Politics
Erdoğan marks Istanbul conquest anniversary, defends city’s status
President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan on Friday commemorated the 573rd anniversary of the conquest of Istanbul, rejecting calls that question its historical status.
Speaking at a ceremony titled “From the Conquest of Istanbul to the Conquest of Hearts” at the Haliç Congress Center, Erdoğan criticized those who challenge the legacy of the conquest, saying they were uncomfortable with Islamic symbols associated with the city’s Ottoman heritage.
“Whoever says Istanbul’s status should change cannot accept the Quran recited at Topkapı Palace or the call to prayer heard at Hagia Sophia,” Erdoğan said.
Erdoğan noted Istanbul has been a Turkish city since 1453 and remains a source of pride for the nation. He argued that some critics, both inside and outside the country, still have not accepted the city’s conquest centuries later.
The Turkish leader said the conquest of Istanbul in 1453 brought renewal and prosperity to the city.
“The conquest of Istanbul was the reconstruction and revival of a city whose places of worship, including Hagia Sophia, had been plundered, whose neighborhoods had turned into swamps,” Erdoğan said.
The president’s remarks came during celebrations that coincided with the Eid al-Adha holiday, which he said strengthened the event’s spiritual significance.
Addressing the audience, Erdoğan extended holiday greetings to Türkiye’s 86 million citizens and to people living in more than 150 countries. He emphasized the values of solidarity, charity and unity associated with Eid al-Adha, saying the holiday reinforces bonds among Muslims worldwide and strengthens social cohesion.
The conquest of Istanbul by Ottoman Sultan Mehmed II in 1453 marked the end of the Byzantine Empire and remains a significant milestone in Turkish history.
Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan will pay an official visit to Singapore on June 2, marking his first official trip to the Southeast Asian city-state since taking office, according to the Foreign Ministry.
During the visit, Fidan is expected to be received by Singaporean Prime Minister Lawrence Wong and hold separate meetings with Foreign Minister Vivian Balakrishnan and Minister for Home Affairs and Coordinating Minister for National Security K. Shanmugam.
The Turkish foreign minister is also scheduled to deliver a speech at the prestigious Raffles Lectures event organized by the International Institute for Strategic Studies (IISS), where he is expected to outline Türkiye’s foreign policy priorities and regional outlook.
According to ministry sources, discussions will focus on expanding bilateral trade and investment ties, strengthening defense and defense industry cooperation, and addressing regional and global developments.
Fidan is expected to emphasize the importance of increasing trade volume under the framework of the Türkiye-Singapore Free Trade Agreement, which entered into force in 2017. The agreement, signed in 2015, is considered one of Türkiye’s most comprehensive trade deals, covering goods, services, investments and government procurement.
The minister is also expected to highlight the growing strategic value of defense cooperation amid evolving regional security dynamics and discuss potential steps to deepen collaboration in the defense industry sector.
As two countries located along strategically significant maritime and trade routes, Türkiye and Singapore are expected to explore opportunities for cooperation in connectivity and energy security, which Ankara views as critical to regional and global stability.
The talks are also expected to cover emerging sectors including renewable energy, electric vehicles, semiconductors, artificial intelligence, digitalization, financial technologies and the halal food industry.
On the multilateral front, Fidan is expected to underline the importance of cooperation within international platforms, including the United Nations, the Group of 20 and the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN).
He is also expected to reiterate Türkiye’s commitment to advancing its ties with ASEAN and its aspiration to upgrade its current Sectoral Dialogue Partnership status to full Dialogue Partnership.
Regional issues, including the Russia-Ukraine war, the conflict in Gaza, developments involving Iran, the Strait of Hormuz, Syria and the South China Sea, are also expected to be discussed.
Türkiye-Singapore ties
Türkiye established its first honorary consulate in Singapore in 1865. The first Ottoman consul general assigned to Singapore, Ataullah Ahmed Efendi, took office in 1901.
Diplomatic relations between Türkiye and Singapore were formally established on Feb. 12, 1969, while Türkiye opened its embassy in Singapore on Nov. 1, 1985.
Bilateral relations have continued to develop positively under the Strategic Partnership framework established between the two countries in 2014.
Trade volume between Türkiye and Singapore reached $1.07 billion in 2025. Since 2002, Singapore has invested approximately $11 billion in Türkiye, including around $1 billion in foreign direct investment and $10 billion in portfolio investment.
