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.

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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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NATO spokesperson Allison Hart on Tuesday underlined Türkiye’s role in NATO, saying Türkiye is a staunch ally and valued contributor to shared security.

In a written statement to Anadolu Agency (AA) marking the anniversary of Türkiye’s accession to NATO, Hart emphasized Ankara’s contributions to the alliance.

“As we look forward to the next NATO Summit in Ankara in July, we are reminded today of the many ways in which Türkiye contributes to the Alliance, as it has done for 74 years since joining NATO,” she said.

Hart noted that Türkiye has NATO’s second-largest army and pointed to the country’s “steady investment in defense,” “robust defense industry” and “consistent contributions to NATO missions, activities and exercises.”

Meanwhile, Naval Forces Command commander Adm. Ercüment Tatlıoğlu also said Tuesday that the Anadolu Turkish Maritime Task Force played a significant role in NATO’s largest exercise of the year, deploying domestically produced assets.

Tatlıoğlu spoke to journalists aboard Türkiye’s largest warship, TCG Anadolu, during the NATO Steadfast Dart 2026 exercise in the Baltic Sea.

“We are participating as the Anadolu Turkish Maritime Task Force with our multipurpose amphibious ship TCG Anadolu, our replenishment combat support ship TCG Derya, our first national and local frigate TCG Istanbul, and our TCG Oruçreis frigate, whose midlife modernization we carried out with national means,” Tatlıoğlu said.

The admiral reported that an amphibious marine infantry battalion – armored amphibious assault vehicles capable of operating both at sea and on land, underwater offense and defense commandos, helicopters, unmanned surface vehicles, and three Bayraktar TB3 armed unmanned aerial vehicles – also participated from Türkiye.

He highlighted two key points about the exercise. First, it demonstrated the power projection capability of the Naval Forces Command, with marines and amphibious units transported over a distance of more than 8,000 kilometers (4,971 miles) aboard TCG Anadolu.

Second, the TB3 drones were used for the first time in a NATO exercise and for the first time in an amphibious operation. Tatlıoğlu noted this represents a new doctrine for NATO, marking the alliance’s first amphibious operation using UAVs.

Fifteen ships and 2,600 personnel from Türkiye, France, Poland, Germany, the Netherlands, and Spain participated in the operation.

Türkiye joined NATO on Feb. 18, 1952. The alliance was founded in 1949.

Over the past 74 years, leveraging its strategic location, Türkiye has continued to make critical contributions to NATO as the first ally in the region to directly confront threats and risks, particularly in the fight against terrorism.

Among 32 allies, Türkiye ranks seventh in contributing to the alliance’s budget. Its total contribution is expected to amount to 300 million euros (just over $355 million) this year and to rise to 620 million euros in 2030.

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An indictment filed against Istanbul Mayor Ekrem Imamoğlu and three other defendants on charges of “political espionage” has been accepted by a court, which set the first hearing for May 11 in Silivri.

The Istanbul 25th High Criminal Court ruled that the trial of Imamoğlu, Hüseyin Gün, Necati Özkan and Merdan Yanardağ will begin at 10 a.m. on May 11 at a courtroom inside the Marmara Prison complex in Silivri, Istanbul.

Imamoğlu, who was suspended from his post as mayor of the Istanbul Metropolitan Municipality (IBB) following his arrest in a separate case involving allegations of leading a criminal organization for financial gain, faces between 15 and 20 years in prison if convicted of political espionage. The other three defendants face the same prison term.

The court completed its review of the indictment prepared by the Istanbul Chief Public Prosecutor’s Office and issued its preliminary ruling. In its decision, the court said there is a strong suspicion of a crime supported by concrete evidence regarding political or military espionage. It cited the nature and classification of the alleged offense, the fact that the defendants have not yet presented their defenses and that evidence collection has not been completed.

On those grounds, the court ruled to continue the detention of Imamoğlu, Özkan, Yanardağ and Gün.

The panel also ordered that official correspondence be sent to the Bakırköy Chief Public Prosecutor’s Office and the Silivri District Gendarmerie Command to ensure that the hearing can be held at the prison complex and that necessary security measures are taken.

Prosecutors say a search of digital materials belonging to Gün led to the discovery of data exclusively found in IBB’s database. According to prosecutors, Özkan obtained the data originally and, upon instructions of Imamoğlu, relayed them to open-source intelligence (OSINT) websites. Gün is accused of accessing confidential documents of the municipality.

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President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan arrived in Ethiopia on Tuesday in an official visit, a first to the country since 2015.

Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed welcomed Erdoğan at an elaborate ceremony at the presidential palace.

Türkiye boosted ties with the country in recent years and acted as mediator in Ethiopia’s dispute with Somalia.

The two countries also mark 100 years since the opening of the Turkish Embassy in Addis Ababa and trace their relations back to the Ottoman times.

Both state-owned and private media outlets in Ethiopia have broadly portrayed the visit positively, emphasizing longstanding ties, growing economic engagement and Ankara’s diplomatic role in the region.

State-run Fana Broadcasting Corporation has framed the visit as a level up in bilateral relations. In one article about the Turkish president, the headline portrayed him as “the architect of the new Türkiye.” Private media outlet Addis Standard also reported on the visit, linking it to tensions in the Horn of Africa and Türkiye’s diplomatic engagement in the region. Its coverage said the two countries are expected to sign various cooperation agreements that have already been reached at the official level.

Speaking at an event marking the century-old bilateral relations, Türkiye’s ambassador to Ethiopia, Berk Baran, said Erdoğan’s visit marks “the elevation of already strong ties.”

