Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan on Sunday expressed deep sorrow over a helicopter crash in Qatar that killed seven people, including one Turkish and four Qatari soldiers, as well as two technicians from the Turkish defense giant, Aselsan.

“I learned with great sorrow the news that our Turkish Armed Forces personnel, our ASELSAN staff and members of the Qatari Armed Forces were martyred in the helicopter crash that occurred in Qatar,” he said in a statement shared on social media.

The Turkish leader offered prayers and condolences for those who died in the tragic accident.

Erdoğan also expressed his sympathy to both nations, saying: “My condolences to our country, our nation and the people of Qatar.”

Earlier Sunday, Türkiye’s Defense Ministry confirmed that one Turkish Armed Forces member and two Aselsan technicians were among seven people killed in a helicopter crash in Qatar.

Qatar’s Defense Ministry later identified the Turkish victims as Maj. Sinan Taştekin from the Qatar-Türkiye Joint Forces, Süleyman Cemre Kahraman and İsmail Anas.

The Turkish ministry said that the Qatari Armed Forces helicopter was conducting training activities under the Qatar-Turkish Combined Joint Force Command on Friday evening when it crashed into the sea, due to a technical malfunction, according to initial findings.

It added that the exact cause of the crash will be determined following an investigation by Qatari authorities.

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Recep Tayyip Erdoğan stood on familiar ground in Güneysu on Friday, opening the Tenzile Erdoğan State Hospital in a ceremony that blended personal tribute with a sweeping defense of Türkiye’s healthcare transformation and its role in shaping national resilience.

The facility, named after his late mother, carries emotional weight in a province where Erdoğan’s political identity was forged.

But beyond symbolism, the 100-bed hospital lands as a strategic addition to the eastern Black Sea’s medical network, aimed at closing regional gaps in access while easing pressure on larger, still-developing complexes such as the Rize City Hospital.

Set on a 36,000-square-meter site, the hospital is built for scale and speed.

Its infrastructure stretches across outpatient clinics, intensive care, dialysis units, maternity services and a sizable psychiatric wing, forming a two-block system that merges general and mental healthcare under one roof.

With modern operating capacity, palliative care and over 200 parking spaces, the design reflects a shift in Türkiye’s hospital model toward integrated, patient-centered complexes rather than fragmented facilities.

Health officials expect the hospital to serve not just Güneysu but a wider catchment area across Rize’s rugged terrain, where distance and topography have long slowed emergency response and specialist access.

The goal is simple but ambitious: bring high-level care closer to smaller communities while reducing reliance on urban centers.

Erdoğan used the opening to anchor a broader narrative, arguing that such projects are the product of two decades of structural reform.

Since 2002, he said, Türkiye has retooled its health system to match population growth and rising expectations, turning what was once seen as a weak link into a sector now cited internationally.

He pointed to crisis performance as proof.

During the COVID-19 pandemic, Türkiye maintained hospital capacity and universal access without the breakdowns seen elsewhere, while the aftermath of the Feb. 6 earthquakes tested the system’s ability to absorb mass casualties and sustain long-term care.

In both cases, Erdoğan framed outcomes as evidence of a system built for stress, not just routine demand.

The numbers in Rize echo that transformation.

Health infrastructure has expanded to 32 facilities, including hospitals and primary care centers, with total investment already reaching TL 11 billion ($249 million).

Once flagship projects are complete, that figure is expected to more than triple.

Patient visits have surged from 1.4 million annually in the early 2000s to roughly 5 million today, while ambulance fleets, diagnostic tools and medical staffing have all scaled sharply.

Behind those figures lies a broader shift in access. Specialist doctor numbers have tripled, dialysis capacity has expanded more than sevenfold and frontline healthcare staffing has risen dramatically, reshaping both availability and quality of care in a province once limited by geography.

Yet Erdoğan’s message extended beyond bricks and mortar.

He positioned healthcare as a pillar of national strength, linking it to economic growth, public confidence and crisis readiness.

In that framing, hospitals are not just service points but instruments of state capacity, capable of absorbing shocks and projecting stability.

That logic carried into his next announcement: the integration of Türkiye’s domestically produced T625 Gökbey helicopter into the national health system.

Three civil-certified units are set to join the air ambulance fleet this year, marking the first time a locally developed rotorcraft will serve in emergency medical operations.

