Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs Ambassador Musa Kulaklıkaya, Chairman of the National Defense Commission of the Grand National Assembly of Turkey Hulusi Akar, MHP Deputy Chairman İlyas Topsakal, diplomatic mission representatives and many guests attended the program hosted by Russia’s Ambassador to Ankara Sergey Verşinin.

At the reception, which started with the reading of the national anthems of Türkiye and Russia, messages were given to improve relations between the two countries.

DIPLOMATIC CONTACTS WERE MADE

While AK Party Ankara Provincial Chairman Hakan Han Özcan met with the guests within the scope of the reception, he also held meetings with representatives of diplomatic circles, especially Russia’s Ankara Ambassador Sergey Verşinin.

In the program where Türkiye-Russia relations were discussed, evaluations regarding strengthening the political, economic, cultural and humanitarian ties between the two countries came to the fore.

EMPHASIS ON Türkiye-RUSSIA RELATIONS

Speaking at the reception, Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs Ambassador Musa Kulaklıkaya stated that Turkey and Russia are two countries of special importance for the stability of their geography and said, “Under the leadership of our Presidents, we continue our work to further strengthen the positive momentum in Turkish-Russian relations in the coming period.”

Russian Ambassador to Ankara Sergey Vershinin stated that relations with Turkey are of special importance for them and that cooperation continues to develop in many areas, especially energy, trade, tourism, culture and education.

Emphasizing that the communication between Russian President Vladimir Putin and President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan plays a “unique role” in terms of bilateral relations, Vershinin said that mutual respect, trust and pragmatism form a solid basis for the development of Russia-Turkey relations.

“WE RECOMMEND CHP TO RESOLVE CONFLICTS WITHIN THE PARTY THEMSELVES”
In response to a press member’s question regarding the developments in the CHP, Kurtulmuş said, “We hope and recommend that the corporate identity of the CHP continues in integrity and that they somehow resolve these conflicts and conflicts among themselves. As the Presidency of the Grand National Assembly of Turkey, we make decisions within the framework of the internal regulations of the parties and the internal directives of the party Parliamentary groups. In other words, it is never possible for the Grand National Assembly of Turkey to take sides in the internal disputes of any party.”
Underlining that the Turkish Grand National Assembly will never be a party to the discussions within the CHP, Kurtulmuş said, “In order for the healthy functioning of Turkey’s democracy, I recommend and hope that the CHP leaves these discussions behind as soon as possible and establishes the institutional identity of the party in the best possible way through the agreements they will create among themselves.”

“THE GNAT IS NOT THE AUTHORITY TO RESOLVE THIS DISCUSSION”
When CHP Chairman Kemal Kılıçdaroğlu asked whether CHP Group Chairman Özgür Özel had a request to vacate the office room in the Parliament and allocate it to himself, Kurtulmuş said, “These are all details in the big picture. The Parliament Presidency will take the necessary steps when the time comes. No one should doubt this. If there is a contradiction, if there is a debate, the party to the discussion, the side of the contradiction, or the authority that will resolve this debate is not the Grand National Assembly of Turkey.”

TERRORIST-FREE Türkiye PROCESS
Regarding the ‘Terror-Free Turkey’ process and the report prepared by the National Solidarity, Fraternity and Democracy Commission in this context, Kurtulmuş said, “The Commission report is a road map. Especially the sixth and seventh articles of this joint memorandum text are concrete proposals put forward to determine the road map. The requirements of these articles must be fulfilled. In parallel with the determination that the terrorist organization, which is defined as the critical threshold, has laid down its weapons and it is understood that the organization has completely dissolved itself, the necessary legal regulations must be made in the Parliament. “I believe that this process should be accelerated,” he said.

Minister of Foreign Affairs Hakan Fidan spoke at the joint press conference held after his meeting with his counterpart Petrova-Chamova in Sofia, the capital of Bulgaria.

Stating that he was pleased to visit strategic ally and neighbor Bulgaria, Fidan said that the bilateral and multilateral agenda is intense as a result of the deepening strategic partnership with Bulgaria.