“Türkiye and Ethiopia already enjoy a strategic relationship in various aspects, including political, economic and social relations,” he said.

Analysts say the relationship has been shaped by mutual political understanding, even when national interests differed.

“I believe Türkiye understands Ethiopia’s positions. We’ve seen this during the Nile dispute. We have seen this during its quest for sea access, and this stems from similarities of geographical context and statehood history,” said Ibrahim Mulushewa, a researcher and head of a think-tank based in Addis Ababa, speaking at a panel marking the centennial of ties.

He said this shared perspective has enabled direct engagement between the two countries. “Turkish understanding sometimes might not be on the same page, but at least both countries see the perspectives. And that very reason created dialogic and direct relations, which also made Türkiye succeed in mediating very sensitive regional matters like that of the Ethiopia-Somalia dispute, which was resolved through the historic Ankara declaration,” he said.

Erdoğan’s visit to Ethiopia will affirm Ankara’s commitment to peace between Addis Ababa and Mogadishu. Ethiopia’s deal with Somaliland for the use of ports and access to the sea has triggered a crisis with Somalia. In 2025, Türkiye stepped in and helped two countries sign the Ankara Declaration by hosting their leaders in the Turkish capital, de-escalating tensions in the region.

Türkiye and Ethiopia boosted their trade volume in 2025, with a 5% increase. Their trade volume currently stands at $253 million. Türkiye is among the four major investors in the African country.

Türkiye’s engagement with the continent gained unprecedented pace after Ankara declared 2005 as the “Year of Africa.” Erdoğan said this initiative opened a “new chapter” in their relations.

“Since then, 20 years have passed, and over these two decades, we have advanced our relations hand in hand, shoulder to shoulder, and most importantly, heart to heart, to a level that could not even be imagined,” he told the Türkiye-Africa Business and Economic Forum in Istanbul in October.

Ankara has repeatedly presented itself as a fairer player than the continent’s former colonial powers, touting cooperation based on equal partnership and a win-win principle.

Erdoğan himself has made more than 50 visits to African nations since he became prime minister in 2023.

Over the years, Türkiye increased the number of its embassies on the continent to 44.

The goal is to lift this figure to 50 in the short term. Currently, 38 African countries have embassies operating in Ankara.

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Israel’s recognition of Somaliland would benefit neither Somaliland nor the Horn of Africa, President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan said, reiterating concerns over the possible regional implications of such a move.

Speaking at a joint news conference with Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed, Erdoğan said Türkiye stands with the people of Africa on the basis of equal partnership and that Türkiye does not want to see new conflicts added to the suffering the Horn of Africa has already endured, emphasizing that regional problems should be resolved by regional actors and warning that Israel’s potential recognition of Somaliland would benefit neither Somaliland nor the Horn of Africa.

“As Türkiye, we never want new conflicts and suffering to be added to what the region has already endured,” Erdoğan said.

“We believe that solutions to regional problems should be developed by the countries of the region themselves and that the Horn of Africa must not be turned into a field of struggle for foreign powers. In this regard, I want to reiterate that Israel’s recognition of Somaliland would benefit neither Somaliland nor the Horn of Africa.”

Erdoğan expressed satisfaction at visiting Ethiopia again after more than a decade and thanked Prime Minister Ahmed and Ethiopian authorities for their hospitality.

Noting that Türkiye opened its oldest embassy in sub-Saharan Africa in Addis Ababa in 1926, Erdoğan said the centennial anniversary of the mission’s establishment, coinciding with his visit, was a source of pride.

During meetings with Ethiopian officials, the two sides discussed cooperation in trade, investment, energy, mining, agriculture, communications and education, as well as ways to reach a bilateral trade volume target of $1 billion.

“We are pleased to be the second-largest investor in Ethiopia,” Erdoğan said, noting that more than 200 Turkish companies have invested approximately $2.5 billion in the country, providing employment to nearly 20,000 Ethiopians.

Turkish contracting firms have undertaken 15 projects in Ethiopia worth $2.6 billion, including railway transportation, factories, tourism facilities and energy transmission lines, he added, expressing hope that these investments would continue to grow.

Erdoğan underlined Ethiopia’s cultural and historical importance, particularly in terms of Islamic heritage, pointing to the Nejashi Tomb and Mosque – regarded as the first Muslim settlement in Africa – whose restoration was supported by the Turkish Cooperation and Coordination Agency (TIKA).

He said Türkiye would continue to build cultural bridges through TIKA and the Maarif Foundation, stressing that Ankara stands with the people of the region “on the basis of equal partnership and mutual understanding.”

Congratulating Prime Minister Ahmed for his efforts toward Ethiopia’s political, social and economic transformation, Erdoğan highlighted the importance of Ethiopia’s deep-rooted state tradition and governance at a time when global attention is focused on the Horn of Africa. He emphasized Ethiopia’s respect for sovereignty and territorial integrity.

Erdoğan also recalled Türkiye’s mediation efforts between Ethiopia and Somalia under the Ankara Process and thanked both sides for their constructive approach.

“With stability, we see no obstacle to the Horn of Africa becoming a center of economic opportunity,” he said, expressing hope that his visit would contribute to peace and stability in the region.

The president also noted that Türkiye will host the United Nations Climate Change Conference (COP) in November and said cooperation with Ethiopia, which will host the following year’s meeting, would continue.

Following bilateral and interdelegation talks at the National Palace, Erdoğan and Ahmed oversaw the signing of several agreements.

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