Ankara prosecutors have launched an investigation into main opposition Republican People’s Party (CHP) lawmaker Ahmet Baran Yazgan over allegations of sexual harassment and sexual assault, while his party referred him to disciplinary proceedings with a request for permanent expulsion on Friday.

The Ankara Chief Public Prosecutor’s Office said it launched the investigation over video footage circulating on social media and related allegations involving Yazgan, a CHP lawmaker representing the northwestern province of Edirne.

The investigation covers alleged offenses of “sexual harassment” and “sexual assault limited to molestation,” according to the prosecutor’s office.

CHP Deputy Chair and spokesperson Müslim Sarı separately announced that Yazgan had been referred to the party’s disciplinary board as a precautionary measure with a request for permanent expulsion.

“Within the framework of our party’s fundamental principles, bylaws and disciplinary provisions, Edirne lawmaker Ahmet Baran Yazgan has, as of today, been referred to disciplinary proceedings with a request for permanent expulsion,” Sarı said.

The developments followed an altercation at an apartment in Edirne early Thursday.

Police were dispatched to the residence in the city’s Cumhuriyet neighborhood after residents reported hearing sounds of a fight.

Yazgan told police that he had been assaulted, that his cellphone had been taken and that he was filmed during the incident. Officers later found his phone under a refrigerator and returned it to him.

Three people, including two women, were detained over the altercation.

The suspects told investigators that they had gone to T.A.’s residence following a birthday celebration, where they consumed alcohol with Yazgan before an argument escalated into a physical confrontation.

The parties filed complaints against each other. The suspects accused Yazgan of sexual harassment, threats and insults, while N.D. said she suffered a hand injury from a piece of glass during the altercation.

Footage purportedly showing parts of the incident is also being examined as part of the investigation.

The three suspects were later released by a criminal judgeship of peace under judicial control measures and were barred from traveling abroad.

The CHP said Yazgan had also been summoned to party headquarters for an internal inquiry into the incident.

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Turkish ministers and political figures on Friday marked the 25th anniversary of the ruling Justice and Development Party (AK Party), highlighting President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan’s leadership and the party’s quarter-century in Turkish politics.

Interior Minister Mustafa Çiftçi recalled Erdoğan’s remarks at the party’s founding on Aug. 14, 2001, when he declared that, “Nothing in Türkiye will ever be the same again.”

Çiftçi said the statement opened the door not only to a new political movement but also to a new era for Türkiye.

“Exactly 25 years have passed since that day,” Çiftçi stressed, adding that Erdoğan and the party had faced numerous challenges during that period.

He said Erdoğan had left a significant mark on Türkiye’s recent history through his leadership and policies, while maintaining a strong connection with the public.

Citing Erdoğan’s statement that “the AK Party’s dough was kneaded by the nation,” Çiftçi noted public support had been at the core of the party’s political journey.

Environment, Urbanization and Climate Change Minister Murat Kurum also issued an anniversary message, saying the party’s establishment 25 years ago marked the beginning of a political movement built around what he described as the nation’s values and the vision of a stronger Türkiye.

“Under the leadership of our President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, our AK Party, which placed the nation’s will at the center of politics and transformed Türkiye through its works, today represents 25 years of struggle, service and cause,” Kurum said.

AK Party spokesperson and Deputy Chair Ömer Çelik described the anniversary as an exceptional milestone in the country’s political history.

Çelik said reaching the party’s 25th year after such a long period in government was a rare political achievement, describing the anniversary as a “celebration.”

“We have carried out this entire process under the leadership of our president with uninterrupted rule in a way rarely seen in political history,” Çelik said.

He argued that the party’s longevity stemmed from its relationship with voters and Erdoğan’s approach to politics, saying public approval had provided the basis for its continued governance.

Furthermore, Mustafa Destici, chair of the Great Unity Party (BBP), also congratulated Erdoğan and the AK Party on the anniversary.

Destici said the AK Party had played a major role in Türkiye’s political life over the past quarter-century while confronting political, economic and social challenges, terrorist attacks and the July 15, 2016, coup attempt.

