Work continues on the giant highway project that will facilitate transportation between Şırnak and Van Şırnak. The project, which started in 2013, is aimed to be completed in 2028. It was stated that it would contribute to the development of the region in every aspect, especially Şırnak.

The giant Şırnak-Van Highway and Tunnel Project, carried out in the Bestler-Dereler region near the center of Şırnak, aims to reduce the distance between the two cities from 390 kilometers to 190 kilometers. This project will greatly improve transportation in the region by reducing travel time from 6 hours to 2 hours. Şırnak-Van Highway will also increase international trade volume by connecting Habur Border Gate, one of Türkiye’s busiest border gates, to Eastern Anatolia and Northern Anatolia. Habur Border Gate will create a safe line between Iran and Iraq with an average annual trade volume of 12-15 billion dollars. This road also has strategic importance for the line extending from Iraq to the Black Sea. It was stated that with the completion of the project, the people of the region will have a safer and faster transportation network, and economic and commercial relations will be strengthened.

15 KM TUNNEL IS BEING CONSTRUCTED
The project includes 12 tunnels, 9 in Şırnak and 3 in Van. The total tunnel length is 15 kilometers. The first tunnel is 2,845 meters long in Şırnak and is under completion. Annual savings of 4-4.5 billion TL are expected. Economic and commercial relations will be strengthened in Van, Şırnak and Siirt. There will be a direct connection with Northern Iraq.

The General Assembly, which will start its weekly work on Tuesday, will continue to discuss the proposed law, including regulations on social media and maternity leave. With the proposal, the social network provider will not be able to provide services to children under the age of 15 and will be obliged to take the necessary measures, including age verification, to prevent the provision of this service. Administrative fines will be imposed on social media providers if they do not fulfill their obligations. Band reduction penalties may also be imposed if obligations are not fulfilled. With the proposal, regulations regarding gaming platforms will also be made. The gaming platform will not be able to offer games that are not properly rated. The foreign gaming platform, which has more than 100 thousand daily access from Türkiye, will be obliged to determine a real or legal person representative in Türkiye and to report information about this representative to the Information Technologies and Communications Authority (BTK). President and AK Party Chairman Recep Tayyip Erdoğan will address the members of parliament at his party’s GNAT Group Meeting. The General Assembly sessions will be chaired by the Speaker of the Grand National Assembly of Turkey, Numan Kurtulmuş. Regional developments, especially Gaza and Iran, will also be discussed.

The scandal in CHP’s Bornova Municipality, where the girlfriend of Uşak Mayor Özkan Yalım, who was arrested within the scope of the bribery and corruption investigation, was an ATM operator, also spread to CHP’s Buca Municipality. While Mayor Görkem Duman’s luxury holiday on Phuket Island with his girlfriend Sevcan Orhan, during the period when workers could not be paid, is still fresh in our memories, the Social Security Institution Izmir Provincial Directorate has scrutinized the personnel lists of the companies affiliated with the municipality.

Investigators evaluated a report and investigated the claim that approximately 40 people received salaries and insurance entries before coming to work. Teams affiliated with SGK Izmir Provincial Directorate examined Buca-Mar, Üzüm Kent İmar ve İnşaat Sanayi Teknik Hizmetleri A.Ş. and Kızılçullu İmar ve İnşaat Sanayi Teknik Hizmetleri Companies, which are affiliated with Buca Municipality. Health expenses and costs to other institutions of people who received false insurance notifications were also included in the scope of the investigation.

At the municipal council meeting held on January 6, 2026, AK Party Buca Municipal Council member Veli Balyemez claimed that many people, including CHP Women’s Branch Provincial Chairman Zahide Kurun and CHP District Chairman driver Erdi Kutlu, were ATM workers, and said to CHP Buca Mayor Görkem Duman; He called for “If these people receive salaries before coming to work, their employment contracts should be terminated immediately.”

HE NEVER CAME TO WORK AND WAS GIVEN A WEEKEND SHIFT
Speaking to SABAH, Buca Municipal Council AK Party Group Deputy Chairman Veli Balyemez stated that there are more than 40 ATM workers in Buca Municipality. Balyemez said, “In particular, CHP Provincial Women’s Branch President Zahide Kurun did not come to work, and even in the study carried out by our audit commission members, it was revealed that this person was assigned to work even on weekends.” Pointing out that Gülşen Şişbacak, who is in the provincial administration, also works as an ATM personnel and that this person is assigned to work overtime on weekends, Balyemez said: “A person named Sevgi Kazankaya is an ATM personnel who works overtime without ever going to work. Even the driver of the former district president Çağdaş Kaya was registered with the Buca Municipality and worked constantly.”

In the event, which was held simultaneously in 81 provinces across Turkey under the leadership of IHH Humanitarian Relief Foundation, prayers were made for the freedom of Al-Aqsa Mosque, the end of the events in Gaza and support for the Freedom Flotilla. Hundreds of people came together at the historical Kapu Mosque in Konya for the morning prayer in support of Palestine. After the morning prayer, prayers were said for Palestine and Gaza. Hundreds of citizens prayed for the freedom of Palestine. Citizens who performed the morning prayer in the historical Grand Mosque in Adana prayed for Gaza. In Trabzon, citizens came together at the Hagia Sophia Mosque. AK Party Provincial Chairman Sezgin Mumcu said, “We provide full support to the Sumud Fleet.” While praying for those who lost their lives in Gaza, wishes were made for peace and tranquility in Palestine. Citizens gathered at Nokta Mosque in Kırıkkale and prayed for Gaza. Citizens in all 39 districts of Istanbul met for morning prayer.

