Politics
Netanyahu biggest disaster for Israelis since Holocaust: Erdoğan
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has become the greatest disaster facing Israelis since the Holocaust, President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan said, warning that the region is being dragged toward a broader catastrophe amid escalating tensions.
Speaking at an iftar with the ruling Justice and Development Party (AK Party) lawmakers in the capital Ankara, Erdoğan said even Israelis who spend their nights in shelters are increasingly expressing that Netanyahu represents the biggest calamity to confront the Israeli people since the Holocaust.
The president also warned that the region was gradually being pushed toward disaster by what he described as a “network of massacres driven by arrogance.”
Erdoğan said Türkiye is working to prevent the crisis from expanding further and to stop the conflict before more lives are lost.
He stressed that Ankara’s position regarding the crisis involving Iran is clear and consistent.
Erdoğan noted that Türkiye stands on the side of peace rather than war and is focused on efforts to de-escalate tensions before the situation in Iran spirals further.
A group of activists detained after an Israeli military interception of the Gaza-bound Sumud aid flotilla in international waters arrived in Istanbul late Friday aboard a special flight, Turkish authorities said.
The plane, operated by Turkish Airlines, carried 59 people, including 18 Turkish nationals, from the Greek island of Crete to Istanbul Airport, where it landed at 9:45 p.m. local time.
The activists, who were part of the Global Sumud Flotilla, were welcomed by relatives and officials at the airport’s VIP terminal. They are expected to undergo medical examinations at the Istanbul Forensic Medicine Institute as part of an investigation launched by the Istanbul Chief Public Prosecutor’s Office into Israel’s crimes.
The flotilla had set sail in April from Barcelona with the aim of breaking Israel’s blockade on Gaza and delivering humanitarian aid. After additional participants joined in Sicily, the group resumed its journey on April 26.
According to flotilla organizers, Israeli forces intercepted the vessels late on April 29 in international waters off the coast of Crete, damaging boats and detaining activists. The group said the fleet was targeted about 600 nautical miles from Gaza, just outside Greek territorial waters.
Organizers said the flotilla included 345 participants from 39 countries, including Turkish citizens.
Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan held a phone call with Greek Foreign Minister Yorgo Gerapetritis on Thursday to discuss Israel’s attack on the Global Sumud Flotilla, Turkish diplomatic sources said.
Fidan and Gerapetritis spoke by phone earlier in the day, focusing on the reported Israeli attack targeting the Global Sumud Flotilla, a Gaza-bound aid mission, according to sources from Türkiye’s Foreign Ministry.
The two ministers exchanged views on the developments and their regional implications, particularly in light of rising tensions linked to Gaza.
No further details were immediately provided regarding the content of the discussions or any potential follow-up steps.
The call comes amid growing international reactions to the incident, which has drawn criticism and renewed attention to humanitarian access to Gaza.
Amid a debate over the future of NATO, Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan says there is a historic opportunity to confirm it, namely the alliance’s summit in the Turkish capital Ankara in July.
Addressing a conference at the Diplomatic Academy of Vienna on Wednesday, Fidan said Türkiye’s strategic necessity was maintaining trans-Atlantic ties. “A more capable and more European NATO will be at the center of the debate at the summit,” he said.
After NATO allies refused to give him the support he was demanding in the Iran war, which he had begun without consulting or informing them, U.S. President Donald Trump openly questioned whether the U.S. should stand by NATO’s mutual defense pact and said he was considering leaving the alliance. Months earlier, he had laid claim to Greenland, an autonomous territory belonging to fellow NATO member Denmark. Trump will likely skip the summit while Europe looks to bolster its defenses with more multilateral partnerships outside and inside NATO.
Fidan said a new security architecture that will be established after the Russia-Ukraine conflict will demonstrate whether Europe will be safe as a whole, noting that the post-World War II security architecture has been under great pressure. He noted that Türkiye has been a NATO ally for more than seven decades, and it was Türkiye’s strategic necessity to sustain the ties.
He added that Europe was “bigger than the EU” and its security and defense initiatives should be coordinated carefully with NATO and non-EU partners. “On the other hand, we witness a contradicting weaponization of the EU’s joint security and foreign policy,” he complained.
A key partner of NATO, Türkiye will host the leaders’ summit of the alliance for the second time in more than two decades. Heads of state and top figures from member countries will attend the summit scheduled to be held on July 7-8. Some 6,000 participants are expected to participate in the event. Türkiye this year marks the 74th anniversary of its admission to NATO and boasts the second biggest army of the alliance. It is the only country in NATO’s “southern flank” with a sizeable military power and a gateway to the Middle East and wider Asia. Security of the Black Sea also largely depends on Türkiye, especially amid the Russia-Ukraine conflict, which threatens maritime security.
President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan met with Nationalist Movement Party (MHP) leader Devlet Bahçeli in Ankara on Thursday, with talks focusing on Türkiye’s “terror-free” initiative and rising regional tensions linked to Iran.
Erdoğan hosted Bahçeli at the Presidential Complex in Beştepe for a meeting that lasted approximately 50 minutes, according to official sources.
The leaders discussed steps to advance Türkiye’s “terror-free” initiative, including potential legislative measures expected to be brought before Parliament. The talks covered efforts aimed at strengthening national security and eliminating terrorist threats.
Regional developments also featured prominently on the agenda, particularly escalating tensions in the Middle East and risks related to a possible Iran-linked conflict. Erdoğan and Bahçeli assessed the potential impact of regional instability on Türkiye’s border security and reviewed possible national measures to address emerging threats.
