Politics
Syrians in Türkiye rush back home in time for Eid
Days ahead of the Muslim holiday Qurban Bayram or Eid al-Adha, hundreds of Syrian refugees who have lived in Türkiye for years are queuing up at the border gates to celebrate the holiday in their homeland.
Border officials at the Öncüpınar customs gate in southern Kilis province have been processing Syrian families who wish to make a permanent return in time for Eid.
In past years, Türkiye has occasionally allowed refugees to travel home for religious holidays, but this time, Syrians look forward to ending their refugee status after their country was liberated from the oppressive Assad regime when the civil war ended last December.
Türkiye streamlined border crossing procedures after the fall of the regime, as hundreds of people flocked to the borders to return home.
Temporary protection status still remains for thousands of others, as Syria is still not fully inhabitable for many, due to damage left by years of conflict.
Authorities allowed a few round trips until July for refugees to check whether they can resume their lives in their land of birth.
Ahmet Ismail, 25, who fled Syria to Türkiye seven years ago due to the civil war, said Syria remained in his thoughts every day.
“The war in Syria is now over, I’m going back home,” he said as he waited to cross the border. “I thank President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan and the Turkish people. I’m happy I will spend Eid in my country.”
Nineteen-year-old Ekrem Ömer was happy to celebrate Eid with his family in his homeland.
“I fled the war to be safe in Türkiye, but I decided to return when peace was restored in Syria,” 23-year-old Zayd Elcubeydi said.
He has not seen his family in four years.
“I will meet them again and I’m happy I will be home for Eid,” he said, thanking Türkiye and the people of Türkiye.
Last week, Interior Minister Ali Yerlikaya announced that the number of Syrian refugees who left for home after the fall of the Assad regime has reached 250,064.
Overall, more than 1.1 million Syrians have departed since 2016.
Türkiye has been home to millions from its southern neighbor as the Assad regime escalated attacks on the opposition and the country’s civil war dragged on. At one point, Türkiye was home to the largest Syrian refugee community in the world.
Syria’s civil war killed over half a million people and left the country in desperate need of reconstruction. Western sanctions imposed on Assad were recently lifted, paving the way for a potential recovery.
A widening corruption probe into the Istanbul Metropolitan Municipality (IBB) has taken a dramatic turn as prominent businessperson Ahmet Sari, owner of Sarılar Inşaat, confessed to paying over TL 232 million in bribes to collect nearly TL 3 billion in unpaid municipal debts.
Sari, who was previously detained, was released after becoming a key informant in the investigation.
According to his May 27 testimony to the prosecutor’s office, Sari detailed how a bribery network allegedly functioned within the municipality from 2019 to 2024. He said his company faced significant difficulties securing payments for completed infrastructure projects under the administration of Istanbul Mayor Ekrem Imamoğlu. Sari emphasized that despite legal efforts, some receivables could not be recovered through formal channels, prompting illicit payments.
The businessperson named two central figures in the scheme: Ertan Yıldız, who served as deputy secretary general of IBB and Fatih Keleş, the former head of the CHP Istanbul provincial organization. Sari alleged that the two demanded bribes in exchange for facilitating payments owed to his company.
Sari said he was first invited to the municipality’s auxiliary building in Bakırköy in late 2022, where he was informed by Yıldız and Keleş that he would not receive any money unless he paid them first. He claimed to have delivered portions of the money to Bakırköy and the majority to the former mayoral residence in Florya. The cash was received by individuals identified as Zafer Keleş (Fatih Keleş’s brother) and a man named Murat, reportedly a relative of Keleş.
Payments to Ertan Yıldız were allegedly collected via company visits by drivers whose identities were communicated by a municipal affiliate, Ziya Gökmen Togay.
In his sworn statement, Sari provided a detailed account of the payments, stating he paid Yıldız TL 63 million across various dates from 2022 to 2024. He also listed payments totaling TL 169.5 million to Fatih Keleş during the same period. Sari said he would submit receipts to support his claims.
Notably, Sari said he was instructed never to involve municipal department heads in these dealings. In early 2024, he was told that no more payments should be made to Yıldız, suggesting a shift within the alleged network.
The Istanbul Chief Public Prosecutor’s Office continues its investigation as public scrutiny over municipal finances intensifies ahead of further legal proceedings. Meanwhile, Imamoğlu, currently in detention on separate charges, has not been directly implicated in the bribery claims made by Sari but remains a central figure in the broader investigation.