He also pointed to Türkiye’s growing regional and international role and developments, including the establishment of the Organization of Turkic States and the reopening of Hagia Sophia as a mosque.

Destici said cooperation within the People’s Alliance would continue around shared objectives, including national unity, economic strength, counterterrorism and greater independence in the defense industry.

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Türkiye’s ruling Justice and Development Party (AK Party), founded under the leadership of President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan on Aug. 14, 2001, marked its 25th anniversary Friday, completing a quarter-century in which it has won every general election it has contested and reshaped the country’s political landscape.

Established as Türkiye’s 39th political party by a movement led by Erdoğan, then a former Istanbul mayor, the AK Party entered national politics with a pledge for sweeping political change.

“From now on, nothing in Türkiye will be the same,” Erdoğan said at the party’s launch. Two days later, he was unanimously elected its chair.

Just 15 months after its establishment, the AK Party won the Nov. 3, 2002, general election with 34.28% of the vote. Erdoğan was barred from running because of a political ban, and Abdullah Gül formed the 58th government.

Erdoğan enters Parliament

After legal changes lifted his political ban, Erdoğan won a parliamentary seat in a rerun election in the southeastern province of Siirt on March 9, 2003.

Following Gül’s resignation as prime minister, Erdoğan formed Türkiye’s 59th government on March 15, beginning more than a decade as premier.

The AK Party consolidated its position in subsequent elections, receiving 41.7% in the 2004 local elections and 46.58% in the 2007 general election.

The party faced one of its most serious legal challenges in 2008 when Türkiye’s chief prosecutor filed a case seeking its closure and political bans for 71 figures, including Erdoğan and Gül.

Six Constitutional Court judges voted to close the party and five opposed the move, falling short of the qualified majority required for a ban.

Referendums, election victories

A constitutional referendum in September 2010 became another milestone for the party, with 57.88% voting in favor of a package of constitutional amendments.

The AK Party subsequently received 49.83% of the vote in the 2011 general election, one of its highest nationwide vote shares.

In 2014, Erdoğan shifted from the prime minister’s office to the presidency. He won 51.79% of the vote on Aug. 10, becoming Türkiye’s first president elected directly by popular vote.

Ahmet Davutoğlu succeeded Erdoğan as AK Party chair. After the June 2015 election produced no single-party government, the AK Party regained its parliamentary majority in the Nov. 1 snap election.

Binali Yıldırım became party chair and prime minister in May 2016.

Presidential system changes

Türkiye’s political trajectory changed sharply with the July 15, 2016, coup attempt by the Gülenist Terror Group (FETÖ).

Erdoğan called on citizens to take to the streets and public squares, while resistance to the coup attempt helped foster closer political cooperation between the AK Party and the Nationalist Movement Party (MHP), laying the groundwork for the People’s Alliance.

A constitutional referendum on April 16, 2017, approved a shift to an executive presidential system with 51.41% support.

The changes also allowed the president to retain party membership. Erdoğan rejoined the AK Party after 979 days and was reelected its chair at an extraordinary congress in May 2017.

The AK Party and MHP contested the June 24, 2018, elections under the People’s Alliance, as Türkiye held presidential and parliamentary elections simultaneously for the first time.

Erdoğan won the presidency with 52.59%, becoming the first president under the new system, while the AK Party received 42.56% in the parliamentary vote.

The alliance continued into the 2019 local elections, in which the AK Party received 44.33% nationwide.

The COVID-19 pandemic later disrupted the party’s congress process, but its seventh ordinary congress was eventually held in March 2021, with Erdoğan again elected chair.

Erdoğan wins new term in 2023

Türkiye returned to the polls in May 2023 for presidential and parliamentary elections.

Erdoğan received 49.52% in the first presidential round, forcing a runoff. The AK Party received 35.62% of the parliamentary vote and secured 268 seats.

Erdoğan defeated his challenger in the May 28 runoff with 52.18%, securing another presidential term.

The victory extended the AK Party’s record of finishing first in every general election it had contested since its establishment and maintained its position as the longest-governing party since Türkiye entered its multiparty era in 1946.

