Politics
AK Party recalls 2007 breakthrough against military tutelage
Monday was the anniversary of the controversial 2007 “e-memorandum” by the Turkish army against the Justice and Development Party (AK Party) government. The party hailed how its stand against the memorandum, amounting to a coup attempt, paved the way to a stronger reaction to decades of military tutelage that had taken captive the Turkish democracy.
The AK Party spokesperson Ömer Çelik told Anadolu Agency (AA) on Monday that the e-memorandum failed due to resistance by then prime minister, incumbent President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, the AK Party, the national will and support by civic society to this resistance. He added that, combined with support to the resistance by some political parties derailed plans their opponents aimed through the e-memorandum.
The memorandum, published on the website of the Office of the Chief of General Staff, stands out among many others in the brief history of the Republic of Türkiye. It was the first attempt by the powerful military in the 2000s to intervene in political affairs. Though similar to a 1997 coup where an army memorandum paved the way for government collapse, it was the first time it took place online. Also, it was the first time a government actively resisted such an attempt and succeeded. The memorandum, released at 23:20 on April 27, 2007, during the first round of presidential elections, was a thinly veiled attempt to stop Parliament’s vote for presidential candidate Abdullah Gül. According to the memorandum, exclusively published online, the army was concerned about the “erosion of basic values, primarily secularism,” and tied the activities of the conservative population permitted by the government, such as the recitation of the Quran at public events, to mark national holidays, to a reactionary movement “against the state.”
The statement targeted Gül, viewed as “reactionary,” a derogatory term for anyone with a conservative background. Indeed, it was not different than the motive of the 1997 coup for the army, which has long promoted itself as a self-styled defender of “secularism,” a concept exploited to stamp out the participation of practicing Muslims in social life, for instance, joining the public sector or pursuing political office.
Türkiye was heading to presidential elections with Abdullah Gül as a potential ruling AK Party candidate long before the memorandum. Gül was a controversial figure for secularists due to his background, and even his status as the husband of a headscarf-wearing woman was a point of contention for secular extremists. For them, having such a man in the republic’s highest office was unprecedented and against their rigid interpretation of secularism. Then Chief of General Staff Yaşar Büyükanıt openly voiced the army’s opposition to the next president when he said that the president should be “truly adhering to (values) of the republic,” on April 12, 2007, to the chagrin of the government.
“Republic” rallies, where crowds of hardline secularists convened in big cities, followed Büyükanıt’s controversial remarks in the following days. The pressure was on the Erdoğan-led government, which did not step back from the nomination of Gül. In the first round of the election, Gül won 357 out of 361 votes in Parliament, while the opposition Republican People’s Party (CHP) objected to the result. The CHP took the election to the Constitutional Court, claiming that the president should win 367 votes or a majority under an interpretation of a Constitutional article.
The Constitutional Court annulled the first round of elections upon appeal by the CHP on May 1. The AK Party then proposed a parliamentary election on July 22. Constitutional amendments followed the proposal. After the AK Party’s victory in the elections, Abdullah Gül once again ran for election on an Aug. 20 vote, and at the end of a three-round election, he was elected as the 11th president of Türkiye on Aug. 28.
Çelik said on Monday that the days leading to the memorandum were “times of darkness inflicted by military and judiciary tutelage over Ankara.”
“Just as people looked up to the government and the decisions at the Cabinet meetings, National Security Council (MGK) meetings of those days were closely watched. This was where the military tutelage demonstrated its influence on politics,” he said. “Regardless of the decisions of the elected government, the MGK (controlled by powerful generals) was able to steer politics. The memorandum was a reflection of this ‘tradition,’” he said.
Çelik stated that no government resisted such moves. “This is why April 27 is an important date, in terms of resistance,” he underlined. Çelik, then a lawmaker for the Adana province, said the evening of April 27, 2007, was not “a relaxing evening” for them. “Nobody knew what would happen. But the resolve demonstrated by Erdoğan and the party showed that we were ready to pay the price. It was a turning point for civilian politics, for democracy,” he said.
Çelik recalled that the government sought to go to the Office of the Chief of General Staff to confront them, but the army’s headquarters were silent. “They did not return the calls for hours. This was not because they ignored the government. It was because they became aware that the government would respond to them this time,” he said.
