In the simultaneous operation carried out in 20 provinces under the coordination of Antalya Chief Public Prosecutor’s Office, a transaction volume of 11 billion 300 million liras was detected in the accounts of 183 suspects. In the operation carried out by the gendarmerie teams upon the instructions of the Mersin Chief Public Prosecutor’s Office, it was determined that the illegal betting network with foreign connections managed the money traffic of 7 billion liras, and 50 suspects were caught. Many luxury vehicles, apartments and assets were seized during the operations. In his statement regarding the operation, Minister of Justice Akın Gürlek said, “We continue to fight with a relentless determination against criminal organizations that covet the halal earnings of the nation, especially illegal betting and virtual gambling. Our fight against crime and criminal organizations will continue uncompromisingly until we root out their roots, with the authority given by the law.”

Within the scope of the investigation carried out by the teams of the General Directorate of Security under the coordination of the Antalya Chief Public Prosecutor’s Office, simultaneous operations were organized in 20 provinces. A total of 10 separate illegal betting structures, including 7 illegal betting offices and 3 illegal betting “home offices”, were detected. 136 teams and 3 Special Action teams were assigned to the operation, which was carried out as a result of months of technical monitoring and intelligence work.

11 BILLION 300 MILLION LIRA TRANSACTION VOLUME

During the operation, judicial proceedings were initiated against 183 suspects who were determined to have a total transaction volume exceeding 11 billion 300 million liras in their accounts. It was determined that the suspects made unfair profits through illegal betting organizations and transferred money through many bank accounts.

ILLEGAL BETTING NETWORK HAS BEEN BROKEN

In a separate operation carried out by the Gendarmerie General Command teams under the instructions of the Mersin Chief Public Prosecutor’s Office, the financial footing of illegal betting sites with foreign connections was targeted.

BANK ACCOUNT FOR 70 THOUSAND LIRA MONTHLY FEE

In this context, through the “field group” established within the organization; It was determined that bank accounts were opened in the names of people recruited for a monthly fee of approximately 70 thousand liras in Mersin, Adıyaman, Gaziantep, Kahramanmaraş, Adana and Antalya provinces, and commercial accounts were created by establishing front limited companies through these people. It was determined that the individuals in question were accommodated in residences and hotels belonging to the organization for certain periods of time in order to complete their banking transactions and unblock the accounts.

THEY OPERATED WITH A DAY AND NIGHT SHIFT SYSTEM

On the other hand, through the “office group” created by the organization; It was determined that the bank accounts and front company accounts provided were identified to illegal betting sites, the proceeds of crime were managed through these accounts, and activities were carried out with a day and night shift system in many residences rented at different addresses.

7 BILLION TRANSACTION VOLUME

As a result of the studies, it was determined that the organized crime group was laundering illegal betting proceeds. 50 suspects were caught in the operation against the criminal network, which is estimated to have a transaction volume of approximately 7 billion lira.

LUXURY VEHICLES AND FLATS WERE SEIZED

Within the scope of the investigation, many luxury vehicles, apartments and various assets belonging to the suspects, which were considered to have been obtained through crime, were seized. It was reported that the security forces’ operations against illegal betting and laundering of crime proceeds are continuing.

“OUR STRUGGLE WILL CONTINUE WITH THE AUTHORITY GIVEN BY THE LAW, WITHOUT COMPROMISE, UNTIL IT DIGES ITS ROOTS”

In his statement regarding the operation carried out, Minister of Justice Akın Gürlek stated that they continue their fight with a relentless determination against criminal organizations that covet the halal earnings of the nation, especially illegal betting and virtual gambling, and added: “In this context; Today, at dawn, two major blows were dealt against illegal betting networks that target the future of our children and our economic security. Having successfully carried out these operations against these structures that target the peace of our nation and the economic security of our state; I would like to thank our Antalya and Mersin Chief Public Prosecutor’s Offices, our General Directorate of Security, our Gendarmerie General Command and all our teams fighting against cyber crimes, the invisible heroes of the cyber world. No crime focus is privileged in the face of justice. “Our fight against crime and criminal organizations will continue uncompromisingly, with the authority given by law, until we root out their roots,” he said.

