President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan described the protection of the family institution as a matter of national security, warning that threats to family values could undermine the foundation of Turkish society and the state.

Speaking at an event organized by the ruling Justice and Development Party (AK Party)’s women’s branch, Erdoğan said the family remains the “core pillar” of society and must be safeguarded against growing global pressures.

“We see the protection of the family and family values as a matter of national security and survival. Any attack on the family is also an attack on the backbone of the nation and the state,” he said.

He warned that even small disruptions within the structure linking individuals, families and the nation could lead to long-term and difficult-to-repair consequences, stressing that attacks on the family should be seen as direct threats to the stability of the state.

Erdoğan said the government has accelerated efforts in recent years to strengthen family structures, introducing new policies and support mechanisms. These include the establishment of the Population Policies Board in 2024 and the designation of 2025 as the “Year of the Family,” alongside financial support programs aimed at young couples.

He added that Türkiye plans to expand these initiatives further under its “Family and Population Decade” strategy covering the 2026–2035 period, focusing on social policy, education and long-term demographic stability.

Highlighting modern challenges, Erdoğan pointed to addiction as one of the most serious threats facing families today. He said issues, such as online gambling, social media dependency, tobacco use and substance abuse are damaging households and eroding social cohesion.

He also warned about emerging risks linked to digital technologies, including screen addiction, algorithm-driven content consumption and harmful online environments that expose children to cyberbullying and inappropriate material.

Citing global data, Erdoğan noted that over 1.25 billion adults use tobacco worldwide and that millions die each year from related illnesses. He added that the age of smoking initiation in Türkiye has declined in recent years, while online gambling is becoming an increasing concern, particularly among younger populations.

The president said the government has taken steps to combat illegal betting and gambling through a national action plan launched in November, adding that early indicators suggest progress in bringing the issue under control.

Erdoğan reiterated that Türkiye will continue to prioritize family protection policies, emphasizing that safeguarding family values is essential not only for social stability but also for the country’s long-term resilience and security.

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The Spanish port of Barcelona is set to see off activists of the second Global Sumud Flotilla later on Sunday.

Activists from Türkiye will soon join the flotilla, which aims to break the Israeli blockade on the Palestinian enclave Gaza, where tens of thousands of people have been slaughtered by Israel since 2023 and many more have been left to survive on limited means.

About 30 boats planned to ​leave the Mediterranean port city laden with ​medical aid ⁠and other supplies on the Global Sumud Flotilla, and more vessels are expected to join along the route toward Palestine.

Sümeyra Akdeniz Ordu, one of the Turkish activists and organizers of the flotilla, told Anadolu Agency (AA) on Sunday that they expanded their strategy this time and it was not only about breaking the blockade through a sea route. “We will also launch a land convoy and hold a congress on April 22. She said “the unity at sea and land” will launch pressure on governments that endorsed Israel’s genocide. Ordu is the only Turkish organizer of the flotilla and said their numbers will be higher this time.

“In our first attempt, we achieved some concrete results. For instance, Palestinian fishermen were able to fish off the coast of Gaza after a long time because Israelis were too distracted as they were busy with stopping us. Then, we witnessed a cease-fire even if it was not fully honored. Moreover, we had the support of Palestinians who invited us again. We are doing this because they expect us,” she stated.

The Israeli military halted the roughly 40 boats assembled by the same organization last October as they attempted to reach blockaded Gaza, arresting Swedish activist Greta Thunberg and more than 450 other participants.

Israel, which controls all access to the Gaza Strip, denies withholding supplies for its more than 2 million residents. ⁠Yet Palestinians ⁠and international aid bodies say supplies reaching the territory are still insufficient, despite a cease-fire reached in October, which included guarantees of increased aid.

Liam Cunningham, an actor who starred in the “Game of Thrones” television series who is supporting the flotilla but not taking part, told Reuters: “Every kilogram of aid that is on these ships is a failure because all these people ⁠on these ships giving up their time to help their fellow human beings are doing what their governments are legally obliged to do.”

The World Health ​Organization has said that even during armed conflicts, states are obligated under ​international humanitarian law to ensure that people are able to reach medical care in safety.

“This is a mission that ⁠aims to ‌open ‌a humanitarian corridor so the aid delivery organizations ⁠can arrive,” Saif Abukeshak, a Palestinian activist ‌and member of the flotilla’s organising committee, told Reuters.

Speaking at a news conference in Ankara earlier this week, Zeynel Abidin Özkan, a Turkish activist who took part in the first flotilla, said that number of boats will increase this time. “More boats will join them in Italian, Greek and Turkish territorial waters,” he said.