Efkan Ala, the AK Party’s deputy chair, said in a social media post on Monday that the democratic reaction to the memorandum launched a new era in Turkish political history. “The resolute stand against it proved that the national will truly governed the country. This strong will, indeed, is the underlying reason for the achievements we have come to have in the country and abroad since then,” he said.
President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan on Sunday held a phone call with Donald Trump and conveyed his well wishes after what the White House has called the attempted assassination of the U.S. president.
Erdoğan told Trump that he views the incident as “a heinous act against democracy and press freedom” and wished a speedy recovery to the injured security officer, the Presidential Communications Directorate said in a statement.
Erdoğan was among several world leaders who earlier condemned the shooting incident at the White House Correspondents’ Dinner in Washington when a suspect armed with multiple weapons charged the premises, trying to penetrate the hotel ballroom where Trump and Cabinet secretaries were assembled.
The shooting suspect was identified as Cole Tomas Allen, 31, of Torrance, California. He railed against Trump administration policies and referred to himself as a “Friendly Federal Assassin” in writings sent to family members minutes before the attack that authorities increasingly believe was politically motivated, according to a law enforcement official familiar with the investigation.
The writings, sent shortly before shots were fired Saturday night at the Washington Hilton, made repeated references to President Donald Trump without naming him directly and alluded to grievances over a range of administration actions and recent events, including U.S. strikes on drug smuggling boats in the eastern Pacific, the official said Sunday.
Türkiye will introduce a new system requiring age verification through its national e-Government platform and bar children under 15 from accessing social media, Family and Social Services Minister Mahinur Özdemir Göktaş said Sunday.
Speaking on a live broadcast of AHaber, Göktaş outlined recently approved regulations aimed at making digital spaces safer for children, citing growing concerns over online risks, including cyberbullying, exploitation and exposure to inappropriate content.
Under the new rules, social media platforms will be required to implement stricter oversight for users under 15 and provide differentiated content for those aged 15 to 18.
Companies with more than 1 million users in Türkiye will also be required to appoint a local representative, while gaming platforms with over 100,000 users will face similar obligations.
Göktaş noted that the government would roll out a Türkiye-specific age verification model using credentials from the country’s e-Government system, commonly known as e-Devlet. Authorities will also introduce an effective complaint mechanism requiring platforms to respond to harmful content within one hour.
“Our goal is to provide children with a safer digital environment,” Göktaş said, adding that children under 15 “will no longer be able to access social media.”
The measures are part of the government’s 2024-2028 Family Protection and Strengthening Action Plan, which aims to address the impact of rapid digitalization on families and children.
The minister also remarked that studies show children’s attention spans have declined by around 30% over the past decade, with the average focus duration dropping to about eight seconds. She also noted that the age at which children begin using social media has fallen to as young as 6.
According to her, 63% of children spend significant time online, a trend she described as “digital addiction.” She said children often mirror digital habits observed within their families, underscoring the need for broader awareness and intervention.
The regulations follow increasing public concern and align with global efforts to regulate online platforms and protect minors. Göktaş said the government had taken into account both domestic demands and international developments in shaping the policy.
Separately, the minister also addressed a recent incident in the southern province of Kahramanmaraş, saying it highlighted the need for stronger preventive measures to protect children from various risks. She said authorities had deployed 256 personnel, visiting more than 6,000 households and directly engaging with over 3,100 families.
Psychosocial support efforts are ongoing, including grief counseling for families affected by loss. Göktaş noted that 72 children who had previously lost parents in the 2023 earthquakes and were also impacted by the recent incident are receiving targeted support from dedicated teams.
She added that a “Social Risk Map” project, developed in coordination with the education, interior and health ministries, has been completed to help identify potential risks before they escalate.
Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan resumed his phone diplomacy on Saturday. The Foreign Ministry said Fidan held separate phone calls with his Iranian and Pakistani counterparts on Saturday.
The talks between Hakan Fidan, Abbas Araghchi and Ishaq Dar focused on the latest developments in the negotiation process between Iran and the U.S., according to the ministry.
