Politics
Kyrgyz speaker highlights Turkic cooperation in Ankara meeting
Kyrgyzstan’s parliament speaker on Tuesday praised Türkiye’s political, military and economic influence, describing the country as a close strategic partner, during talks with the speaker of Türkiye’s Parliament in Ankara.
Nurlanbek Turgunbek uulu, speaker of Kyrgyzstan’s parliament, made the remarks at a joint news conference with Parliament Speaker Numan Kurtulmuş at the Turkish Grand National Assembly (TBMM).
Turgunbek uulu said his visit marked the first official foreign trip of Kyrgyzstan’s newly elected eighth parliament, adding that Türkiye was chosen because of its status as what he called the country’s “closest strategic partner.”
“Türkiye is today one of the most important countries in the world,” Turgunbek uulu said. “With its military and economic strength, it is a country we are proud of in every respect.”
He highlighted the growing role of the Turkic world in an era of globalization and pointed to organizations such as the Organization of Turkic States and the Turkic Parliamentary Assembly as increasingly influential platforms in international affairs.
Turgunbek uulu said his talks with Kurtulmuş focused on strengthening bilateral cooperation and parliamentary ties. He also underlined the close relationship between Kyrgyz President Sadyr Zhaparov and President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, saying their engagement had elevated relations between the two countries to a new level.
He described Erdoğan’s official visit to Kyrgyzstan in 2024 as historic, noting that it helped deepen high-level cooperation and led to the signing of multiple agreements. Kyrgyz lawmakers, he said, are now working on how those agreements will be addressed and implemented by parliament.
Erdoğan presented a locally made Togg electric vehicle to his Kyrgyz host Zhaparov during this visit in Bishkek, as the latter gifted the Turkish leader a horse.
Turgunbek uulu emphasized that Türkiye and Kazakhstan are Kyrgyzstan’s two closest partners within the Turkic world. He referred to a shared goal set by the two countries’ leaders to raise bilateral trade volume to $5 billion, acknowledging that the target has not yet been reached but expressing confidence that it would be achieved.
“We believe we will reach this goal with the strength of brotherhood,” he said, adding that activating parliamentary friendship groups and exchanges among lawmakers would be essential.
The Kyrgyz speaker also voiced strong support for the Parliamentary Assembly of Turkic States (TURKPA), describing it as a body built on solidarity rather than temporary or limited interests. He said Uzbekistan is expected to become a full member of the assembly, while Hungary is nearing full membership, with a decision on Uzbekistan anticipated at a summit in Bishkek in October.
Turgunbek uulu also noted that Kyrgyzstan will host the 6th World Nomad Games later this year, saying Turkic states have shown strong interest in the event.
Turkic world ties
Over the recent months, Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan pointed out that lasting peace and long-term stability across the Turkic world can only be achieved through constant coordination and strengthened partnership among members of the Organization of Turkic States (OTS).
The minister noted that the Turkic world’s growing role in shaping regional balances requires greater solidarity and institutional alignment. Fidan reiterated that mutual trust, political dialogue and practical cooperation are the key drivers of the OTS’s increasing influence, calling for collective steps to address regional and global challenges.
“The greatest strength of our organization lies in the deepening mutual trust and cooperation among its members,” he said.
Member nations highlighted the group’s growing weight in Eurasian politics, positioning it as not only a cultural community but also a strategic actor. That ambition is anchored in the bloc’s “Turkic World – 2040 Vision Document,” which sets long-term goals for political solidarity, economic expansion, and greater international influence.
Kürşad Zorlu, deputy chair of Türkiye’s ruling Justice and Development Party (AK Party) and head of relations with Turkic states, emphasized the bloc’s growing economic and strategic importance.
He noted that initiatives within the Organization of Turkic States have strengthened economic and strategic ties, with the total share of Turkic states in global trade rising to 2.43%. “Our foreign trade volume, which was $540 billion in 2009, reached $1.2 trillion in 2024, and trade among Turkic states is expected to reach $70 billion by the end of this year,” he said.
Originally launched as the Cooperation Council of Turkic-Speaking States by Türkiye, Azerbaijan, Kazakhstan and Kyrgyzstan, the group evolved into the Organization of Turkic States (OTS) at its landmark Istanbul summit in November 2021. The rebranding was widely interpreted as the start of a new era for the Turkic integration process, signaling an ambition to translate cultural bonds into geopolitical clout.
On Oct. 3, 2025, Türkiye’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs celebrated the 16th anniversary as “Turkic States Cooperation Day,” calling the bloc a manifestation of shared values, and vowed it “will continue to serve peace, prosperity and stability in its region and beyond.”
The TURKPA also launched two major digital initiatives, “Qanun” and “Qamus,” to strengthen parliamentary diplomacy and promote linguistic unity across the Turkic world.
