Politics
Türkiye’s ruling AK Party to mark 25th anniversary with 25 million-trees
Türkiye’s ruling Justice and Development Party (AK Party) plans to mark the 25th anniversary of its founding by launching a nationwide campaign to plant 25 million trees over the next year, party officials said.
The party, founded on Aug. 14, 2001, will officially begin anniversary celebrations on Aug. 14 with a main event at the Capital Nation’s Garden in Ankara, where President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan is expected to attend.
Officials said the celebrations will emphasize themes including “Safe Haven Türkiye,” “Quarter Century,” “Peace” and “Stability.”
The tree-planting campaign will be coordinated by the party’s Environment and Urban Planning Policies Directorate.
The anniversary program will conclude with a drone show, while guests will receive a commemorative publication featuring poems previously recited by Erdoğan.
History of AK Party
The AK Party, born from the “Movement of the Virtuous” led by then-Istanbul Mayor Erdoğan, entered politics as Türkiye’s 39th party with his pledge that “from today onwards, nothing will be the same in Türkiye.”
Following its establishment, Erdoğan was unanimously elected party chair at the Aug. 16 Founders’ Council meeting, launching a political journey that would produce four prime ministers, two presidents and a series of election victories.
Just 15 months after its founding, the AK Party contested its first general election on Nov. 3, 2002, without Erdoğan, who was barred from political office. Campaigning under the slogan “On our own, into power” (“Tek başına, iş başına”), the party won 34.28% of the vote, becoming the leading party and forming the 58th government under Abdullah Gül.
A turning point came when amendments to Article 312 of the Turkish Penal Code lifted Erdoğan’s political ban. He entered Parliament on March 8, 2003, through the Siirt by-election. Shortly after, Gül resigned as prime minister, and on March 15, 2003, Erdoğan was tasked by then-President Ahmet Necdet Sezer to form the 59th government, officially taking over as prime minister.
In the 2004 local elections – its first municipal contest – the AK Party secured 41.7% of the vote, winning 1,950 municipalities, including 11 metropolitan cities. The 2007 general election further strengthened its position, with the party receiving 46.58% of the vote. In the 2009 local polls, it once again came out ahead of all competitors.
The party faced one of its most serious challenges in 2008, when the chief prosecutor filed a closure case on March 14, seeking to ban 71 party members, including President Abdullah Gül and Prime Minister Erdoğan, and dissolve the party. The Constitutional Court accepted the indictment on March 31, but on July 30, it voted against closure, as the required qualified majority was not achieved.
The 2010 constitutional referendum, held on the 30th anniversary of the 1980 coup, brought a “yes” vote of 57.88% to amend the 1982 Constitution. This reform period preceded the 2011 general elections, during which the AK Party achieved a record 49.53% of the vote. In the 2014 local elections, the party maintained its lead with 45.60%, winning 818 municipalities, including 18 metropolitan cities.
On Aug. 10, 2014, Erdoğan was elected Türkiye’s 12th president with 52% of the vote, becoming the first president to be chosen directly by the people. Konya Deputy Ahmet Davutoğlu succeeded him as chair, leading the party through the June 7, 2015, general elections and the Nov. 1 snap elections, in which the AK Party regained its parliamentary majority.
Leadership changed again on May 22, 2016, when Binali Yıldırım was elected chair at the 2nd Extraordinary Congress and formed the 65th government. That year, on July 15, Türkiye faced the deadliest coup attempt in its history, staged by the Gülenist Terror Group (FETÖ). President Erdoğan’s call for citizens to take to the streets and airports was decisive in stopping the attempt. The solidarity displayed between the AK Party and the Nationalist Movement Party (MHP) in its aftermath laid the groundwork for the formation of the People’s Alliance.
On April 16, 2017, Türkiye held a constitutional referendum, initiated by an AK Party proposal signed by 316 deputies and submitted to Parliament on Dec. 10, 2016. Following parliamentary approval, President Erdoğan signed the law on Feb. 10, 2017, and voters went to the polls, approving the changes with 51.41% “yes.” The reform removed the rule that presidents must sever ties with their party, opening the way for Erdoğan’s return. On May 2, 2017, after a 979-day absence, Erdoğan rejoined the AK Party and was reelected chair on May 21 with all valid votes.