The meeting underscored continued coordination within the People’s Alliance on both domestic and foreign policy issues.
A parliamentary commission established after deadly school attacks in southeastern Türkiye will examine the incidents from a broad perspective, including security, education, family life, social media and the wider social environment, its chairperson said.
Yusuf Beyazıt, head of the Parliamentary Investigation Commission on the Causes of School Attacks and a ruling Justice and Development Party (AK Party) lawmaker from Tokat, told Anadolu Agency (AA) that the panel aims to identify the underlying causes of the attacks and propose measures to prevent similar incidents.
“We will make efforts to reach a conclusion by also following studies around the world,” Beyazıt said. “Our road map includes visiting Şanlıurfa and Kahramanmaraş to assess the incidents on-site.”
The commission was formed in parliament following attacks on schools in Kahramanmaraş and Şanlıurfa. Beyazıt offered condolences to the families of those killed and wished a speedy recovery to the injured, saying the country had experienced deep sorrow.
He said all political parties supported the establishment of the parliamentary inquiry commission, which consists of 22 members. The commission held its first meeting and formed its administrative board.
Beyazıt said the incidents should not be assessed from a single angle, stressing that schools, families, social surroundings, children’s psychology, security measures and the influence of digital platforms all need to be considered together.
“When we focus only on one part and say ‘security,’ ‘education’ or ‘children,’ we may overlook the family, the environment, the school, society and the effects of social media on children,” he said. “We want to look at this issue holistically.”
He said the commission would not merely examine the consequences of the attacks, but also work to identify the factors that led to them.
The panel includes lawmakers with backgrounds in medicine, education and law, Beyazıt said, adding that the commission would gather information from relevant public institutions, civil society groups and experts.
“We will examine whatever factors may help prevent similar incidents,” he noted. “If legislative work is needed, we will make recommendations. We will also share various proposals with the relevant institutions and organizations.”
Beyazıt also underlined that the commission would also review the effects of social media, television and external influences on children, as well as teacher-student relations and communication between families and children.
He said the commission’s working schedule would be determined next week, including which experts and institutions would be invited to provide input.
“No one wants such incidents to happen again,” Beyazıt added. “The fire did not burn only where it fell. It burned all of Türkiye. It affected all of us deeply.”
Beyazıt said he plans to visit the graves of the children who lost their lives, along with members of the commission, before meeting with the families and injured students.
“These children went to school with cheerful feelings, only to receive an education,” he noted. “No one expected such pain that day. This is a very important issue, and it should not be viewed through a political lens.”
He stressed that children should be protected from harmful external influences and encouraged to take part in sports, arts and other constructive activities.
After completing its work, the commission will prepare a report and submit recommendations, including possible legislative proposals, Beyazıt said.
Recent school attacks in Kahramanmaraş and Şanlıurfa have accelerated work on a new social media regulation package, intensifying political momentum around digital child safety.
The measures have been on the agenda of lawmakers for some time now, but two school shootings earlier this month appear to be fast-tracking their passing. The second school shooting in the province of Kahramanmaraş by a 14-year-old boy sparked debate about social media. In the aftermath of the attack that killed 10 people, a barrage of online threats against schools was uncovered, and security forces found out that those behind the threats were mostly underage.
President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan held talks with 27 foreign leaders and officials over the past month, with regional developments, particularly those related to Iran and the wider Middle East, dominating his diplomatic agenda.
The talks highlighted Türkiye’s active role in regional diplomacy, as Ankara continued efforts to position itself as a mediator in crises and a venue for dialogue.
Erdoğan held phone calls last month with U.S. President Donald Trump, Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian, French President Emmanuel Macron and German President Frank-Walter Steinmeier as part of efforts to discuss regional tensions and prospects for lasting peace in the Middle East.
He also spoke with Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez, Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney and Hungary’s prime minister-elect, Peter Magyar.
Erdoğan’s diplomacy continued during the Antalya Diplomacy Forum (ADF), held from April 17-19, where he met with Qatar’s emir, Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani, Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev, Syrian President Ahmed al-Sharaa and Pakistani Prime Minister Shahbaz Sharif.
In Antalya, Erdoğan also held talks with members of Bosnia-Herzegovina’s Presidency Council, as well as the presidents of Slovenia, Moldova, the Democratic Republic of Congo, the Comoros and Burundi.
He also received Libyan Prime Minister Abdul Hamid Dbeibeh, Georgian Prime Minister Irakli Kobakhidze and Iraqi Kurdish Regional Government Prime Minister Masrour Barzani.
This year, Türkiye hosted 6,400 participants from 150 different countries, including 23 heads of state, 13 vice presidents or prime ministers and 50 ministers, during the 5th ADF held on April 17-19 in Antalya. A total of 52 activities and sessions were organized during the forum, which was held by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs under the auspices of President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan.
Politicians, diplomats, academics, students, journalists, lawmakers, security experts, businesspeople, activists and representatives of intergovernmental and civil society organizations discussed various regional and global issues.
Erdoğan later met in Istanbul with the presidents of the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus (TRNC), Somalia and North Macedonia.
The Turkish president also held separate talks with Russian President Vladimir Putin and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy as part of efforts to support peace between Moscow and Kyiv. He urged all sides to avoid steps that could escalate tensions, warning that attacks on civilian vessels in the Black Sea harm regional stability.
During the dialogues, the Turkish president reiterated that Ankara is ready to play a facilitating role in several regions, including Ukraine, Syria and Iran, and remains open to cooperation with its neighbors.
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