Politics
35 arrested as Türkiye cracks down on ‘Kuytul crime network’
Alparslan Kuytul and his wife Semra Kuytul are among 35 people remanded in custody on Sunday on charges of running a criminal organization, fraud, and money laundering. They were among 56 people detained on Aug. 19 in the latest crackdown on so-called religious movements accused of making illicit gains. Earlier this month, the leader of another group, known as the “Süleymancılar,” was also arrested.
Kuytul is based in the southern province of Adana and is the chair of the now-defunct Furkan Education and Service Foundation. He is known for his social media videos where he speaks on a broad range of issues and has cultivated a following, particularly in Adana, since the 1990s. He was arrested and detained in the past for kidnapping a dissident of his movement, as well as on charges of running a criminal organization in 2022 and 2018 respectively, before being released in 2020.
Justice Minister Akın Gürlek announced on Aug. 19 that simultaneous operations had been carried out across 49 addresses in six provinces against the group known to the public as the “Kuytulcular.” He stated that legal action had been initiated against 32 suspects on charges of “establishing and managing a criminal organization,” “membership in an organization,” “laundering assets derived from crime,” “aggravated fraud,” “forgery of official documents,” and “violations of the Tax Procedure Law.”
Minister Gürlek noted that access-blocking decisions had been issued for 349 social media accounts identified as carrying out activities in favor of the organization, and that trustee management had been appointed to five companies linked to the group.
Following the capture of the initial 32 suspects in the Aug. 19 operation, 24 additional suspects were detained.
Authorities announced that rooms protected by ciphered doors were located in the group’s so-called administrative building on Abidinpaşa Street in the central Seyhan district of Adana, where some computer towers had been removed and hard drives from others had been detached. Upon examining security camera footage around the building, teams identified the suspects who had taken the evidence, the retrieved computer towers and hard drives were subsequently taken in for forensic examination.
Türkiye will continue strengthening its maritime security and technological capabilities as geopolitical competition intensifies and instability grows worldwide, senior officials said Sunday at the closing ceremony of Teknofest Blue Homeland.
Vice President Cevdet Yılmaz said protecting Türkiye’s maritime interests, known as the “Blue Homeland,” has become increasingly strategic as critical technologies, energy resources and trade routes emerge as central elements of global competition.
“At a time when global balances are rapidly changing, and instability is increasing, the security of our Blue Homeland has become more strategic than ever,” Yılmaz said at the event held at the Gölcük Naval Shipyard Command in northwestern Türkiye.
He underlined that Türkiye will protect its sovereignty and its rights in the Blue Homeland without hesitation and without compromise.
The maritime-focused edition of Türkiye’s flagship technology and aerospace festival brought together domestically developed naval platforms, defense technologies and competitions aimed at encouraging young people to pursue maritime and underwater technologies.
Yılmaz noted 37 vessels and four aircraft were showcased during the event, demonstrating Türkiye’s expanding capabilities in naval technology.
He highlighted platforms including the TCG Anadolu amphibious assault ship, TCG Istanbul frigate, TCG Derya replenishment ship and Murat Reis submarine, as well as unmanned surface vessels such as Marlin, Sancar, Ulaq and Salvo.
“The main achievement here is the progress we have made in terms of platform diversity, technological depth, localization and joint operational capability,” Yılmaz said.
He said Türkiye was increasingly developing an integrated architecture in which manned and unmanned systems could operate securely on the same network, pointing to the ability of TCG Anadolu to operate with the domestically developed Bayraktar TB3 unmanned combat aerial vehicle.
The vice president also remarked that Türkiye plans to further develop such capabilities through artificial intelligence, autonomous systems, advanced sensors and secure communications.
Defense localization tops 80%
Yılmaz linked Türkiye’s advances in defense technology to a long-term strategy pursued under President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, saying the country’s defense industry localization rate had climbed from around 20% to more than 80%.
He underlined Türkiye had become the world’s 11th-largest defense exporter and was aiming to enter the top 10.
“Every step we take in the defense industry contributes to our national security while also providing significant strength and support to our independent foreign policy and economic and social welfare,” he said.
Yılmaz also highlighted a remote robotic surgery demonstration aboard TCG Anadolu as an example of civilian applications emerging from Türkiye’s technological development.
During the procedure, a surgical team aboard the vessel received real-time assistance from a specialist on land through a 5G connection, which Yılmaz described as the first operation of its kind performed aboard a ship.