The first elections under the new presidential system were held on June 24, 2018, following a call for early elections from MHP leader Devlet Bahçeli. On the same day, voters cast ballots for both the presidency and Parliament. Erdoğan was reelected with 52.38% of the vote, and the AK Party secured 42.28% of the vote in parliamentary elections, marking its 13th consecutive national victory.
At the Aug. 18, 2018, 6th Ordinary Congress, Erdoğan was reelected chairperson with all valid votes. The party amended its bylaws to include electoral alliances and to prevent members from simultaneously holding positions on the Central Executive Board (MYK) and in the Cabinet. Continuing its alliance with the MHP in the subsequent local elections, the AK Party won 44.33% of the vote, remaining the leading party.
The 7th Ordinary Congress process, launched with the theme “Walk the road you believe in,” began in the autumn but was paused due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Once restrictions eased, the process resumed, and on March 24, 2021, Erdoğan was reelected chair with all 1,428 valid votes.
For the 2023 elections, Erdoğan announced on March 10 that the vote would be moved from June 18 to May 14. In the first round of the presidential election, he received 49.52% of the vote, leading to a May 28 runoff, in which he prevailed with 52.18% of the vote. The AK Party won 35.62% of the parliamentary vote, taking 268 seats and retaining its status as Türkiye’s longest-serving ruling party since 1946.
On Oct. 7, 2023, at the 4th Extraordinary Congress, Erdoğan was reelected chair with all 1,399 valid votes. The Central Decision and Executive Board welcomed 49 new members, while 14 of the 18 Central Executive Board members retained their seats.
In the March 31, 2024, local elections, the AK Party won 35.49% of the vote, gaining 24 provincial and 357 district municipalities. After the results, Erdoğan stated that the party would “carefully weigh the messages from the ballot box with reason and conscience” and initiated a process of cadre renewal, replacing several provincial and district heads.
At the 8th Ordinary Congress on Feb. 23, 2025, 39 new members joined the 75-seat Central Decision and Executive Board (MKYK), renewing more than half of the party’s top body. The congress also established three new presidencies for relations with Turkic states, health policies and culture and arts.
From its foundation to its 24th anniversary, the AK Party’s history has been marked by consecutive election victories, constitutional changes, resilience in the face of challenges and the enduring leadership of Erdoğan.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said Monday that two Russian drones struck a Turkish-owned civilian vessel carrying corn in neutral waters in the Black Sea, killing the ship’s captain.
Zelenskyy said Azerbaijani and Indian nationals were aboard the vessel at the time of the attack.
Eleven crew members were rescued, including one who was injured, while the fate of another person was initially unknown, he said in a statement on social media platform X.
The Ukrainian leader described the vessel as a Turkish-owned civilian ship carrying corn and said it was sailing in neutral waters when it was hit by two Russian drones.
Ukraine had proposed measures aimed at reducing tensions and improving security in the Black Sea, and that proposals had also been put forward by third countries, Zelenskyy said.
He accused Russia of choosing attacks rather than ensuring the safe passage of civilian vessels and called for international pressure to restore security in the Black Sea and protect global food supplies.
The incident comes amid heightened security concerns over commercial shipping in the Black Sea as the Russia-Ukraine war continues.
Türkiye extended condolences to the people of Nigeria on Monday and said that it is “deeply saddened” over a deadly military aircraft crash in its Ondo state.
“We are deeply saddened by the loss of lives resulting from the crash of a military aircraft today in Ondo state of Nigeria,” the Foreign Ministry said in a statement.
The statement also offered the nation’s condolences to those who lost their relatives in the accident and to the people of Nigeria.
A military helicopter crashed in the southwestern state of Ondo on Monday, according to Jimoh Abayomi, public relations officer for the state police.
Abayomi said an investigation into the accident had been launched and that security forces had been deployed to the crash site.
Nigerian Aviation Minister Festus Keyamo told reporters that the helicopter crashed near the Igbokoda Naval Base.
