President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan on Tuesday used his Eid al-Adha, also known as Qurban Bayram, message to emphasize Türkiye’s economic growth, institutional resilience and defense industry expansion, saying the country is positioned to become “one of the shining stars of the new era” once regional instability eases.

Erdoğan said Türkiye had strengthened its domestic front through years of policy continuity, pointing to advances in infrastructure, governance and defense production.

“Despite criticisms and obstacles, we are reaping the rewards of the policies we have pursued for 23 years,” he said, referring to the ruling Justice and Development Party’s (AK Party) time in power.

He highlighted what he described as a sharp rise in Türkiye’s defense and aerospace exports, saying the sector had grown from hundreds of millions of dollars to more than $10 billion, and framed it as evidence of a broader national success story.

“Türkiye is writing a success story rarely seen in the world,” Erdoğan said.

The president said Türkiye was navigating a period of global and regional tension but stood out as a stable actor due to its institutions, economic capacity and security framework.

“In this period when our region is struggling with crises, Türkiye stands out as an island of stability,” he said.

‘Shining star’ vision

Erdoğan said Türkiye’s long-term trajectory would continue upward once instability in surrounding regions subsides, reiterating his belief that the country is entering a more influential phase in global politics.

“After the dust cloud around us clears, God willing, Türkiye will be one of the shining stars of the new era,” he said.

He also referred to the government’s terror-free Türkiye initiative, describing it as a strategic effort aimed at strengthening domestic unity and regional security. He said the process was essential for Türkiye’s future stability and economic development.

The initiative, launched last year, aims to disarm and dissolve the PKK terrorist group to end its four decades of violence that claimed at least 40,000 lives in Türkiye.

“We are doing whatever is necessary for this,” Erdoğan said, adding that counterterrorism efforts would continue with determination.

Erdoğan also urged citizens to use the Eid period to reinforce social ties, emphasizing themes of unity, solidarity and reconciliation.

He said the word “sacrifice” carried spiritual meaning beyond ritual practice and encouraged citizens to strengthen family and community bonds during the holiday.

“I believe that each of our citizens will make the most of this spiritual feast,” he said, calling for increased charity and mutual support.

Regional conflicts

While focusing largely on domestic achievements, Erdoğan also briefly referenced regional conflicts, saying the wider Middle East was experiencing heightened instability and humanitarian strain.

Even as the Muslim world seeks an atmosphere of peace, Israel continues its “occupation, destruction, massacres, and illegal settlement activities” from Gaza to the West Bank, East Jerusalem and Lebanon, flouting cease-fires that are in effect, he said.

Erdoğan concluded his message by extending Eid greetings to citizens performing the Hajj pilgrimage and urging those traveling during the holiday to follow traffic and safety rules.

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Türkiye’s intelligence chief has said Ankara’s “terror-free Türkiye” initiative is being pursued as a state policy, stressing that the country will continue combating all terrorist groups simultaneously while advancing a broader regional security strategy.

Speaking about the evolving regional security challenges, National Intelligence Organization (MIT) chief Ibrahim Kalın noted last week that Türkiye has drawn lessons from ongoing regional crises and continues to strengthen its institutional capabilities to address emerging threats.

Addressing the latest stage of the terror-free Türkiye initiative, Kalın said the country had passed several critical milestones, including the PKK’s decision to dissolve and lay down arms, the withdrawal of its cadres from Türkiye and the start of a dismantling effort in northern Iraq.

“The terror-free Türkiye initiative is being carried out as a state policy,” Kalın stressed. He added that the authorities remain confident that the state’s roadmap will succeed with broad public support, patience and a constructive approach across society.

The initiative was launched by government ally Nationalist Movement Party (MHP) leader Devlet Bahçeli in 2024. PKK leader Abdullah Öcalan later agreed to Bahçeli’s invitation and called on the group to lay down arms.

After Öcalan’s landmark message in February 2025, the PKK consented to start the disarmament process. Since then, Turkish authorities have monitored the full disarmament process and are expected to implement laws to facilitate the initiative, including through possible lenient sentencing of PKK members not involved in acts of terrorism.

Before the initiative, the PKK terrorist group waged a four-decade terror campaign that killed over 40,000 people and sowed discord both at home and across the border in Syria and Iraq.