He stressed that maintaining Türkiye’s technological transformation would ultimately depend on its human capital, particularly young engineers, entrepreneurs and researchers.
“A trained, well-equipped, innovative, entrepreneurial and self-confident workforce is the foundation of all success,” he said, adding that Türkiye’s long-term development goals would be built on a generation equipped with those qualities.
The festival included six competitions, including contests focusing on unmanned underwater systems, unmanned maritime vehicles and underwater rockets.
Turkish ‘determined march’
Presidential Communications Director Burhanettin Duran said separately that Teknofest Blue Homeland, attended by hundreds of thousands of people, demonstrated the progress of Türkiye’s defense industry and its drive for greater technological independence.
“Our Blue Homeland is our pride, and the Teknofest youth are our future,” Duran said in a social media post.
He described young people who “dream, research, develop and produce” as the strongest guarantee of Türkiye’s goal of becoming a fully independent and powerful country.
“Under the leadership of our President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, with the energy of our youth and the unwavering will of our nation, we will continue building the Century of Türkiye,” Duran noted. “Türkiye’s rise in the skies, on land and in the Blue Homeland will continue with determination.”
Duran also thanked the Defense Ministry, the Turkish Technology Team Foundation (T3 Foundation), Teknofest Chair Selçuk Bayraktar and other institutions involved in organizing the event.
Moreover, speaking at Sunday’s closing ceremony, Selçuk Bayraktar said Türkiye’s presence in the Blue Homeland represented more than technological progress, describing it as a commitment to defending the country’s rights and interests.
“A single drop of water in the Blue Homeland is as sacred a trust as an inch of our land,” Bayraktar stressed.
He said the world was passing through a period in which international law was increasingly disregarded, and institutions established to safeguard peace and justice were losing effectiveness.
“Our presence in the Blue Homeland is more than a technological achievement; it is a moral stance that refuses to bow to injustice and imposition,” he noted.
Bayraktar praised young participants in Teknofest, saying they had demonstrated through their work that they were not only the protectors of Türkiye’s maritime future but also its architects.
He further said the festival aimed to cultivate a generation willing to assume responsibility for Türkiye’s technological independence and future development.
“Today we are setting sail from Gölcük Shipyard, but the wind of full independence filling our sails in the Blue Homeland will never die down,” he said. “On the contrary, it will continue to grow wave by wave.”
Bayraktar also invited the public to attend the next Teknofest event, scheduled to take place in the southeastern province of Şanlıurfa from Sept. 30 to Oct. 4.
Israeli media have stepped up criticism of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu over rising tensions with Türkiye, warning that his government’s policies risk opening another front as Israel remains engaged in conflicts across the region.
Israeli newspaper Haaretz accused Netanyahu of dragging Israel into what it described as another “pointless conflict,” this time with Türkiye, amid heightened tensions following Israel’s Aug. 18 strike on Syria’s Abu al-Duhur military air base.
The newspaper said anti-Türkiye rhetoric in Israel had intensified and warned that a potential confrontation with Ankara could carry significant costs. It argued that military strikes alone could not guarantee Israel’s security and called for diplomacy and a coherent regional strategy.
“Has anyone considered what a war with Türkiye would look like and what its costs would be?” the newspaper asked, noting Türkiye’s membership in NATO and close ties with the United States.
The report also cited warnings from U.S. Ambassador to Türkiye and Special Envoy for Syria and Iraq Tom Barrack about the risk of a direct military confrontation between Türkiye and Israel.
Israeli news outlet Ynet similarly criticized Netanyahu’s government, warning that tensions with Türkiye could create an eighth front in Israel’s continuing regional war. It said public threats and political posturing were increasingly replacing diplomacy and risked turning a manageable dispute into a dangerous confrontation.
Israeli newspaper Maariv, meanwhile, reported concerns among senior officials over the possibility of opening another front.
The criticism comes as relations between Israel and Syria have also deteriorated following the Israeli strike.
On the other hand, Syrian Foreign Minister Asaad Hassan al-Shaibani said Damascus suspended contacts with Israel after the Aug. 18 attack and currently does not trust the Israeli government.
“We believe there should be communication, especially with a party that continuously threatens Syria’s security,” Shaibani told Reuters. “But if this communication does not produce results, we do not need it.”