In the operation against the crimes of ‘Illegal betting’, ‘Qualified fraud’, ‘Bribery and money laundering’, organized in 21 provinces centered in Adana, 154 suspects, including journalist Rasim Ozan Kütahyalı, were sent to the courthouse after their procedures at the police station. SABAH reached the statement of Rasim Ozan Kütahyalı, who testified for 4 hours at the Anti-Cyber ​​Crimes Branch Directorate. The provisions of effective remorse were explained to Kütahyalı one by one. However, Kütahyalı claimed that he was not a member of the organization and said that he did not want to benefit from effective remorse. Kütahyalı, who denied the accusations against him, claimed that the money movements in question resulted from transactions he made through some tradesmen in Perpa in order to pay off his credit card debts. He stated that the inflow of more than 35 million lira into his account from electronic payment institutions belonged to the same system, and that he had never bet in his life. Stating that he found the operation correct, Kütahyalı also explained the details of his assets during the interrogation.

‘MONEY WITHDRAWED FROM MY CREDIT CARD’
Rasim Ozan Kütahyalı, who said in his statement that he did not have an account in cryptocurrency exchanges, said, “I am completely unfamiliar with these transactions. I was unemployed between 2017 and 2020 and could not appear on screens, and for this reason, my income was zero and I accumulated a lot of debt on my credit cards. A relative of mine said, ‘Why are you paying so much interest, go to Perpa to withdraw money from your card, pay with low interest, return your credit cards in this way.’ It made sense since I was also in financial difficulties. Money from my card.” “It was withdrawn and transferred to my account. This money belongs to me, it is the money from my credit card,” he said.

A new era of reckoning has begun in the Sledgehammer conspiracy, one of the largest operations carried out by FETO against the Turkish Armed Forces with its organized structure within the police, judiciary and military bureaucracy. Hundreds of generals, admirals and officers were arrested for years with fake digital evidence, fictional CDs, illegal wiretapping, secret witness statements and organizational operations. Thousands of soldiers were either sent to prison or purged from the Turkish Armed Forces. The command structure of the Turkish Armed Forces was dealt a major blow by the operations carried out through FETO’s structure within the judiciary and police. A historic decision came from the HSK for those FETO members of the judiciary. The 2nd Chamber of the Council of Judges and Prosecutors (HSK) ruled that the compensation paid by the state to the defendants who were victimized in the Sledgehammer conspiracy, remained in prison for years, and were acquitted in the retrial, should be collected through recourse from the former FETO-affiliated judges and prosecutors who took part in the conspiracy.

DECISION IN TWO FILES

The first decision regarding the HSK’s verdict was given on September 18, 2025. In the file numbered 2025/1436, it was decided that the compensation paid to Osman Kayalar, who spent years in prison due to the conspiracy and was acquitted, be collected from the former judges and prosecutors who took part in the conspiracy case. The second decision was made on March 26, 2026. In the file numbered 2026/424, it was decided that the public damage incurred due to the compensation paid to Ayhan Türker Koçpınar, the victim of the conspiracy, would be collected from former judges with FETO connections.

HE ENDED THE LEGAL DEBATE

HSK 2nd Chamber also answered a critical question that has been discussed in legal circles for years. In the decision, it was stated that in order to recourse the compensation paid by the state to judges and prosecutors, a final conviction for abuse of office within the scope of Article 257 of the Turkish Penal Code will not be required.

FETO’S JUDICIAL OCCUPATION WAS EXPLAINED IN THE HSK DECISION

In the decision texts, it was explained in detail how FETO infiltrated the state and the methods by which it organized conspiracy cases. HSK emphasized that FETO produced fake digital evidence through members of the organization within the police, judiciary and TSK, carried out illegal wiretapping, initiated investigations with fictitious denunciation letters, and organized the Sledgehammer, Ergenekon, Poyrazköy, Assassination of Admirals and Istanbul and Izmir Military Espionage cases with these methods. It was stated that FETO systematically used members of the organization within the judiciary in order to take over state institutions.

