Former Interior Minister Idris Naim Şahin was released under judicial control on Tuesday after testifying in a case concerning his alleged role in helping members of the alleged Alihan Kuriş gang evade capture.

Hilmi Tuna Kuriş, the brother of Alihan Kuriş, and two other suspects were captured in southwestern Türkiye on Aug. 21 in a rental vehicle registered in Şahin’s name. The suspects, who are accused of links to the gang associated with a religious community known as “Süleymancılar,” were attempting to flee the country at the time of their capture, according to authorities.

Şahin was questioned by prosecutors in Ankara and told them that he did not know Kuriş or Erhan Yılmaz, who were captured in the vehicle driven by Mehmet Özmen, although he acknowledged that he knew the driver. He claimed that the vehicle was registered in his name but that he had last driven it in June and was unaware of who had been using it afterward. He said he had leased the vehicle from a company owned by Özmen, while public records showed that he paid an annual lease fee of TL 1,000 for the vehicle, far below standard annual fees for such vehicles.

An Ankara court released Şahin after questioning but imposed a ban on traveling abroad.

According to investigators, Mehmet Özmen, who allegedly helped facilitate Hilmi Tuna Kuriş’s movements while he was evading authorities, transferred TL 2.4 million (about $50,000) to purchase a vehicle on behalf of Alihan Kuriş’s wife, Seda Kuriş.

A Financial Crimes Investigation Board (MASAK) report dated Aug. 20 and included in the investigation also examined financial and property transactions involving Kuriş and people in his immediate circle following the 2016 death of Arif Ahmet Denizolgun, who served as a transport minister and former leader of the Süleymancılar religious community.

Investigators allege that the period following Denizolgun’s death saw a significant increase in property and financial transactions involving Kuriş and his relatives. Denizolgun’s nephew, Fatih Süleyman Denizolgun, has claimed that his uncle’s death was suspicious and called on authorities to open a new investigation into his death.

Denizolgun said in a social media post that the investigation was expanded following the detention of former Council of Judges and Prosecutors (HSK) member Ahmet Gökçen on Aug. 13, 2026. He alleged that Gökçen was a suspect in the suppression of a murder report concerning the death of his uncle at the Council of Forensic Medicine (ATK), yet continued to serve as an expert at the ATK until Aug. 13, 2026. Denizolgun said prosecutors had requested the autopsy video three times since February 2026, but the ATK reported on July 16 that the footage could not be found. He claimed that the footage was subsequently sent ahead of the exhumation procedure and that the recordings were fragmented.

An expert assessment stated that the possibility of suffocation could not be scientifically ruled out if the victim’s mouth and nose were covered while pressure was applied to the chest. According to the allegations, the deceased was reportedly suffocated with a pillow. Denizolgun also alleged that physical samples had been destroyed at the ATK.

The group known publicly as “Süleymancılar” originated as a religious movement named after 20th-century Islamic scholar Süleyman Hilmi Tunahan, Kuriş’ 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.

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Justice Minister Akın Gürlek has asked Greece to extradite three suspects wanted by Türkiye, including the alleged leader of the Bayğaralar organized crime group, during talks with his Greek counterpart, Yorgos Floridis.

Gürlek raised the cases of Ramazan Bayğara, Nedim Sorguç and Ali Yeşildağ during the meeting on Tuesday, stressing the need for stronger judicial cooperation between the neighboring countries in combating transnational organized crime.

Floridis said Greek judicial authorities had approved the extradition of all three suspects and that the Greek government had endorsed the decisions. However, the extraditions of Bayğara and Sorguç have been suspended because of interim measures issued by the European Court of Human Rights (ECtHR), he said.

Bayğara, identified by Turkish authorities as the leader of the Bayğaralar crime group, was detained in Greece while being sought internationally under an Interpol Red Notice for allegedly establishing a criminal organization and intentional homicide.

Turkish judicial authorities subsequently requested his extradition.