Fidan emphasized that they act as two neighbors and allies that directly complement each other in every field from border security to energy, from transportation to trade, and that the region benefits as the Turkey-Bulgaria partnership strengthens, and pointed out that the Southeastern European Cooperation Process (SECP) Heads of State and Government Summit hosted by Bulgaria, hosted by Bulgaria yesterday, strengthened this opinion.

Reminding that they held productive meetings and bilateral discussions on the future of the region on the occasion of the summit, Fidan congratulated Bulgaria for its perfect organization and successful term presidency.

Fidan stated that the way to permanent stability and prosperity in the Balkans geography, where Türkiye has deep historical ties and deep-rooted friendships, is through strengthening cooperation and dialogue between the countries of the region, and that he emphasized the necessity of resolving regional issues with the understanding of “regional ownership” at yesterday’s summit, where this understanding came to the fore.

Stating that they discussed all aspects of relations with his Bulgarian counterpart Petrova-Chamova, Fidan said that he would be received by Bulgarian President Iliyana Yotova and Prime Minister Rumen Radev during the day.

Fidan underlined that they agreed on increasing mutual visits with Bulgaria and further deepening the existing cooperation, and said, “We have a common history and strong and human ties with Bulgaria. Bulgarian Turks and Muslims play an exceptional role in strengthening these ties. The contributions of our compatriots to the political, economic, human, cultural, scientific and artistic life of Bulgaria make us proud.” he said.

Minister Fidan stated that mutual steps towards the preservation of historical and cultural heritage and transferring it to future generations will further strengthen the bonds of friendship.

Stating that he and his counterpart put forward a strategic perspective in the fields of border security, transportation and logistics, Fidan said, “We will continue to fight against common threats regarding our border security, especially irregular migration, without making any concessions in the coming period.” he said.

Fidan drew attention to the importance of cooperation in the fields of connectivity and transportation and emphasized that the infrastructure in these areas is of critical importance for the supply chains of the region, the Central Corridor and Europe, as well as for the two countries.

“We confirmed our common will to build a new border gate in the north of Kapıkule (with Bulgaria), the busiest border gate in Europe. We also exchanged views on increasing the capacity at our border gates and on road and railway projects that will strengthen regional connectivity.” Fidan said that they are grateful for the support provided by the Bulgarian authorities to ensure smooth border crossings of Turkish citizens who will travel from Europe to Türkiye in the summer months.

“OUR TRADE VOLUME WILL EXCEED 8.4 BILLION EUROS IN 2025”

Stating that there are relations between Turkey and Bulgaria in the field of energy that are expanding, diversifying and deepening every year, Fidan said, “Turkish Petroleum is starting oil and natural gas exploration in the Han Tervel field, located in Bulgaria’s exclusive economic zone, this year.” he said.

Fidan emphasized that the “Memorandum of Understanding on Cooperation in the Field of Green Electricity Transmission and Trade”, signed in Baku in 2025 with the participation of Azerbaijan and Georgia, is important in terms of energy supply security and said, “Our strengthened cooperation in the fields of energy and transportation is directly reflected in our bilateral trade. “In 2025, our trade volume has exceeded 8.4 billion euros,” he said.

Reminding the “5th Balkan Forum” to be held tomorrow, Fidan said, “We hope that this valuable forum will contribute to our economic cooperation.” he said.

Fidan said that the permanence of economic gains is only possible by strengthening regional security uncompromisingly and said, “With this understanding, we comprehensively evaluated regional issues, especially Black Sea security and developments in the Middle East, in our meetings.” he said.

Pointing out that while military relations with Bulgaria are being deepened within NATO and at the bilateral level, concrete steps have been taken in the context of regional developments, Fidan said, “The Black Sea Mine Countermeasures Task Group, which we established with Bulgaria and Romania, undertakes an important mission in the Black Sea in establishing navigation safety. We are determined to further the activities of the task group we currently command.” he said.

“IT IS CLEAR THAT A EUROPEAN ARCHITECTURE WHERE Türkiye DOES NOT TAKE THE PLACE IT DESERVES WILL REMAIN INCOMPLETE AND ITS CAPACITY TO DEAL WITH CRISIS WILL BE WEAK.”

Fidan emphasized that the long-term guarantee of Black Sea security is the end of the Russia-Ukraine War and said:

“We see the testing of peace between Russia and Ukraine as essential for the peace of our region. As Turkey, we will continue to provide our active support to the parties in this direction. Our expectation is to reach a permanent and fair peace based on international law as soon as possible.”