Created in 2025 by NGO representatives, activists and volunteers from various countries, the flotilla last sailed in September with 42 boats and 462 people. This time, it will have at least 70 boats and nearly 1,000 volunteers from 70 countries.

One of the flotilla’s spokespersons, Pablo Castilla, stated that the main goal of the initiative is “to condemn international complicity in what is happening in Gaza, demand accountability, and open a humanitarian corridor by sea and land.” Castilla expressed concern that international attention on Gaza has declined due to U.S. and Israeli attacks on Iran, and Israel’s actions in Lebanon. “Israel has intensified the blockade on Gaza, restricted aid entry, expanded settlements, and accelerated land confiscation,” he said.

Other organizers emphasized that they are acting within the law and that the mission is being coordinated with Palestinian civil society organizations, legal experts, politicians and specialists in maritime security and media strategy. This year, the participation of well-known NGOs such as Greenpeace and Open Arms, along with increased support from the Barcelona municipality, stands out.

During the flotilla’s previous attempt in September, Israeli forces stopped the vessels in what organizers described as an unlawful intervention, boarded them, detained volunteers and took them to Israel.

Israeli naval forces initially boarded several boats about 70 nautical miles off the Gaza coast, cutting communications and blocking signals. They also used drones to interfere, disrupting emergency signals and live broadcasts of the boarding.

The Gaza Strip needs around 450 tons of flour daily, while only around 200 tons are currently available, Gaza’s government media office said Sunday.

Israel is intensifying a policy of “engineered starvation” in Gaza by restricting flour supplies, the office said in a statement.

Despite the cease-fire agreement that allows the entry of 600 trucks per day, Israel allows only 38% of pre-war supply, it added.

The office said the crisis worsened after World Central Kitchen halted its flour support, as the U.S.-based charity previously provided 20 to 30 tons daily, while the World Food Program reduced its supplies from 300 to 200 tons per day, adding that several other organizations have also suspended their bread and flour programs to the enclave.

About 1.9 million people in Gaza, out of a population of 2.4 million, remain displaced and live in harsh conditions in worn-out tents after their homes were destroyed during Israel’s two-year war.

Despite the cease-fire agreement that took effect on Oct. 10, 2025, living conditions have not significantly improved, amid Israel’s failure to allow the agreed levels of humanitarian aid, including food, medical supplies and shelter materials.

The war in Gaza has killed more than 72,000 Palestinians and injured about 172,000 others, and has caused widespread destruction affecting around 90% of civilian infrastructure.

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Türkiye’s Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan discussed the Iran cease-fire negotiations in calls with U.S. and Pakistani officials who participated in the weekend talks in Islamabad, Turkish Foreign Ministry sources said Sunday.

Fidan and the U.S. and Pakistani officials, including his Pakistani counterpart Ishaq Dar, discussed the approaches presented by both sides during the negotiations and addressed future course of action.

Iranian and U.S. delegations concluded face-to-face talks in the Pakistani capital early Sunday, without reaching an agreement.

The United States and Israel attacked Iran on Feb. 28, sparking retaliation from Tehran that has plunged the Middle East into conflict and shaken the global economy.

Iran and the U.S. had entered the talks mediated by Pakistan with maximalist positions, with Washington piling pressure by saying it had sent minesweeping ships through the vital Strait of Hormuz maritime route.

Signs of strain in the negotiations appeared when Iranian media accused the United States of making “excessive demands” over the strait, through which one-fifth of the world’s oil transited before its effective closure by Iran during the war.

Following more than 20 hours of talks in Islamabad, U.S. Vice President JD Vance admitted the yawning differences between the U.S. and Iran proved to be insurmountable for the moment.

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Türkiye Communications Directorate’s Center for Countering Disinformation has rejected social media claims that President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan threatened to invade Israel, saying the posts rely on an out-of-context quote from a 2024 speech.

“The assertions in these posts do not reflect the facts and constitute narratives intended to undermine regional stability. In line with its long-standing state tradition and vision, the Republic of Türkiye has consistently assumed a leading role, both in our region and beyond, in advocating for an end to bloodshed, the protection of civilians, and the establishment of lasting peace,” the Center said in a statement Monday.

“In addressing regional crises and disputes, Türkiye has always prioritized international law and diplomatic channels, pursuing an approach that de-escalates tensions rather than escalating them,” the statement added.

“Under the leadership of President Erdoğan, Türkiye remains committed to ensuring that the peoples of the region live in peace, security and prosperity, without discrimination,” the Center said.

“Manipulative contents that seek to distort Türkiye’s efforts and humanitarian stance should not be given credence. As it has in the past, Türkiye will continue to be a voice of justice and peace in the region,” it added.