Kalın said efforts to finalize the process would continue with determination while maintaining caution.

He added that Türkiye’s security doctrine extends beyond border protection and is built around maintaining regional balance, preventing crises at their source and pursuing solutions through what he described as a rational and measured approach in international affairs.

Touching on developments in Syria and Iraq, he said the changing regional environment could create opportunities for preventive measures against terrorist and criminal networks that may pose threats to Türkiye and the wider region.

The intelligence chief also highlighted efforts to strengthen the country’s defense and intelligence capabilities, saying Türkiye continues to expand both human and technical intelligence capacity across areas ranging from counterterrorism and counterespionage to cybersecurity.

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Calls from within the Kemal Kılıçdaroğlu camp to expel ousted leader Özgür Özel and former Istanbul Mayor Ekrem Imamoğlu have intensified Türkiye’s main opposition Republican People’s Party (CHP) power struggle, sharpening divisions between rival factions competing to shape the party’s future leadership.

The escalation comes as the CHP continues to grapple with the fallout of a court ruling that annulled its 2023 congress and restored Kılıçdaroğlu’s pre-congress authority on an interim basis, triggering competing claims of legitimacy and control inside the party.

According to party figures and media reports, hardline voices aligned with Kılıçdaroğlu are increasingly pressing for disciplinary action against senior figures in the opposing camp, including calls to remove Özel and Imamoğlu, who has been jailed since March 2025 on charges of corruption.

The allegations have been firmly rejected by supporters of Özel, who say the claims are politically motivated and aimed at consolidating control over the party apparatus following the court decision.

Özel and his allies, meanwhile, are pushing for an early extraordinary congress to resolve the leadership dispute through a new delegate vote, arguing that internal legitimacy can only be restored through elections.

“We want elections as soon as possible, we want a congress,” Özel has said, according to party figures familiar with the discussions.

The competing strategies reflect a widening split over how to navigate the court ruling that invalidated the 2023 leadership congress and reset the party’s internal structure. The decision has effectively reopened a leadership contest that had appeared settled after Özel’s victory nearly three years ago.

Kılıçdaroğlu’s camp is advocating a more gradual process focused on rebuilding party institutions before moving to a leadership vote. Party Council member Müslim Sarı said after meeting Kılıçdaroğlu that the party’s governing bodies would convene after the Eid holiday to determine a roadmap.

Former CHP figure Gürsel Tekin has suggested an extraordinary congress could still take place within seven to eight months, reflecting ongoing uncertainty over timing and control of the process.

The internal dispute has also fueled tensions outside party politics, including clashes at CHP headquarters during efforts to enforce the court ruling.

Authorities have since opened a criminal investigation into the violence, including allegations of unauthorized demonstrations and resistance to police.

With both factions preparing competing roadmaps, one pushing for swift elections and the other for institutional consolidation, the CHP remains locked in a volatile internal struggle over who will ultimately shape its leadership and direction.

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Accompanied by a lawyer of former Chair Kemal Kılıçdaroğlu, riot police forced their way into the headquarters of the main opposition Republican People’s Party (CHP) on Sunday when the party’s ousted leadership did not abandon the building. The eviction was the result of a court verdict that nullified the leadership of the Özgür Özel administration. The nullification reverted the administration to Özel’s predecessor, Kemal Kılıçdaroğlu, who, in turn, sought eviction of the CHP offices occupied by the Özel administration.

Supporters of Özel and Kılıçdaroğlu clashed outside the building early on Sunday before they dispersed. Hours later, police squads toppled down a locked iron-wrought gate while the Özel supporters set up barricades. As the squads moved, the crowds piled up chairs, sofas and other materials at the main entrance, trying to block them. Police fired pepper gas while CHP members responded by hurling objects at them and spraying fire extinguishers inside the building.

The police then proceeded to sweep the floors of the multistorey building where Özel stayed in his office on the 12th floor.

Several lawmakers accompanying him left the building one by one, before Özel appeared at the front door, wearing a white shirt and constantly coughing as pepper gas engulfed the building.

In a brief statement to reporters and his supporters, Özel lashed out at Kılıçdaroğlu without naming him openly.

“Everyone does what fits him best. I rebel against those who seek to take over Atatürk’s party,” he said, referring to the party’s founder.

