Politics
Court keeps CHP mayors jailed in widening Aktaş corruption trial
A Turkish court on Friday ruled to keep 17 defendants, including several mayors from the main opposition Republican People’s Party (CHP), in pretrial detention in the high-profile case against businessperson Aziz Ihsan Aktaş, who is accused of leading a large bribery and tender-rigging network.
The interim decision was announced after the 19th hearing of the case at the Istanbul 1st High Criminal Court. Among those whose detention will continue are suspended Beşiktaş Mayor Rıza Akpolat and suspended Avcılar Mayor Utku Caner Çaykara. The court ordered the release of seven other defendants and adjourned the trial until April 20.
The case, which involves around 200 defendants, centers on allegations that Aktaş ran a criminal organization that secured lucrative municipal tenders and construction permits through bribery, particularly in municipalities governed by the CHP.
Aktaş, initially arrested in 2024, later cooperated with authorities and was released under house arrest. Prosecutors describe him as the “leader of the criminal ring” and are seeking up to 450 years in prison. Some defendants, including Akpolat, face potential sentences of more than 300 years on corruption-related charges.
According to the indictment, the network allegedly manipulated procurement processes at municipalities such as Beşiktaş and Avcılar, as well as at municipal companies linked to the Istanbul Metropolitan Municipality, including public transportation and asphalt services.
Defense lawyers argued in the latest hearing that their clients had been detained for an extended period and that the evidence against them was insufficient, claiming the tenders were conducted in line with regulations. They requested release, citing no flight risk or risk of evidence tampering.
The trial began in January, and the court has so far heard testimony from dozens of defendants. Earlier sessions resulted in the release of several suspects, including some local officials.
The investigation into Aktaş marked the start of a broader series of corruption probes targeting CHP-run municipalities. The party has described the investigations as politically motivated and has organized public rallies calling for the release of detained officials, while the government maintains that the judiciary operates independently.
Prosecutors allege the network expanded its activities in recent years, securing numerous public contracts across Istanbul and other cities, in what they describe as a large-scale scheme that undermined public resources. The court is expected to continue examining financial records, tender documents and witness testimony in the coming hearings.
Türkiye’s efforts to end PKK violence and remove the division the terrorist group has fostered for over four decades have entered a new phase as the terror-free initiative turned one on Friday.
Jailed PKK founder Abdullah Öcalan said in a letter that the path was open to a “new political era,” exactly a year after his historic call to end the PKK’s armed struggle under the terror-free Türkiye initiative.
The initiative was first conceived in October 2024 by government ally Devlet Bahçeli, who extended an olive branch to Öcalan should he urge his terror group to lay down arms.
Following Öcalan’s appeal, the PKK formally disbanded, ending its terror campaign that began in 1984 and claimed some 50,000 lives, sowing discord at home and spreading violence across borders into Iraq and Syria.
“The door is opening to a new political era and strategy,” he said in a written statement from Imralı prison, where he has been held in solitary confinement since 1999.
“We aim to close the era of violence-based politics and open a process based on a democratic society and the rule of law,” urging all segments of Turkish society to engage with the process.
Since his call, the PKK has formally disbanded and held a symbolic arms burning ceremony in northern Iraq, where it has a stronghold, and withdrew all members from Turkish soil.
In Ankara, a cross-party parliamentary commission last week published a key report meant to prepare the legal groundwork to advance the process, backing plans to reintegrate former PKK members.
Ankara has repeatedly ruled out amnesty for Öcalan or PKK terrorists, with officials saying the legal framework would only consider integration for PKK members who have not engaged in terrorist activities.
Öcalan said his call on Feb. 27, 2025, “aimed to break the mechanism that feeds on bloodshed and conflict” and that “the transition to democratic integration needs laws of peace.”
The democratic society solution envisions a “legal framework with political, social, economic, and cultural dimensions,” he said.
“There can be no Turks without Kurds and no Kurds without Turks,” he added.
The PKK, for decades, has exploited disadvantaged members of the Kurdish community to recruit members to its cause of establishing a so-called “Kurdistan.” Turkish officials have said the terror-free Türkiye confirms Turkish-Kurdish unity.
The report is expected to be put before Parliament next month, likely after the end of Islam’s holy month of Ramadan. If it passes, it will be the first concrete step taken by Türkiye.
The report does not require the surrender of the “last weapon” as a condition for legal reforms. Instead, reaching a certain threshold in the disarmament process will be deemed sufficient. As an example, the evacuation of areas stretching toward Kandil in northern Iraq, including Metina, Hakurk and Gara, has been cited as a possible benchmark.
PKK disarmament efforts had slowed amid tensions related to its Syrian offshoot, the YPG, and its failure to integrate with the Syrian administration. However, following the YPG’s deal to integrate with the Syrian administration, activity on the ground has resumed, and the pace of weapons surrender and cave evacuations has accelerated.
Developments on the ground are being monitored by the National Defense Ministry and the National Intelligence Organization (MIT). The two institutions are expected to submit a joint assessment to President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan in the coming weeks, detailing the current stage of the disarmament process. Erdoğan is then expected to assign a specific body to oversee and monitor the next phase.