He said 25 passengers and seven crew members were on board, adding that the wreckage had been located and search and rescue operations in the area are ongoing.
Keyamo did not provide any information on casualties or injuries from the crash.
However, media reports quoted the African country’s president, Bola Tinubu, as saying that all 32 people on board lost their lives.
The crash was seen as one of the worst air disasters in recent years in Africa’s most populous country.
“The president extends his deepest condolences to the family of the 25 passengers and seven crew members involved,” Tinubu’s office said in a statement.
A video circulating on social media showed a small crowd gathered near a river while rescuers searched the area by boat.
The president said he had “directed the Nigerian Air Force to immediately commence a thorough investigation into the cause of the crash to prevent future occurrences.”
Three suspects, including a former deputy head of Türkiye’s Financial Crimes Investigation Board (MASAK), have been jailed as part of an investigation into alleged political or military espionage involving the agency’s financial intelligence systems.
Former MASAK Deputy Chair Inönü Akgün Alp and agency employees Eda Aydoğan and Güner Eke were arrested as authorities investigate alleged unauthorized access to MASAK’s Integrated Financial Intelligence System, known as EMIS.
The Istanbul Chief Public Prosecutor’s Office is investigating claims that individuals and companies linked to the Gülenist Terror Group (FETÖ) gained influence over the development and maintenance of MASAK’s critical digital infrastructure between 2012 and 2018.
According to findings cited in the investigation, Aydoğan, a former MASAK statistician, allegedly had administrator-level access to an Oracle Exadata database between 2016 and 2019 despite holding no managerial position.
The investigation also found that a security mechanism designed to alert senior officials when financial information belonging to politically exposed persons was accessed was disabled on Sept. 2, 2016.
Investigators allege that thousands of unauthorized searches involving President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, members of his family and some Cabinet officials were subsequently conducted through EMIS between September 2016 and December 2018.
Financial investigations by police and cybercrime units also uncovered alleged links between FETÖ and subcontracted technology companies responsible for MASAK’s software infrastructure and database management.
Türkiye’s Savings Deposit Insurance Fund (TMSF) was appointed as trustee to several technology companies, whose partners included Hakan Çiçek, group’s civilian imam accused of playing a key role in the 2016 coup attempt detained at Akıncı Air Base, as well as other FETÖ operatives.
According to official reports cited in the investigation, the companies channeled TL 210 million ($4.3 million) to the group through public contracts.
Investigators also found that audit logs designed to record who accessed the systems had been disabled and identifying data deleted. The network is accused of erasing digital traces of unauthorized access involving senior government officials, including the president.
Investigators further allege that audit logs identifying users accessing the systems were disabled or deleted, making it more difficult to trace unauthorized searches.
Separately, witness testimony included in the case file alleges Aydoğan was involved in distributing questions ahead of a 2013 public personnel examination to individuals linked to FETÖ.
Türkiye will host the multinational Nusret-2026 Invitation Exercise from Oct. 6-16 in the Gulf of Izmir and off the coast of Karadeniz Ereğli, the Defense Ministry said Sunday.
The exercise will bring together Turkish forces, as well as military personnel and assets from allied and partner countries, with 20 ships, five aircraft and unmanned systems, the ministry said.
Participants will include units from the Turkish Naval Forces, Air Force and Coast Guard Command, as well as NATO’s Standing Mine Countermeasures Group 2 (SNMCMG-2), comprising assets from Germany, Greece, Italy, Spain and Türkiye.
The Black Sea Mine Countermeasures Task Group, known as MCM Black Sea, with units from Bulgaria, Romania and Türkiye, will also participate.
Explosive ordnance disposal and autonomous underwater vehicle teams from the United States, Belgium, the Netherlands, Kuwait, Romania and Oman will participate in the drills, while 32 military observers from a number of countries will attend.
According to the ministry, the exercise is aimed at improving the participating units’ capabilities in the planning, execution and assessment of mine warfare operations.
It also seeks to enhance interoperability among mine warfare units from different countries and strengthen their ability to conduct coordinated multinational operations.
