Politics
President Erdoğan, Lithuanian PM discuss defense ties, Ukraine peace
President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan and Lithuanian Prime Minister Mindaugas Sinkevicius discussed expanding bilateral cooperation, particularly in the defense industry, as well as efforts toward a lasting peace between Russia and Ukraine during a phone call, Türkiye’s Communications Directorate said Monday.
Erdoğan congratulated Sinkevicius on his new post and expressed confidence that ties between Türkiye and Lithuania would continue to strengthen.
The president said the two countries would benefit from increasing contacts and cooperation across a range of areas in the new period, particularly in the defense industry.
Turning to the Russia-Ukraine war, Erdoğan said Türkiye remained committed to efforts aimed at bringing the conflict to an end through a lasting peace.
Erdoğan also wished Lithuania success in its upcoming presidency of the Council of the European Union.
First lady Emine Erdoğan has praised the resilience and solidarity of the Ukrainian people amid the war, saying their determination to preserve social unity and protect their future offers one of the latest examples of societies overcoming severe crises through collective strength.
Speaking via video message to the sixth Summit of First Ladies and Gentlemen in Kyiv on Tuesday, Erdoğan said the unity demonstrated by Ukrainians during more than four years of war showed the importance of strong social bonds in times of profound hardship.
“During the war that has continued for more than four years, the unity and solidarity demonstrated by the Ukrainian people is one of the most recent examples of overcoming severe challenges through social resilience,” Erdoğan said.
She congratulated Ukraine on the 35th anniversary of its Independence Day and conveyed her wishes for peace, tranquility and well-being to the Ukrainian people.
“Children continue their education, women are taking responsibility in every sphere of life, and the Ukrainian people are embracing their future through their inspiring struggle,” she said.
Erdoğan also expressed her gratitude to Olena Zelenska, wife of Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, for hosting the gathering and wished the summit success.
Erdoğan has been among the first ladies who have called for peace since the beginning of the war in Ukraine, raising the issue on various platforms and supporting initiatives and events focused on humanitarian concerns and peace.
At the Kyiv summit, Erdoğan placed Ukraine’s experience within a broader discussion of how societies can withstand crises, drawing on Türkiye’s own traditions of solidarity, philanthropy and social responsibility.
She said every society has its own set of values shaped by its history, faith and collective memory, emphasizing that volunteerism, philanthropy and solidarity are among the defining characteristics of Turkish society.
Recalling that more than 26,000 charitable foundations were established during the Ottoman era, Erdoğan said this legacy led the civilization to be described as a “waqf civilization.”
She noted that these foundations were created to address a wide range of social needs, from caring for the elderly and protecting orphans to paying the debts of people in financial difficulty and even treating injured or sick birds.
Erdoğan said this tradition has continued in Turkish culture through the concept of “hamilik,” or protection.
She added that this humanitarian experience, accumulated over centuries, transformed sharing both the joys and hardships of life into a collective social practice.
Erdoğan said the strength of such social ties is particularly important in the modern world, where people are increasingly isolated despite living among large crowds.
As bonds between individuals weaken, she warned, societies also become less resilient in the face of crises.
“Yet in Anatolia, compassionate people who heed every call for help make a person feel as though they are within a great circle of trust,” Erdoğan said. “They strengthen the sense of belonging and remind us that people can rely on one another in difficult times.”
She described these values as the foundation of Turkish society’s resilience, saying strong social bonds had helped Türkiye overcome difficult challenges throughout its history.
Erdoğan cited the Feb. 6, 2023, earthquakes as a particularly powerful example, noting that more than 50,000 people lost their lives in the disaster.
“The epic spirit of solidarity that emerged from that great destruction became one of the strongest manifestations of our understanding that ‘a person is another person’s homeland,’” she said.
The experience showed the world once again, she added, that “the greatest strength of societies is their ability to become one in difficult times.”
Erdoğan said she regarded the experiences shared at the summit as an important contribution to a common future and expressed hope that lessons from different societies and cultures would help humanity overcome the deep crises it faces.
In a social media post following her address, Erdoğan said she was pleased to participate via video message in the Kyiv summit.
“I hope that the experiences of different societies and cultures shared at this meaningful summit on social resilience will serve as a guide in overcoming the deep crises facing humanity,” she said.
Türkiye established four specialized subcommittees Monday as a newly formed coordination board held its first meeting to oversee the implementation of legislation underpinning the country’s “terror-free Türkiye” initiative.
