Politics
Türkiye sees Rwanda as key East African partner: Envoy
Rwanda has become one of Türkiye’s key partners in East Africa and plays an important role in Ankara’s broader engagement with the continent, Türkiye’s ambassador to Kigali said Friday, highlighting growing cooperation in trade, defense, education and infrastructure.
Speaking to Anadolu Agency (AA) on the sidelines of the Africa CEO Forum in Kigali, Türkiye’s Ambassador to Rwanda Aslan Alper Yüksel said bilateral relations have expanded rapidly in recent years and are built on mutual trust and shared interests.
“Rwanda is not only a valuable partner in bilateral relations but also in terms of Türkiye’s outreach to East Africa,” Yüksel said.
He pointed to Rwandan President Paul Kagame’s visit to Türkiye last year at the invitation of President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan as a sign of the level reached in relations between the two countries.
Yüksel described Rwanda as one of Africa’s notable examples in governance, public administration, digital transformation, infrastructure development, environmental policy, women’s political participation, security and stability.
He said Rwanda’s performance in investment conditions and anti-corruption rankings also makes it an attractive destination for international partnerships.
“We see Rwanda as an important partner in East Africa because it prioritizes stability, focuses on reforms and is able to work in an integrated way with the international system,” he said.
According to Yüksel, economic cooperation remains a central pillar of the relationship, with Turkish private companies continuing to show interest in infrastructure and construction projects across Rwanda.
Defense industry cooperation has also emerged as one of the dynamic areas of engagement between the two countries, he added.
Yüksel said educational and cultural ties have strengthened as hundreds of Rwandan students pursue education in Türkiye either through Türkiye Scholarships or independently.
The ambassador also noted that some organizatons are providing Turkish-language education to a growing number of students at the University of Rwanda campus.
He added that Turkish Airlines’ daily flights contribute to the country’s international connectivity.
Yüksel said Türkiye’s broader Africa policy remains focused on peace, stability and development and supports Rwanda’s economic transformation.
Reflecting on Rwanda’s post-conflict recovery, he said the country had rebuilt itself after the 1994 genocide against the Tutsi population, which claimed nearly 1 million lives.
The Rwandan genocide occurred between April 7 and July 15, 1994, during the Rwandan civil war. During this period of around 100 days, members of the Tutsi minority ethnic group, as well as some moderate Hutu and Twa, were killed by armed militias. The most widely accepted scholarly estimates are around 500,000 to 662,000 Tutsi deaths.
“Kigali’s emergence as a regional business, technology and innovation hub is no coincidence,” Yüksel said, noting that hosting the Africa CEO Forum for a third time reflects Rwanda’s growing regional role.
He added that Turkish investors could view Rwanda as a secure and favorable gateway to access the East African Community market and its hundreds of millions of consumers.
Former CHP Chairman Kemal Kılıçdaroğlu called on party members to respond calmly after the court’s “absolute nullity” ruling regarding the CHP congress case, saying the party would resolve its internal issues on its own.
“All party members should receive the decision calmly. Our party will solve its problems internally,” Kılıçdaroğlu said in his first statement following the court ruling.
In a statement shared on social media, Kılıçdaroğlu said CHP was not “an arena for personal political ambitions” but rather “the certificate of sovereignty of the nation.”
Referring to the court’s ruling on the contested congress, Kılıçdaroğlu said, “The court’s decision regarding our 38th Ordinary Congress should not become a reason for division, but an opportunity to unite under the shade of our century-old plane tree.”
He urged party members to avoid escalating tensions, saying, “Today is not a day to hurt one another with cries of celebration. It is a day to set aside grievances and rise again with seriousness, calm and mutual embrace.”
Kılıçdaroğlu also said the party would manage the process collectively and in coordination with senior figures across the CHP organization.
“We must manage this process not with regrets, but with seriousness, sincerity rooted in our party culture and common sense,” he said, adding that the party would work in “full harmony and cooperation” with former party leaders, Party Assembly members, lawmakers and provincial and district chairs.
Emphasizing the CHP’s broader political goals, Kılıçdaroğlu said internal disputes would not derail the party’s ambitions.
“No one should worry. We will lead our party out of these debates and continue our march toward power,” he said, calling on all members to act with calm and common sense.
“We are together,” he added.
The statements came after Ankara’s 36th Civil Chamber of the Regional Court of Justice ruled that the CHP’s 38th Ordinary Congress held on Nov. 4-5, 2023, as well as the party’s 21st Extraordinary Congress, were legally invalid due to “absolute nullity.”