The move reflects a dual objective.

Operationally, it promises faster response times across mountainous and remote areas.

Strategically, it reinforces Ankara’s push to localize critical technologies, reducing dependence on foreign systems while linking defense industry gains to civilian life.

Erdoğan framed it as part of a wider pattern, where advances in sectors such as defense, transportation and education intersect with healthcare to form what he calls a “Century of Türkiye.” In this vision, domestic production and public service expansion move in parallel, strengthening both sovereignty and everyday life.

He closed with a familiar geopolitical note.

With conflicts simmering across the Middle East and beyond, Erdoğan said Türkiye’s priority remains clear: avoid entanglement while pursuing diplomatic solutions.

The message, delivered against a backdrop of regional instability, underscores a balancing act between assertiveness and restraint.

For Rize, however, the impact is immediate. The Tenzile Erdoğan State Hospital is already operational, bringing expanded services to a region long defined by its terrain and distance from major urban centers.

Its opening marks both a personal milestone for the president and a tangible step in a broader effort to turn the Black Sea province into a fully equipped healthcare hub.

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Turkish authorities arrested 14 people and placed nine under judicial control during coordinated operations targeting Daesh across 29 provinces, the Interior Ministry said Saturday, the second day of Eid, the Muslim holiday following the month of Ramadan.

The ministry said the operations, conducted over two weeks, involved the National Intelligence Organization, the General Directorate of Security’s Intelligence Department, Counterterrorism Units, and local public prosecutors. Key cities included Ankara, Istanbul, Konya, Antalya, Kayseri, and Şanlıurfa.

A total of 139 suspects were detained in the raids. Authorities said many of those arrested were already wanted, had provided financial support to Daesh, or previously participated in the group’s activities. Investigations and legal proceedings for the remaining suspects are ongoing.

Türkiye considers the Daesh terrorist group one of the biggest threats to the country’s security and peace and was one of the first countries to declare it a terrorist group in 2013. It has suffered from several Daesh attacks since then, including a suicide bombing in an Ankara train station that killed 100 people in 2015 and a deadly Istanbul nightclub shooting on New Year’s in 2017.

At its peak in 2015, Daesh controlled a swath of territory across Iraq and Syria, half the size of the United Kingdom. It was notorious for its brutality against religious minorities, as well as Muslims who do not follow the terrorists’ ideology.

After years of fighting, the U.S.-led coalition broke the group’s last hold on territory in late 2019, but Daesh cells in multiple countries continue to carry out periodic attacks.

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Media reports say that a comprehensive draft on the next steps for the terror-free Türkiye initiative for disarmament of the PKK terrorist group will be made public in April. Reports come amid an expected meeting of the parliament speaker with representatives of political parties this week to discuss the current stage in the initiative.

Disclosure of the draft report in full will be just the beginning of a parliamentary process to respond to the PKK’s announcement last year that it would dissolve itself, after more than four decades of violence. Parliament is expected to draft new laws or amend the existing ones for leniency to members of the terrorist group who agree to turn themselves in.

So far, the initiative has been a series of apparently unilateral steps by the PKK, which started burning weapons in a symbolic move after announcing its dissolution. Authorities have treaded carefully, both not to offend families of the PKK’s victims and to make sure that the PKK fulfills its promises to abandon arms. Currently, the disarmament process is being monitored by Turkish intelligence. The PKK is spread across Iraq, Syria and Iran, and its members may be allowed to return to Türkiye if the initiative succeeds. To ensure returns, Türkiye is required to offer leniency in the sentencing of the PKK members who did not participate in acts of terrorism.

Parliament’s National Solidarity, Brotherhood and Democracy Committee, set up exclusively for the terror-free Türkiye initiative, has recently wrapped up its work of hearing from all sides affected by PKK terrorism. The committee prepared a comprehensive report to guide Parliament on future bills. A report by the Türkiye newspaper quoting sources from the ruling Justice and Development Party (AK Party), says President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan would hold talks with security authorities and his aides to make a decision on future legal processes and issue instructions for new bills by April if the intelligence authorities certify full disarmament of the PKK and its withdrawal from regions it occupied in Iraq’s north.