The National Solidarity and Integration Coordination Board convened at the Presidential Complex in Ankara under the chairmanship of Vice President Cevdet Yılmaz, with discussions focusing on interagency coordination and the implementation of the process.
The meeting was attended by Justice Minister Akın Gürlek, Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan, Interior Minister Mustafa Çiftçi, Defense Minister Yaşar Güler, National Intelligence Organization (MIT) chief İbrahim Kalın, Presidential Secretary-General Hakkı Susmaz and National Security Council (MGK) Secretary-General Okay Memiş.
The board was established under Law No. 7595 on Strengthening National Solidarity and Social Integration, which entered into force Aug. 18.
In a statement following the meeting, officials said the process aims to completely eliminate terrorism from Türkiye and the wider region, remove violence and weapons from the country’s agenda and strengthen social cohesion.
The board discussed procedures governing its work and ways to ensure high-level coordination among state institutions involved in implementing the legislation.
Four bodies will operate under the board: the Judicial and Legal Affairs Coordination Subcommittee, the Monitoring and Assessment Subcommittee, the Social Cohesion and Integration Subcommittee, and the Disarmament and Strategic Coordination Subcommittee.
“The state, with all its institutions acting in full coordination, will continue to resolutely implement these historic steps that will strengthen social integration,” the statement said.
The meeting also focused on the road map for the dissolution and disarmament of the PKK terrorist group, including developments on the ground and mechanisms for security agencies to monitor the process.
The board will oversee the dissolution of the PKK/KCK and affiliated groups and the surrender of weapons and ammunition under the terrorist group’s control.
Authorities will work through interagency coordination to verify that weapons have been permanently laid down, while a National Security Council decision will be awaited for formal confirmation of the process.
The government described the legislation as a key legal foundation for the terror-free Türkiye initiative, saying the process is intended to strengthen domestic peace and social integration while contributing to greater stability, security and prosperity in the wider region.
President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan said Tuesday that Türkiye’s ongoing efforts to eradicate terrorism would usher in a new era for the country and contribute to stability across the region, as he addressed an event in eastern Türkiye marking the 955th anniversary of the Battle of Malazgirt.
Speaking at the Recep Tayyip Erdoğan National Garden in Ahlat, a district of Bitlis province, Erdoğan said Türkiye would move toward a stronger future through national unity and solidarity.
“Let no one have any doubt: We will all witness the rise of a great and powerful Türkiye on the horizon, just as these monuments here bear witness to history,” Erdoğan underlined. “Together, we will shoulder the sacred legacy of our martyrs and veterans and carry Türkiye toward a much stronger future.”
Erdoğan placed particular emphasis on solidarity among Turks, Kurds and Arabs, saying Türkiye’s progress would also benefit other peoples across the region.
“We know who is disturbed by this. We know who is concerned about it,” he noted “Whatever you do, you cannot turn us away from our path. You cannot prevent us, as Turks, Kurds and Arabs, from embracing one another in brotherhood.”
The president said the country’s “terror-free Türkiye” initiative, which he said was first signaled in Ahlat two years ago, would open the door to a new period when it achieves its objectives.
“Our economy will grow stronger along with our brotherhood, and the resilience of our home front will increase along with our prosperity,” he said.
The president added that Türkiye’s immediate neighborhood, particularly Syria and Iraq, could achieve the peace and stability it has sought for years.
“The winners will be humanity, brotherhood, peace and stability. The winner will be the Turkish nation with its 86 million citizens.”
Erdoğan said Türkiye had entered a new phase in its development, declaring that “the dawn of a great and powerful Türkiye has broken” and that the construction of the “Century of Türkiye” had begun.
The president’s remarks came as Türkiye prepared to commemorate the Battle of Malazgirt, fought on Aug. 26, 1071, when Seljuk forces led by Sultan Alp Arslan defeated the Byzantine army. The victory is widely regarded in Türkiye as a turning point that paved the way for the settlement of Anatolia by the Turks.
Events commemorating the 955th anniversary were held in Ahlat on Aug. 23-25, drawing visitors to the Recep Tayyip Erdoğan National Garden. Crowds carrying Turkish flags began gathering at the venue early Tuesday ahead of Erdoğan’s address.
Erdoğan is expected to chair a Cabinet meeting at the Presidential Complex in Ahlat. His program is also expected to continue with a dinner attended by Cabinet members, regional governors and relatives of fallen soldiers.
