Murat Kurum, Minister of Environment, Urbanization and Climate Change and COP31 President, addressed the participants on behalf of Türkiye at the International Zero Waste Day Commemoration Event held with the theme of food waste at the UN building in the USA:

Zero Waste is not a choice, it is an obligation. As Turkey, we supported this idea not only with individual efforts but also with institutional and social mobilization.

We will strive to ensure that the steps we take as Türkiye during the COP31 process are not limited to our own country, but spread from neighboring countries to Africa, from Asia to Latin America, and make a difference. We are together here today, not just for an event, but to protect the future of humanity and to remember respect for nature and our resources. Because we all know that the steps taken by Türkiye in the fight against Zero Waste and the climate crisis will shape the world of tomorrow. Zero Waste is a movement that rejects waste, protects resources, and prioritizes the future. President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan says about the Zero Waste Movement: “We took this approach as a mobilization, not a policy.” First Lady Erdoğan’s words, “Türkiye, with its high awareness of responsibility towards our common home, should guide all nations who want to implement Zero Waste” are very important. DHA

MESSAGE FROM EMINE ERDOĞAN

Video messages of Zero Waste Foundation Honorary President Emine Erdoğan and UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres were also published in the program attended by UN officials, including Ambassador Abdulaziz Alwasel, Vice President of the 88th Session of the UN General Assembly.

MHP Chairman Devlet Bahçeli answered journalists’ questions after the opening ceremony of the 23rd Term Education and Training Year of his party’s Politics and Leadership School at the MHP Headquarters. Making evaluations on the question regarding the attacks of the USA and Israel against Iran, Bahçeli emphasized that the Republic of Turkey follows the developments in the region very closely. Bahçeli said:

REGIME CHANGE SHOULD START WITH ISRAEL

– Today’s political power, especially our President, and especially the Minister of Foreign Affairs, are making important contacts to ensure peace, silence the weapons and achieve peace. In the light of the evaluations they have made so far, thank God, although there are significant violent incidents and major conflicts in the surrounding area, they have preserved Türkiye in unity and solidarity with an understanding that keeps it out of the war for now.

– I wish success to today’s valuable administration, our President and our Minister of Foreign Affairs within the scope of the People’s Alliance.

– While silencing these weapons, I invite people who have described themselves as superpowers, but who are eager for regime changes that contradict the national will of each country, against their will, to respect humanity, democracy and the existence of countries. First of all, if there is to be a regime change, as I have stated many times in the past, this regime change must start with Israel, and Israel’s dark ambitions must end. We want efforts to be made to restore peace to the region and the world. The most important responsibility for this falls on the United States of America under today’s conditions.

– Answering the question about MHP Deputy Chairman İzzet Ulvi Yönter’s resignation from office, Bahçeli stated that Yönter asked for permission to focus on his academic career studies and said, “He asked for permission to focus on his academic career studies and to carry forward the doctorate title he has earned today.”

THE MEDIA HAS VERY IMPORTANT DUTIES

Pointing out that the US administration makes different statements every day and that the Turkish media presents these statements as if a new development will occur every day, Bahçeli emphasized that this leads to a mistake that will shake society’s confidence in peace. Bahçeli said, “Administrators, especially our esteemed media friends, should undertake the task of enlightening the society in the best way by discussing the facts. Otherwise, I hope that no mistake will be made by re-expressing what the head of a state does every day.”

At the meeting held by the UN Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization UNESCO on March 25 in Paris, the capital of France, Türkiye’s progress in education in the last 23 years was praised by international participants. At the meeting, Deputy Minister of National Education Muhammet Bilal Macit explained Türkiye’s policies that increase inclusiveness in education, infrastructure investments and human resources reforms. OECD Education Director Andreas Schleicher stated that education targets are falling behind on a global scale, but some countries were able to reverse the process. Emphasizing that success is not a coincidence, Schleicher said, “There is no magic wand. Success depends on establishing consistent systems, using local resources correctly and integrating education with workforce policies.” UNESCO Deputy Director-General for Education Stefania Giannini also stated that the model put forward by Türkiye is not just a single reform and said, “There is a multi-dimensional approach from financing to teacher policies, from infrastructure to access. This brings lasting success.” In the evaluations made at the meeting, Türkiye’s policies that increase access to education, digitalization moves and steps towards equality of opportunity came to the fore. International participants pointed out that the steps taken by Türkiye towards establishing a sustainable and inclusive education system are instructive for other countries.

