ASSETS WERE CONSIZED

As part of the investigation in Antalya, all the assets of Muhittin Böcek, his son Gökhan Böcek, and his daughter-in-law Zuhal Böcek and her grandson, who were arrested last week within the scope of the investigation in Istanbul, were seized, including their real estate, bank accounts and crypto accounts.

HE WAS ARRESTED IN A BRIBERY INVESTIGATION

An investigation was launched by the Istanbul Chief Public Prosecutor’s Office for the crimes of “bribery”, “extortion” and “tender rigging” regarding the allegations of rigging the tenders organized by the Organized Crimes Investigation Bureau by the Uşak Municipality, demanding bribes from tradesmen for some irregular works and transactions, and collecting large amounts of money under the name of aid/donation to Uşakspor.

Within the scope of the investigation, Uşak Mayor Özkan Yalım, Deputy Mayor Halil Arslan, the municipality’s Accounting and Finance Manager Hüseyin Yaman, Private Secretary Hasan Doğukan Kurnaz, office driver Murat Altınkaya, municipal staff Cihan Aras and İsmail Özçelik, Uşak News Media Company Owner Murat Baş and Mustafa Yalım were arrested.

EXPORTED FROM CHP

CHP’s Uşak Mayor Özkan Yalım, who was suspended from office, was expelled from his party.

Minister of Justice Akın Gürlek met with the MPs of the provinces in the Aegean Region at the consultation meeting held in Ankara Judge’s House. Stating that the meetings held with the regional deputies were very useful, Minister Gürlek said, “These meetings benefit us both in terms of understanding the problems of the region and in terms of deficiencies.” Emphasizing that it is important for them to receive the opinions and suggestions of the MPs who follow the region closely in the meetings, Minister Gürlek said, “There is benefit in consultation.”

Underlining that the concordat process is being abused, Minister Gürlek said, “Concordat is actually a step before bankruptcy to give businessmen, factory owners, and the business world a chance to live, but unfortunately this process is being abused.” he said. Stating that they are considering making a regulation regarding concordat, Minister Gürlek said, “In other words, they make a concordat decision with an expert report. After that, they lock the system.” Stating that the concordat decision can only be taken once, Minister Gürlek said, “After one time, if the company can survive again, it will survive; if not, we will decide on the bankruptcy of the company.”

“NOTIFICATION WILL BE CONSIDERED TO HAVE BEEN MADE WITHIN 5 DAYS”

Reminding that the E-Notification law is currently in the Parliament, Minister Gürlek stated that with the new regulation, notification will now be deemed to have been made within 5 days. Referring to the preparations for the 12th Judicial Package, Minister Gürlek said, “Especially in this law package, the needs of the regions and the suggestions of our MPs are very important to us. This issue is not yet at the completion stage.” Minister Gürlek also touched upon the issue of logging into social media with ID and stated that discussions were being held with social media platforms. Minister Gürlek stated that there will be a transition period to logging into social media with ID. Minister Gürlek also stated that they are working to harmonize the ‘Judicial Effectiveness Bureau’ and ‘Alo Justice’.

In the statement made on DMM’s NSosyal account, it was stated that the allegations in some media and social media channels contained disinformation and aimed to mislead the public. In the statement, it was stated that the decisions taken by the Syrian National Committee for Import and Export in 2025 and presented by some circles as if they were new were not an application specific to Türkiye only, but covered imports from all over the world, and the following was noted:

“Contrary to the claims, in the January-April period of 2026, the trade volume between our country and Syria increased by 24 percent compared to the same period of the previous year, exceeding the level of 1 billion 350 million dollars. The figures clearly prove that commercial relations have not been disrupted, on the contrary, they have gained momentum. The First Term Meeting of the Turkey-Syria Economy and Trade Joint Committee (ETOK/JETCO) held in Istanbul on April 7, 2026, and the accompanying Business and Investment Forum. “The two countries’ business world has once again confirmed its determination to further develop the existing potential. The public is kindly requested to be sensitive to perception operations and black propaganda activities targeting our relations with friendly and neighboring countries, and not to give credence to unfounded claims that are incompatible with official data and statements.”