Developed to enrich linguistic harmony among the Turkic states, the projects are expected to support coordination among member Parliaments, facilitate translation of official documents and legislation and boost linguistic consistency in academic and administrative texts.
Türkiye on Tuesday strongly condemned the controversial new Israeli law introducing the death penalty for Palestinians, calling it unlawful and a step that deepens systemic discrimination.
In a statement, the Foreign Ministry said the legislation adopted by the Knesset is designed to be applied exclusively to Palestinians and constitutes a continuation of policies targeting the Palestinian people.
The ministry said the measure is “null and void” under international law and criticized Israel for further entrenching practices that undermine Palestinian rights.
Ankara also urged the international community, particularly the United Nations, to take action in response to what it described as Israel’s unlawful steps.
Israel’s parliament approved the legislation Monday, establishing capital punishment as the standard sentence for Palestinians in the occupied West Bank convicted of carrying out deadly attacks against Israelis.
According to the law, executions would be conducted by hanging, carried out by designated prison personnel from the Israeli Prison Service, who would be granted anonymity and legal protection.
Those sentenced would be held in specialized detention facilities, with visits restricted to authorized individuals. Access to legal counsel would also be limited, with meetings taking place only via video link.
The law permits courts to impose the death penalty without a formal request from prosecutors and allows verdicts to be reached by a simple majority rather than a unanimous decision.
It extends to military courts that prosecute Palestinians in the occupied West Bank and enables the defense minister to submit an opinion during proceedings.
The legislation further removes the right to appeal once a death sentence has been handed down.
Mustafa Bozbey, mayor of Türkiye’s fourth largest city, Bursa, for the main opposition Republican People’s Party (CHP) was detained on Tuesday, along with 54 other suspects. Authorities said Bozbey and others face charges of running a criminal organization, bribery, money laundering and zoning violations. The Sabah newspaper reported that Bozbey’s wife, daughter and brothers were among other detainees.
The Chief Prosecutor’s Office in northwestern Türkiye said an investigation was underway against Bozbey and others on allegations that the mayor, during his tenure as mayor of Nilüfer, a district of Bursa, was involved in taking bribes in return for illegally changing zoning plans. The statement said Bozbey’s successor as Nilüfer mayor, Turgay Erdem, was also involved in the scheme. Erdem was arrested in a similar operation last year.
Prosecutors said Bozbey was the leader of a criminal ring, adding that four other suspects wanted in the same probe were at large.
The main opposition CHP is under mounting scrutiny as a wave of corruption, bribery and terrorism-related investigations sweeps across its municipalities.
Authorities say several major investigations are underway into municipalities controlled by the CHP, covering allegations from large-scale tender rigging and bribery to financing terrorist organizations.
The most extensive probe targets the Istanbul Metropolitan Municipality (IBB), led by ousted Mayor Ekrem Imamoğlu, over claims of systematic corruption, fictitious tenders and abuse of public resources. Prosecutors allege a network, headed by senior municipal officials, rigged numerous public contracts. Imamoğlu and his aides deny all charges.
The views and opinions expressed in this article are solely those of the author. They do not necessarily reflect the editorial stance, values or position of Daily Sabah. The newspaper provides space for diverse perspectives as part of its commitment to open and informed public discussion.
March 31 marks the “Day of Genocide” of Azerbaijanis, a chilling episode in the history of the country where 50,000 people were slaughtered by Armenian gangs in 1918. The day is a painful reminder of the past for Azerbaijan, which only recently managed to retake its territory from Armenian occupiers.
At the beginning of the 20th century, in the final days of Tsarist Russia, Armenians who had been settled in various regions of Azerbaijan took advantage of the power vacuum to begin massacring Azerbaijanis and seizing their lands.
Arming themselves from 1905 onward, the Armenian gangs stirred up unrest across the country, particularly in Baku.
With the revolution in Russia in 1917, the Tsarist regime collapsed. The Bolsheviks, who came to power, also took control of the administration in Baku. Armenian Bolshevik revolutionary Stepan Shaumian provided political and financial support to Armenian gangs, leading to an increase in attacks against Azerbaijanis.
Between March 30 and April 3, 1918, Armenian and Bolshevik gangs massacred 50,000 Azerbaijanis in Baku, Shamakhi, Guba, Khachmaz, Lankaran, Hajigabul, Salyan, Zangezur, Karabakh, Nakhchivan and other regions. The massacre ended when the Ottoman army, known as the “Caucasian Islamic Army,” came to Azerbaijan’s aid and cleared the country of these gangs.
The atrocities and massacres committed by Armenians in Azerbaijan in 1918 are recognized as “genocide.”
The late President Heydar Aliyev, through a decree signed in 1998, decided that March 31 would be commemorated as “Day of Genocide of Azerbaijanis.”
Azerbaijan’s ombudsman, Sabina Aliyeva, stated that the events of March-April 1918 were one of the bloodiest and most tragic examples of systematic attacks against Azerbaijanis.