Previous attempts
Türkiye tried its hand at resolving the PKK issue as early as the 1990s. Then-President Turgut Özal took the first concrete steps for a new way to resolve the problem and reached out to Iraqi Kurdish leaders viewed as close to the terrorist group. It was a time when the predecessor of the pro-PKK Peoples’ Equality and Democracy Party (DEM Party), a key actor in the terror-free Türkiye initiative, first won seats in the Turkish Parliament.
Özal favored a “civilian” solution to the problem. He sought to address the problems the PKK exploited to advance its own agenda, such as more rights for Türkiye’s Kurdish community. Özal’s efforts partially paid off when the PKK briefly declared a “cease-fire.”
However, several violent terrorist attacks in the same decade and Özal’s death in 1993 hindered this fledgling process that would also reportedly include a general pardon for convicted PKK members.
Terrorist attacks continued until Öcalan’s capture in 1999. In the late 1990s and early 2000s, the PKK reduced its terrorism campaign before another flare-up in violence.
Starting from 2012, the state launched a new process that was informally called the “reconciliation process.” The process cautiously proceeded, and the government offered expansion of rights for the Kurdish community, especially in education in their own language. The PKK scaled back its activities again, but this process ultimately collapsed too in 2015.
The PKK resumed its campaign and moved attacks from rural parts of the country to urban centers in the southeast, which hosts a predominantly Kurdish population. In response, Türkiye intensified counterterrorism operations and, in the past decade, stepped up aerial strikes and limited cross-border offensives to eradicate terrorists in Türkiye, Iraq and Syria.
Türkiye’s National Intelligence Academy released a comprehensive report on Friday, warning that the international system is undergoing a rare, multilayered transformation marked by intensifying interstate rivalry, disruptive technologies and widening geopolitical fault lines.
The report, titled “The Transformation of Geopolitical Competition, New Challenges and Türkiye,” argues that the prevailing security paradigm shaped by low-intensity conflicts and counterterrorism in the post-9/11 era is giving way to a harsher phase of strategic competition among states. Conventional military power, it says, is once again central but now deeply intertwined with advanced technologies that are reshaping the character of warfare and global politics.
According to the academy, the shift extends beyond military capabilities to decision-making mechanisms, alliance structures and the overall distribution of global power. Uncertainty, the report notes, is no longer merely a risk to be managed but a variable that directly shapes international competition. Strategic foresight capacity has become one of the core determinants of a state’s security and foreign policy performance.
As the first quarter of the 21st century draws to a close, the report describes the international system as experiencing a historic rupture. The strategic frameworks that dominated after the Sept. 11 attacks, focused largely on terrorism and asymmetric threats, are being replaced by a more rigid geometry of interstate rivalry. While the emerging landscape bears similarities to Cold War-era discipline, it is distinguished by what the report calls “hyperwar technologies.”
Armored brigades, airborne divisions, ballistic missiles and cyber-electronic warfare networks are cited as key elements of a battlefield once again centered on conventional force. At the same time, cloud-based combat networks, robotic warfare, algorithmic operations and artificial intelligence are redefining the nature of conflict. The technological transformation, the report says, is expanding the arenas of geopolitical competition into space, cyberspace and critical supply chains.
Russia-Ukraine Conflict
The war between Russia and Ukraine is presented as a turning point, illustrating both renewed great power competition and the democratization of strategic technologies. Satellite imagery, once limited to state intelligence services, has become routine data within open-source intelligence networks and think tanks.
Targeting data obtained through combat drones has been disseminated widely on social media, contributing to what the report describes as a new war epistemology.
Many of these drones, it notes, are commercially available or produced by startup-level firms, underscoring how advanced capabilities are no longer monopolized by major powers. The report also assesses Russia’s defense spending, arguing that Moscow has maintained its military expenditures at a sustainable level through state capitalism.
Since 2022, Russia’s defense outlays have shown resilience, signaling the durability of its war economy. Some analyses cited in the report suggest that Russia retains sufficient military-industrial capacity to open a second front if necessary.
Ukraine marked four years since Russia’s assault on Feb. 24, 2022, a war that has shattered towns, uprooted millions and killed large numbers on both sides.
Moscow occupies close to a fifth of Ukrainian territory and continues to grind forward, especially in the eastern Donbas region, despite heavy losses and repeated Ukrainian strikes on logistics.
Russia has launched many thousands of drones and missiles at Ukraine since its full-scale invasion began four years ago. Most recently, it has targeted power and heating infrastructure during Ukraine’s coldest winter of the war.
Beyond Eastern Europe, the report highlights shifting global fault lines. In the Asia-Pacific, mounting tensions are seen as complicating the strategic balance. A potential conflict around Taiwan could carry an economic cost exceeding $10 trillion, according to estimates referenced in the document. The United States is described as recalibrating its strategic priorities toward dominance in the Western Hemisphere and deterrence consolidation in the Asia-Pacific.