The Türkiye-Singapore Free Trade Agreement, signed in 2015, entered into force in 2017. Covering not only trade in goods but also services, investments and government procurement, the agreement is considered one of the most comprehensive free trade agreements Türkiye has concluded to date.
Türkiye and Australia on Thursday outlined their priorities for the upcoming U.N. climate summit during an event at the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) headquarters in Paris, emphasizing international cooperation, clean energy transition and sustainable development ahead of COP31, which Türkiye will host later this year.
The event, jointly organized by the Turkish and Australian permanent delegations to the OECD, brought together diplomats, energy experts and policymakers to discuss preparations for the 31st Conference of the Parties (COP31) to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change.
Among the participants were Türkiye’s Permanent Representative to the OECD Esen Altuğ, Australia’s Permanent Representative to the OECD Stephen Jones, OECD Environment Director Jaime de Bourbon de Parme and International Energy Agency (IEA) Director of Sustainability, Technology and Outlooks Laura Cozzi.
Speaking at the event, Altuğ said Türkiye and Australia had developed a new model of cooperation under the COP31 framework that seeks to bridge regions and strengthen climate diplomacy.
“This new model connects the Mediterranean and the Pacific, launching a new form of environmental diplomacy based on dialogue, consensus and action,” Altuğ said.
She said the summit’s priorities would include clean energy transition, low-carbon industrialization, climate-resilient cities, sustainable agriculture and food security.
Altuğ also highlighted Türkiye’s commitment to ensuring that the road to COP31 remains transparent, inclusive and solution-oriented. She noted that the world leaders summit will take place in the southern province of Antalya on Nov. 11-12.
“Zero waste and the circular economy are among COP31’s priorities, and we hope tonight’s reception reflects that spirit,” she said.
Jones stressed the need for multilateral action on climate change through COP31, arguing that global cooperation remains essential despite growing geopolitical tensions.
He said energy security had once again become a major concern amid ongoing conflicts in Europe and the Middle East, underscoring the importance of accelerating the transition to renewable energy.
Pointing to declining renewable energy costs, Jones said approximately half of household electricity consumption in Australia is currently supplied by renewable sources.
“We are undergoing a transformation aimed at reducing our dependence on fossil fuels,” he said.
Cozzi welcomed the partnership between Türkiye and Australia, describing it as an example of leadership in an increasingly complex international environment.
“Thank you for leading and guiding this new multilateral world,” she said.
She noted that the world is experiencing an unprecedented energy crisis and said discussions during visits by IEA Executive Director Fatih Birol to both Türkiye and Australia had focused on linking energy security challenges with COP31 objectives.
“We want to find structural solutions to the crisis we are facing today,” Cozzi said.
She also recalled that Türkiye’s Environment, Urbanization and Climate Change Minister and COP31 President Murat Kurum addressed the first session of the IEA’s High-Level Energy Transition Dialogues in Paris on April 30, outlining Türkiye’s climate priorities.
OECD Environment Director de Bourbon de Parme welcomed closer cooperation with Türkiye on COP31 and reaffirmed support for the implementation of the Paris Agreement.
“There is no better family than the OECD and the IEA to support COP31,” he said, adding that national climate commitments and investment plans are already producing measurable progress in reducing greenhouse gas emissions.
The event concluded with a reception featuring Turkish cuisine prepared under a zero-waste concept, highlighting the role of sustainable consumption in addressing climate challenges.
Guests at the event were offered a selection of sustainable Turkish dishes prepared with a focus on reducing food loss and waste. The menu was inspired by this year’s Turkish Cuisine Week theme, “Heritage on One Table,” which promotes sustainable food traditions and responsible consumption.
Türkiye is set to host the 31st United Nations Climate Change Conference, or COP31, in the Mediterranean resort city of Antalya in November under a joint framework with Australia. The summit is expected to focus heavily on climate adaptation, financing and implementation of commitments made under the Paris Agreement.
Türkiye has increasingly positioned itself as a central actor in global climate diplomacy ahead of COP31, promoting themes such as resilience, sustainable urban transformation and practical implementation.
Thirty-seven years after the mass migration of ethnic Turks from Bulgaria to Türkiye, survivors of the assimilation campaign say the trauma of forced name changes, cultural repression and violence remains vivid.
Between 1984 and 1989, Bulgarian government implemented policies aimed at assimilating the country’s Turkish minority. Hundreds of thousands of ethnic Turks were pressured to adopt Slavic names, abandon the public use of the Turkish language and face restrictions on religious practices. The campaign culminated in the forced migration of more than 350,000 people to Türkiye in 1989.