Furthermore, Nationalist Movement Party (MHP) Chair Devlet Bahçeli also issued a statement Tuesday commemorating the anniversary, describing the 1071 victory as a defining moment that changed the course of history and shaped the future of Anatolia.
“The Turkish nation’s march on the stage of history has witnessed the establishment of many world states, conquests that became legends and victories whose memories have been carried with pride through generations and illuminated the future,” Bahçeli said.
He traced the historical developments preceding Malazgirt, citing the Seljuk victory at Dandanaqan in 1040, early expeditions into Anatolia, the Battle of Pasinler in 1048 and Alp Arslan’s conquest of Ani in 1064.
Bahçeli said the Battle of Malazgirt represented the culmination of a longer political and military process that established a lasting Turkish presence in Anatolia.
He also emphasized the continuity of Turkish statehood from the Seljuk period through the Ottoman Empire and the modern Republic of Türkiye.
“Malazgirt is our past, Anatolia is our honor, Türkiye is our future,” Bahçeli said. “The Republic of Türkiye is our destiny.”
The annual Malazgirt commemorations hold symbolic importance in Türkiye, with senior officials frequently invoking the 1071 victory as a milestone in the country’s historical presence in Anatolia.
Meanwhile, the Turkish Presidency’s Directorate of Communications set up a stand at the anniversary events in Ahlat to provide visitors with information about the historic victory.
Two digital kiosks featured an interactive quiz prepared specifically for the anniversary as well as an archery-themed game.
The directorate also distributed copies of a book titled “The Malazgirt Victory: Turkish Art of War and Artistic Aesthetics” to visitors.
A 360-degree rotating photo platform at the stand also drew interest from participants, allowing visitors to take photographs commemorating the anniversary events.
Staff from the Directorate of Communications provided information about the institution’s activities and the publication as part of the three-day commemorations.
Turkish security forces detained 48 suspected migrant smugglers in operations across 23 provinces, the Interior Ministry announced Monday, as authorities intensified efforts against irregular migration and organized smuggling networks.
Thirty-one of the suspects were formally arrested following judicial proceedings, while 17 were released under judicial supervision, the ministry said in a statement.
The operations were coordinated by the Gendarmerie General Command’s Department of Combating Migrant Smuggling and Human Trafficking and the Turkish Coast Guard Command.
Raids and enforcement operations were carried out in the provinces of Ağrı, Ankara, Aydın, Balıkesir, Bitlis, Çanakkale, Düzce, Edirne, Erzurum, Hatay, Izmir, Kırklareli, Kocaeli, Konya, Manisa, Muğla, Siirt, Sivas, Şanlıurfa, Şırnak, Tekirdağ, Tunceli and Van.
Authorities used both aerial and ground surveillance during the operations. Unmanned aerial vehicles operated by the Gendarmerie General Command conducted surveillance from the air, while provincial gendarmerie units carried out operations on the ground.
Public security, highway patrol and commando units also participated, while Coast Guard personnel supported coordinated operations targeting maritime smuggling routes.
Security forces seized 83 vehicles and 18 boats and boat engines believed to have been used in migrant smuggling activities, the ministry said.
All 48 suspects detained during the operations were subjected to judicial proceedings.
Türkiye has stepped up operations targeting networks accused of facilitating irregular migration, particularly in provinces along its land and maritime borders and along major transit routes.
The Interior Ministry said authorities would continue operations against irregular migration and migrant smuggling networks to protect public order and national security.
The ministry said its approach to combating irregular migration would continue to prioritize human rights while maintaining public order and safeguarding the country’s national interests.
It also thanked personnel from the Gendarmerie, Coast Guard and migrant smuggling and human trafficking units involved in the operations.
Separately, in the central Turkish province of Nevşehir, a suspect accused of transporting four irregular migrants and agreeing to take them from Sivas to Nevşehir for TL 50,000 ($1,040) per person was formally arrested by a court.
As part of a joint operation against migrant smuggling by the Nevşehir Provincial Police Department’s Intelligence Branch and the Department of Combating Migrant Smuggling and Border Gates, police placed the suspect, identified as Hüseyin Ö., under surveillance.
Authorities determined during questioning that Hüseyin Ö. had agreed to transport the four irregular migrants from Sivas to Nevşehir for TL 50,000 per person.
The suspect was detained and referred to a courthouse after procedures at the police station. A court subsequently ordered his arrest and he was sent to prison.
Deportation proceedings have been initiated for the four illegal migrants.