This latest testimony underscores growing concerns over governance and transparency within Türkiye’s largest municipality, once considered a stronghold of opposition leadership.
Parliament is returning from Eid recess on Wednesday with a busy agenda, including the election of the 28th term second circuit general assembly presidency board members as well as the negotiation of several bills.
With Numan Kurtulmuş’s recent appointment as Parliament speaker, four deputies, as well as secretaries and administrative officers who will serve on the Presidency Board, will be elected, after which bills will be negotiated.
Following this election, the General Assembly will this week discuss the Bill on Amendments to Certain Laws and Legislative Decrees.
According to the bill, in case of deficiency or excess in the rank fulfillment rates of military commands due to various reasons, the waiting periods for ranks can be changed via the president’s decisions to meet personnel needs.
The number of foreign academic staff to be assigned by contract in higher education institutions cannot exceed 2% of the number of full academic staff positions.
The legal entity of municipalities and villages in which the residential districts have become closer than 5,000 meters to a municipality of at least 50,000 residents will be abolished and added to the municipality if basic infrastructure services or the general reconstruction order necessitate it.
The rector of the National Defense University will be appointed by the president.
The Trade Ministry will be authorized to establish a circulating capital enterprise.
Moreover, specialized and research committees will also continue to discuss the issues on their agenda.
The Agricultural Frost Research Commission will listen to officials from the Agricultural Board of the Union of Chambers and Commodity Exchanges of Türkiye (TOBB), the Union of Chambers of Turkish Engineers and Architects’ (TMMOB) Chamber of Agricultural Engineers, as well as academics.
Group meetings of political parties will also be held.
On the other side, the commission researching the Kartalkaya hotel fire in Bolu province, which is nearing its term of duty, will discuss its final report. Prosecutors are seeking lengthy prison terms for 32 suspects over a devastating fire that tore through a luxury ski resort hotel in northern Türkiye, killing 78 people.
The blaze engulfed the Grand Kartal Hotel in the early hours of Jan. 21 at the Kartalkaya ski resort, with survivor testimonies and expert analysis revealing widespread safety lapses.
According to the indictment, prosecutors in Bolu are pushing for up to 1,998 years in prison for 13 key defendants – including the hotel’s owner, top executives, Bolu’s deputy mayor, the deputy fire chief and a firefighter – on 78 counts of killing with possible intent.
Greece is increasingly disturbed by its historical archrival Türkiye’s growing influence in Europe and the EU’s ambitious plans to strengthen its security mechanism.
Although Türkiye and Greece pursue rapprochement in their formerly hostile relations, Athens also works to bolster its defenses by new acquisitions, while Türkiye’s flourishing defense industry raises its profile, especially with sales of uncrewed aerial vehicles (UCAVs) to other countries and boosting its military arsenal with locally-made products.
Ankara and Athens are particularly at odds on their maritime borders in the Aegean Sea, which has been the venue for dogfights between Turkish and Greek fighter jets in the past.
In an interview with the Greek daily “Naftemporiki” last Friday, Greece’s Defense Minister Nikos Dendias made pointed remarks about Türkiye’s pursuit to join the EU’s Security Action for Europe (SAFE) program.
“The partners must decide what kind of Europe they want. No, Europe is without principles, values and respect for the rules of international law. It is also unthinkable that countries that threaten EU member states or do not recognize EU members should indiscriminately participate in the project of rearming Europe,” Dendias told Naftemporiki.
EU countries have adopted a regulation last month setting up SAFE, a new financial instrument designed to support member states that wish to invest in defense industrial production through common procurement, focusing on priority capabilities.
Under the approved part of the regulation, joint defense procurement of the bloc may include third countries not members of the EU, such as Türkiye.
Europe aims to reinforce its defenses as the United States reconsiders its generous support to the continent’s defense since World War II. Türkiye is eager to contribute to Europe’s security architecture, although the bloc stalled its accession for years.
Regarding Greek-Turkish relations, Dendias was also adamantly unoptimistic about the mutual push for rapprochement in the past two years.
“Regarding the ‘good atmosphere,’ I would like to underline that this narrative that Türkiye may be using cannot be considered credible,” he said, repeating a point he often raises to undermine what Ankara and Athens have called a “new phase” in historically strained ties.