The terror-free Türkiye initiative was launched in 2024 by government ally Nationalist Movement Party (MHP) when its leader, Devlet Bahçeli, implied that the government should facilitate access to the terrorist group PKK’s jailed ringleader, Abdullah Öcalan, so that he could call on the PKK to lay down arms. Bahçeli’s proposal was endorsed by President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, who had earlier hinted at the initiative with messages of unity between Turks and Kurds. The PKK has long justified its campaign of terrorism as a fight for the rights of Kurds. Both Bahçeli and Erdoğan have repeatedly said that ending terrorism and maintaining unity were essential for Türkiye’s “home front” in the face of Israeli aggression in the region, pointing to the fact that Israel may target Türkiye next as part of its expansionist policies. Öcalan responded positively to Bahçeli’s call and urged the PKK to lay down arms. In July 2025, the PKK started the disarmament process with a ceremony in northern Iraq.

“This is not like 2013 or any other process,” Parliament Speaker Numan Kurtulmuş said earlier this month, referring to government-sponsored efforts in the past to end PKK terrorism. The “reconciliation process,” as it was known, sought to curb the PKK’s influence on the Kurdish community and address the rights issues the terrorist group exploited. It ultimately collapsed in a few years, but Türkiye pursues a more dedicated approach to the matter now. Unlike the previous process, where the PKK consented to a unilateral “truce,” the group this time agreed to dissolve itself. Yet, full dissolution is yet to be confirmed.

Kurtulmuş, who also chairs the terror-free Türkiye committee at Parliament, said another failure in ending the existence of the PKK would inflict a heavy toll on “politics.” “We may face a direr situation. We are now going through times of conflict in the region, and there are circles ready to stoke the burning fire,” he said.

“Nothing is incidental in this region. The process, which began with the U.S. invasion of Iraq, triggered another process for ethnic and sectarian division. Many countries suffered as a consequence. We have to revert this. Türkiye paid a heavy toll in terrorism, and we have to act swiftly. Zionism is raising the stakes, and we cannot ignore this. They try to deal a final blow to the region. They tried it with civil wars in Lebanon and Syria, and they tried it with swift regime changes in the region. They planned the final stage of their plan by targeting Gaza. The Greater Israel Project’s main target is Türkiye. So, we have to reinforce the country, the home front,” he said.

He noted that Türkiye already had laws for offering lenient sentencing for members of terrorist groups cooperating with authorities. “But it is the first time that a terrorist group has decided to dissolve itself. Thus, we need new regulations. We agreed on legal proceedings for members of the group if they apply for lenient sentencing or parole, to have a court record. This will prevent the perception that (PKK members) would benefit from an amnesty. Sentencing will remain, but they will be released based on parole conditions if they turn themselves in and renounce membership of the PKK,” he said.

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Parliament will convene this week after a holiday on the occasion of Eid al-Fitr, or Ramadan Bayram. A busy agenda awaits the lawmakers, who will discuss economic regulations and vote on international agreements, as well as draft bills.

It will reopen on Tuesday with discussions on economic regulations, particularly on cryptocurrencies. A bill before Parliament proposes a crypto-asset proceeds tax for the sale and transfer of crypto assets provided or mediated by crypto-asset service providers.

A transaction tax of 0.03% will be applied to crypto-asset sales or their fair market value at the time of transfer.

Another proposal by lawmakers suggests corporate tax exemptions for health institutions of privately-run universities be scrapped.

Other draft bills and regulations cover housing for earthquake survivors, betting, military service, real estate and free trade zones. For residential and commercial properties built after the 2023 earthquakes in southern Türkiye, a discount will be applied for lump-sum payments made by Dec. 31, 2026. Debtors will receive a 74% discount on their first home and a 48% discount on their first place of business.

The fee for paid military service will increase by 25%. Additionally, advertising and promotion expenses for all types of games of chance and betting will no longer be considered deductible expenses when determining corporate income. Real estate owned by universities, special-budget administrations, regulatory and supervisory agencies, social security institutions, and affiliated entities or businesses may be included in privatization programs upon the request of the relevant administration.

Income earned by taxpayers operating in free zones from the sale of manufactured goods, whether sold abroad, within the free zone, or to other free zones, will be exempt from income or corporate tax.