Fidan stated that the multidimensional crises shaking the region and the world clearly reveal the strategic and indispensable nature of Türkiye-European Union (EU) relations and continued as follows:

“It is clear that a European architecture in which Türkiye does not take its rightful place will be incomplete and its capacity to cope with crises will be weakened. The economic future of the EU depends on increasing its competitiveness, strengthening its resilience and being able to re-establish supply chains in its nearby geography. In this context, deepening economic integration with Turkey is a strategic necessity for the EU.”

Fidan emphasized that it is essential that the EU’s defense and security initiatives are carried out with an inclusive approach that includes Türkiye, which is a strong NATO ally and contributes to the security of Europe, and said, “In this context, we also appreciate the valuable support provided by Bulgaria to Türkiye’s EU membership process.” he said.

Minister of Foreign Affairs Hakan Fidan, regarding the attacks that have resumed between the USA and Iran and pose the risk of escalation, said, “We recommend that the parties stop their mutual attacks and attacks as soon as possible, return to the negotiation table and finish the text that they are close to finishing. Our work and efforts are in this direction.” he said.

Fidan spoke at the joint press conference held after his meeting with Bulgarian Foreign Minister Velislava Petrova-Chamova in Sofia, the capital of Bulgaria, and then answered questions.

Answering the question about how the relations between the two countries will progress with the new government established after the elections in Bulgaria, Fidan emphasized that Turkey and Bulgaria are the continuation of each other in history, culture, geography and in every sense.

Fidan said, “Therefore, it is a duty for those of us in responsible positions to take the cooperation between us to the highest level in modern times. Our President (Recep Tayyip Erdoğan)’s will on this issue is extremely clear and unambiguous. We desire to raise our relations with Bulgaria to the highest possible level.” he said.

Stating that “a tremendous cooperation activity” continues in many areas from energy security to connectivity, tourism, education, technological cooperation and infrastructure investments, Fidan said, “These are not potential, but existing and realized areas and it is necessary to move them further.” he said.

“I THINK THERE IS A GREAT AREA OF OPPORTUNITY WITH THE GOVERNMENT FOUNDED BY RADEV”

Fidan stated that the consecutive elections held in Bulgaria caused political instability and that due to this situation, not much investment could be made in long-term projects, and that despite this, they continued to cooperate with the Bulgarian authorities as much as they could.

Pointing out that after the last elections, a new government was established in Bulgaria under the Prime Ministership of Rumen Radev and that this government brought political stability, Fidan said, “With the continuity that will continue, I believe that the will that exists between the two countries can be brought to life more easily with concrete projects. Therefore, I think that there is a great opportunity between the two countries right now with the government established by Mr. Radev.” he said.

US-IRAN NEGOTIATIONS

Regarding the negotiations between Iran and the USA, Fidan stated that everyone has a widespread opinion that an agreement will be reached.

Fidan said that they are in constant contact with the parties, but that the mutual attacks that started two days ago carry a risk of escalation and said, “So this really worries us. We recommend that the parties stop their mutual attacks and attacks as soon as possible, return to the negotiation table and finish the text that they are close to finishing. Our work and efforts are in this direction.” he said.

Underlining that escalation of the war, increasing tension, and returning to an all-out war environment are of no benefit to anyone, Fidan said, “No matter how difficult it is, no matter how nerve-consuming it is, there should be a goal to carry the negotiations to the final point, they should end this. Our advice is in this direction.” he said.

Fidan answered a journalist’s question regarding the negotiations between Türkiye and Bulgaria regarding the Pipeline Petroleum Transportation Joint Stock Company (BOTAŞ).

Stating that this issue was discussed by the technical teams of the energy ministries of the two countries, Fidan said:

“There is a much greater potential for energy cooperation between Turkey and Bulgaria. Both in terms of energy connectivity, making new energy investments and jointly implementing them. Among these, I believe that this problem will be solved more easily. Sincere searches and efforts on this issue are being carried out by our relevant authorities. Our President also has an instruction to ‘finish this issue now, solve it’. Hopefully, a solution will be found soon.”