Shaibani also emphasized Türkiye’s role in supporting Syria as Damascus seeks to rebuild its armed forces, saying the country benefits from Turkish assistance in military training and cooperation.
He expressed appreciation for Ankara’s support and indicated that Syria intends to maintain its defense cooperation with Türkiye despite Israeli concerns over the Turkish presence and influence in Syria.
In an interview last month with the UAE-based The National, Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan discussed tensions between Türkiye and Israel, as well as the Israeli government’s regional policies.
Fidan said there was no reason for a direct confrontation between Türkiye and Israel, arguing that Netanyahu has increasingly resorted to hostile rhetoric as he seeks a new political adversary ahead of the country’s upcoming elections.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is seeking to portray Türkiye as a new threat as part of “cheap politics” aimed at gaining an electoral advantage, Türkiye’s Communications Directorate said Friday, warning that Israel’s increasingly aggressive threat rhetoric poses serious risks to regional and global stability.
The directorate strongly rejected remarks by the Israeli Prime Minister’s Office concerning President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, describing them as an “impertinent rant” devoid of historical facts and political seriousness and another sign of the desperation of an administration seeking to evade accountability for war crimes and crimes against humanity.
It said the “cheap politics” pursued by Netanyahu and his associates, which it said was also designed to secure an advantage in elections, has no resonance in Israeli society, the region, the international community or Türkiye.
The directorate said the remarks by an Israeli government facing genocide accusations before international justice mechanisms were a telling demonstration of how deeply Türkiye’s voice and Erdoğan’s refusal to remain silent in the face of injustice have unsettled the Netanyahu administration.
It also warned that Israel’s election campaign has increasingly fallen under the influence of irresponsible security-driven populism and an intensifying politics of threats.
“The Netanyahu government’s effort to construct Türkiye as a new threat figure is also part of this cheap politics,” the directorate said.
It warned that pursuing a politics of threats and escalating tensions for the sake of domestic political competition carries serious risks not only for Israeli society but also for regional and global peace and stability.
Türkiye will continue, as it has in the past, to stand against oppressors and alongside the oppressed and firmly defend peace, justice and stability in the region regardless of the cost, the directorate said.
Ahead of Israel’s Oct. 27 elections, Netanyahu’s Likud party has intensified its campaign rhetoric targeting Türkiye and President Erdoğan.
A new Likud billboard in Tel Aviv features Erdoğan alongside Iranian leader Mojtaba Khamenei, Hezbollah Secretary-General Naim Qassem and New York Mayor Zohran Mamdani under the message, “They want Netanyahu to lose. Don’t let them win.” The campaign comes amid increasingly hostile rhetoric toward Türkiye and Erdoğan from Israeli politicians in the run-up to the vote.
The Greek Cypriot side of the divided island of Cyprus sent a letter of complaint to the United Nations in a bid to stop the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus (TRNC) from establishing an energy lifeline amid heavy sanctions. Maria Michael, the U.N. representative of the Greek Cypriot administration, urged the U.N. to intervene and stop what she called an “illegal” project.
The TRNC largely relies on Türkiye for connections to the outside world as Ankara is among the few recognizing the state, and Türkiye has been a steadfast supporter of the rights of Turkish Cypriots on the island, where Greek Cypriots frequently ignore their maritime rights in particular. Following a much-needed water pipeline, Türkiye is now working on a natural gas pipeline between the two countries, to the chagrin of the Greek Cypriot administration, which has angered Ankara in the past by violating Turkish Cypriot maritime borders.
Michael’s letter, quoted by Greek Cypriot media, was addressed to U.N. Secretary-General Antonio Guterres, who visited the island last month to revive stalled talks between Turkish and Greek Cypriots over the future status of Cyprus. The TRNC maintains a stance advocating for a sovereign state for Turkish Cypriots with equal rights to Greek Cypriots, while Greek Cypriots favor a bi-communal federal administration on the island. The TRNC signed a memorandum of understanding on July 10 with Türkiye for an undersea natural gas pipeline. Michael described this in her letter as “null and void” and “illegal,” stating that the parties had not sought the consent of the Greek Cypriot administration.
The planned pipeline would stretch 101 kilometers (63 miles), including 97 kilometers offshore and 4 kilometers onshore, connecting Anamur on Türkiye’s Mediterranean coast with Teknecik in the TRNC. The project envisages two 22-inch pipelines designed to operate in both directions, allowing natural gas to flow from Türkiye to the TRNC while also enabling any future gas production from the island to be transported to Türkiye and potentially onward to Europe.