Türkiye most recently conducted the Sea Wolf-I/2026 (“Denizkurdu-I/2026”) Exercise from Sept. 20-25 in the Black Sea, Aegean Sea and Eastern Mediterranean, with 100 ships, 50 aircraft and 14,000 personnel taking part.
The growing rift between the main opposition New Party (YP) and the former main opposition Republican People’s Party (CHP) manifested in Muğla, a southwestern city home to world-famous Bodrum and other top tourism destinations. A local CHP official suggested that Mayor Ahmet Aras should face disciplinary proceedings for his contacts with YP.
YP was formed in July by Özgür Özel, the former chair of CHP. Özel was removed from office by a court ruling over allegations of vote-buying during a 2023 intra-party election that brought him to power. He was replaced by his predecessor Kemal Kılıçdaroğlu. Kılıçdaroğlu’s return sparked a bitter row with supporters of Özel, who accused him of betraying the party by accepting the court’s request for his reinstatement. Özel initially appealed the verdict but decided to form the new party after receiving overwhelming support among CHP lawmakers.
Under Kılıçdaroğlu, CHP began what it called a “cleansing” process, expelling several figures accused of corruption. The new administration has been more muted about the fate of members openly supporting Özel while several mayors resigned from the party and remain independent, leaving the door open for a future switch to YP.
Aras, who was Bodrum mayor for CHP before his election as Muğla Metropolitan Municipality mayor in the 2024 elections, faces accusations of cooperating with YP while remaining in CHP. CHP’s local branch was angered when Aras temporarily handed over his duties to a YP municipal assembly member in Muğla during a recent visit to Syria. Aras also reportedly ceased contact with CHP’s Muğla branch.
Aziz Gürsoy, head of CHP’s disciplinary board in Muğla, told the Sabah newspaper that Aras has almost severed all ties with CHP.
“It is neither ethical nor legitimate for Mr. Aras to remain in the CHP under the current conditions. In fact, I believe there is bad intent here. He needs to be expelled immediately. Even during his trips abroad, he leaves the municipality (to YP). He has no communication with us. He no longer has any emotional or organic ties to the CHP,” Gürsoy stated.
Stating that they will protect the institutional structure of the CHP under all conditions and that no one is above the party, Gürsoy said: “The current picture creates serious concern among the CHP base. If this situation continues, as the president of the provincial disciplinary board, I will personally apply to headquarters for Mr. Aras’s expulsion. We will not hesitate to take any step necessary to protect the rights, rules and institutional structure of the CHP.”
According to the CHP bylaws, metropolitan mayors can only be referred to the High Disciplinary Board upon the request of the Party Assembly.
The name of Lütfü Türkkan, a lawmaker from the opposition Good Party (IP), came up in an investigation into judiciary officials accused of taking bribes. Prosecutors in Istanbul separated the case of Türkkan and referred it to Ankara on Monday for further investigation.
The Bakırköy Chief Prosecutor’s Office in Istanbul has recently ordered the arrest of eight suspects in an investigation into judges accused of taking bribes in exchange for verdicts in favor of defendants in some cases. The investigation specifically focused on a former judge working at the Court of Enforcement who was accused of receiving millions of Turkish liras in bribes.
Suspects in the case are also accused of running a criminal organization apparently thriving on bribes. Authorities are now looking into cases handled by several Istanbul courts between 2022 and 2024, on suspicion that some businesspeople, politicians and lawyers sought to influence trials and get verdicts in their favor in exchange for bribes, employing judges and court staff. In connection with the case, the Board of Judges and Prosecutors suspended five people, including judges and prosecutors.
In one instance of the suspicious cases, investigators are looking into the claim that M.Ş. and Y.A., identified only through their initials, served as mediators in a case involving lawmaker Türkkan and secured a verdict in favor of the lawmaker, reports by Turkish media outlets say.
In a social media post on Sunday, Türkkan rejected claims, though he acknowledged that a case he was party to was handled by one of the arrested judges. He said that being a party to a trial involving the suspect did not mean that he should be associated with “allegations (of bribery).” He said his lawyers were looking into the case and he never met the judge in person during the trial.
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