Politics
Türkiye condemns Israel’s death penalty law targeting Palestinians
Türkiye on Tuesday strongly condemned the controversial new Israeli law introducing the death penalty for Palestinians, calling it unlawful and a step that deepens systemic discrimination.
In a statement, the Foreign Ministry said the legislation adopted by the Knesset is designed to be applied exclusively to Palestinians and constitutes a continuation of policies targeting the Palestinian people.
The ministry said the measure is “null and void” under international law and criticized Israel for further entrenching practices that undermine Palestinian rights.
Ankara also urged the international community, particularly the United Nations, to take action in response to what it described as Israel’s unlawful steps.
Israel’s parliament approved the legislation Monday, establishing capital punishment as the standard sentence for Palestinians in the occupied West Bank convicted of carrying out deadly attacks against Israelis.
According to the law, executions would be conducted by hanging, carried out by designated prison personnel from the Israeli Prison Service, who would be granted anonymity and legal protection.
Those sentenced would be held in specialized detention facilities, with visits restricted to authorized individuals. Access to legal counsel would also be limited, with meetings taking place only via video link.
The law permits courts to impose the death penalty without a formal request from prosecutors and allows verdicts to be reached by a simple majority rather than a unanimous decision.
It extends to military courts that prosecute Palestinians in the occupied West Bank and enables the defense minister to submit an opinion during proceedings.
The legislation further removes the right to appeal once a death sentence has been handed down.
Fener Greek Orthodox Patriarch Bartholomew, based in Istanbul, incurred the wrath of Russia again. Russia on Tuesday accused the top cleric of attempting to assert control over the Georgian Orthodox Church (GOC) through appointing his candidate to the vacant post of the catholicos-patriarch of all Georgia.
The press bureau of the Russian Foreign Intelligence Service (SVR) said in a statement that Bartholomew is taking advantage of the passing of Catholicos-Patriarch Ilia II of All Georgia.
“Patriarch Bartholomew of Constantinople continues to persistently pursue a treacherous course toward the schism of global Orthodoxy, guided by the principle of ‘divide and rule,'” the statement said, using the pre-Ottoman name for Istanbul. “The Phanariot wishes to promote a representative of the GOC to the vacated position whom he could rely on.”
The SVR claimed that Bartholomew is considering Metropolitan Abraham (Garmelia) of Western Europe and Metropolitan Gregory (Berbichashvili) of Poti and Khobi as candidates for this role.
“In his inner circle, he portrays them as the most suitable executors of his will,” it said.
According to the intelligence service, church circles note that “lust for power has become a constant companion of the Constantinopolitan schismatic.”
“Through his actions, Bartholomew is once again substituting ‘primacy of honor’ with ‘primacy of power,’ interfering in the internal affairs of yet another, let us note, one of the most ancient Orthodox churches, the Georgian Orthodox Church,” it said.
The SVR stressed that in Georgia, as in Ukraine, Serbia and the Baltic countries, Bartholomew must remember the second rule of the Second Ecumenical Council, which states that “regional bishops shall not extend their authority to churches beyond their own region.”
The views and opinions expressed in this article are solely those of the author. They do not necessarily reflect the editorial stance, values or position of Daily Sabah. The newspaper provides space for diverse perspectives as part of its commitment to open and informed public discussion.
Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi held a phone call with his Turkish counterpart Hakan Fidan, Tehran said in a statement on Tuesday.
Araghchi warned of repeated false-flag operations aimed at undermining regional ties, the Iranian Foreign Ministry said in a statement, a day after NATO intercepted a ballistic missile fired from Iran over Türkiye.
Türkiye is playing a mediating role, alongside other regional countries, between Washington and Tehran to help de-escalate tensions and end the war.
A ballistic munition launched from Iran and entering Turkish airspace was successfully intercepted by NATO air and missile defense systems in the Eastern Mediterranean, Türkiye’s Defense Ministry announced Monday, underscoring Ankara’s readiness to act decisively against any threat to its sovereignty. The ministry said the projectile was detected and neutralized before it could pose a risk, highlighting the effectiveness of coordinated defense mechanisms in the region. It continued by emphasizing that all necessary measures are being implemented without hesitation to safeguard the country’s territory and airspace. The statement also stressed that developments across the region are being monitored closely, with national security remaining the top priority.
The interception comes amid heightened regional tensions, reinforcing Türkiye’s commitment to maintaining stability while protecting its borders through rapid and coordinated military responses.
Mustafa Bozbey, mayor of Türkiye’s fourth largest city, Bursa, for the main opposition Republican People’s Party (CHP) was detained on Tuesday, along with 54 other suspects. Authorities said Bozbey and others face charges of running a criminal organization, bribery, money laundering and zoning violations. The Sabah newspaper reported that Bozbey’s wife, daughter and brothers were among other detainees.
The Chief Prosecutor’s Office in northwestern Türkiye said an investigation was underway against Bozbey and others on allegations that the mayor, during his tenure as mayor of Nilüfer, a district of Bursa, was involved in taking bribes in return for illegally changing zoning plans. The statement said Bozbey’s successor as Nilüfer mayor, Turgay Erdem, was also involved in the scheme. Erdem was arrested in a similar operation last year.
Prosecutors said Bozbey was the leader of a criminal ring, adding that four other suspects wanted in the same probe were at large.
The main opposition CHP is under mounting scrutiny as a wave of corruption, bribery and terrorism-related investigations sweeps across its municipalities.
Authorities say several major investigations are underway into municipalities controlled by the CHP, covering allegations from large-scale tender rigging and bribery to financing terrorist organizations.