Tolga YANIK – Murat KARAMAN – Özgür ÖZDEMİR – Mehtap AYDOĞAN – Hakan GÖKKAYA – Mustafa BAKIRHAN / SABAH

The statements of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Foreign Minister Yisrael Katz targeting President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan and Türkiye on their social media accounts drew great reactions. Many institutions, especially the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the Directorate of Communications, condemned the statements in question. Many politicians, both in power and in opposition, harshly criticized the exaggerated statements of the genocidal Israeli rulers. Strong support for President Erdoğan was emphasized. Here are the explanations:

EFFORT TO COVER CRIMES AGAINST HUMANITY

AK Party Spokesperson Ömer Çelik: The posts of Netanyahu and Katz, members of the genocide network, targeting our President are, first of all, an indication of how cornered and shaken this massacre network is. This network will be held accountable before the court of humanity. Today the world is divided into two. On one side is the ‘Humanity Alliance’ led by our President, and on the other side is the ‘Massacre Network’ led by Netanyahu. The fact that this genocide network tagged some names in Turkish politics in their posts is an attempt to make their war crimes a part of our domestic politics. It is a national responsibility to stand as one against such unlimited attacks from outside.

Speaker of the Grand National Assembly of Turkey, Numan Kurtulmuş: Netanyahu, the terrorist leader of the massacre and terror network of the 21st century,’s outrageous words towards our President are a clear manifestation of the psychology of guilt. The audacity of a person whose hands are full of children’s blood and who is pursued by international law to give moral lessons to Türkiye is only an indication of his attempt to cover up his own crimes against humanity and is null and void. Under the determined leadership of our President, Mr. Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, Türkiye will continue to stand by humanity, Palestine and the oppressed, to stand on the right side of history and to fight everywhere.

Minister of Culture and Tourism Mehmet Nuri Ersoy: Netanyahu, who is responsible for the massacres against innocent civilians in Gaza, distorts the facts and is merely an attempt to cover up his crimes.

Minister of Internal Affairs Mustafa Çiftçi: Netanyahu’s unfounded accusations against our President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, who is responsible for the massacres against innocent civilians in Gaza, are a clear indication of his despair and political exhaustion.

Minister of Family and Social Services Mahinur Özdemir Göktaş: The day will surely come when Netanyahu, whose biography consists of war crimes and is remembered in the pages of history with civilian deaths, will be held accountable to all humanity.

Minister of Justice Akın Gürlek: The excessive and unfounded statements of Netanyahu, the ringleader of the genocidal massacre network in Israel, towards our President, the pioneer of diplomacy for regional and world peace and the voice of global conscience, are never acceptable.

HE WILL BE ACCOUNTABLE BEFORE JUSTICE

Akif Çağatay Kılıç, Chief Advisor to the President on Foreign Policy and Security: Those who try to emasculate the truth through slander, lies and provocation will eventually be held accountable before justice.

AK Party Deputy Chairman Efkan Ala: Türkiye follows a foreign policy that centers on regional stability and global peace perspective, as well as its own national security. Türkiye’s result-oriented diplomatic power, which prioritizes stability and peace in the region, has disturbed Netanyahu.

AK Party Deputy Chairman Hayati Yazıcı: The day of reckoning is near for bloody genocidal Netanyahu and his massacre network. They will not be able to escape being held accountable and judged.

KILIÇDAROĞLU: UNACCEPTABLE IMPRESSION

CHP Chairman Özgür Özel: The statement made by a genocidal perpetrator who murdered babies and killed innocent people, targeting someone who continues to serve as the President of the Republic of Türkiye, is a complete outrage. Internal political rivalry aside, all CHP members do not give any credit to Israel and a government with blood on its hands.

DSP Chairman Önder Aksakal: The Turkish state has not harmed the life of a single Kurdish brother throughout its history, but has not checked the identity cards of any of them if they were identified as terrorists.

Former CHP Chairman Kemal Kılıçdaroğlu: The attempt of a foreign country official to direct the internal politics, national will and state institutions of the Republic of Turkey is an unacceptable excessiveness. It should not be forgotten that the Republic of Türkiye; It is a state that gives notes, not takes notes.

In the statement made on DMM’s NSosyal account, the following statements were made:

“The statements shared in some social media channels and attributed to our President, Mr. Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, ‘If there is an attack on Iran or Lebanon, we will consider it as an attack on Türkiye’ are completely unfounded. Under the leadership of our President, the Republic of Turkey, as always, has been the voice of common sense in the recent tensions and conflicts in our region, and has demonstrated an approach that is followed with admiration by the whole world with its constructive attitude advocating peace, prosperity and security.”

It was stated that the purpose of these false allegations is to overshadow Türkiye’s leading role in building regional peace, to draw Türkiye into conflict and crisis environments, and to create a wrong perception in the international public opinion and to engage in political manipulation through disinformation.

“It is of great importance not to pay attention to such manipulative posts, black propaganda activities and psychological warfare tactics spread from a specific source in a deliberate and organized manner, and to take into account only the statements made through official channels. Our fight against all kinds of perception operations carried out with unrealistic claims will continue with determination.”