HERE ARE THOSE NAMES

Former members of the judiciary whose names are included in the decision and who were dismissed from profession due to FETO membership by the decision of the HSK General Assembly dated 24 August 2016 are as follows: Abdullah Öztürk, Ali Alçık, Ali Efendi Peksak, Alpaslan Uz, Aytekin Özanlı, Birol Bilen, Davut Bedir, Eşref Aksu, Gökmen Demircan, Hikmet Şen, Hüseyin Ayar, İbrahim Balık, Kazım Kahyaoğlu, Mehmet Uğurlu, Menekşe. Uyar, Metin Özçelik, Murat Üründü, Mustafa Başer, Muzaffer İren, Nurullah Çınar, Ömer Diken, Savaş Çelik and Vedat Dalda. In the second file, Ali Efendi Peksak, Birol Bilen, Davut Bedir, İbrahim Balık, Mehmet Uğurlu, Metin Özçelik, Murat Üründü, Ömer Diken and Savaş Çelik.

The GNAT Investigation Commission into the Causes of School Attacks listened to academics who are experts in the fields of child and adolescent mental health, child psychiatry and social pediatrics. Experts said:

‘BETWEEN 2 HOURS’
Head of the Department of Child and Adolescent Mental Health and Diseases, Istanbul Medeniyet University Faculty of Medicine, Assoc. Dr. Alperen Bıkmazer: Psychiatric problems in children with crime or violence tendencies are 7 to 8 times higher than the normal population. School dropout comes to the fore in repeated acts of violence. 1 in 3 children do not attend school. In a study conducted in Belgium, it was determined that the most violent and criminal behavior occurred between 15.00 and 17.00. Istanbul Bilgi University Child Studies Application and Research Center Director Prof. Dr. Pınar Uyan Semerci: Children are living in an ‘attention economy’. We have a hard time teaching students because there are digital tools that take up attention. Social media is very effective on identity construction. In the research, children asked, ‘Am I not going to trust my friend too?’ Assoc. Prof. Hacettepe University, Faculty of Education, Department of Guidance and Psychological Counseling. Dr. Nilüfer Koçtürk: There is a group that enjoys appetitive aggression, that is, torturing, tormenting or killing someone can give them pleasure. There is a risk that digital games may lead to an increase in ‘appetite aggression’.

First Lady Erdoğan shared a message from the Minister of Agriculture and Forestry, İbrahim Yumaklı, on her social media account: “We are putting an end to the perception games, misleading names and confusing labels in the content of the foods we consume, with the radical changes we have made in the Turkish Food Codex. With our vision of ‘Reliable Food’ at every step from the field to the table, we work non-stop to ensure that you have peace of mind in every bite. We do not allow any practices that try to prevent our consumers from accessing the correct information, and we resolutely build a transparent and safe food ecosystem.” We do.” He quoted his post as:

In his post, Erdoğan stated that in their civilization, tables are not just places to eat, but also an exceptional place where trust, healing and sharing are blended.

Pointing out that the Turkish Food Codex studies carried out by the Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry have re-enforced the trust in the tables, Erdoğan said, “In this new era, where misleading names have given way to the truth, ‘knowing what you eat’ is being registered as a right. I congratulate those who contribute at every stage from field to table for healthy and reliable food. I hope that we can all walk towards a healthy future together, without losing sight of the health of our families.” he said.

In our civilization, the table is not just a place to eat; It is an exceptional position where trust, healing and sharing are blended.

Turkish Food Codex studies carried out by our Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry re-enforce that ancient trust on our tables.

Misleading… https://t.co/L5Pcfh0Qr3

— Emine Erdoğan (@EmineErdogan) May 17, 2026

New labeling and packaging regulations for safe food

The Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry has made comprehensive regulations in the “Turkish Food Codex Food Labeling and Consumer Information Regulation” in the last 2 years in order to protect consumers and provide accurate information about food.

The new regulations aimed to make food labels more readable, to prevent misleading statements and images, and to increase food literacy.

In this context, it has become mandatory for the name and net amount of the products to be included in a way that the consumer can easily see, while for products containing alcohol, sugar or sweeteners, this information must be written clearly and distinctly, separate from the others.

The use of real food images on the labels of products produced using flavorings was banned, and it was mandatory to clearly state that the product was “flavored”.