“WE HAVE A COMMON ATTITUDE”

Stating that they exchanged ideas with Tebbun on regional and international issues, President Erdoğan said:

“I am pleased to see that we have similar approaches with Algeria on the fundamental issues that concern Africa and our region. We are among the strongest advocates of the two-state solution in Palestine. As you know, the establishment of the Palestinian state was declared in Algeria on November 15, 1988. We appreciated Algeria’s support for the Palestinian cause during its membership in the United Nations Security Council in the past 2 years. Israeli aggression in Gaza, the West Bank and Lebanon shows that the real security problem for our region is the expansionism of the current government.” It has once again shown that it has policies that do not respect the law and rules.

In accordance with our understanding of regional ownership, we attach great importance to strengthening Syria’s security and stability. We will continue our contributions to the reconstruction of Syria with determination. As Türkiye and Algeria, we have a common stance in ending the spiral of violence that seriously threatens the peace and security of our region. We will continue to advance our friendship and cooperation with Algeria in every field, within a win-win approach. With these thoughts in mind, I hope that our consultations and the documents we sign will be beneficial for our countries.”

Important statements from President Erdoğan: “The security problem of our region is Israel”

STATE DECORATION FROM PRESIDENT ERDOĞAN TO TEBBUN

President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan presented the State Order to Algerian President Abdülmecid Tebbun.

Stating that they are pleased to witness the 5-century-old bonds of brotherhood and friendship between Turkey and Algeria increasing day by day, President Erdoğan said, “Our bilateral relations have reached the highest level in the history of the Republic with the sincere support of my dear brother Tebbun. Today, we successfully completed the first meeting of the High Level Cooperation Council mechanism, which we decided to raise to a strategic level during my visit to Algeria in 2023, and we signed various documents that will strengthen our cooperation on the occasion of the meeting.” he said.

“MY LORD MAY PERMANENT OUR BROTHERHOOD AND LOVE”

Stating that he follows Tebbun’s “New Algeria Vision” with interest, Erdoğan said:

“I see that Algeria is shining like a star in its region under the astute leadership of Mr. Tebbun, and I am very pleased about that. My dear brother, you have demonstrated a sincere and determined will to further strengthen the bonds of friendship and brotherhood between us with your exceptional leadership, which paved the way for our relations to reach today’s excellent level. I have the pleasure of awarding you our State Medal, the highest decoration of the Republic of Turkey, for your valuable contributions to our relations with the common interests of our countries and peoples. I am sure that you will see and carry our State Order as a strong symbol of the unshakable brotherhood between our countries. I would like to express my gratitude for the trust shown to me. May God continue our brotherhood and love.

AGREEMENTS WERE SIGNED BETWEEN Türkiye AND ALGERIA

Joint agreements were signed between the two countries in the presence of President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan and Algerian President Abdülmecid Tebbun.

After President Erdoğan and Tebbun had a private meeting and chaired the First Meeting of the High Level Strategic Cooperation Council, joint agreements between the two countries were signed.

In this context, President Erdoğan and Tebbun signed the “Joint Declaration of the First Meeting of the High Level Strategic Cooperation Council”.

AGREEMENTS ARE AS FOLLOWS:

The “Memorandum of Understanding on Cooperation in the Field of Postal Services and Telecommunications between the Ministry of Transport and Infrastructure of the Republic of Turkey and the Ministry of Posts and Telecommunications of the Democratic People’s Republic of Algeria” between the two countries was signed by Minister of Foreign Affairs Hakan Fidan and Algerian Minister of State, Foreign Affairs, National Communities Abroad and African Affairs Ahmed Attaf.

The “Agreement on International Passenger and Goods Transportation between the Government of the Republic of Turkey and the Government of the Democratic People’s Republic of Algeria” was signed by Minister of Foreign Affairs Hakan Fidan and Algerian Minister of Internal Affairs, Local Governments and Transport Said Sayoud.