The March 31, 2024, local elections represented a setback for the AK Party, which received 35.49% of the vote and won 24 provincial and 357 district municipalities.

Erdoğan acknowledged the message delivered by voters and pledged to evaluate the results, after which the party began replacing provincial and district officials.

That renewal accelerated at the AK Party’s eighth ordinary congress on Feb. 23, 2025. Thirty-nine new members joined its Central Decision and Management Board, renewing 52% of the body.

Further organizational changes followed, including replacements of provincial chairs in 15 provinces.

‘Terror-free Türkiye’ initiative

One of the latest chapters in the AK Party’s quarter-century in politics has been the “Terror-Free Türkiye” initiative, which followed a call by MHP Chair Devlet Bahçeli in October 2024 and was subsequently backed by Erdoğan.

A parliamentary National Solidarity, Brotherhood and Democracy Commission began work in August 2025 to address terrorism, social integration, national unity, democracy and the rule of law.

The commission adopted its report in February 2026.

A bill setting out the legal framework for the process was submitted to Parliament on Aug. 5, 2026. The legislation links its implementation to an official determination that the PKK terrorist group and affiliated structures have ended their operational existence and surrendered weapons under their control.

Parliament approved the legislation on Aug. 10 with 467 votes in favor, 87 against and seven abstentions.

Turkish Cypriot leaders on Friday commemorated the victims of the 1974 killings in the villages of Muratağa, Sandallar and Atlılar, marking the 52nd anniversary of one of the deadliest episodes of intercommunal violence on the divided island.

Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus (TRNC) President Tufan Erhürman and Prime Minister Ünal Üstel paid tribute to Turkish Cypriots killed on Aug. 14, 1974, according to the Turkish News Agency Cyprus (TAK).

Commemoration ceremonies were held at cemeteries in Muratağa, Sandallar and Atlılar, where officials laid wreaths, observed moments of silence and attended prayers for the victims.

Speaking at the Muratağa-Sandallar cemetery, Erhürman said the victims represented the suffering endured by the Turkish Cypriot community during the conflict.

“Each of our martyrs lying here is the most concrete indication of the suffering experienced and the heavy price paid by the Turkish Cypriot people,” Erhürman said.

He criticized what he described as international silence over the killings, saying the lack of acknowledgment raised questions about the international community’s approach to the events.

Üstel, in a separate message marking Aug. 14, described the date as one associated with both resistance and deep suffering in Turkish Cypriot history.

He said Turkish Cypriots had refused to abandon their homeland, freedom or future despite years of violence and pressure, adding that they continued to show the same determination in the face of what he called “unjust isolation and embargoes.”

On Aug. 14, 1974, armed Greek Cypriot groups, including members of the ultranationalist EOKA terrorist group, attacked the three Turkish Cypriot villages.

A total of 126 Turkish Cypriots, many of them women and children, were killed. The youngest victim was 16-day-old Selden Ali Faik, while the oldest was 95-year-old Hüseyin Osman.

A mass grave in Atlılar was discovered on Aug. 20, 1974, after the second phase of Türkiye’s operation on Cyprus began.

The victims in Muratağa and Sandallar were discovered in early September after a shepherd noticed a hand protruding from the ground.

The mass graves were later opened in the presence of United Nations observers, and the remains of the victims were identified before being reburied at cemeteries.

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Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan met Thursday with Arab League Secretary-General Nabil Fahmy and Egyptian General Intelligence Service chief Maj. Gen. Hassan Rashad in the coastal city of el-Alamein, the Foreign Ministry said.

Fidan began a two-day visit to Egypt on Thursday.

During the visit, Fidan is scheduled to be received by Egyptian President Abdel Fattah el-Sissi and meet senior Egyptian officials, according to Turkish Foreign Ministry sources.

He will discuss bilateral relations, review the current status of agreements under negotiation and encourage mutual investment in line with a common goal of increasing bilateral trade volume to $15 billion, diplomatic sources said.

The Turkish foreign minister will also discuss cooperation in hydrocarbons, electricity grid integration, energy infrastructure and mining, according to the sources.