The first round of talks between the U.S. and Iran was held in Islamabad two weeks ago but failed to produce an agreement to end the conflict that began on Feb. 28 and spread across the Middle East. The talks followed a two-week cease-fire brokered by Pakistan on April 8, which was later extended by Trump.
On Sunday, the ministry announced that Fidan held a phone call with U.S. negotiators. Sources from the Foreign Ministry said Fidan exchanged views with the U.S. interlocutors on the latest developments in negotiations between the U.S. and Iran.
Araghchi met Pakistan’s Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif and army chief Field Marshal Asim Munir in Islamabad on Saturday, while the visit of U.S. envoys Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner to the Pakistani capital was cancelled.
The sticking points between the two sides are said to be the opening of the Strait of Hormuz, a global shipping chokepoint which Iran has effectively closed since it was attacked by the U.S. and Israel on Feb. 28, the U.S. blockade of Iranian ports, and the fate of enriched uranium Tehran has.
Türkiye could consider taking part in multinational demining operations in the Strait of Hormuz after a possible peace agreement between the U.S. and Iran, Fidan said late Friday. Speaking to reporters in London, Fidan said Türkiye “would be open to” participating in a coalition tasked with clearing naval mines in the strait once a deal is reached, describing such work as a “humanitarian” effort.
However, Fidan underscored that Ankara would not take part in operations that risk positioning Türkiye as a party to renewed conflict. Ankara would avoid any role implying alignment if conflict resumes, Fidan said.
Fidan said Türkiye could foresee a comprehensive deal resulting in a negotiated return to the status quo, ensuring open, toll-free passage through the Strait of Hormuz. Otherwise, both sides would have to explore new ways to find a resolution, according to the minister.
Ankara has been at the forefront of efforts to mend ties between the United States and Iran. Before the conflict began in February with U.S. and Israeli attacks, Türkiye was among the countries considered as a venue for negotiations between the U.S. and Iran. After the conflict began and spread across the region, Türkiye itself faced the risk, with at least five missiles intercepted over its airspace. Still, it adhered to its neutral stand and sought to bring the sides to the negotiation table, especially through Fidan’s diplomatic blitz by phone and visits to the regional countries affected by the conflict.
Earlier this month, Fidan hailed the “sincerity” of the United States and Iran on achieving a cease-fire. However, he warned that Israel may disrupt the process. Fidan also pointed out Israel’s emerging “state strategy” of finding “new enemies” in the region, such as Türkiye.
Speaking to Anadolu Agency (AA) on April 13, Fidan said: “The whole world wants free international passage through the Strait of Hormuz. Hormuz should remain open through peace; using an international armed force is a challenge,” he said. He stated that the Strait of Hormuz issue demonstrated that the war is not merely “regional” but a conflict with global repercussions. He highlighted that the Strait was where up to 25% of natural gas and oil shipments went through. “We are facing a situation where a great logistics chain, production and industrial infrastructure is affected,” he added. “The question now is how the strait is going to be run.”
Fidan emphasized the importance of keeping international shipping routes open amid rising tensions in the Gulf. “What the entire world wants is that international transit remain free and not be obstructed,” he said. He warned that stability in the waterway cannot be achieved through forceful measures. “Our position is to reopen it through peace. There are many difficulties in intervening here with an international armed peace force,” he said.
He also noted that there was a thin line between being party to the conflict targeting Iran and keeping the Strait of Hormuz open. “But no country wants to be part of this war, Europeans in particular openly expressed this,” he stated.
On Türkiye’s stand, Fidan pointed out the stance adopted by President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan since the beginning of the war, and this was “the policy of keeping Türkiye out of war.” He said the situation in Hormuz had a significant impact on the global markets and Türkiye made every contribution to resolve the issue. The minister, however, added that Türkiye was not “very much dependent on Strait of Hormuz in terms of energy security, energy supplies.” “The share of natural gas in electricity production dropped and share of renewable energy sources dramatically increased in the past two decades. But we feel the indirect impact of the situation, especially on pricing. Energy supplies are delivered smoothly but pricing poses a problem. This may be a burden on the economy in the long run,” he warned.