In the written statement made by the Ministry of National Defense (MSB), it was emphasized that, within the scope of the operations and measures carried out by the Naval Forces Command in the Black Sea, the duties of reconnaissance and surveillance, outpost and neutralization of identified mines, UAVs, UAVs and found ammunition have continued uninterruptedly since March 26, 2022, following the start of the Russia-Ukraine War. The statement said, “In this context, in order to protect our maritime jurisdiction areas, duties are carried out with 2 frigates, 1 submarine, 1 patrol ship, 1 maritime patrol plane, 1 helicopter, 1 UAV within the scope of the Black Sea Harmony Operation, and 2 mine hunting ships, 1 assault boat, 3 helicopters, 1 SAS team, 1 UAV within the scope of mine surveillance activities. To date, a total of 275 suspicious objects have been detected, among the suspicious objects.” “10 of them were identified as mines, 8 of them were identified as kamikaze UAVs and 11 of them were identified as kamikaze UAVs, and the identified suspicious objects were successfully destroyed by SAS teams.” On the other hand, Minister of National Defense Yaşar Güler had a telephone conversation with Iran’s Deputy Minister of Defense, Brigadier General Seyyid Mecid İbn’ül Riza, yesterday.

Minister of Foreign Affairs Hakan Fidan made remarkable statements about regional and global developments on the second and last day of the 5th International Strategic Communication Summit (Stratcom Summit) organized by the Presidential Directorate of Communications in Istanbul this year. Stating that the Israel-Iran war poses a great risk for the region and that there is a risk of turning into a wider war and that ‘this meaningless war’ must end, Minister Fidan emphasized that the only way out is diplomacy.

‘THE WORLD IS PAYING THE PRICE’

“We are actually heading towards a bigger war with the tensions created by Israel,” said Minister Fidan, adding that Ankara is against any situation that would drag the countries in the region into a serious conflict. Fidan said, “We need to state clearly that this is not Israel’s war alone. The whole world is paying the price for it…” Minister Fidan stated that Türkiye has seen the “dangerous situation” since the first day and that the war is being waged for the “political survival” of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. Emphasizing that the war affects the whole world, Fidan said, “That’s why we call for moderation at the highest level… We have only one way out at this point; that is to reduce tension and diplomacy. This is exactly why Turkey is acting for diplomatic solutions in coordination with its partners in the region.”

DESIGNED CHAOS…

Underlining that Netanyahu’s fundamentalist and different approaches should not be allowed to be put forward again while trying to walk on the path towards peace, Fidan said, “We have experienced this designed chaos for a very long time.” Referring to the situation in Gaza and saying, “The global and moral conscience regarding the Palestinian cause is gradually growing and developing among societies, between generations and beyond political borders,” Fidan emphasized that the common conscience cannot be suppressed.

WE DO NOT CARRY WOOD TO THE FIRE OF STUFF

National Intelligence Organization (MİT) President İbrahim Kalın spoke at the session titled “New Paradigm in Communication: Information, Power and Narrative” at Stratcom: “We are making intense efforts to establish a negotiation table in the ongoing war in the Middle East. As of today, we are intensifying our efforts to prevent this war from spreading to the entire region and not becoming more destructive. But unfortunately, this regional war initiated by Israel is gradually turning into a global crisis and, in the words of our President, into a war for which 8 billion people pay the price.” It is rapidly moving towards becoming an actual reality. Our primary effort will be to end this war as soon as possible. As Turkey, we will never be the party that carries fuel to the fire of discord. We will cool the fireball on our chest if necessary.

WE KNOW FRIEND AND FOE

(İbrahim Kalın) One of the calculated consequences of the war is not only the elimination of Iran’s nuclear capacity, but more dangerously, the taking of steps that will pave the way for a fraternal war, a blood feud, that will continue for decades between the Turks, Kurds, Arabs and Persians, the founding and essential elements of the region. As Türkiye, we will fight against these with constant vigilance. We, as Türkiye, will never be the party that brings fuel to the fire of discord. We will stand against those who try to spread the fire with our own dynamics, values ​​and leadership. As Türkiye, we know friend and enemy.

NETANYAHU, THE HEAD OF THE GENOCIDE NETWORK

AK Party Spokesperson Ömer Çelik made a statement to journalists at the International Strategic Communication Summit (STRATCOM) program:

The attacks of the USA and Israel are inhumane and illegitimate. The main issue is that these attacks, which are contrary to international law, stop. Humanity is under attack, innocents are being killed. What we call algorithms on social media actually continues as an extension of war. Currently, communication is essentially presented as a part of war. A huge propaganda machine is misleading humanity. Telling the truth of the war gained great importance.

Israel targets civilians and journalists. Netanyahu is at the head of the genocide network.

Israel’s demand for regime change is an illegitimate demand. If you bomb a country because you don’t like its regime, everyone in the world will get into trouble.

Director of Communications Duran spoke at the closing session titled “Forward-Looking Perspectives: Order in the New International System” of the International Strategic Communication Summit (STRATCOM), held in a hotel in Beşiktaş with the theme “Rupture in the International System: Crises, Narratives and the Search for Order” by the Presidency’s Directorate of Communications.