He said his staff had sought dialogue with the Kılıçdaroğlu’s team to discuss a congress they had proposed, but the other party had ignored and “raided the party in the morning.”

He claimed that Kılıçdaroğlu was a victim of his personal greed.

Özel said the CHP was beyond a mere building and that he was leaving the headquarters “to come back one day.”

Amid applause from his supporters, Özel then set off on a march to Parliament while his supporters chanted: “Kılıçdaroğlu is a traitor.”

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The Turkish Parliament is preparing to debate legislation that would formally redefine and strengthen one of the country’s oldest and most recognizable institutions: the Turkish Red Crescent.

Submitted to Parliament by deputies from the ruling Justice and Development Party (AK Party), the proposed Turkish Red Crescent Law seeks to codify the organization’s legal status, clarify its humanitarian mandate and expand operational tools designed to improve disaster response, health services and emergency coordination.

Supporters describe the legislation as a long-awaited modernization effort for an institution that has stood at the center of Türkiye’s humanitarian landscape for more than a century and a half.

Founded in 1868 during the late Ottoman era as the “Ottoman Society for Aiding Wounded and Ailing Soldiers,” Red Crescent emerged amid the empire’s wars and humanitarian crises. It later became part of the broader International Red Cross and Red Crescent Movement, evolving into the Turkish Red Crescent after the establishment of the republic.

Throughout its history, the organization has played a prominent role in some of Türkiye’s defining emergencies, from wartime relief and refugee assistance to earthquakes, pandemics and international humanitarian operations.

Its work became particularly visible during the 1999 Marmara earthquake, the Syrian refugee crisis and the devastating twin earthquakes of Feb. 6, 2023, which killed more than 50,000 people and displaced millions across southern Türkiye.

Beyond Türkiye’s borders, Red Crescent has increasingly emerged as a major humanitarian actor aligned with Ankara’s broader disaster diplomacy and aid outreach. The organization has delivered emergency assistance, food aid, shelter and medical support across conflict zones and disaster-hit regions stretching from Syria, Gaza and Afghanistan to Somalia, Pakistan and Ukraine.

Red Crescent has also maintained long-term humanitarian programs abroad, including refugee assistance, orphan support, health projects and Ramadan and Eid aid campaigns conducted through local partnerships and national Red Crescent societies.

The new proposal aims to place that role on firmer legal foundations.

At its core, the bill defines Red Crescent as Türkiye’s official national humanitarian society operating under the Geneva Conventions and the principles of the International Red Cross and Red Crescent Movement.

Expanding mission

According to the text submitted to Parliament, Red Crescent’s mission is to assist vulnerable populations without discrimination, prevent disease, improve health conditions and ease suffering during disasters, emergencies and wartime.

The proposal formally defines Red Crescent as Türkiye’s nationally recognized humanitarian society under the Geneva Conventions and grants it exclusive rights and responsibilities tied to those international obligations.

It also places legal protection over the organization’s name, flag and emblem, recognizing them as internationally protected symbols of neutrality and humanitarian aid.

Unauthorized use of Red Crescent symbols or branding would be prohibited except by institutions established under its authority, a move supporters say aims to prevent misuse and preserve the organization’s credibility at home and abroad.

The bill significantly expands Red Crescent’s operational mandate during crises. With coordination from relevant public institutions, the organization would be authorized to visit detention facilities and locations where prisoners of war or civilians are held, monitor humanitarian conditions, investigate missing persons, facilitate family communication and deliver aid.

It could also serve as an intermediary in prisoner exchanges and family reunification efforts.

To carry out such duties, Red Crescent would gain regulated access to necessary personal data through formal protocols with state institutions, limited strictly to authorized personnel and humanitarian purposes.

The proposal also allows the organization to access facilities sheltering disaster-affected or displaced populations to conduct humanitarian observation and reporting.

Another notable provision centralizes international humanitarian assistance. Under the bill, Red Crescent would become the sole authorized institution to receive and distribute financial and in-kind aid sent to Türkiye by the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies, the International Committee of the Red Cross and partner national societies, a framework supporters say would reduce fragmentation and duplication during emergencies.

New authorities

Perhaps the most consequential reforms involve procurement and disaster logistics.

The legislation classifies disaster preparedness systems, temporary shelter products, first-aid services and humanitarian logistics provided by Red Crescent and its affiliated enterprises as “strategic procurement.”