Türkiye on Monday will mark 19 years since a memorandum by the office of the chief of general staff shook the country accustomed to military coups. Today, it is a distant memory, though still a dark episode in Turkish democracy.
The “E-memorandum” of April 27, 2007, was a stark reminder that the army still had a perceived influence on Turkish politics as it did for decades after the 1960 coup. Yet, the memorandum published on the office’s website quickly backfired for those hoping to return to the old days of military tutelage. The government’s strong reaction effectively killed the message of the memorandum penned personally by then-Chief of General Staff Gen. Yaşar Büyükanıt. It would take another four years before the army removed the memorandum from its website, but the deal was already blown due to the military’s lack of influence over politicians.
The memorandum’s primary target was the presidential elections, where Abdullah Gül was nominated by the ruling Justice and Development Party (AK Party). For the military, then harboring a mindset against what they called “reactionary” forces, the nomination countered “values of the republic,” something Büyükanıt openly said at an April 12 press briefing. Gül’s nomination also faced protests by self-styled defenders of the republic who took to the streets for “republic rallies.” Elsewhere, the opposition claimed that the ruling party was ineligible to field a candidate for the elections, insisting that 367 lawmakers should vote on holding the election, and the AK Party cannot call for it since it only had 354 seats in Parliament. The debate grew over time, but then-Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdoğan was determined to nominate Gül. Gül received 357 votes in the first round of elections on April 27, 2007, out of 361 votes cast that day at Parliament. The main opposition Republican People’s Party (CHP) challenged the result and took the matter to the Constitutional Court.
Within hours of the vote, the office of the chief of general staff released the infamous e-memorandum on its website. The memorandum had all the traces of a declaration by generals in the 1997 coup, claiming the secular nature of the republic was being eroded. It threatened to execute the Turkish Armed Forces’ “mission to carry out duties to preserve the Republic of Türkiye.”
Everyone was anticipating that the AK Party would bow down to the threat, as this was the case in 1997. One day later, then-government spokesperson Cemil Çiçek announced their response to the e-memorandum. “Such statements against the government by the office, an institution under the Prime Ministry, cannot be accepted in a democratic state operating under law,” he said. Nevertheless, the fight was still on. The Constitutional Court, on May 1, cancelled the first round of the election, siding with the CHP. The AK Party proposed another election, along with constitutional amendments to prevent a repeat of the cancellation.
On July 22, 2007, early elections were held, and the AK Party secured victory. The party then proposed a presidential election through popular vote, and the public overwhelmingly approved the proposal on July 22, immediately after the legislative elections.
On Aug. 20, 2007, another presidential election was held, with Gül nominated again. Gül secured 341 votes in the first round, but this dropped to 337 votes in the second round on Aug. 24. In the third round, Gül garnered 339 votes and was elected into office as the 11th president of the Republic of Türkiye. The CHP finally relented and accepted Gül’s election.
In 2012, Yaşar Büyükanıt told a parliamentary committee investigating coups that the memorandum was simply “a text reflecting sensitivity on secularism.” In the same year, authorities launched an investigation against Büyükanıt over the memorandum. As the investigation continued, Büyükanıt passed away in 2019.
The incident and related developments were thought to be the beginning and end of a renewed threat of military tutelage in the country, where the army took the reins in multiple instances on Türkiye’s bumpy road to democracy. In 2016, however, the coup threat emerged again, this time in the form of military infiltrators of the Gülenist Terror Group (FETÖ). Türkiye pushed back this attempt too, at the cost of more than 250 people killed by putschists while resisting the coup. Since then, the army shed its image of de facto power above democratic institutions, while the public resistance and overwhelming support to the government cemented the role of Erdoğan, now president, as the real commander-in-chief of the country.
Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan will visit Croatia on April 28 to attend the 11th summit of the Three Seas Initiative (3SI) in Dubrovnik, representing President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, according to Foreign Ministry sources.
The April 28-29 gathering marks the first time Türkiye will participate in the initiative as a “strategic partner,” a status it secured at the 2025 Warsaw summit. The meeting, hosted by Croatia, brings together Central and Eastern European countries seeking to strengthen transport, energy and digital infrastructure across the Baltic, Adriatic and Black Sea regions.
