Minister of National Education Yusuf Tekin, YTB President Abdülhadi Turus, Science Dissemination Foundation Board of Trustees Chairman Erdoğan, AK Party Deputy Chairman and Head of Foreign Relations Zafer Sırakaya, AK Party Central Decision and Executive Board Member Mesut Özil and many guests attended the “YTB Diaspora 2.0 Meeting” event held by the Presidency for Turks Abroad and Related Communities (YTB) in London, the capital of England.

In his speech here, Minister Tekin stated that the diaspora increased as Türkiye became stronger internally, and read examples of letters written in 2002 for the Minister of National Education to open on the 100th anniversary of the Republic.

Explaining that the schools are in a much better condition than in 2002, Tekin said that while the number of classes was 350 thousand in 2002, this number is 750 thousand today.

Minister Tekin stated that the classrooms built before 2002 were destroyed in the earthquake or were rebuilt to strengthen and improve them, and that only 160 thousand of the 750 thousand classrooms available today were from before 2002.

Stating that the success rate in schools has increased according to the international exams, Tekin said, “We have a shortcoming. People complain about education because we are not where they dreamed of being. We all have the right to dream better. I also dream and we work to make it better. While doing all this, our citizens have expectations from the education and training processes regarding our social values ​​and national and moral values. It was necessary to focus on them a little. We have focused on there recently.” he said.

“AS Türkiye GETTING STRONGER, DIASPORA GOT STRONGER”

In his speech, Erdoğan, Chairman of the Board of Trustees of the Science Dissemination Foundation, said, “We are honored to see that the Turkish diaspora in the world has reached very good points. This also adds strength to Türkiye. As Turkey gets stronger, the diaspora gets stronger, and as the diaspora gets stronger, Turkey gets stronger. On the one hand, Türkiye’s potential increases, and on the other hand, sectors where reverse brain drain occurs emerge.” he said.

Emphasizing that Türkiye is a destination country not only for those who return to their country, but also for qualified Muslims living in the West, Erdoğan said, “There is an absolute advantage and a comparative advantage principle in the economy. When trading, countries gain through comparative advantage. The same is true in culture. Western culture and civilization, with the victory of 200 years and the superiority complex brought about by colonialism, thinks that its own culture is superior and imposes this.” he said.

Stating that some countries market their culture, Erdoğan stated that India can market yoga to the world and said, “Consider how many such values ​​we have. But in order to market them, it is necessary to do them properly and know their value.” he said.

Emphasizing that Türkiye uses its service superiority, climate advantage and Istanbul Airport advantage in tourism, Erdoğan said, “We should also use the themes that belong to us. I think we have become cowardly in living and exhibiting our own culture. As Turkey becomes stronger and the presentation of its cultural elements becomes more elegant, the diaspora will take itself to a stronger position in the country where it is located.” he said.

“WE ARE AT A PLANE WHERE IT IS NOT POSSIBLE TO TALK WITHOUT TURKEY”

AK Party Deputy Chairman Sırakaya also touched on the phrase “Diaspora 2.0” and explained that first generation Turkish immigrants went to Europe with the dream of returning.

Sırakaya stated that the first generation, which he called “Diaspora 1.0”, has now become the “giving hand, not the receiving hand” and said that they are trying to exist in all areas of life in the countries where the Turkish diaspora is present.

Pointing out that Türkiye’s reputation in the international community increased the self-confidence of Turks living abroad, Sırakaya said, “I was born and raised in Germany. It was valuable to see news about Turkey in the news every 6 months or once a year. It was not possible to hear the names of the presidents at that time. However, if there was a visit between Germany and Turkey, we heard about it. But today, we are at a level where it is not possible to talk globally, in the world league and in the European class, without Turkey.” he said.

Sırakaya underlined that it is not possible for the West to find a solution to its own problems without Turkey.

Former football player and AK Party MKYK member Özil stated that although he was the best player in the training he attended at the beginning of his football career, he was not selected because of his name, and said, “I participated in training to play in big clubs. I was the best, but I did not give up when I was not selected because of my name. When I became a professional at the age of 16, I was very strong mentally.” he said.

Saying that everyone can be a star football player but not a legend, Özil explained that there is pressure on good football players to contribute to more goals and win.

Özil noted that he devoted more time to his family to combat this and said, “I have struggled on and off the field throughout my career. In 2018, I was attacked when I took a photo with our President.” he said.

Breaking news: 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.

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.

In Konya, CHP’s Ereğli Municipality remains on the agenda not with services but with mobbing, irregular relocation and dismissals. After CHP’s Ümit Akpınar was elected Mayor of Ereğli in the Local Government Elections on March 31, 2024, many personnel were victimized by the municipality and the mayor’s relatives were appointed to important positions. However, this time the pressure and discrimination against municipal personnel did not go unpunished. As a result of the complaint of the permanent municipal staff, who could not stand it and had to change cities because they were subjected to mobbing and pressure, TİHEK (Turkish Human Rights and Equality Institution) Mayor’s Office decided to impose an administrative fine of 256 thousand 357 TL on the municipality on the grounds that it violated the prohibition of discrimination.

PRESSURE WAS MADE FOR POLITICAL REASONS
In the decision, it was stated that “the personnel was temporarily assigned to different units that did not match his/her professional title more than once without any justifiable reason, that the applicant moved to another city by requesting an assignment during the continuation of the process, that all these events occurred for political reasons due to the change of the political party in the management at the time the applicant started working in the municipality in the local election on 31/3/2024 and that the temporary assignment process for the applicant started after the elections, that the applicant was systematically and continuously subjected to intimidation actions at the workplace with the intention of intimidation, and that the addressee was It was concluded that the prohibition of discrimination was violated.”

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.