The court ordered the temporary removal of current CHP Chair Özgür Özel and the existing party administration, while reinstating Kılıçdaroğlu and the previous party organs pending a final ruling. The lawsuit, filed by former Hatay Mayor Lütfü Savaş and supported by several CHP delegates, alleged irregularities during the congress process.
Main opposition Republican People’s Party (CHP) Chairman Özgür Özel said the party has formally appealed the court’s “absolute nullity” ruling regarding the CHP congress case and requested the suspension of interim measures ordering the removal of the current party leadership.
Speaking after the Ankara Regional Court of Justice ruled that the CHP’s 38th Ordinary Congress and 21st Extraordinary Congress were legally invalid, Özel said the party submitted its first appeal to the Court of Cassation within the required legal timeframe.
“Today, we made our first objection to the Court of Cassation within the legal deadline, including a request for the removal of the interim injunction decision,” Özel said.
He also announced that the CHP would apply to the Supreme Election Council (YSK) on Friday to defend the party mandate granted by the election authority.
“We will apply to the Supreme Election Council tomorrow so that it protects the certificate of mandate it granted to us,” Özel said, calling on both the Court of Cassation and the YSK to act swiftly regarding the party’s appeals against the interim measures.
“We expect the Court of Cassation to urgently review our applications seeking the suspension of the interim injunction, and we expect the YSK to stand by its own area of authority and responsibility,” he added.
Özel also commented on reports regarding communication with former CHP Chair Kemal Kılıçdaroğlu, who was reinstated by the court pending a final ruling.
Asked whether he had spoken with Kılıçdaroğlu, Özel said, “I received many phone calls, and Kılıçdaroğlu was among those who called. I have not returned his call yet. What exactly would we discuss?”
Meanwhile, Ankara Mayor Mansur Yavaş warned against turning legal proceedings into a tool to weaken or divide political parties. He said the process appeared aimed at dragging the CHP into internal disputes and weakening Türkiye’s main opposition force.
“This process must be overcome calmly and in unity,” Yavaş said, warning that divisive rhetoric would only serve those seeking to deepen internal tensions within the opposition.
Cracks in the intra-party democracy of the main opposition Republican People’s Party (CHP) are showing despite the fight between the dissidents and the current administration being skillfully kept hidden for a long time.
A new video by former Chair Kemal Kılıçdaroğlu angered supporters of his successor, Özgür Özel, while finding support among loyalists of Kılıçdaroğlu, who still serves as a lawmaker in the party. In the video, Kılıçdaroğlu reiterated his call for the party to purge itself of those involved in the corruption and had a send-off for Özel, who earlier claimed Kılıçdaroğlu chose to “be a marble of the palace instead of becoming soil where flowers bloom.” He was referring to the Presidential Complex CHP seeks to deride.
CHP’s supporters accuse Kılıçdaroğlu and like-minded members of betraying the cause of the party to defeat the incumbent Justice and Development Party (AK Party) and President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan. Kılıçdaroğlu was the last hope of the CHP to defeat Erdoğan in the 2023 elections but suffered a defeat despite support from other opposition parties. After the loss, his public image gradually eroded, and he became pariah-like. Özel dealt a second blow after defeating Kılıçdaroğlu in an intra-party election in November 2023, though former CHP members claim that the election was tainted by supporters of Özel, who “bought votes” for the new chair.
Özel always had kind words for Kılıçdaroğlu, and likewise, Kılıçdaroğlu abstained from outright criticism of his successor after handing over his post. Yet, dissent in the party against the Özel administration slowly climbed, particularly over Özel’s unwavering support for several mayors of the party accused of rampant corruption. Kılıçdaroğlu unleashed a thinly unveiled tirade against Özel. “This party is entrusted to us, and we cannot stain it. The party knows when to purge itself (of corruption),” Kılıçdaroğlu stated.
“Dirty politics destroys morals and eventually sets its sights on this nation’s money. We have to keep the politics clean. This responsibility belongs to members of the CHP. This is a great tree that did not bow down to anyone, a party that was closed down, went through the coups, but did not submit. The CHP does not stray from its path to govern, to instill hope in people. Some people expect me to remain silent. Hear me now: I don’t negotiate the interests of my nation and party for anything. I defy your defamation and threats. I stand for truth,” Kılıçdaroğlu said.