Breaking news: President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan said, “Traits such as solidarity, sharing, kindness and competition in charity are the basic elements of our national character, the essence and yeast of our dough.” he said.

Erdoğan attended the Turkish Red Crescent Awards Ceremony held at Beştepe Nation Congress and Culture Center.

In his speech here, President Erdoğan wished that the 158th birthday of the Turkish Red Crescent would be beneficial for the country, nation, civil society community and all humanity.

Expressing his gratitude to the volunteers, philanthropists, donors and Red Crescent employees who carry the light of the crescent, which is the symbol of the nation’s conscience and mercy, faith and patriotism, to all corners of the earth, Erdoğan wholeheartedly thanked all the citizens who gave their lives to the Red Crescent, donated their blood, and built and revitalized this institution.

“I say God bless all our friends in different parts of the world whose hearts beat with us and who protect their covenant, past, future, unity and brotherhood with their donations to the Red Crescent.” Using the expression, Erdogan said that the founders of the Turkish Red Crescent, Dr. Marko Pasha, Dr. He respectfully remembered Abdullah Bey, Crimean Aziz Bey and Serdar-ı Ekrem Ömer Pasha.

President Erdoğan prayed for God’s mercy on all the elders who had a share in turning this structure into a global goodness and solidarity movement, who contributed to this organization with their labor, effort, effort, sweat and ideas, but who have now migrated from the mortal world to the eternal world.

Erdogan, who commemorated those who were martyred while extending the helping hand of our beloved nation to the victims, the oppressed and the innocent in crisis and conflict zones, disaster and emergency relief efforts, congratulated the individuals, institutions, organizations and companies to whom they will give awards in four main categories, on behalf of himself and his nation, and wished them continued success.

“WORDS, SENTENCES OR LEGACIES ARE NOT NEEDED TO BE A CURE FOR THE PROBLEM”

Emphasizing that morality, virtue, compassion and mercy have always been encountered in every page of history where the Turkish nation has been present, Erdoğan said:

“Traits such as solidarity, sharing, kindness and competition in good deeds are the basic elements of our national character, the essence and leaven of our dough. These are the values that we, as a nation, have been the banner bearers of for centuries in the past, present and future, of which we give the best examples to humanity. In that fertile source from which we feed, in that fertile soil where our spiritual roots lie, to relieve the pain, to heal the wound, and above all, they are a panacea.” There is no need for words, sentences, or dictionaries to be present. The language, religion, or sect of the oppressed and the victim is not taken into account. The race, color, disposition, and identity of the needy are not taken into consideration. Taking the prayers of the poor, the poor, the orphan, and, in the words of the late Mehmet Akif, ‘holding up the right’ has no purpose or concern other than the consent of God. “It has manifested itself brightly in our foundations, associations and societies, as well as in states.”

THE ROLE OF THE RED CRESCENT BEHIND THE FRONT

President Erdoğan stated that the Turkish Red Crescent, which was established on June 11, 1868 under the name of the Ottoman Wounded and Sick Soldiers Aid Society, is one of these institutions.

Explaining that the Turkish Red Crescent, with its hospitals behind the front lines, patient transportation services, hospital ships it equipped, nurses and volunteer caregivers it trained, came to the aid of Turkish soldiers in all wars in which the nation struggled for existence, from the War of 1993 to the Cyprus Peace Operation, continued as follows:

“In particular, the role of the Red Crescent in the Çanakkale Victory, the First World War and the War of Independence is very, very important. In addition to its other services during the War of Independence, our Red Crescent carried 40 thousand boxes of health supplies to the front, and delivered to our soldiers the donations and aid that our long-suffering nation, with its men and women, young and old, as well as our brothers and sisters in our heartland, gave to our soldiers. See the late Mehmet Emin Yurdakul, How does he greet those heroic hearts in his poem dedicated to the ladies of the Crescent: ‘Greetings to you, O women of the crescent. Greetings to you, O pure foreheads of the land. You who bind bandages in front of the dead, you who mourn over the dead. How good, what a beautiful job this is. May God not leave the roofs better than this. ‘They are merciless, their homeland is merciless, they leave us without you and without compassion.’ “And I say, ‘May God not deprive us of the Red Crescent.'”