Fidan will assess steps that can be taken to advance existing cooperation in the military and defense industries and emphasize the importance of addressing regional issues through dialogue and diplomacy on the basis of regional ownership and shared responsibility, the sources said.

He will also underline Türkiye’s determination to continue joint efforts bilaterally and through multilateral platforms such as the R4 initiative, which brings together the foreign ministers of Türkiye, Egypt, Pakistan and Saudi Arabia.

The visit will include the second meeting of the Türkiye-Egypt Joint Planning Group, co-chaired by Fidan and Egyptian Foreign Minister Badr Abdelatty, according to the sources.

The meeting will review the outcomes of the second meeting of the High-Level Strategic Cooperation Council, held in Cairo in February, and prepare for a third meeting planned in Türkiye in 2028.

Fidan will express support for diplomatic efforts aimed at restoring the ceasefire between the U.S. and Iran and reopening the Strait of Hormuz, the sources said.

He will also stress the importance of immediately halting ongoing attacks in Gaza, fully implementing the ceasefire and ensuring the uninterrupted delivery of humanitarian aid.

The minister is expected to exchange views on implementing the second phase of the Gaza Peace Plan and Israel’s attacks on Palestine, Lebanon and Syria, according to the sources.

Fidan will underline the need to continue joint efforts to ensure lasting stability and security in Libya based on the country’s territorial integrity and political unity.

He will also reaffirm Türkiye’s support for Sudan’s sovereignty, unity and territorial integrity, the sources said.

Fidan will share assessments on the roles and contributions Türkiye and Egypt can make toward establishing lasting peace and stability in the Eastern Mediterranean.

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President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan received lawmakers Pervin Buldan and Mithat Sancar, members of the PKK-linked Peoples’ Equality and Democracy Party’s (DEM Party) Imralı delegation, and held a meeting with the families of fallen soldiers and veterans at the Presidential Complex in Ankara on Thursday.

The closed-door meeting lasted about one hour and 40 minutes and was also attended by the ruling Justice and Development Party (AK Party) acting Chair Efkan Ala and National Intelligence Organization (MIT) chief Ibrahim Kalın.

No statement was immediately issued following the meeting.

Buldan and Sancar have served as intermediaries in contacts with jailed PKK terrorist ringleader Abdullah Öcalan on Imralı Island as part of Türkiye’s terror-free initiative.

Later Thursday, Erdoğan received families of fallen soldiers and veterans at the Presidential Complex.

Family and Social Services Minister Mahinur Özdemir Göktaş attended the meeting and said Türkiye would continue to honor the memory of its fallen soldiers, recognize the sacrifices of its veterans and stand by their families.

In a statement on social media, Erdoğan later said that he had met with the families of fallen soldiers and veterans at the Presidential Complex.

“The homeland where we live freely, in peace and security, is entrusted to us by our fallen soldiers and veterans. The families of those who sacrificed their lives and shed their blood to protect the unity and integrity of this country are also entrusted to us,” Erdoğan said.

He said the state had mobilized all available resources to support veterans and the families of fallen soldiers and would continue to do so.

Referring to Türkiye’s “terror-free Türkiye” initiative, Erdoğan said Parliament had taken an important step this week as part of efforts to eliminate terrorism from the country.

“Türkiye has reached this stage, above all, thanks to the heroic struggle of our nation’s sons and daughters, the resilience of your families and the achievements our state has made, particularly in the defense industry in recent years,” he said.

“God willing, by acting with patience, common sense and composure, we will rid Türkiye of this scourge once and for all,” Erdoğan added.

The talks come after Parliament approved the Law on Strengthening National Solidarity and Social Integration, commonly referred to as the “framework law,” with broad parliamentary support.

Parliament on Monday passed a landmark 12-article law supporting the country’s “Terror-Free Türkiye” initiative, following months of political efforts led by President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan and Nationalist Movement Party (MHP) leader Devlet Bahçeli.

The Law on Strengthening National Solidarity and Social Integration was approved with 468 votes in favor and 88 against, with six abstentions.

The legislation forms a key part of the legal framework surrounding the ongoing “terror-free Türkiye” initiative, which seeks to bring an end to decades of terrorism and strengthen social integration.

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