Kılıçdaroğlu’s remarks quickly made the rounds on social media, but Özel kept quiet for hours. On Thursday, his first reaction was made public in an interview with Gazete Pencere. The CHP chair was still careful not to hurt Kılıçdaroğlu’s feelings, but his sardonic comments about the former chair’s video will likely irritate the predecessor. “My comments about being a marble of the palace were not toward Mr. Kemal. I am surprised he was offended. I would expect him to oppose the nullification,” he said. He was referring to the possible verdict in a case regarding the vote-buying allegations that may render Özel’s administration invalid. Kılıçdaroğlu had earlier signalled that he was ready to be appointed as a trustee if the court ruled for the nullification of the Özel administration.
A few days before Kılıçdaroğlu’s video surfaced, a group of dissidents held an event in Istanbul hosted by Gürsel Tekin, a former Kılıçdaroğlu aide who was appointed by a court as trustee to the CHP’s Istanbul branch after the other chair was suspended from duty on suspicion of buying votes for his own election. Kılıçdaroğlu’s video was retweeted within hours by more than a dozen lawmakers who were nominated in the previous elections by Kılıçdaroğlu, while Ali Haydar Fırat, a former member of the CHP’s party assembly known for his pro-Kılıçdaroğlu views, issued a manifesto to “salvage the party” hours after the former chair’s remarks. “The CHP cannot be a shield for those enriching themselves by exploiting public resources,” Fırat said in his manifesto, referring to corruption allegations at CHP-run municipalities.
Kılıçdaroğlu still has little support compared to Özel within the party. Chairs of the CHP’s branches in 81 provinces issued a joint statement on Thursday and reaffirmed that they stood with Özel, “the will of the voters and laws of the party,” without referring to Kılıçdaroğlu’s remarks.
“Our walk to power cannot be reversed through political engineering,” they said in a statement, a reiteration of the CHP’s habit to accuse critics of the party of “working for the government,” a pattern most common among social media users.
Tuğrul Abanoz, chair of the party’s branch in the Akçakoca district of Düzce, was more direct in his reaction. Abanoz ordered the removal of a large photo of Kılıçdaroğlu adorning the walls of the party’s office, where pictures of the CHP’s former chairs, including Mustafa Kemal Atatürk, were on display. “If you return after absolute nullification, you can always find a new chairman here to hang your photo on this wall again,” Abanoz said in a news conference on Wednesday, directly addressing Kılıçdaroğlu.
A total of 422 participants from the Global Sumud Flotilla, including 85 Turkish citizens, departed Israel on special flights coordinated by Türkiye’s Foreign Ministry after being detained by Israeli forces, diplomatic sources said Thursday.
Foreign Ministry sources said the evacuation operation was carried out under the coordination of the ministry and supervised by officials from Türkiye’s Embassy in Tel Aviv.
The activists, who had been held following Israel’s interception of the Global Sumud Flotilla, left Ramon Airport in southern Israel and were en route to Türkiye aboard chartered flights, the sources said.
The group included Turkish citizens as well as nationals from several third countries who had participated in the aid flotilla headed toward Gaza.
Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan earlier on Thursday said Ankara was working with all relevant agencies for the safety and return of citizens held by Israel after the illegal intervention on the flotilla. “We will continue safeguarding the rights of our citizens and fulfill our responsibility towards civilians in Gaza. We will continue our support to the people of Palestine resolutely,” he said.
The flights are scheduled to land at Istanbul Airport later in the evening.
The Global Sumud Flotilla’s 2026 Spring Mission, launched to challenge Israel’s blockade of the Gaza Strip and deliver humanitarian aid, was first intercepted by Israeli forces on April 29 near Crete, several nautical miles outside Greek territorial waters, according to organizers.
The Israeli military later carried out another interception on May 18 while the flotilla was sailing in international waters toward Gaza.
Organizers said 428 activists from 44 countries, including 78 Turkish nationals, were aboard the 50-vessel convoy.
On the other hand, several countries condemned Israel over allegations of mistreatment of activists detained during its interception of the Global Sumud Flotilla, calling for accountability and respect for international law.
Ireland’s Deputy Prime Minister Simon Harris criticized Israel’s treatment of the activists, saying actions against members of the flotilla, whom he described as having been “illegally detained,” were “disgusting and cannot go unpunished.”
Pakistan’s government also condemned what it described as Israel’s unlawful intervention against the flotilla and alleged verbal and physical abuse of activists.