There are also restrictions on the use of expressions such as “… taste”, “… taste”, “… pleasure”, which may mislead the consumer. In this context, the use of expressions such as “butter flavor” in butter-flavored margarine and sunflower oils, “chocolate taste” in cocolin products, and “ice cream pleasure” in milk ice products is prohibited.

While it is not allowed to use images of olives or olive trees in vegetable oils other than olive oil, misleading expressions such as “taste of olive oil” are prohibited on products.

On the other hand, restrictions were placed on the use of brands and expressions that could create the perception of “village product”. The use of brands and images that give the impression of domestic production in imported products or create the perception of import in domestic products is also prevented.

While the use of images that are not suitable for the breeding method in poultry products is prevented, it has become mandatory to clearly indicate to consumers the ingredients used in the product.

In addition, it has become mandatory to clearly indicate ingredients that may affect the consumer’s purchasing preference in foods served in mass consumption places or packaged in sales places.

In this context, it was decided to present the ingredients that can be used interchangeably with the name of the food in a way that the consumer can see.

It was obligatory to use the expression “peanut” instead of just “peanut” in baklava produced with peanuts.

STATEMENTS ABOUT THE PERCEPTION OF IMPORTS ARE BLOCKED IN PRODUCTS

Within the scope of the regulations, the use of brands, expressions and visuals that will create the perception of import in domestically produced products and that will give the impression that imported products are produced domestically has also been banned.

On the other hand, foods were prevented from being placed on the market with shapes or images such as weapons, skulls, brains, lips and eyes.

Within the scope of the new regulations, the direct use of the expression “cream” will not be allowed in products that do not contain cream.

The term “cream sauce” will be used in these products to prevent misleading the consumer.

Within the scope of the new regulations, it is also required that information on product contents and energy values ​​be provided to consumers in menus.

It has also become mandatory for herbal teas to clearly state the preparation method on the label.

The Ministry’s information activities also included digital applications that aim to enable citizens to directly contribute to the audit processes.

With the “Reliable Food” application developed in this context, consumers will be able to access product information through the “query imitation-adulteration” system and instantly report suspicious situations to the authorities with the “check/send” feature.

With the applications, it is aimed to access the audit history and product information of the businesses in a more transparent manner and to enable every citizen to contribute to the audit processes.

On the other hand, an average of 1 million 300 thousand food inspections are carried out annually.

The new regulations aim to enable consumers to understand product contents more easily, prevent information pollution and prevent unfair competition.

The Presidential cabinet is meeting in Beştepe with a busy agenda. At the meeting, where foreign policy topics will be at the forefront, the focus will be on the ongoing indirect talks between the USA and Iran, which have not yet been carried to a concrete stage. The stage reached in reaching a permanent and comprehensive ceasefire between the parties will be discussed.

The current situation will be focused on the effects of the actual blockage in the Strait of Hormuz on the Turkish economy. The reflections of the Unofficial Summit of the Organization of Turkic States held in Kazakhstan last week will be discussed at the meeting. The upcoming Eid al-Adha measures will also be among the hot topics of the cabinet members.

IRAN – USA/ISRAEL WAR

The Iran-USA/Israel and Russia-Ukraine conflict and Israel’s aggressive attitude towards the countries in the region are also among the important topics. The current situation will be focused on the effects of the actual blockage in the Strait of Hormuz on the Turkish economy. Current data of the diversification policy in the field of energy will be on the table.

TERRORISM-FREE Türkiye

In domestic policy, the latest situation in the Terror-Free Türkiye process and the legal steps expected to be taken in the coming days will be discussed. Following the report from the security units, the projection of the steps that can be taken under the umbrella of the parliament will be reviewed.

REFLECTIONS OF THE KAZAKHSTAN VISIT

The reflections of the Unofficial Summit of the Organization of Turkic States held in Kazakhstan last week will be discussed at the meeting. Both the steps taken with the Turkish world and the reflections of bilateral contacts will be discussed.

PRECAUTIONS FOR Eid-al-Adha

The upcoming Eid al-Adha measures will also be among the hot topics of the cabinet members. Actions to be taken to ensure that citizens have a peaceful and safe holiday will be discussed.

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