Breaking news | Important statements from President Erdoğan

President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan said, “Those who attack our geography like a shark that smells blood will eventually pay for the blood they shed, and the curse of the oppressed that makes the heavens tremble will sooner or later catch up with the oppressors.” he said.

Erdoğan attended the Turkish Red Crescent Awards Ceremony held at Beştepe Nation Congress and Culture Center.

“The Red Crescent is engraved not only in the hearts but also in the minds and memories of our brothers in our heartland, with the work it carries out in Palestine, Bosnia, Afghanistan, Somalia, Iraq, Syria and many other places.” Using his expressions, President Erdoğan said that the Turkish nation approached the immigrants who had to leave their homeland due to civil wars with the consciousness of Ansar and opened their arms of compassion.

Stating that Hilal-i Ahmer is at the forefront with care, shelter and nutrition activities during periods of natural disasters and epidemics, Erdoğan said, “The Red Crescent is the pride of this nation. The Red Crescent is the pride of this country. The Red Crescent is the identity document of our civilization and the mirror reflection of our national and spiritual personality. Today, I congratulate once again our Red Crescent family, which is a source of pride for our nation with its activities at home and abroad.” he said.

Reminding that the Turkish Red Crescent continues its work successfully today, from disaster management to blood services, from international aid to health and social services, from education to shelter, nutrition and psycho-social support, President Erdoğan continued as follows:

“With its branches, representations and delegations, blood donation, hospitals, logistics and medical centers and free boutique stores for those in need, all these activities continue selflessly, without any boundaries or obstacles. Our volunteers and Red Crescent members work like bees wherever their services are needed. In Gaza, where the Zionist genocide network led by Netanyahu continues its attacks, our Red Crescent has delivered more than 26 thousand tons of humanitarian aid to the region to date. 15 million meals since October 7.” We contributed to the tables of our Gazan brothers with hot meals and distributed hot meals to 30 thousand people daily through soup kitchen services.

With the sacrifice by proxy campaign, 22 thousand 757 shares were sacrificed for Gaza. Red Crescent, which provides food services to our children in Gaza with the ‘Gaza, Cheerful Children Project’ launched after the ceasefire, also carries out psycho-social support activities for children. Red Crescent Gaza Office simultaneously meticulously carries out needs identification and improvement efforts in the field. In addition to Gaza, the Red Crescent is making our nation proud with its efforts in Lebanon, which is the target of Zionist barbarians. “As I expressed in my group speech yesterday, Israel, under the current administration, has turned into a discord production factory whose raw materials are only blood and tears, only instability and chaos.”

“THOSE WHO FOLLOW HITLER TODAY SHOULD NOT FORGET”

“Those who attack our geography like a shark that smells blood will eventually pay for the blood they shed, and the curse of the oppressed that shakes the heavens will sooner or later catch up with the oppressors.” Erdoğan said, “Those who follow Hitler’s path today should not forget that if they continue like this, they will be like other oppressors in history.” he said.

Emphasizing that Türkiye will extend a helping hand to the oppressed on the one hand, and on the other hand, will continue to do its best to ensure that the massacre network is held accountable before the law and history, President Erdoğan said, “I would also like to proudly state that our Red Crescent was the first national society to deliver the most aid to the highest number of countries last year among the Red Crescent-Red Cross Society, which has more than 190 members.” he said.

Stating that this success achieved by the Red Crescent is also the clearest indicator of the generosity, magnanimous character and solidarity awareness of the Turkish nation, Erdoğan said:

“I must also underline this: During the February 6 earthquakes, our Red Crescent carried out the largest disaster response operation in its history. With the lessons learned from the disaster of the century, the Red Crescent strengthened its disaster preparedness vision and rebuilt its capacity stronger. It distributed more than 400 million hot meals and packaged food to our disaster victims in the earthquake zone. In addition to the aid of tens of thousands of tents and blankets, it supported AFAD’s shelter services. Mobile kitchens, mobile ovens, mobile soup kitchens and catering. It has ensured that nutrition services are provided completely in the field with its vehicles.