Among those still haunted by the period is Sevinç Deniz, 60, whose father died after being detained by Bulgarian authorities for refusing to change his name.
Speaking to Anadolu Agency (AA), Deniz recalled that life in Bulgaria had been peaceful before the assimilation campaign intensified in the early 1980s.
“My father was taken from our home during a police raid because he refused to change his name,” she said. “Four days later, he returned in a coffin.”
Deniz said authorities attempted to replace her father’s Turkish name, Mustafa Mehmed Ibrahimov, with a Bulgarian one. According to her, his death certificate and coffin bore the name “Mihail” despite his refusal to accept it while alive.
“When I saw him, there were marks on his body and signs of violence,” she said. “He was only 41 years old and had his whole life ahead of him.”
Deniz said the experience shattered her family and left lasting psychological scars. Although she occasionally visits Bulgaria, she said memories of the period continue to cause fear and pain.
Another survivor, Nurettin Öztürk, 64, said he also resisted pressure to adopt a Bulgarian name.
“They gave me three days to change my name or leave,” he said. Rather than comply, Öztürk moved to another city before eventually migrating to Türkiye.
Öztürk said many Bulgarian Turks longed for Türkiye and were grateful for the opportunity to rebuild their lives after arriving.
“We worked hard and tried not to be a burden on the state,” he said. “Today we are thankful. We have homes, our children received an education, and we are satisfied with our lives in our country.”
At the same time, he said many migrants maintain emotional ties to Bulgaria, where relatives and ancestral roots remain.
Öztürk also objected to being described as a “Bulgarian migrant,” arguing that the label overlooks their Turkish identity and the circumstances that forced them to leave.
For many survivors, the memories of the assimilation campaign remain an enduring part of their lives decades after their arrival in Türkiye.
Türkiye on Friday called on all parties to avoid actions that could further inflame tensions in the Black Sea after a drone strike hit a Turkish-owned cargo vessel off Ukraine’s southern coast, injuring two crew members and sparking a fire on board.
The Foreign Ministry said in a statement it had conveyed Ankara’s concerns to “all relevant parties” following the incident and reiterated its warning against steps that could lead to an uncontrolled escalation of the war in the region.
It said the situation was being closely monitored and confirmed that the injured crew members were Turkish nationals.
“We are closely monitoring the conditions of the two Turkish nationals,” the ministry said, adding that Türkiye was coordinating with relevant authorities over the safety of maritime traffic in the Black Sea.
Ukraine’s navy said earlier on Friday that Russian drones struck the vessel late Thursday while it was sailing from the Odesa region toward Türkiye, causing a fire and forcing the evacuation of part of the crew.
The vessel, which was sailing under the Vanuatu flag and was reportedly carrying cargo at the time, had Turkish ownership links, according to Ukrainian officials.
“The Russian Federation carried out a targeted attack on a Turkish vessel,” the Ukrainian navy said in a statement posted on Telegram. It said two crew members were wounded but did not immediately provide further details on the ship’s cargo or extent of damage.
Russian authorities did not immediately comment on the Ukrainian allegations.
The incident comes amid repeated strikes on shipping in the Black Sea, a critical corridor for grain and commercial goods since the start of the war in Ukraine. Maritime security in the region has remained a point of concern for coastal states, including Türkiye, which controls access to the Black Sea through the Bosporus under the 1936 Montreux Convention.
Ankara has repeatedly urged both Moscow and Kyiv to avoid actions that could endanger civilian shipping, warning that spillover from the conflict risks wider instability in the region.
Türkiye’s main opposition Republican People’s Party (CHP) is entering a new phase of internal struggle as reinstated Chairman Kemal Kılıçdaroğlu moves to consolidate authority following a court ruling that annulled the party’s 2023 congress, while tensions rise over possible disciplinary measures against rivals Özgür Özel and jailed Istanbul Mayor Ekrem Imamoğlu.
Attention has shifted to Kılıçdaroğlu’s expected address at CHP headquarters, where he is set to return publicly for the first time since the court decision restored his leadership and overturned the congress that had brought Özel to power.
The ruling, issued under the legal doctrine of “absolute nullity,” invalidated the November 2023 congress and reinstated CHP’s pre-congress administration on an interim basis until a new congress can be organized.
The decision triggered a fierce power struggle between competing factions and culminated days later in clashes outside party headquarters after riot police removed Özel’s administration from the building.
Authorities later opened an investigation into the unrest.