“We strongly condemn the illegal intervention by Israeli occupation forces against the Global Sumud Flotilla in international waters and the arbitrary detention and mistreatment of activists on board,” a government statement said.
Poland, Latvia, Estonia and several other countries also voiced criticism over the incident.
Spanish Foreign Minister Jose Manuel Albares said Israel could not treat members of the Global Sumud Flotilla as it would Norway or Iceland, condemning what he described as “degrading treatment” of the activists.
Albares reiterated Spain’s expectation that Israel issue an immediate apology over the activists’ detention and alleged mistreatment in international waters.
A Turkish parliamentary commission investigating juvenile delinquency has prepared a comprehensive report proposing tougher penalties, stricter family accountability and expanded monitoring mechanisms aimed at preventing children from being drawn into crime, according to findings expected to be submitted to Parliament after the Eid al-Adha holiday.
The commission, established under the leadership of ruling Justice and Development Party (AK Party) lawmaker Müşerref Pervin Tuba Durgut, spent months conducting field studies, listening to experts and collecting institutional opinions as part of its work on children involved in criminal offenses.
The report by the Parliamentary Commission on Children Driven to Crime includes recommendations directed at multiple ministries, including the Justice Ministry, Interior Ministry, Family Ministry, Education Ministry, and Youth and Sports Ministry.
Among the most notable proposals are calls to reconsider sentence reductions applied to minors convicted of serious crimes and to strengthen deterrence measures in the juvenile justice system.
The report specifically references public debate surrounding high-profile murder cases involving minors, including those of Atlas Çağlayan and Ahmet Minguzzi, and argues that age-based sentence reductions for offenders between the ages of 15 and 18 should be revised in a more gradual manner.
It also recommends limiting sentence reductions for certain severe crimes or leaving such decisions to judicial discretion. The commission further called for a stricter execution system and for narrowing the scope of probation-style measures to reinforce deterrence.
Under current Turkish law, the maximum prison sentence for offenders under the age of 18 can reach 24 years, though reductions may significantly shorten the term served.
The report additionally recommended examining whether Türkiye’s age of criminal responsibility, currently set at 12, should be lowered to 10, similar to the system in the United Kingdom.
The commission also highlighted shortcomings in the implementation of protective and preventive measures imposed on children and their families.
It proposed the creation of sanction mechanisms for both minors and parents who fail to comply with court-ordered measures, while emphasizing that authorities should systematically monitor not only the implementation of such measures but also their outcomes.
The report called for specialized courts or units to oversee juvenile protection processes and urged stronger coordination and feedback systems among institutions.
Family involvement
A significant portion of the recommendations focused on family responsibility and early intervention.
The commission proposed mandatory mechanisms to ensure active family participation in rehabilitation processes, broader educational and awareness programs for parents and, in some cases, administrative or criminal sanctions aimed at increasing parental responsibility.
It also recommended stronger protection measures for children growing up in high-risk family environments.
Additional recommendations included introducing lessons on basic law, responsibility and social rules into school curricula, expanding education on bullying, social media influence and crime awareness, and establishing systems to identify school dropouts and at-risk children at an early stage.
The report further urged the creation of neighborhood-based social risk analyses, individualized monitoring systems for children deemed vulnerable to criminal involvement, and greater efforts to direct children toward social, sports and vocational activities.
Türkiye on Wednesday strongly condemned the verbal and physical abuse by an Israeli minister against activists detained after Israel’s unlawful interception of the Global Sumud flotilla in international waters.
In a statement, the Foreign Ministry said the Israeli minister, one of the “main actors” behind Israel’s genocide in Gaza, had once again openly exposed the “violent and barbaric mentality” of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s government before the world.
The ministry denounced Israel’s intervention against the flotilla and stressed that the aid convoy had been targeted unlawfully while sailing in international waters.
Türkiye also said diplomatic efforts were continuing in coordination with other countries to secure the immediate and safe release of detained Turkish citizens and other flotilla participants.
“All necessary initiatives are being undertaken together with the relevant countries for the immediate and safe release of our citizens and other flotilla participants,” the ministry said, adding that efforts were continuing “with determination” to achieve results as soon as possible.
The statement came after videos circulated showing Israeli National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir taunting detained activists following Israel’s interception of Gaza-bound aid vessels earlier this week.
European countries also condemned Ben-Gvir’s inhumane treatment of the activists.
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