Türkiye, over the past few years, has emerged as a key mediator in its region and beyond, stepping in to bring together warring sides, including Russia and Ukraine, as well as Somalia and Ethiopia, to the negotiation table.

During the 40-day US-Israel war on Iran, it pursued a peace diplomacy to launch cease-fire negotiations, succeeding to some extent. Ankara was also part of the talks that ultimately led to a cease-fire in Israel’s genocidal war on Gaza.

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The main opposition Republican People’s Party (CHP) faces a fateful reckoning in a trial over allegations of vote-buying during an intra-party election. Ahead of the next hearing in the trial next month, the party’s former chair, Kemal Kılıçdaroğlu, has a steady stream of “visitors,” urging him to return to the party.

Kılıçdaroğlu, defeated by incumbent Özgür Özel in a November 2023 election, has signalled earlier that he may accept the role of trustee if the court issued a verdict against Özel on charges of allegations that he paid bribes to the voters to defeat him. The said verdict will likely be “absolute nullification,” which will suspend the duties of the Özel administration and will install a trustee. Kılıçdaroğlu is viewed as the most suitable candidate and one of his former lieutenants already took the office of trustee at CHP’s Istanbul branch after a similar case of vote-buying.

The former bureaucrat who ran CHP for 13 years still has backers within the party and is reportedly in touch with some 100 lawmakers in Türkiye’s oldest party.

Among the visitors of the former chair who ran unsuccessfully in the 2023 presidential elections against incumbent Recep Tayyip Erdoğan are former lawmakers, heads of CHP’s provincial and district branches and delegates who were active in the party during his reign.

The party sources said Kılıçdaroğlu’s meetings with fellow members of the party focused on scenarios about the future of CHP if the court issued a verdict of absolute nullification. Visitors vent their complaints about the Özel administration to Kılıçdaroğlu and stress the need to expel those involved in corruption, the sources said. The said corruption so far saw more than 20 mayors of the party detained or arrested for taking bribes. In other cases, dissidents within CHP complain about well-documented extramarital affairs of the party’s prominent figures.

As for the Özel administration’s plan to cling to power in case of a court verdict against them, sources say they plot legal maneuvers to dodge it, such as holding extraordinary elections, confident that they would win the office again. Özel succeeded in reelection last year after CHP dissidents filed the lawsuit over vote-buying allegations. In another scenario, they plan to start another party and transfer current lawmakers to the new one.

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Türkiye’s opposition to the Israeli administration over its genocidal policies toward Palestinians is well-known. The issue, which unites people from all over the political spectrum, was on Türkiye’s agenda again after Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and his defense minister, Israel Katz, took to social media to insult President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan.

Remarks by both politicians who led Israel’s campaign of genocide, which has killed tens of thousands of people since 2023, mobilized the government and opposition politicians from Ekrem Imamoğlu to Mansur Yavaş, who were tagged in a post by Katz.

The Turkish Foreign Ministry on Saturday slammed Netanyahu for remarks targeting Erdoğan, saying targeting the Turkish leader is a result of “the discomfort caused by the truths we have expressed on every platform.” Netanyahu, who is called the Adolf Hitler of this era due to his crimes, is known for his records, said the ministry in a statement.

Noting the arrest warrant that has been issued for Netanyahu by the International Criminal Court for war crimes and crimes against humanity, the statement warned about Netanyahu’s attempts, which aim to undermine the ongoing peace talks and continue his expansionist policies in the region. The statement further reiterated Türkiye’s determination in its efforts to hold Netanyahu accountable for his crimes, along with supporting innocent civilians.

On Friday, the Istanbul Chief Public Prosecutor’s Office announced that it completed an indictment against Netanyahu and 34 other officials, accusing them of crimes including genocide, crimes against humanity and torture over a raid on the Gaza-bound Sumud aid flotilla. Prosecutors named Netanyahu and other senior political and military figures as suspects for committing genocide, crimes against humanity, torture, looting and unlawful detention. The case, initiated during the tenure of Justice Minister Akın Gürlek as Istanbul chief prosecutor, has now moved into the judicial phase following the acceptance of the indictment. According to the prosecution, the operation against the Sumud Flotilla was not an isolated action but a “planned, organized and joint act” carried out at the highest levels of the Israeli state. Prosecutors said the acts were systematic, pointing to injuries including fractures and concluding that the treatment amounted to torture under Turkish law.

The indictment also details the seizure of humanitarian aid supplies and personal belongings, which were allegedly taken by force by Israel and not returned, forming the basis for aggravated looting charges. Damage to ship equipment was also cited. Crucially, prosecutors linked the flotilla raid to broader genocide in Gaza, arguing it forms part of a wider pattern of actions targeting civilians, including deprivation of basic needs and forced displacement.