This would allow public institutions to source such services directly from Red Crescent without standard Public Procurement Law procedures, while still requiring transparency, oversight and efficient use of public resources.

Supporters say the change reflects lessons from recent disasters, where speed and supply security often proved more critical than lengthy procurement processes.

The proposal also strengthens institutional cooperation. Public agencies could allocate equipment and movable assets to the Red Crescent free of charge when deemed in the public interest, while social assistance data held by the Family and Social Services Ministry could be shared through protocols to help avoid duplication and reach vulnerable populations more effectively.

Financial and operational exemptions form another pillar of the bill. Medical and scientific equipment imported for humanitarian use would be exempt from customs duties, while several fees linked to public-service activities would also be waived.

Blood services, among the Red Crescent’s largest and most visible operations, receive particular attention. Under the proposal, the Social Security Institution (SGK) would directly reimburse the organization for blood products supplied to public hospitals and university health care providers.

The bill additionally extends monetary compensation to Red Crescent personnel actively working during wars, disasters and extraordinary situations, placing them alongside other frontline responders recognized under Turkish law.

The Red Crescent’s internal governance would continue to be regulated through a statute approved by the president, while the Turkish Civil Code and Associations Law would apply where the new legislation remains silent.

For supporters, the proposal represents more than an administrative update. They describe it as an effort to equip one of Türkiye’s oldest humanitarian institutions for an era marked by more frequent disasters, regional instability and increasingly complex aid operations.

If adopted, the law would provide Red Crescent with a clearer legal mandate, stronger operational tools and a more defined institutional role as Türkiye’s primary humanitarian responder.

Türkiye on Monday celebrated Africa Day by reaffirming its commitment to strengthening political, economic and strategic partnerships with African nations as they marked the 63rd anniversary of the African Union’s founding.

In a written statement on the occasion, the Turkish Foreign Ministry extended its congratulations and highlighted the symbolic significance of the day for the continent.

“We sincerely celebrate May 25 Africa Day, which coincides with the 63rd anniversary of the African Union and symbolizes the spirit of peace, freedom, unity and solidarity across the African continent,” the ministry said.

The statement underlined that Türkiye, as a strategic partner of the African Union, would continue to stand alongside African nations in their efforts toward development, justice and peace based on equal partnership, mutual trust, mutual respect and a win-win approach.

The ministry also pointed to preparations for the Fourth Türkiye-Africa Partnership Summit planned for 2026, describing the gathering as an opportunity to further cooperation.

“In this framework, we are meticulously continuing preparations for the Fourth Türkiye-Africa Partnership Summit, which we aim to hold this year and which will provide an opportunity to further advance our cooperation,” the statement said.

It added that Türkiye and Africa would continue working together to promote peace, prosperity and stability at both regional and international levels.

According to ministry sources, Türkiye’s engagement with Africa began with its Africa Opening Policy launched in 1998 and later evolved into the Africa Partnership Policy in 2013.

Over the past 25 years, relations between Türkiye and African countries have expanded significantly across political, trade, security, defense, cultural and development sectors.

Türkiye increased the number of its embassies across Africa from 12 in 2002 to 44 by 2024, while the number of African embassies in Türkiye rose from 10 in 2008 to 38 in 2024. Mozambique and Botswana most recently decided to open embassies in Türkiye.

Economic ties have also strengthened. Türkiye signed trade and economic cooperation agreements with 50 African countries, investment agreements with 32 countries and defense industry cooperation agreements with 29 countries.

Trade volume between Türkiye and Africa rose from $4.3 billion in 2002 to approximately $40 billion by the end of 2025, according to the ministry.

Turkish investments in Africa reached $10 billion in 2024, up from $67 million in 2003, while Turkish contractors completed projects worth a combined $97 billion across the continent by the end of 2025.

The relationship has also expanded through education and development initiatives. Around 65,000 African students are currently pursuing higher education in Türkiye, while Türkiye has supported major health projects in Somalia, Sudan and Niger.

Türkiye became an observer to the African Union in 2005 and was declared a strategic partner by the bloc in 2008. Since then, three Türkiye-Africa Partnership Summits have been held, with the latest taking place in Istanbul in 2021, under the auspices of President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan.

Preparations are also ongoing for the fourth summit scheduled for 2026.

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