While both Kılıçdaroğlu and Özel say a congress is ultimately unavoidable, disagreement over timing and legitimacy has widened the divide.
“We will hold a congress, friends. Can there be a party without a congress?” Kılıçdaroğlu said this week.
“Of course, for this to happen, the congress must be held on legal grounds.”
His remarks underscored the legal argument increasingly advanced by his supporters: that party structures remain in transition and that any leadership contest must wait until court procedures and injunction questions are resolved.
That position has strengthened Kılıçdaroğlu’s institutional standing inside the party.
The Party Council meeting expected in early June has been postponed, with CHP headquarters citing delays in formal notification procedures concerning council appointments. Kılıçdaroğlu also informed lawmakers that the parliamentary group meeting would not be convened until further notice.
The moves effectively place key party organs on hold while legal and organizational questions are reviewed.
The authority dispute now extends beyond the chairmanship itself.
Özel, who was elected parliamentary group chair by CHP lawmakers after the court ruling, maintains that his political legitimacy remains intact and continues to call for a rapid congress or a broader leadership vote involving party members.
“There is a completely unlawful decision here,” Özel said during a visit to İzmir, arguing that restrictions linked to the ruling should not prevent him from exercising political authority.
He has also rejected suggestions of a split.
“No one should leave the party, no one should resign,” Özel told supporters.
Yet Kılıçdaroğlu’s camp increasingly appears focused on institutional consolidation before any vote takes place.
Party figures aligned with Kılıçdaroğlu argue that the CHP cannot organize a credible congress under the existing delegate structure, citing court findings and ongoing investigations tied to alleged irregularities during the 2023 leadership contest.
Former CHP figure Gürsel Tekin has argued that a renewed congress process beginning with local delegate elections could take several months to complete.
Others close to Kılıçdaroğlu have spoken of the need for what they describe as a “purification” period before a new contest is held.
The debate has also revived questions over disciplinary authority.
Figures within the Kılıçdaroğlu camp have increasingly voiced calls for disciplinary scrutiny targeting individuals they hold responsible for the confrontation surrounding party headquarters and the wider crisis.
Among the names frequently mentioned are Özel and Imamoğlu, whose political alliance helped shape the 2023 leadership transition.
No formal expulsion proceedings have been announced.
However, party sources say the High Disciplinary Board, restored alongside the pre-congress administration, could become a decisive institution should disciplinary referrals emerge.
The dispute reflects deeper questions about who currently exercises legitimate authority inside the CHP.
Under party bylaws, the chair holds broad powers to represent and manage the organization, convene party bodies and oversee coordination between headquarters and the parliamentary group.
The Party Council, meanwhile, functions as the highest decision-making organ after the congress, shaping strategy, approving candidate lists and possessing the authority to call an extraordinary congress.
The Central Executive Board serves as the party’s executive arm, while disciplinary mechanisms remain separate from day-to-day administration.
That institutional architecture has turned legal interpretation into a political battleground.
Supporters of Özel insist the crisis should be resolved quickly through a fresh vote reflecting delegate or member will. Kılıçdaroğlu allies counter that rushing to a congress before legal questions are settled risks deepening instability and reproducing the same disputes that led to the court intervention.
The rivalry has increasingly spilled into internal party communications and public messaging.
Reports of heated exchanges among CHP lawmakers and separate factional coordination channels have highlighted the deteriorating atmosphere inside the party, while accusations of political pressure and influence campaigns continue to circulate between rival camps.
Both sides deny wrongdoing.
For now, the central question confronting Türkiye’s main opposition party is no longer whether a congress will take place, but under whose authority and according to which timetable.
As Kılıçdaroğlu prepares to reappear at headquarters, his camp appears to hold the stronger institutional position. Yet Özel retains support among segments of the parliamentary group and party base, setting the stage for a prolonged struggle over the CHP’s future leadership and political direction.
President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan said Türkiye and Pakistan are working together with “brotherly countries” to help end ongoing regional conflicts and restore peace and stability, underscoring the importance of mediation efforts and expressing hope for positive outcomes from negotiations.
The remarks came as Erdoğan and Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif discussed bilateral ties and regional developments amid heightened tensions across the region, according to a statement made by the Presidential Communications Directorate.
Erdoğan said Ankara and Islamabad would continue taking steps to deepen Türkiye-Pakistan relations across all sectors, reaffirming the close partnership between the two countries.
The Turkish president also congratulated Sharif and the people of Pakistan on Eid al-Adha.
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