Comprehensive projects in the fields of protection, shelter, water and sanitation were carried out with community service centers established in the 6 provinces most affected by the earthquake. Cash support was given to more than ten thousand tradesmen and farmers within the scope of Tradesmen and Farmers Support Programs. On this occasion, I once again commemorate our citizens who lost their lives in the earthquake. “I would like to thank once again all our institutions, voluntary organizations and philanthropists who contributed to the recovery of our earthquake zone, from the search and rescue work with our Red Crescent and AFAD to the reconstruction of our cities.”

“WE WILL NOW PRODUCE CRITICAL DRUGS IN OUR COUNTRY”

Reminding that the Red Crescent broke a new record with blood donations of over 3 million units last year, President Erdoğan said, “Our Red Crescent continues its local and national investments in the health sector successfully. The Protürk Factory, which has an area of 130 thousand square meters in our Çubuk district, the foundation of which we will lay the foundation of soon, hopefully with a live connection, is one of them. With the Protürk Project, we will now produce critical drugs obtained from blood in our country. These drugs are used against cancer, trauma, burns, immune system diseases and hemophilia.” “We will use it in the treatment of diseases such as. In this way, we will hopefully put an end to foreign dependency on these drugs by including Türkiye in the class of countries that produce critical medicines from plasma.” he said.

Wishing that the project would be beneficial for the country and nation, Erdoğan congratulated those who contributed.

Stating that blood bags imported from abroad will be produced with Türkiye’s own resources, Erdoğan said:

“The establishment of our factory in Silivri is also ongoing. With the completion of this factory, we will reduce the import cost of 1 billion liras to zero by manufacturing approximately 3 million blood bags annually in our country and in our own facility. I hope that this investment, which we will put into service in the very near future, will be beneficial and auspicious. I would like to express my gratitude once again to every member of our Red Crescent community, to all our volunteers and donors who shoulder goodness and look after our plane of mercy.”

NOTES FROM THE CEREMONY

After her speech, Turkish Red Crescent President Fatma Meriç Yılmaz presented President Erdoğan with a painting containing the letter she wrote to the Turkish Red Crescent to find out the fate of her last son Murat, who was a volunteer of the Red Crescent Society during the War of Independence and who martyred two of her children in the Balkan War.

12-year-old Renad Attallah from Gaza, who was deemed worthy of the Palestine Special Award within the scope of the Red Crescent Awards, presented President Erdoğan with a T-shirt he designed and with the words “Free Palestine” written on it.

Minister of Internal Affairs Mustafa Çiftçi, Minister of National Education Yusuf Tekin, Minister of Health Kemal Memişoğlu, Minister of Industry and Technology Mehmet Fatih Kacır, President of the Constitutional Court Kadir Özkaya, President of the Council of Turkish States (TDT) Aksakallar Binali Yıldırım, Presidential Private Secretary Hasan Doğan, Presidential Communications Director Burhanettin Duran, AK Party Deputy Chairman Halit Yerebakan and Hüseyin Yayman also attended.

Following the award ceremony, the groundbreaking ceremony of the Protürk plasma pharmaceutical facility to be established in Ankara Çubuk was held via live broadcast.

Yılmaz spoke at the “Turkish Red Crescent Awards Ceremony” held at the Presidential Beştepe Nation Congress and Culture Center with the participation of President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan.

Stating that the Turkish Red Crescent started its journey of kindness 158 years ago on June 11, 1868, Yılmaz celebrated the birthday of the association.

Pointing to the future vision of the institution, Yılmaz said, “We are laying the foundation of the Plasma Fractionation Facility with the help of our President. It is a great honor for us. Today, on the one hand, we commemorate our history, we show loyalty to our history, on the one hand, we host and thank our very valuable donors, volunteers, and Red Crescent members, and on the other hand, we are taking an important step not only for the future of our Red Crescent but also for the future of our Turkey.” he said.

Yılmaz emphasized that the Turkish Red Crescent has become a charity movement that rushes to the troubles of the oppressed all over the world and is the first to turn on the light in times of disaster, and said:

“If this act of kindness reached more than 45 million people last year, many unnamed heroes of goodness have contributed to the prayers of these people and the oppressed. This story, the story of goodness, 158 years ago, is not actually the story of an institution. It is the story of our citizen who gave his own blood for the healing of a patient he did not know. It is the story of our volunteers who leave their own pain and rush to the pain of others in earthquakes, floods and fires, even though they are themselves victims of disasters.”