The Greek defense chief further criticized Türkiye’s “Blue Homeland” doctrine, a maritime strategy introduced by Turkish naval officers in 2006 and later adopted by the government, calling it “revisionist.”
The doctrine aims to expand Türkiye’s control over surrounding waters and maritime resources, which has been a source of disputes with Greece in the Aegean and Eastern Mediterranean.
‘Barrack the Turkish agent’
Greek media, too, has added fuel to the fire, even accusing the U.S. Ambassador to Ankara, Thomas Barrack, of being a “Turkish agent” for “acting in favor of Türkiye.”
“The U.S.’ pro-Türkiye Ambassador Tom Barrack has officially become an agent for Türkiye. Instead of serving American strategic interests, he’s serving Turkish interests,” Greek magazine Hellas Journal wrote.
The journal said Barrack “secretly” traveled to Washington and met with President Donald Trump and Secretary of State Marco Rubio at the Oval Office last Friday.
“I spent my afternoon with President Trump and Secretary of State Rubio at the White House. We discussed Middle East issues related to Türkiye and Syria. I can assure you that the President’s vision, with the Secretary’s implementation, is not only promising but also doable,” Barrack reportedly wrote on X following the meeting.
“We do not know exactly what Mr. Barrack meant, but according to diplomatic sources, it is certain that he advanced the Turkish agenda in the White House,” Hellas Journal said.
The journal claimed the U.S. ambassador is “racing against time to make President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan’s visit to Washington happen.”
According to Hellas Journal, Barrack is working to ensure Erdoğan returns from a trip to Washington with “many gifts,” most notably the lifting of sanctions under the Countering America’s Adversaries Through Sanctions Act (CAATSA) on the Turkish defense industry.
Touting Trump’s “more open, more constructive” approach, Erdoğan last month said he believes the CAATSA sanctions would soon be “overcome.”
Erdoğan said he had discussed the matter with Trump and Washington’s new ambassador to Ankara.
“With my friend Trump taking office, we reached a more open, more constructive, more sincere communication,” he said.
The move, if implemented, could see Türkiye purchase at least $20 billion in U.S. military equipment, which could increase Ankara’s naval capabilities, notably in the Aegean Sea.
Turkish diplomat Taha Carım killed by the Justice Commandos of the Armenian Genocide (JCAG) terrorist organization in 1977, has been remembered in a ceremony in Italy.
Carım, who was ambassador to the Vatican, was remembered at the Turkish Embassy in the city, attended by Türkiye’s ambassador to Italy Elif Çomoğlu Ülgen, ambassador of the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus (TRNC) to Rome Mustafa Kemal Beyazbayram, as well as diplomatic representatives from Azerbaijan’s Embassy in the Italian capital.
“Our late Ambassador Carım, who was ambushed in front of his house on his way back from duty exactly 48 years ago, on June 9, 1977, is the third Turkish ambassador to be martyred in the line of duty as a result of the bloody acts of Armenian terrorism. We also respectfully commemorate our other martyred Ambassadors, Daniş Tunalıgil and Ismail Erez, on this occasion,” Elif Okuducu, charge d’affaires to the Vatican, said following a moment of silence.
She reminded that Carım had been a successful diplomat, also praised by the pope of the time.
Ülgen, for her part, said that the diplomatic institution that gave the most martyrs around the globe is the Turkish Foreign Ministry.
“I am not saying Armenian terrorism because it is a very big crime that cannot be attributed to nations, religions or masses. But unfortunately, committing this in the name of a nation, in the name of a race, is a very terrible thing, and we were subjected to this.”
She concluded her words, underlining that Türkiye is today stronger and more astute.
The terror campaign started in 1973 when Türkiye’s Los Angeles Consul General Mehmet Baydar and diplomat Bahadir Demir were assassinated by a terrorist named Gourgen Yanikian.
The vast majority of the attacks on Turkish diplomats and citizens in the 1970s and 1980s were conducted by the Armenian Secret Army for the Liberation of Armenia (ASALA) and the JCAG, both designated as terrorist groups in the U.S. and Türkiye.
Founded in 1975 in Beirut, Lebanon, during the Lebanese Civil War, ASALA is responsible for hundreds of bloody terrorist acts.
ASALA was the first Armenian terror group to launch a campaign against Türkiye. It targeted not only Türkiye but also other countries and became infamous for a 1975 bomb attack on the Beirut office of the World Council of Churches.