In a statement to an Anadolu Agency (AA) correspondent on Tuesday, Aliyeva said that systematic and ruthless crimes have been committed against Azerbaijanis by Armenians since the beginning of the 20th century, both in various regions of Azerbaijan and in present-day Armenia.
Stating that thousands of innocent people were killed during this process due to their national and religious identities, Aliyeva noted that these events have gone down in history as mass massacres.
Aliyeva emphasized that the international recognition of the genocide crimes committed against Azerbaijanis and the ensuring of justice are of great importance to prevent the recurrence of similar crimes against humanity in the future.
The views and opinions expressed in this article are solely those of the author. They do not necessarily reflect the editorial stance, values or position of Daily Sabah. The newspaper provides space for diverse perspectives as part of its commitment to open and informed public discussion.
Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan met with Palestinian Vice President Hussein al-Sheikh in Ankara on Tuesday, according to diplomatic sources.
The meeting focused on regional and global developments, the sources said.
The sources said on Monday that Türkiye would reiterate its full support to the State of Palestine, safeguarding the rights of the Palestinian people and the vision for a two-state solution during the talks. It was also highlighted that Türkiye will not allow the Netanyahu government’s illegal actions and annexation policies in the occupied Palestinian territories to hinder regional and international efforts for the two-state solution.
Fidan was also expected to underline the international community’s responsibility to prevent the humanitarian crisis in Gaza from deepening. The talks would focus on the “Board of Peace” and related mechanisms, the situation on the field and future steps, sources said, adding that they would also raise the issue of Israel’s attempts to undermine the Board of Peace’s activities.
The Turkish public and government are major supporters of the Palestinian cause. Türkiye has been a traditional ally to Palestine, but as the Israeli attacks became more brutal, Ankara has become harsher in its criticism in the past year. It has condemned what it calls genocide, halted all trade with Israel and applied to join the genocide case against Israel at the World Court, which Israel rejects.
Türkiye’s intelligence chief held talks with a senior Hamas delegation in Ankara, with discussions centered on the ongoing Israeli attacks in Gaza and the deepening humanitarian crisis, security sources said.
The head of the National Intelligence Organization (MIT), Ibrahim Kalın, met with Khalil al-Hayya, head of Hamas’ negotiating team, along with accompanying officials, in a meeting that addressed key regional developments.
According to sources, the talks focused on the situation in Gaza, including Israel’s continued military operations and their humanitarian impact. The sides also discussed Israeli settler violence in the West Bank and restrictions imposed on worshippers at Al-Aqsa Mosque.
Participants emphasized the need for Israel to fulfill its obligations under the first phase of the Gaza cease-fire plan and reviewed prospects for implementing the second phase.
The Hamas delegation expressed appreciation for Türkiye’s efforts to support peace in Gaza and conveyed thanks to President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan for Ankara’s ongoing diplomatic engagement.
Turkish authorities have issued detention warrants for 12 suspects as part of an investigation into the alleged “public sector confidential structure” of the Gülenist Terror Group (FETÖ), prosecutors said Tuesday.
According to a statement from the Ankara Chief Public Prosecutor’s Office, the Terror Crimes Investigation Bureau identified suspects who allegedly operated within the group’s covert network, infiltrating state institutions. The probe focused on operational phone lines and communication methods used by the organization.
Authorities said evidence indicates that the suspects used ByLock, an encrypted messaging application associated with FETÖ, and were in contact through sequential calls made via payphones and prepaid lines, a known communication tactic of the group.
Some suspects are also linked to prior testimonies regarding organizational activities.
Among the 12 suspects, five are reportedly still employed in public institutions. Police counterterrorism units, in coordination with the National Intelligence Organization (MIT), launched simultaneous operations across four provinces centered in Ankara to detain the suspects.
Separately, in the northwestern province of Edirne, four individuals, including three suspects accused of links to FETÖ, were captured while they were allegedly attempting to cross the border illegally, officials said Monday.
According to security sources, teams from the Provincial Police Department’s Intelligence Branch and the Keşan Police Department’s Counterterrorism Unit conducted an operation targeting individuals preparing for illegal departure abroad.
Following procedures at the police station, all four suspects were referred to court. A judge ordered their arrest pending trial, authorities said.
FETÖ is behind the defeated coup attempt, in which 252 people were killed, and 2,734 were wounded. The attempt was plotted and carried out by FETÖ.
Along with the 2016 coup attempt, FETÖ is also accused of being behind a long-running campaign to overthrow the state through infiltration.
Türkiye has targeted the terrorist group’s active members and sleeper cells nonstop, and its influence has been much reduced since 2016.
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Response from Minister of Justice Akın Gürlek to the İmralı allegation: There is no special housing development
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Türkiye condemns Israel’s death penalty law targeting Palestinians
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