Fidan is expected to highlight the growing importance of connectivity, describing it as a multidimensional ecosystem encompassing not only physical infrastructure but also energy networks, digital systems, finance and governance. He is also expected to underline how geopolitical tensions and ongoing conflicts have exposed vulnerabilities in global supply chains and energy security, calling for diversification of routes and resources.
According to the sources, Fidan will stress that Türkiye views the initiative as an inclusive platform that enhances regional ownership, and that it is ready to deepen cooperation as a strategic partner, leveraging its geostrategic position. He is also expected to emphasize the need for a renewed narrative in Türkiye-European Union relations that could deliver tangible progress, with connectivity serving as a constructive area of engagement.
The Turkish minister is likely to reference projects such as the Middle Corridor and the Development Road, presenting them as complementary routes that support global trade rather than competing alternatives.
The Middle Corridor connects China and European countries via Kazakhstan, the Caspian Sea, Azerbaijan, Georgia and Türkiye, reducing delivery times between Europe and Asia to 15 days. Türkiye’s central role in the trade route makes the country the very backbone of trade, directly connecting 21 countries.
The corridor is increasingly emerging as one of the potentially critical links between Asia and Europe amid recent conflicts.
The Development Road project, on the other hand, is a land and rail transport deal spearheaded by Iraq, Türkiye, Qatar and the United Arab Emirates. The project promises to facilitate trade volumes from Iraq’s Grand Faw Port directly through Türkiye and into Europe.
The initiative includes Austria, Bulgaria, Czechia, Estonia, Croatia, Latvia, Lithuania, Hungary, Poland, Romania, Slovakia, Slovenia and Greece as participating members. Alongside Türkiye, the European Commission, the United States, Germany, Japan and Spain hold strategic partner status. Ukraine, Moldova, Albania and Montenegro take part as associated participating countries.
Only EU member states can join the Three Seas Initiative as participating members, while Türkiye’s inclusion as a strategic partner was unanimously approved at the 2025 Warsaw summit.
At this year’s summit in Dubrovnik, Italy is expected to be admitted to the initiative as a strategic partner.
The crisis that has erupted amid the Middle East conflict could ultimately create opportunities for Türkiye and make it a regional energy hub through new partnerships and supply routes, Turkish Energy and Natural Resources Minister Alparslan Bayraktar said last week.
Energy prices have spiralled following U.S.-Israeli attacks on Iran, which triggered a near-total closure of the Strait of Hormuz, where 20% of the world’s oil normally flows. Stalled shipments through the waterway have sent prices skyrocketing far beyond the region and raised the cost of food and a wide array of other products.
After the U.S. and Israel began attacks on Iran on Feb. 28, Iran responded by effectively blocking the Strait of Hormuz, threatening to attack any vessels that did not obtain its permission to transit the waterway.
The blockade caused major disruptions to global trade, sending energy prices soaring and sparking fears of fuel shortages.
Türkiye and Syria carried out a joint anti-narcotics operation, seizing 236 kilograms of marijuana hidden in a container aboard a cargo ship bound for Syria’s Latakia port, security sources said Saturday.
The operation was coordinated by Türkiye’s National Intelligence Organization (MIT), the Trade Ministry’s Customs Enforcement units and Syria’s Interior Ministry narcotics teams, marking a notable instance of security cooperation between the two countries.
According to Turkish security sources, MIT tracked a drug shipment departing Southeast Asia and moving through Egypt’s Alexandria and Lebanon’s Beirut before heading to Latakia. The intelligence was shared with Syrian authorities, enabling a coordinated interception.
Syrian anti-narcotics units seized the drugs on April 16 during an inspection of the vessel’s cargo, uncovering the concealed shipment. Authorities estimated the market value of the narcotics at approximately TL 300 million ($6.6 million).
Türkiye has been a strong backer of the new administration in Damascus since the ouster of Bashar Assad by anti-regime forces in December 2024. The neighbors have struck a series of cooperation deals on intelligence sharing and security coordination to combat terrorist groups like the PKK/YPG and smuggling networks. Ankara has also pledged to help Syria rebuild areas affected by 13 years of civil war.
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