The attack at Esenboğa airport in the Turkish capital of Ankara on Aug. 7, 1982, was one of the most notorious attacks by ASALA, as the group targeted civilians for the first time.
Forty-three years after his assassination by the Armenian terrorist organization ASALA, Turkish diplomat Mehmet Savaş Yergüz was honored in a solemn memorial ceremony in Geneva, the city where he lost his life while serving his country.
Held at the Turkish Consulate General in Geneva on Monday, the ceremony brought together high-level Turkish officials, diplomats, representatives of Turkish civil society organizations in Switzerland and relatives of the fallen diplomat. Among those present were Türkiye’s Bern Ambassador Şebnem Incesu, Türkiye’s Permanent Representative to the World Trade Organization (WTO), Ambassador Hakan Çakıl, Consul General in Geneva Ipek Zeytinoğlu Özkan, Bekir Sıtkı Yergüz – cousin of the martyred diplomat – and officials from the Ministry of Labor and Social Security, including Director General for EU and Foreign Relations Ali Aybey, who were attending the 113th International Labor Conference in Geneva.
The ceremony began with a moment of silence followed by the Turkish national anthem. A biography of Yergüz was read aloud, honoring his life and service.
Speaking at the event, Incesu paid tribute to Yergüz, emphasizing the heavy cost Türkiye has paid in the fight against terrorism. Recalling a line from the book “Şehit Diplomatlarımız” (“Our Martyred Diplomats”) by the late Ambassador Bilal Şimşir, she noted, “In the 1970s and 1980s, planes carried the coffins of our fallen diplomats from all corners of the world back to Türkiye.”
“Let us remember with mercy those who gave their lives for their country or were targeted because of their connection to it,” she said.
Incesu highlighted the distortion of history that has fueled terror campaigns like those perpetrated by ASALA.
“We have painfully experienced how a one-sided and selective reading of history, coupled with a radical and violent nationalism, transformed into an international terror campaign – leading to a distorted narrative that seeks to justify even the most heinous acts.”
She underscored that terrorism, regardless of its name or form, remains a global threat.
“Terrorism knows no borders. It must be fought without discrimination, in a spirit of global cooperation. Türkiye fulfills its responsibilities in this struggle and continues to stand at the forefront in raising awareness within the international community.”
“Decades of experience fighting various terrorist groups have taught us that we cannot forget. We must not forget,” she added. “Honoring our fallen and standing with their loved ones is a sacred duty.”
Özkan echoed similar sentiments in her remarks, stressing the importance of keeping the memories of Türkiye’s martyrs alive.
“We cannot bring back our fallen diplomats, but our most essential duty is to honor their sacred memory and share the pain of their families – no matter how many years may pass.”
Describing Yergüz as a diligent, patriotic and kind-hearted man, Özkan said his murder sent shockwaves through his family, the consulate and the Turkish nation.
“To be targeted and murdered in cold blood simply for representing the Republic of Türkiye is a tragedy that shook us all. The perpetrator of the attack, ASALA member Mardiros Cankoçyan, was apprehended the same day thanks to public support. During his interrogation on June 12, 1981, he confessed to murdering to avenge ‘1.5 million Armenians.’ Türkiye, which became the target of Armenian terrorism in the 1970s and 80s, was victimized by a generation indoctrinated with a hate-filled and distorted version of history.”
Özkan emphasized that Türkiye has never wavered in the face of terrorism and continues to stand firm in defending historical truth.
“Türkiye has always maintained that we must build friendship, not animosity, from our shared history. In this respect, recent statements by Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan concerning the events of 1915 have been encouraging steps toward reconciliation. We hope that, despite pressures from the diaspora and domestic forces, real peace will one day be possible in the region.”
Touching on the ongoing normalization process between Türkiye and Armenia, Özkan reiterated that Türkiye is committed to fostering dialogue and reconciliation.
She also paid respect to other fallen diplomats around the world who lost their lives in the line of duty.
Following the ceremony at the consulate, attendees visited the exact location in Geneva where Yergüz was assassinated in 1981. In his memory, a wreath was laid at the site. Participants observed a moment of silence and placed red carnations alongside the memorial.
Yergüz was killed on June 9, 1981, in Geneva by ASALA, one of many diplomats targeted in a wave of assassinations carried out by Armenian terrorist organizations during the late 20th century. These attacks aimed to exert pressure on Türkiye over historical grievances. Between 1973 and 1994, Armenian terrorist groups killed over 30 Turkish diplomats and family members.