After the indictment was revealed, Israeli Defense Minister Katz took to Twitter and released a social media post accusing Erdoğan of “conducting sham trials against Israel’s political and military leadership.” Katz warned Erdoğan “to sit quietly and stay silent” in the post where he tagged Ekrem Imamoğlu, former mayor of Istanbul, and Mansur Yavaş, mayor of Ankara, two influential figures in the main opposition Republican People’s Party (CHP), as well as Kemal Kılıçdaroğlu, former chair of CHP. One day after Katz’s post, Netanyahu himself issued a similar statement against Erdoğan.

Following Israeli officials’ insulting remarks, condemnation messages poured in from members of the presidential Cabinet.

Vice President Cevdet Yılmaz said that, “The light of truth is the nightmare of the oppressors,” adding that Netanyahu’s remarks targeting Erdoğan are a reflection of his discomfort with the exposure of the truth and a manifestation of a “sense of guilt,” and are “null and void.”

Justice Minister Akın Gürlek said Netanyahu’s remarks, coming from a person subject to an arrest warrant issued by the International Criminal Court, “demonstrate the depth of the legal and moral impasse” he faces. Interior Minister Mustafa Çiftçi said Netanyahu, whom he described as responsible for attacks on civilians in the Gaza Strip, made “baseless” accusations that reflect “desperation and political exhaustion.”

Ömer Çelik, spokesperson for Erdoğan’s ruling Justice and Development Party (AK Party), said Israeli officials’ remarks were “immoral” and said he believed that both the government and opposition would demonstrate a joint stance in the face of this “network of murderers.” Çelik said Erdoğan led an international camp of “humanity alliance” against Netanyahu and his network of murderers. Çelik named Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez as another member of humanity alliance in his remarks posted on social media on Sunday.

“This genocide network’s angry statements are an admission of the great defeat they suffered in the hands of Türkiye’s fact-based peace diplomacy,” Çelik argued.

Pointing out that there are five main layers behind these insolent and aggressive messages, Çelik continued: “First, they aim to sabotage the critical peace talks in Pakistan (to end the U.S.-Israel-Iran war). That is why they are attacking our president, who is the strongest supporter of peace. Second, it reflects the collapse of the lie that Israel is the ‘bastion of Western values.’ No Western leader can claim that this genocide represents their values. The third layer is the attempt to turn our Kurdish brothers in the region into ‘mercenaries’ for their dirty and Zionist plans. However, our Kurdish brothers in Iraq and Iran have not entered into this diabolical equation, and instead, they have acted with common sense and stood on the right side of history. Netanyahu’s disgusting remarks directed at our Kurdish brothers in Türkiye are in fact a delusion stemming from the failure of this plan,” he said.

In his tweet, Netanyahu has claimed Türkiye “massacred Kurds” in a reference to Türkiye’s counterterrorism operations against the terrorist group PKK, which brainwashed Kurds to join its so-called cause of establishing a self-styled Kurdish state in southeastern Türkiye.

“The fourth layer is Netanyahu’s own admission that our goals of a ‘terror-free Türkiye’ and a ‘terror-free region’ constitute a major blow to Israel’s plans for chaos,” Çelik said, referring to the initiative for disarmament of PKK which announced it began own dissolution last year. “The fifth layer is the attempt to pit Türkiye against Iran. Through the resolute leadership of our president, Türkiye has effectively demonstrated that it will never be part of this war and that its sole will is peace, thereby thwarting this Zionist plan,” Çelik concluded.

Kemal Kılıçdaroğlu, rarely a social media user, also responded to Katz’s remarks in a post, saying, “An official of a foreign country cannot overstep its boundaries to attempt the national will, domestic politics of Türkiye.”

“We are aware of provocations to pit Türkiye against its neighbors, but lest you forget, Türkiye cannot be delivered ultimatums,” Kılıçdaroğlu wrote.

Mansur Yavaş, for his part, said in a statement on Saturday that those “speaking while they commit genocide” had “no right to teach lessons to others.”

“You are the last person with the right to speak because you are a member of an administration killing children, women, and civilians in Gaza. You cannot dare wagging fingers at Türkiye, the Türkiye nation. You should first answer for the war crimes you committed. The history and people’s conscience will hold you accountable as perpetrators of a genocide,” he wrote.

Imamoğlu, who remains jailed on charges of corruption, also hit out at Katz as he quoted Katz’s earlier remarks about “dictatorship in Türkiye.”

“A person with the blood of tens of thousands of people in his hands cannot teach us democracy and laws,” Imamoğlu wrote in a social media post published on the social media through his defense team.