Stating that every volunteer and every donor who will be awarded today represents the power of goodness, Yılmaz stated that every award given shows that goodness is contagious.

“RED CRESCENT OPERATES IN 44 COUNTRIES”

Yılmaz stated that they operate in 44 countries abroad and that the aid entrusted to them by donors is delivered to those in need and prayers of kindness are conveyed to the donors.

Underlining that Gaza is experiencing the worst atrocity the world has ever seen today, Yılmaz said, “Women and children in Gaza are fighting hunger to find a piece of bread there. They are trying to find a place to lay their heads. With the contribution of our donors, 2.5 million Gazans who can reach a piece of bread in Gaza today, thanks to our soup kitchens, and receive health care, send their greetings and prayers to you.” he said.

Yılmaz emphasized that Türkiye is the country that provides the most aid to Gaza and said that, thanks to the contributions of donors, the Turkish Red Crescent is the association that provides aid to the most countries and reaches out to the most oppressed among 192 national societies.

Pointing out that the work carried out was not a coincidence, Yılmaz noted that this success was possible thanks to the donors’ trust in the Turkish Red Crescent and the volunteers’ efforts to do good by sacrificing their time and resources.

Yılmaz said, “We Red Crescent members know that as long as our nation and this spirit of charity of our nation are behind us, and as long as it is passed down from generation to generation, the Red Crescent will continue to provide this service for centuries.” he said.

AWARD RECIPIENTS

The award recipients in the program are as follows:

“Dedicated Volunteer of the Year” Yonus Özer, “Inspiring Volunteer of the Year” Hüseyin Seven, “Inspiring Blood Donor of the Year” Büşra Tokgöz, “Stem Cell Donor of the Year” Zübeyir Güçlü, “Young Blood Donor of the Year” Onur Yetkin, Abdullah Halid Er, Hasan Sünger, “Blood Donor of the Year” Canan Karabulut, “Individual of the Year” Donors” Kemal Taşhan (Kavi Gıda) and Mustafa Mangan (Mangan Proje), “Real Estate Donor of the Year” Abdullah Kaymak (BTPAR), “Consistent Donor of the Year” Sancak Yatırım, Kuralkan Bilişim, Starwood Orman Ürünleri AŞ, “National Corporate Donor of the Year” LC Waikiki, Atasay Kuyumculuk, İnci Ecza Deposu, “Donation Special Awards” Borsa Istanbul, MÜSİAD, YDA İnşaat, Kalyon Foundation, Anadolu Group, “Red Crescent Goodness Ambassador of the Year” Acun Ilıcalı (Acun Medya), “Public Institution Donor of the Year” Presidential Protection Services General Directorate personnel, Türkiye Sigorta, Ankara Chamber of Commerce (ATO), “Corporate Blood Donor of the Year” Şahinbey Municipality, THY Support Services, Kardemir AŞ, “Corporate Volunteer of the Year” Minister of National Education Yusuf Tekin and “Palestine Special Award” Renad Attallah, “Red Crescent Disabled Volunteer of the Year” Selma Keziban Yıldız, “Young Red Crescent Volunteer of the Year” Ayşe Tatar, “Red Crescent Women Volunteer of the Year” Sevde Hazal Ak, “Volunteer of the Year” Mustafa Canbaz.

In the program, Turkish Red Crescent Alaca Representation received the “Most Successful Representation of the Year” award, Turkish Red Crescent Gaziemir District Branch received the “Most Successful Branch of the Year” award, and Turkish Red Crescent Konya Provincial Center received the “Most Successful Provincial Center of the Year” award.

Minister of Internal Affairs Mustafa Çiftçi completed his official contacts in the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus (TRNC). Minister Çiftçi made evaluations about his visit at the press conference he held at Ercan Airport. The Minister of Internal Affairs stated that, within the scope of the visit, he met with the President of the TRNC, the Speaker of the Assembly of the Republic and the Prime Minister, and then visited the Turkish Embassy in Nicosia, and that many issues from security to migration management were discussed in the meetings between the delegations.