On Saturday, the Turkish Coast Guard also rescued 37 irregular migrants, including three children, from a rubber boat off the coast of Didim in the western province of Aydın after they were pushed back into Turkish territorial waters by Greek authorities.
Coast Guard boats were dispatched after receiving information about a group of irregular migrants aboard a rubber boat off Didim.
The Coast Guard rescued all 37 migrants from the vessel.
A Turkish financial crimes report has detailed on Monday extensive property transactions, multimillion-lira bank transfers and vehicle purchases involving the family and close associates of Alihan Kuriş, the alleged leader of a criminal organization under investigation by Ankara prosecutors.
The report by Türkiye’s Financial Crimes Investigation Board (MASAK), dated Aug. 20, was prepared as part of an investigation by the Ankara Chief Public Prosecutor’s Office into alleged laundering of criminal proceeds, fraud causing losses to public institutions and violations of the Tax Procedure Law.
Prosecutors requested an examination of changes in the wealth and assets of Kuriş and his relatives since Jan. 1, 2016.
MASAK examined assets, bank transactions, vehicles, company partnerships and property transfers involving Kuriş, his wife, parents, brother and grandmother, as well as his wife’s parents and sibling.
According to the report, land registry records showed a combined 1,818 property transactions involving four family members.
Kuriş’s mother, identified by the initials A.G.D.K., had 646 property transaction records, while his late grandmother, N.K., had 539. His father, M.S.K., had 207 transactions, while his father-in-law, M.K., had 426.
The transactions involving Kuriş’s mother covered a wide range of properties, including homes, offices, shops, workshops, restaurants, agricultural land and plots. Some were acquired through inheritance or transfers from relatives, while other properties were subsequently transferred to third parties or companies, according to the report.
MASAK found 27 properties registered to Kuriş’s father, 21 of which carried annotations or seizure orders.
The properties included apartments, plots, agricultural land, office and commercial premises and several multistory buildings. One property carried 38 enforcement liens and 72 public liens as well as multiple mortgage records, the report said.
Records also showed transfers involving Kuriş, his brother Hilmi Tuna Kuriş and their mother following their father’s death.
Property transactions involving Hilmi Tuna Kuriş intensified between 2024 and 2026, according to the report.
MASAK also said his banking transfers reached tens of millions of Turkish liras. Some properties linked to him were subject to enforcement liens, precautionary measures and two separate seizure orders.
The report also highlighted a transaction involving Kuriş’s wife, who had no real estate registered in her name but owned two vehicles.
On Sept. 5, 2023, TL 2.4 million (around $50,000) was transferred to his wife’s account by a third party, Mehmet Özmen. Almost the entire amount was transferred the same day to an automotive company, according to MASAK.
Investigators are examining why Özmen financed the vehicle and whether there was a legal or commercial relationship between the parties.
MASAK records also showed two luxury vehicles from the 2023 and 2024 model years registered to A.N.B.
Investigators are examining the source of funds behind the property purchases, vehicles, company interests and increased banking activity as part of the broader probe into Kuriş and his alleged organization.
Alihan Kuriş, the de facto leader of a group known publicly as “Süleymancılar,” was arrested last week along with other suspects.
The group originated as a religious movement named after 20th-century Islamic scholar Süleyman Hilmi Tunahan, Kuriş’s great-grandfather.
Initially operating through informal religious instruction in homes and mosques, the group later expanded across Türkiye through Quran courses and student dormitories, largely financed by membership contributions and donations. Over time, its activities expanded into commercial sectors including food, health care, tourism, textiles, construction and real estate.
President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan and Brazilian President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva discussed bilateral relations and regional and global developments in a phone call, Türkiye’s Communications Directorate said Monday.
Erdoğan welcomed the continued development of relations between Türkiye and Brazil, saying ties that were elevated to an advanced level two decades ago have continued to strengthen.
The Turkish president said deepening cooperation in a broad range of areas, particularly investment, trade and the defense industry, would benefit both countries, according to the statement.
Erdoğan also emphasized the potential for stronger economic ties between Ankara and Brasilia amid growing protectionist tendencies in the global economy.
He said he believed Türkiye and Brazil could develop a model of economic cooperation that would increase the prosperity of both countries while countering protectionist trends.
The two leaders also discussed regional and global issues.
Erdoğan said Türkiye and Brazil’s policies prioritizing peace in addressing regional and international challenges contributed to global peace.
Türkiye and Brazil have sought to expand bilateral economic and political relations in recent years while also cooperating through multilateral platforms on international issues.
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