The most extensive probe targets the Istanbul Metropolitan Municipality (IBB), led by ousted Mayor Ekrem Imamoğlu, over claims of systematic corruption, fictitious tenders and abuse of public resources. Prosecutors allege a network, headed by senior municipal officials, rigged numerous public contracts. Imamoğlu and his aides deny all charges.
The views and opinions expressed in this article are solely those of the author. They do not necessarily reflect the editorial stance, values or position of Daily Sabah. The newspaper provides space for diverse perspectives as part of its commitment to open and informed public discussion.
March 31 marks the “Day of Genocide” of Azerbaijanis, a chilling episode in the history of the country where 50,000 people were slaughtered by Armenian gangs in 1918. The day is a painful reminder of the past for Azerbaijan, which only recently managed to retake its territory from Armenian occupiers.
At the beginning of the 20th century, in the final days of Tsarist Russia, Armenians who had been settled in various regions of Azerbaijan took advantage of the power vacuum to begin massacring Azerbaijanis and seizing their lands.
Arming themselves from 1905 onward, the Armenian gangs stirred up unrest across the country, particularly in Baku.
With the revolution in Russia in 1917, the Tsarist regime collapsed. The Bolsheviks, who came to power, also took control of the administration in Baku. Armenian Bolshevik revolutionary Stepan Shaumian provided political and financial support to Armenian gangs, leading to an increase in attacks against Azerbaijanis.
Between March 30 and April 3, 1918, Armenian and Bolshevik gangs massacred 50,000 Azerbaijanis in Baku, Shamakhi, Guba, Khachmaz, Lankaran, Hajigabul, Salyan, Zangezur, Karabakh, Nakhchivan and other regions. The massacre ended when the Ottoman army, known as the “Caucasian Islamic Army,” came to Azerbaijan’s aid and cleared the country of these gangs.
The atrocities and massacres committed by Armenians in Azerbaijan in 1918 are recognized as “genocide.”
The late President Heydar Aliyev, through a decree signed in 1998, decided that March 31 would be commemorated as “Day of Genocide of Azerbaijanis.”
Azerbaijan’s ombudsman, Sabina Aliyeva, stated that the events of March-April 1918 were one of the bloodiest and most tragic examples of systematic attacks against Azerbaijanis.
In a statement to an Anadolu Agency (AA) correspondent on Tuesday, Aliyeva said that systematic and ruthless crimes have been committed against Azerbaijanis by Armenians since the beginning of the 20th century, both in various regions of Azerbaijan and in present-day Armenia.
Stating that thousands of innocent people were killed during this process due to their national and religious identities, Aliyeva noted that these events have gone down in history as mass massacres.
Aliyeva emphasized that the international recognition of the genocide crimes committed against Azerbaijanis and the ensuring of justice are of great importance to prevent the recurrence of similar crimes against humanity in the future.
The views and opinions expressed in this article are solely those of the author. They do not necessarily reflect the editorial stance, values or position of Daily Sabah. The newspaper provides space for diverse perspectives as part of its commitment to open and informed public discussion.
Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan met with Palestinian Vice President Hussein al-Sheikh in Ankara on Tuesday, according to diplomatic sources.
The meeting focused on regional and global developments, the sources said.
The sources said on Monday that Türkiye would reiterate its full support to the State of Palestine, safeguarding the rights of the Palestinian people and the vision for a two-state solution during the talks. It was also highlighted that Türkiye will not allow the Netanyahu government’s illegal actions and annexation policies in the occupied Palestinian territories to hinder regional and international efforts for the two-state solution.
Fidan was also expected to underline the international community’s responsibility to prevent the humanitarian crisis in Gaza from deepening. The talks would focus on the “Board of Peace” and related mechanisms, the situation on the field and future steps, sources said, adding that they would also raise the issue of Israel’s attempts to undermine the Board of Peace’s activities.
The Turkish public and government are major supporters of the Palestinian cause. Türkiye has been a traditional ally to Palestine, but as the Israeli attacks became more brutal, Ankara has become harsher in its criticism in the past year. It has condemned what it calls genocide, halted all trade with Israel and applied to join the genocide case against Israel at the World Court, which Israel rejects.
Türkiye’s intelligence chief held talks with a senior Hamas delegation in Ankara, with discussions centered on the ongoing Israeli attacks in Gaza and the deepening humanitarian crisis, security sources said.
The head of the National Intelligence Organization (MIT), Ibrahim Kalın, met with Khalil al-Hayya, head of Hamas’ negotiating team, along with accompanying officials, in a meeting that addressed key regional developments.
According to sources, the talks focused on the situation in Gaza, including Israel’s continued military operations and their humanitarian impact. The sides also discussed Israeli settler violence in the West Bank and restrictions imposed on worshippers at Al-Aqsa Mosque.
Participants emphasized the need for Israel to fulfill its obligations under the first phase of the Gaza cease-fire plan and reviewed prospects for implementing the second phase.
The Hamas delegation expressed appreciation for Türkiye’s efforts to support peace in Gaza and conveyed thanks to President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan for Ankara’s ongoing diplomatic engagement.
BREAKING NEWS… 14th day in the corruption case of the century! Ekrem İmamoğlu and the A Team are before the judge: All eyes will be on the interim decision to be made tomorrow…
Türkiye’s crude steel output surges 3.4% in February
Russia claims Istanbul-based Orthodox patriarch stirs up schism
BREAKING NEWS… 14th day in the corruption case of the century! Ekrem İmamoğlu and the A Team are before the judge: All eyes will be on the interim decision to be made tomorrow…
Türkiye’s crude steel output surges 3.4% in February
Russia claims Istanbul-based Orthodox patriarch stirs up schism
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