The “Memorandum of Understanding between the Government of the Republic of Turkey and the Government of the Democratic People’s Republic of Algeria on the Welfare of Independence Veterans and Martyrs Beneficiaries” was signed by Mahinur Özdemir Göktaş, Minister of Family and Social Services, and Ahmed Attaf, Algerian Minister of State, Foreign Affairs, National Communities Abroad and African Affairs.

The “Agreement on Mutual Recognition and Exchange of Driver’s Licenses between the Government of the Republic of Turkey and the Government of the Democratic People’s Republic of Algeria” was signed by Minister of Internal Affairs Mustafa Çiftçi and Algerian Minister of Internal Affairs, Local Governments and Transport Said Sayoud.

The “Memorandum of Understanding in the Field of Disaster and Emergency Management between the Ministry of Internal Affairs of the Republic of Turkey and the Ministry of Internal Affairs, Local Governments and Transport of the Democratic People’s Republic of Algeria” was signed by Minister of Internal Affairs Mustafa Çiftçi and Algerian Minister of Internal Affairs, Local Governments and Transport Said Sayoud.

Minister of Industry and Technology Mehmet Fatih Kacır and Algerian Minister of Industry Yahia Bachır signed the “Memorandum of Understanding between the Ministry of Industry and Technology of the Republic of Turkey and the Ministry of Industry of the Democratic People’s Republic of Algeria”.

“Memorandum of Understanding on Cooperation in the Fields of Standardization, Conformity Assessment and Training between the Ministry of Industry and Technology of the Republic of Turkey and the Ministry of Industry of the Democratic People’s Republic of Algeria” was signed by Minister of Industry and Technology Mehmet Fatih Kacır and Algerian Minister of Industry Yahia Bachır.

The “Agreement on Cooperation in the Field of Plant Protection and Plant Quarantine between the Government of the Republic of Turkey and the Government of the Democratic People’s Republic of Algeria” was signed by Minister of Agriculture and Forestry İbrahim Yumaklı and Algerian Minister of Agriculture, Rural Development and Fisheries Yasin El Mahdi Oualıd.

Minister of Trade Ömer Bolat and Minister of Foreign Trade and Export Promotion of Algeria Kemal Razik signed the “Joint Declaration on the Initiation of Negotiations for the Conclusion of a Preferential Trade Agreement between the Ministry of Trade of the Republic of Turkey and the Ministry of Foreign Trade and Export Promotion of the Democratic People’s Republic of Algeria”.

The “Memorandum of Understanding between the Presidency of the Republic of Turkey and the Ministry of Communications of the Democratic People’s Republic of Algeria on Cooperation in the Field of Combating Disinformation in the Media” was signed by Presidential Communications Director Burhanettin Duran and Algerian Minister of State, Foreign Affairs, National Communities Abroad and African Affairs Ahmed Attaf.

Ahmet Burak Dağlıoğlu, Head of the Presidential Investment and Finance Office, and Omar Rekkache, General Manager of the Algerian Investment Promotion Agency, signed the “Memorandum of Understanding in the Field of Investment Promotion Cooperation Between the Investment and Finance Office of the Presidency of the Republic of Turkey and the Investment Promotion Agency of the Democratic People’s Republic of Algeria”.

The “Memorandum of Understanding between the Algerian Radio Institution (EPRS) and the Turkish Radio and Television Corporation (TRT) in the Field of Television” was signed by TRT General Manager Zahid Sobacı and Algerian Ambassador to Turkey Boumediene Guennad.

The “Memorandum of Understanding in the Field of Radio between the Algerian Radio Institution (EPRS) and the Turkish Radio and Television Corporation (TRT)” was signed by TRT General Manager Zahid Sobacı and Algerian Ambassador to Turkey Boumediene Guennad.