Türkiye’s Justice Ministry has requested that Interpol red notices be issued for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Israeli official Afek Moskovitch over alleged genocide charges linked to an attack on activists aboard the Global Sumud Flotilla, Justice Minister Akın Gürlek said Friday.
Gürlek said arrest warrants for Netanyahu and Moskovitch were issued on July 14, 2026, as part of proceedings before Istanbul’s 11th High Criminal Court. The Justice Ministry subsequently asked the Interior Ministry to seek red notices for the two men to facilitate their international location and arrest, he said, adding that the relevant documents had been forwarded to the Foreign Ministry.
The case concerns an attack in international waters on activists aboard the Global Sumud Flotilla, which had set sail to deliver humanitarian aid to the Gaza Strip.
Thirty-five defendants, including Netanyahu and Moskovitch, are being prosecuted in the case, Gürlek noted.
Turkish authorities accuse the two men of crimes against humanity, genocide, aggravated deprivation of liberty, intentional injury, torture, property damage, aggravated robbery and hijacking of transportation vehicles in connection with the armed intervention against the flotilla and the detention of activists.
Gürlek said Türkiye would continue pursuing legal action over alleged crimes committed in Gaza and rejected what he described as attempts to shield Israeli officials from accountability.
“We will resolutely use all the means available under national and international law,” the minister said.
He added that Türkiye, under President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, would continue supporting Palestinians and pursue steps aimed at holding those accused of crimes against humanity legally accountable.
Türkiye, Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates and five other countries on Friday categorically rejected Israel’s unlawful E1 settlement plan, warning that it threatens the viability of an independent Palestinian state and calling for international measures and sanctions against those responsible for illegal settlement activity.
In a joint statement, the foreign ministers of Türkiye, the UAE, Indonesia, Qatar, Egypt, Pakistan, Saudi Arabia and Jordan condemned Israel’s continued illegal settlement policies in the occupied Palestinian territories, including the E1 plan and related settlement activity east of occupied East Jerusalem.
The ministers also reiterated their condemnation of violations and violence committed by settlers against Palestinians and their property with the support of Israeli occupation authorities.
They stressed that such actions cannot extinguish the inalienable rights of the Palestinian people and constitute violations of international law and relevant United Nations resolutions, while posing a serious threat to regional and international peace and security.
The ministers warned that the E1 plan represents a dangerous escalation by further advancing settlement expansion and annexation and undermining the geographical contiguity of the occupied Palestinian territories, particularly between the West Bank and East Jerusalem.
They said the plan consequently threatens the establishment and viability of an independent and geographically contiguous Palestinian state based on the 1967 borders, with East Jerusalem as its capital.
The statement said the Israeli violations directly challenge international efforts to achieve peace, particularly U.S. President Donald Trump’s Comprehensive Plan and mechanisms established for its implementation, including the Board of Peace, which explicitly reject annexation and forced displacement.
The ministers said the settlement push also runs counter to Trump’s strong commitment not to allow the annexation of the West Bank and threatens efforts to establish stability and bring the conflict to an end.
They reaffirmed that a two-state solution in accordance with international law and relevant U.N. resolutions remains the only viable path toward a just, comprehensive and lasting peace.
The ministers warned that attempts to undermine the two-state solution risk further escalating tensions, threatening regional and international peace and security and damaging prospects for lasting peace and stability in the region.
They voiced support for efforts to hold entities and individuals responsible for illegal settlement activity, including the E1 plan, accountable through appropriate international measures and sanctions.
The ministers also called for an end to any support or financing that contributes to the establishment, expansion or entrenchment of illegal settlements, warning that a lack of accountability enables further violations and weakens prospects for a just and comprehensive peace.
They called for immediate action to halt the E1 settlement plan, revoke all related measures and end settlement activity and other practices aimed at altering the geographical and demographic character of the occupied Palestinian territories.
The ministers further urged the U.N. Security Council, all states and relevant international actors to fulfill their obligations under international law and take urgent and effective measures to stop illegal settlement expansion, protect the Palestinian people and safeguard their inalienable rights, including the right to self-determination.
They also called for action toward the establishment of an independent Palestinian state in accordance with international law and relevant U.N. resolutions.
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