A STUDY AND EVALUATION MEETING WAS HELD

Çiftçi said, “As of today, I have completed my official visits and contacts in the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus, where I came yesterday. Hopefully, we will set out for our hometown soon. It has been an extremely busy program. First in the morning, I visited the President of the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus, the Speaker of the Parliament, and the Prime Minister. Then, I had the opportunity to visit our Turkish Embassy and Ambassador on this occasion. In the afternoon, my counterpart here is our Minister of Internal Affairs of the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus. “We came together with Mr. Dursun Oğuz and our delegations. Our delegations were quite crowded. We had a full landing, so to speak. We had a nice working and evaluation meeting with our esteemed Minister of Internal Affairs, our Gendarmerie General Command, our General Directorate of Security, our AFAD Presidency, our Coast Guard Command and all units affiliated with our Ministry of Internal Affairs.”

“WE WILL NOT GIVE AREA OF ACTIVITY TO NEW GENERATION CRIMINAL ORGANIZATIONS”

Stating that the main issues discussed in the meetings were the fight against new generation criminal organizations and the fight against drugs, Minister Çiftçi said, “Today, in the meeting we held with our esteemed Minister of Internal Affairs, we reached a consensus and unity of power on the issues we discussed, especially to further increase our fight against new generation criminal organizations and not to give these organizations an area of activity. We reached a full agreement on this issue. Unfortunately, new generation criminal organizations do not know borders. We will not recognize any limits in cooperation. We will continue our cooperation with the Ministry of Internal Affairs of the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus for a more effective fight on this issue.” “One of our important agenda items was the fight against drugs. Because drug trafficking feeds terrorist organizations and also provides financing to terrorist organizations. We have reached an agreement to fight effectively against drug dealers,” he said.

“WE DO NOT SEE THE SECURITY OF Türkiye AND TRNC AS SEPARATE FROM EACH OTHER”

Emphasizing that Türkiye will continue to support the TRNC with all its means, Çiftçi stated that cooperation in the field of security will be further developed. Çiftçi said, “Apart from this, we will increase the support of our Directorate of Migration Management under our Ministry of Internal Affairs, AFAD Directorate and other areas. We will share all the opportunities of our state and the opportunities of our Ministry of Internal Affairs as much as we can. We will further deepen our cooperation here in terms of sharing experience and assigning personnel. Our aim is to ensure the peace of Türkiye and to contribute positively to the security of the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus. Because we do not see our own security and the security of our Cypriot brothers as separate. We are two friends. “We consider that the more we develop the cooperation between our brother and sister countries, the more our people will benefit from it and it will be in our common interest,” he said.

“I STATE THAT WE ARE ALWAYS BY THE SIDE OF THE TURKISH CYPRUS IN THEIR JUST AND LEGITIMATE CASE”

Stating that Türkiye-TRNC Friendship Group President and AK Party Konya Deputy Orhan Erdem was also included in the delegation, Çiftçi said that he believed that the contacts made within the scope of the visit would yield concrete results in the future. Minister Çiftçi said, “When I return to Türkiye, we will ensure the necessary coordination with our deputy ministers, Gendarmerie General Command, General Directorate of Security, and Coast Guard Command. We will revisit the contributions we can make. I believe that our cooperation will develop further.”

Minister of Internal Affairs Çiftçi stated that, within the scope of the visit, he also made contacts with Türkiye’s Embassy in Nicosia, units affiliated with the Security Forces Command and the martyrs’ cemetery. The Minister said, “We are returning to Türkiye from here with the hope of increasing our cooperation in different fields on our next visit. I would like to express my sincere thanks and gratitude to our President, the Speaker of the Parliament, our Prime Minister and my esteemed counterpart Mr. Dursun Oğuz, Minister of Internal Affairs of the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus, for their hospitality today. We, as the Republic of Turkey, as the Ministry of Internal Affairs, always stand by the rightful and legitimate cause of the Turkish Cypriots and will continue to do all we can to support them.” “I express that we are ready. On this occasion, I convey my greetings and respect to all my Cypriot brothers,” he said.

TRNC Minister of Internal Affairs Dursun Oğuz, Türkiye’s Ambassador to Nicosia Ali Murat Başçeri and Turkey-TRNC Friendship Group Chairman, AK Party Konya Deputy Orhan Erdem were also present at the press conference. Minister of Internal Affairs Mustafa Çiftçi left the Island after the meeting.