Europe, meanwhile, would require hundreds of billions of dollars in additional defense spending to build an independent military capacity, the report says. In scenarios where the U.S. reduces its role in European defense, the procurement budget needed to sustain conventional forces could exceed $1 trillion.
The document also draws attention to what it calls the “CRINK Axis” – China, Russia, Iran and North Korea –characterizing it not as a traditional alliance but as a flexible security ecosystem. In the Middle East, unresolved nuclear issues and ballistic missile inventories continue to fuel tensions between Iran and Israel. A possible Iran-Israel war, the report warns, could trigger a global economic crisis through disruptions in hydrocarbon markets and generate significant migration flows.
Türkiye’s capabilities
Against this backdrop, the academy assesses Türkiye’s position as comparatively resilient. Due to its geopolitical location and its exposure to multiple crises over the past two decades, Türkiye is said to have felt the effects of global uncertainty early. This experience, the report argues, has enabled the country to develop a strong capacity for resilience while preserving internal stability.
It notes that traditional allies have not provided the expected level of contribution in security and defense over the past decade, accelerating Türkiye’s efforts to strengthen autonomous capabilities. Expanded capacities in defense, intelligence, security and diplomacy are described as positioning the country to navigate the evolving geopolitical atmosphere more effectively.
If Türkiye can leverage its strengths and reinforce institutional capacity to manage risks, the report concludes, it is likely to remain stable and influential amid continuing crises and global uncertainty.
Türkiye and the Vatican have formalized a cooperation mechanism to combat money laundering and the financing of terrorism, in a move aimed at strengthening international efforts against illicit financial networks.
A memorandum of understanding between Türkiye’s Financial Crimes Investigation Board (MASAK) and the Vatican City State’s Supervisory and Financial Information Authority entered into force following a presidential decree published in the Official Gazette on Friday night.
Under the agreement, the two financial intelligence units will exchange information and analysis related to suspected money laundering, related predicate offenses and terrorist financing. The cooperation will facilitate information-sharing that may support investigations and prosecutions by competent authorities in both jurisdictions.
The two sides will share the widest possible range of available or obtainable financial intelligence, either upon request or spontaneously, based on the principle of reciprocity.
Officials say the agreement reflects Türkiye’s ongoing efforts to expand international cooperation against transnational financial crimes and disrupt the global funding networks of terrorist organizations.
Ankara has long emphasized that such cooperation is critical to counter the overseas financing activities of groups such as the PKK, which Turkish authorities say maintains fundraising, propaganda and logistical networks across Europe.
Turkish officials have repeatedly called on international partners to take stronger action against these structures, warning that financial flows generated abroad directly support the group’s activities.
The new arrangement with the Vatican is expected to enhance Türkiye’s broader strategy of building multilateral intelligence-sharing partnerships to curb illicit financial movements and strengthen the global fight against terrorism and organized crime.
Türkiye’s foreign minister held a series of phone calls Friday with his counterparts from Pakistan, Afghanistan, Qatar and Saudi Arabia to discuss recent developments between Islamabad and Kabul, according to Turkish diplomatic sources.
Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan spoke separately with Pakistan’s Foreign Minister Muhammad Ishaq Dar, Afghanistan’s acting Foreign Minister Amir Khan Muttaqi, Qatar’s Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al Thani, and Saudi Foreign Minister Prince Faisal bin Farhan Al Saud, the sources said.
The conversations focused on the latest tensions and diplomatic developments between Pakistan and Afghanistan, amid heightened regional attention to security and political dynamics between the two neighbors.
Pakistan and Afghanistan exchanged heavy cross-border fire on Thursday after Kabul launched retaliatory strikes against Pakistani military positions, prompting Islamabad to accuse the Afghan Taliban administration of “unprovoked action” and insisting its forces delivered an “immediate and effective response” across multiple sectors of the frontier.
Cross-border clashes intensified along the Pakistan-Afghanistan frontier, with both sides reporting military operations and casualties in some of the most serious fighting since recent tensions began to escalate.
Türkiye, on the other hand, has in recent years sought to maintain dialogue with regional actors and position itself as a facilitator in efforts to ease tensions and promote stability in South and Central Asia.
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.
-
Politics2 days agoTurkish Parliament marks 34th year since Khojaly killings
-
Daily Agenda2 days agoBüyükgümüş had an iftar meal with citizens in the ‘GençNokta’ tent
-
Daily Agenda3 days agoBREAKING NEWS I Clear message from President Erdoğan: “We will build a Türkiye without terrorism”
-
Economy1 day agoTürkiye’s wealth fund in talks on $10B petrochemicals project
-
Economy19 hours agoSyria reportedly pressed by US to shift from Chinese telecom systems
-
Daily Agenda23 hours agoThe man of the nation is 72 years old… Birthday message from Kasımpaşa to President Erdoğan
-
Politics2 days agoTürkiye vows to uphold constructive role for regional stability
-
Daily Agenda2 days agoMinister Göktaş attended the “Brotherhood Table Iftar Program” in Batman