Parliament’s General Assembly will review agreements signed between Türkiye and the Libyan Government of National Unity, the Kyrgyz Republic, and the United Nations Entity for Gender Equality and the Empowerment of Women (UN Women). Additionally, the Committee on Children Dragged into Crime (a name given to minors involved in crimes) will meet.

Political parties with parliamentary groups will hold meetings on Tuesday and Wednesday. President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan will address lawmakers at his Justice and Development Party (AK Party) parliamentary group meeting in the Grand National Assembly on Wednesday.

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Türkiye is taking firm measures against airspace violations while continuing efforts to safeguard national security and stability amid the U.S.-Israel war with Iran, President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan said Thursday.

“With the awareness that we bear the responsibility of 86 million people, we never abandon caution and prudence. While taking a very firm stance against actions that violate our airspace, we also continue to take steps to strengthen the peace and security of our nation,” Erdoğan said.

The president made the remarks in a video message greeting Turkish citizens on Ramadan Bayram, also known as Eid al-Fitr, the festival that follows the holy month of Ramadan.

He expressed his wishes for the Eid to bring goodness, blessings and beauty to the country, the Islamic world and all humanity, and also mentioned the situation in the Middle East.

“Our brothers and sisters in Gaza are trying to observe Ramadan Bayram under Israel’s attacks, which violate cease-fire rules and block humanitarian aid. In various parts of Palestine, especially East Jerusalem and the West Bank, as well as in southern Lebanon, policies of occupation and destruction continue at full intensity,” he said.

He also emphasized that attacks launched against Iran on Feb. 28, along with Iran’s missile and drone retaliations toward third countries, have further escalated regional tensions.

“In the face of this troubling picture, with the awareness that we bear the responsibility of 86 million people, we never abandon caution and prudence,” Erdoğan said, adding that Türkiye continues to take firm measures against airspace violations and to strengthen national security.

Türkiye reported that NATO defenses have shot down three ballistic missiles fired from Iran since the war began. After the second interception, NATO deployed Patriot defenses in the central Malatya region, where the Kürecik air base is located, which houses a NATO early-warning radar system manned by U.S. troops that can detect Iranian missile launches.

Authorities have not disclosed the intended target of the third missile, but an explosion was heard overnight near the Incirlik Air Base in the southern province of Adana. The base hosts U.S. forces along with Turkish and allied personnel. Ankara has said Washington has not used Incirlik in its air operations against Iran alongside Israel.

Turkish authorities have lodged diplomatic protests with Tehran after each missile incident while maintaining contact to clarify what happened.

Iranian officials have insisted that they did not fire at Türkiye, although the available data shows that the missiles came from Iran, the Turkish foreign minister said on Saturday.

Türkiye, which shares a border with Iran and fields NATO’s second-largest army, has stressed that it does not want to be drawn into the war between Iran, Israel and the U.S.

Referring to the “terror-free Türkiye” initiative launched 17 months ago to end PKK terrorism, Erdoğan said they have overcome many critical thresholds smoothly.

“With the resolution of the issue in northern Syria through reconciliation, our security concerns have eased, (and) Syria’s territorial integrity has been preserved,” he said. “Our goal is to bring this beneficial process we have started to a safe conclusion, taking into account the bloody scenarios that are sought to be staged in our region.”

Türkiye’s efforts to end PKK violence that has killed more than 50,000 people and to remove the divisions fostered by the terrorist group over four decades entered a new stage last month.

Türkiye is working to bring a permanent end to PKK terrorism with its “terror-free Türkiye” initiative, first proposed in October 2024 by government ally Devlet Bahçeli, who extended an olive branch to the PKK’s jailed ringleader, Abdullah Öcalan, if he urged the organization to lay down its arms.

After the group announced last year that it would dissolve itself in response to Öcalan’s appeal, a parliamentary committee approved a report recommending legislation to accelerate the process.

The report will serve as a guide for Parliament in drafting legislation and is intended to facilitate the process once authorities confirm that the PKK has fully abandoned its armed activities.

A cross-party parliamentary commission recently published a report to prepare the legal groundwork for the process and support plans to reintegrate former PKK members. Authorities have said Parliament would evaluate the report after Eid, and a draft legislation would be announced by the end of April.

Erdoğan also mentioned that in a period when global uncertainty is increasing, Türkiye managed to grow its economy by 3.6% last year, with Türkiye becoming the third fastest-growing country among Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) nations in 2025.

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