The ceremony served as a reminder of both the personal and national sacrifices made in the service of diplomacy and the enduring need to stand against terrorism in all its forms.
Türkiye is intensifying efforts to establish marine parks in the Aegean Sea and other surrounding waters while closely watching Greece’s expected announcement of marine protected areas by the end of June. The move comes amid Ankara’s concern that Athens’ initiative may be tied to long-standing disputes in the Aegean.
According to diplomatic sources, Türkiye is carefully evaluating whether the marine parks Greece is expected to declare in the Ionian and Aegean Seas will overlap with contentious maritime zones. While Ankara supports environmental protection and sustainable marine management, it maintains that unilateral actions under the guise of ecological preservation must not be allowed to mask political motives or alter the delicate status quo in the Aegean.
“Preventive measures are being reviewed against possible unilateral steps,” sources told Anadolu Agency (AA), adding that Türkiye is assessing broader environmental protection initiatives in all its seas – including the Aegean, Eastern Mediterranean, Black Sea and the Sea of Marmara.
The current dynamic is seen as a continuation of Greek efforts to internationalize bilateral problems with Türkiye. The Turkish Foreign Ministry had already criticized Greece in 2023, warning that Athens was exploiting environmental agendas for political leverage.
“Despite the recent normalization trend in our bilateral relations, Greece is again abusing environmental issues in an attempt to score diplomatic points,” the ministry said.
Legal and institutional framework
Türkiye is not standing idle. In September 2024, it signed the Biodiversity Beyond National Jurisdiction (BBNJ) agreement during the 79th United Nations General Assembly. The domestic ratification process is currently underway. This landmark international accord aims to conserve and sustainably use marine biodiversity in areas beyond national jurisdiction.
Simultaneously, Türkiye has been working on its Marine Spatial Planning (MSP) framework, which was officially announced on April 16. The plan aims to manage marine resources in all Turkish seas in a balanced and sustainable manner. Authorities are currently working on enhancing the scope and technical content of the plan, and necessary applications have already been submitted for its registration with the U.N.
In this context, Ankara also participates in the ongoing United Nations Ocean Conference in Nice, France. Türkiye is represented by Environment, Urbanization and Climate Change Deputy Minister Fatma Varank leading a delegation to articulate Ankara’s commitment to marine conservation. Türkiye is expected to deliver an official address at the summit.
Athens presses forward
Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis, addressing the same U.N. Ocean Conference in Nice, reaffirmed Greece’s commitment to declare new marine parks in the Ionian and Aegean Seas before the end of June. These parks, originally announced during the 2024 “Our Ocean” conference held in Athens, are expected to prohibit deep-sea trawling and introduce stronger regulations to prevent overfishing.
Although the Greek initiative appears to be environmentally driven, Türkiye sees the potential for this effort to spill into the geopolitical realm, especially given the long-standing disputes between the two NATO neighbors regarding maritime boundaries, continental shelves, airspace and demilitarized islands in the Aegean.
Türkiye stresses that international environmental norms should not be instrumentalized to undermine the rights of coastal states or distort the balance of power in contested areas. Any attempt to establish conservation zones that may impact the status of disputed territories is seen as unacceptable.
Broader strategic concerns
Ankara’s proactive stance on marine spatial planning is part of a broader strategy to assert its maritime rights and uphold international legal norms in the face of what it sees as encroaching initiatives by Greece. Turkish officials maintain that marine protection efforts must be transparent, equitable and cooperative, particularly in semi-enclosed seas like the Aegean, where maritime boundaries remain unsettled.
As Türkiye moves to institutionalize its marine planning within international frameworks, it seeks to preempt efforts that may attempt to redefine maritime jurisdiction through environmental discourse. The broader message from Ankara is clear: marine conservation is vital, but not at the cost of geopolitical stability or sovereign rights.
While Türkiye and Greece have recently engaged in dialogue to ease bilateral tensions, the marine parks issue underscores how even shared global concerns like environmental protection can become arenas of quiet competition in a historically fraught region.
After a long period of tensions marked by disputes over irregular migration, the Cyprus dispute, energy exploration and territorial sovereignty in the Aegean, Ankara and Athens have been taking confidence-building steps for a fragile normalization of their relations since late 2023.
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