Burhanettin Duran said that they completed STRATCOM 2026 in the past two days with in-depth, thought-provoking and extremely productive discussions that shed light on the most important and vital issues of the age.

Stating that he was pleased to host this important meeting on behalf of the Directorate of Communications and to host such a distinguished global participant community, Duran said, “This summit has gained strength with the contributions of an extremely diverse and competent community, ranging from media and communication professionals to academia, from civil society to various fields. Each of you has played a vital role in shaping a dialogue rich in depth and content.” he said.

Duran pointed out that media organizations and digital platforms have demonstrated an exemplary determination by ensuring that the ideas and discussions put forward here go far beyond these halls and reach the masses all over the world, and thanked all participants, from students to academics, from journalists to civil society representatives, especially the participants who came to the summit from different continents.

Stating that they made comprehensive evaluations on a wide range of issues during the summit, Duran noted that they discussed many topics, from technology to diplomacy, from current developments to crisis management, from the fight against disinformation to structural problems in the international system.

Duran emphasized that their bilateral contacts also opened the way for valuable cooperation opportunities.

“STRATCOM 2026 HAS BECOME THE PIONEERING PLATFORM WHERE COMMON INTELLIGENCE AND COLLECTIVE RESPONSIBILITY FEATURE”

Duran stated that the STRATCOM Summit stands out as a thought platform enriched with the participation of dozens of distinguished experts from Türkiye and different countries of the world.

Stating that he was honored to present the Declaration of Goodwill of the International Strategic Communication Summit STRATCOM 2026, which was held with the theme “Rupture in the International System: Crises, Narratives and the Search for Order”, Duran said:

“Confirming that information is not only a means of communication but also a fundamental element of both national and global security, defining communication as both a means of transmission and a strategic line of defense that distinguishes truth from disinformation and strengthening national security in digital and information fields, emphasizing that new generation technologies and digital communication tools are at the center of this transformation, opposing the use of new communication technologies to make disinformation ‘more convincing’ and ‘more difficult to detect’ and advocating the principle of algorithmic transparency and ethical purpose.” By defending, emphasizing that access to accurate information is a fundamental right and a prerequisite for global stability in an ecosystem where public opinion is open to manipulation, reiterating our perseverance and determination to establish permanent institutional resilience against manipulation, determining that the international order is going through not only a crisis but also a deep disintegration process, and confirming that the current status quo is unsustainable and the necessity of a fair and equitable reform instead of destruction, preventing the escalation of tension, especially in the face of regional tensions including Iran, observing international law and By adopting an approach that prioritizes dialogue, by advancing a fair, people-oriented and strategically based approach through negotiation, by protecting our region and revealing regional realities with clarity and consistency, by reiterating our commitment to regional security, stability and prosperity, by emphasizing our common goal of establishing a truth-based communication order between states, international organizations, media, academia, technology companies and civil society, by strictly rejecting the eroding of the international system with an understanding that power determines rightness and all kinds of double standards, especially in times of crisis, Based on direct contacts between leaders and the priority of diplomacy, emphasizing the continuity of public diplomacy’s capacity to generate trust and legitimacy under all circumstances, reminding that lasting peace will only be possible with policies that take into account the rights and interests of all parties and that this approach is of vital importance, especially in the face of war crimes such as dehumanization, confirming our determination to build a security architecture based on our own dynamics in order to prevent regional problems, addressing the climate issue not only as a technical environmental issue but also as a human rights and security issue and shaping the solutions in line with the common benefit of humanity, by shaping the solutions in line with the common benefit of humanity. Throughout the day, STRATCOM 2026 has been a leading platform where common sense and collective responsibility come to the fore in addressing global issues.”

“WE’RE ABOUT TO MEET AGAIN NEXT YEAR WITH A FULL PROGRAM”

Thanking the participants for their in-depth analysis and visionary perspectives, Duran said, “I believe that this summit will be a meaningful turning point on the path to a more just international order and a more transparent and accountable communication ecosystem. Let’s act in unity in line with our determination to base truth in communication, establish trust as a common ground, and protect human dignity under all circumstances.” he said.

Expressing his gratitude to President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, who sent a video message to the summit, Duran said, “I would like to express my special thanks to our President, who drew us a vision with the words ‘The world is bigger than five’ and ‘A more just world is possible’ and who enabled Türkiye to convey the voice of the oppressed world with his leadership and pioneered the establishment of a new world.” he said.

Duran thanked all his colleagues and Directorate of Communications employees who contributed to the preparation of the widely attended international event, working day and night to bring the program to life, and said, “I entrust you to God to meet again next year with a full program.” he said.

The summit ended after taking a family photo.