toward full normalization.
Türkiye and Armenia have held five rounds of normalization talks in recent years, seeking to restore diplomatic ties and reopen borders closed since the early 1990s.
The two countries share a complex history. Armenia, for a long time, has accused Türkiye, or rather, the Ottoman Empire, of committing “genocide” against the Armenian population in the country during World War I. Türkiye has repeatedly denied the claims, although it has acknowledged a high number of deaths among Armenians due to isolated incidents and diseases.
Borders have remained closed since 1993 following Armenia’s illegal occupation of the Azerbaijani territory of Karabakh. Relations began to thaw after the 2020 Karabakh war, with both sides appointing special envoys to pursue normalization talks and negotiating the reopening of their land border. So far, limited agreements have allowed third-country citizens and diplomats to cross, but a full reopening remains elusive.
Despite the hurdles, there have been tentative gestures toward cooperation. The Margara border crossing has been used twice in recent years for humanitarian purposes: in February 2023 to deliver Armenian aid trucks following a devastating earthquake in southeastern Türkiye, and in March 2024 for humanitarian aid shipments to Syria via Türkiye. Armenia has also upgraded the crossing in anticipation of future use.
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs released a statement on Thursday to commemorate the victims of the Khojaly Massacre in Azerbaijan, on the anniversary of the tragic incident.
Soon after the dissolution of the Soviet Union, Armenian forces took over the town of Khojaly in Karabakh on Feb. 26, 1992, after battering it with heavy artillery and tanks.
The town was the site of a two-hour Armenian offensive that killed 613 Azerbaijani civilians, including 106 women, 63 children and 70 elderly people, and seriously injured 487 others, according to Azerbaijani figures.
Some 150 of the 1,275 Azerbaijanis that the Armenians captured during what has now been called the Khojaly Massacre remain missing, while eight families were completely wiped out.
The Karabakh region was the site of mass killings and burials since the First Karabakh War in the early 1990s, during which the Armenian military occupied Nagorno-Karabakh, a territory internationally recognized as part of Azerbaijan, and seven adjacent regions, including Khojaly.
In the fall of 2020, in 44 days of fighting, Azerbaijan liberated several cities, villages and settlements in Karabakh from some 30 years of Armenian occupation.
In September 2023, the Azerbaijani army initiated a counterterrorism operation in Karabakh to establish a constitutional order, after which illegal separatist forces in the region surrendered.
Türkiye was among the first countries to recognize the Khojaly incident as a massacre and has called for justice for its victims.
The ministry said it condemned the massacre against innocent civilians and noted that it remained a dark stain on humanity’s conscience.
“We carry the pain of 613 Azerbaijani brothers and sisters, those who went missing, those who were held in captivity, those who were injured,” the ministry said.
On Wednesday, President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan expressed his sorrow over the tragedy, saying on X: “On the 33rd anniversary of the Khojaly Massacre, a tragedy we will never forget, I remember with deep sorrow our Azerbaijani brothers who lost their lives.”
He also extended his condolences to the people of Azerbaijan, emphasizing the unity between the two, saying: “We stand united in both good times and bad.”
The mayor of Nizip in southeastern Türkiye is facing backlash after appointing several relatives and close associates to senior municipal posts following his election in March.
Ali Doğan of the main opposition Republican People’s Party (CHP) won the Nizip mayoral seat in the March 31 local elections, marking the first time since 1994 that the party secured the municipality. Doğan previously served as mayor of nearby Karkamış between 2019 and 2024.
According to the reports of Sabah newspaper, shortly after taking office, Doğan appointed two sons-in-law of his brother, his brother-in-law, another in-law, a former driver from his previous term and a childhood friend to various department head positions within the municipality.
The posts include security, science center, information technology, purchasing, parks and gardens, garage services and neighborhood affairs units.
Only one of the appointees was previously employed as a civil servant at another public institution before transferring to the municipality, while the others reportedly began working at City Hall after Doğan assumed office.
The appointments have drawn criticism, including from within his own party. Nizip Municipal Council member Habeş Doğan, also from the CHP and not related to the mayor despite sharing the same surname, resigned from both the council and the party this week.
In a social media post announcing his resignation, the council member criticized what he described as favoritism, alleging that the newly appointed officials receive monthly salaries of TL 75,000 to TL 80,000 (nearly $2.000).
He called for transparency and urged authorities to address public concerns over the appointments.
Türkiye aims to strengthen its close partnership with Azerbaijan through expanded education cooperation, a senior Turkish lawmaker said during a visit to Turkish-run schools in the Azerbaijani capital on Wednesday.
Fuat Oktay, head of the Turkish Parliament’s Foreign Affairs Commission, visited several Turkish educational institutions in Baku while attending the 10th trilateral meeting of the foreign affairs committees of Türkiye, Azerbaijan and Georgia
At the Baku Turkish Anatolian High School, affiliated with Türkiye’s Education Ministry, Oktay met teachers and students and received briefings on academic activities. He later said the school reflected the “strong brotherly ties” between the two countries and expressed satisfaction with efforts to raise well-equipped future generations.
Oktay and the parliamentary delegation also toured the Azerbaijan International Maarif Schools youth campus, operated by the Türkiye Maarif Foundation. Students presented robotics and artificial intelligence projects along with cultural performances.
“These institutions carry strategic importance for our shared future,” Oktay said, adding that cooperation in education would further reinforce fraternal relations between Ankara and Baku.
Speaking to reporters, Oktay said the visit confirmed that Türkiye-Azerbaijan ties “stand firm and are stronger than ever,” noting that the partnership would continue to deepen.
He also said discussions at the trilateral parliamentary meeting focused on regional development and connectivity projects, including transport links such as the proposed Zangezur corridor, which Türkiye views as a key initiative for regional peace, economic growth and closer integration across the region.
Oktay expressed hope that normalization efforts in the South Caucasus would shift the region’s agenda toward “peace, prosperity and development.”
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