Minister Tekin attended the introductory meeting of “Professional Orientation Tests” held at the Conference Hall of the Ministry of National Education (MEB) Board of Education and Discipline. Speaking here, Tekin said that bureaucratic mechanisms have been built in the sense of public administration. Stating that Türkiye’s thousands of years of state tradition was taken into account when building these mechanisms, Tekin emphasized that the Turkish nation is one of the nations with the most ancient state tradition. “Will the steps we take, without taking into account this intellectual knowledge and experience we have, produce healthy results in our society? We do not look at the issue from this perspective at all.” Making his evaluation, Tekin continued as follows: “When we look at it from this perspective, we need something that takes into account the sensitivities of the society and designs accordingly, in order for the steps we take and all the work we carry out to evolve into the results we want. I have been attaching importance to this since the day I started working at the Ministry of National Education.” Stating that the curriculum was revised under the name of Türkiye Century Education Model as a concrete example of this and that teachers and academicians also contributed, Tekin expressed his gratitude to those who contributed.

“I BELIEVE THAT THE RIGHT STEPS WE WILL TAKE IN GUIDING THE PROFESSION WILL MAKE A SERIOUS CONTRIBUTION”

Reminding that the OECD Skills Summit was held in Istanbul last week, Tekin continued: “We met with OECD Secretary General Mathias Cormann within the scope of the summit. He congratulated us for the new approaches we developed regarding skills in the Turkey Century Education Model and asked us to allow them to be used in different countries and to support them in this regard. We acted with the approach of a public manager who trusts his nation and his colleagues.” he said. Stating that the Turkish National Intelligence Scale (TÜZO), the first domestic and national intelligence test in which scientific tests and scales specific to Türkiye were developed, was implemented, Tekin said: “In order for the steps we take to be successful, they must coincide with our social structure and our expectations from education. Secondly, the resources we allocate for these subjects. The resources we allocate because we purchase from abroad the tests we use for student selection at BİLSEMs. Look, we will also prevent a significant waste of resources. With our own academics, teachers, science We sat down with our people and developed these tests. All of them were piloted. From this point of view, I believe that if we can evaluate our human resources correctly, we will evaluate our national income, gross national product, economy and social welfare in the way we deserve. I believe that the right steps we will take in directing us to the profession and the right training policies we will make will definitely contribute to us in this sense. Turkey is progressing at a pace that can truly be a world leader in the defense industry. We are talking about this, but who is doing this? “This is not just about the 4-year undergraduate education. It is the efforts of our teacher friends in this hall. While all these things done in the defense industry or similar places are praised, our teachers and the education we provide in our schools are praised. That’s why I would like to thank all our teacher friends.”

“WE REVISED OUR SCHOOLS PROVIDING VOCATIONAL AND TECHNICAL EDUCATION FROM HEAD TO TOE”

Minister Tekin stated that vocational and technical education received a serious blow with the February 28 period and that everyone experienced a trauma period in this regard. Stating that a period of revival has begun in vocational and technical education since 2010, Tekin stated that there has been a reorientation towards vocational and technical education with the abolition of the coefficient application. Giving information about the policies implemented in this process, Tekin said: “We revised our schools that provide vocational and technical education from top to bottom. We renewed the programs, fields, branches. We renewed the workshops and laboratories. We developed new school models and project school models and ensured their connection with the sector. We expanded the internship practices of our children in schools for on-the-job training. While doing this, we started pocket money for our children at 30 percent and 50 percent of the minimum wage. Skills training for businesses.” We introduced insurance opportunities to our children against work accidents and occupational diseases, against the risks that our children who go to school and internship may face. We have turned MESEMs into a part of 12-year compulsory education. We have initiated incentives for our vocational and technical education high schools within and outside the OIZ, which provide education in the process of training the human resources that Türkiye needs. At this point, approximately 41 percent of our secondary school students in vocational and technical education in Türkiye. “We are now close to the OECD average of 44 percent. 43 percent of our students who enrolled in secondary education for the first time in the 2025-2026 academic year are enrolled in our schools providing vocational and technical education. This shows that we have reached the normal point in the February 28 period.” Minister Tekin reminded that after the publication of the Vocational and Technical Education Policy Document, they initiated practices such as in-sector school, sector-integrated school and regional school.