Sorguç is also wanted under a Red Notice on charges of membership in a criminal organization and drug trafficking. His transfer to Türkiye had been scheduled for Aug. 20, but was halted following an application to the ECtHR, Gürlek said.

The minister also raised the case of Yeşildağ, whose extradition Türkiye is seeking on charges of intentional homicide and armed robbery involving multiple perpetrators.

Gürlek said transnational organized crime had become an increasingly important area of cooperation between Türkiye and Greece as criminal groups expand their operations across borders.

He said such organizations increasingly use technology and social media to recruit young people and engage in crimes ranging from drug trafficking and money laundering to homicide, robbery and threats.

Türkiye has issued a circular to chief public prosecutors’ offices at 75 heavy penal court centers across the country’s 81 provinces as part of efforts to accelerate and better coordinate investigations into organized crime groups, Gürlek said.

He stressed that the international networks of organized crime groups meant authorities could not effectively combat them solely within national borders.

“These organizations pose a serious threat not only to our country but also to public order and public security in the countries where they operate,” Gürlek noted, emphasizing the importance of mutual judicial cooperation.

Gürlek thanked Greek judicial authorities for their cooperation and said Türkiye would show the same sensitivity toward extradition requests submitted by Athens.

He also invited Floridis to an International Justice Summit scheduled for Oct. 8-9 in Istanbul.

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“I think they’d hear us from Greece if we shout from Kaş,” President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan told journalists when asked how Türkiye would respond to Greece’s arming of the Aegean islands.

Türkiye has recently declared an area between Kaş and Fethiye in the south, as well as several other areas in the Aegean Sea, as “marine parks” in a move that angered Greece, which has consistently contested Türkiye’s maritime borders.

Erdoğan answered questions while returning from Kyrgyzstan, where he attended a summit of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) on Tuesday. In remarks published on Wednesday, he said Türkiye sought to advance relations with Greece on the basis of good neighborliness. “We have always been sincere and constructive, but this was not reciprocated most of the time,” Erdoğan said.

Türkiye opposes any Greek military deployment on the eastern Aegean islands, arguing that they should remain demilitarized under the 1923 Treaty of Lausanne and the 1947 Paris Peace Treaty. Greece, however, cites a “threat” from Türkiye and says it has the right under international law to defend its sovereignty. The two countries have recently been at odds over the declaration of marine parks to preserve marine biodiversity, with both accusing each other of attempting to violate their maritime borders.

Under Erdoğan’s leadership, Türkiye has pursued a rapprochement with Greece after decades of lukewarm diplomatic ties and nearly two decades after the two countries came close to an all-out war over their Aegean dispute. Erdoğan and Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis have met several times over the past two years, but their warm meetings have done little to change the state of relations over the maritime dispute.

“Greece should know that Türkiye has no intention of grabbing the territory of any other country, but Türkiye also has no intention of allowing anyone to violate its rights. Ignoring international treaties will not benefit anyone. Anyone who interprets Türkiye’s level-headed approach based on common sense as weakness is making a grave mistake. Greece should reverse course and stop arming demilitarized islands. History is a good guide for those who can learn from the past,” Erdoğan said.

The Republic of Türkiye cemented its independence more than a century ago under the leadership of its founder, Mustafa Kemal Atatürk, after expelling invading Greek forces. “We will continue working for peace, security and stability,” Erdoğan added.

In a related development, Israel and Greece signed a 3 billion euros ($3.48 billion) defense deal on Monday under which Israel will build a “multilayered” defense system for Greece. A supplementary deal valued at 26 million euros will see Israel sell Greece Drone Dome systems to protect strategic sites against drones and reinforce existing defenses.

Both countries are at odds with Türkiye. Ankara has repeatedly warned against Israel’s expansionist goals across the region. President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan has previously warned that Türkiye may be the next target of Israel after the Netanyahu administration launched a genocidal campaign in Gaza.

SCO summit

Erdoğan also commented on Türkiye’s ambitions to advance relations with the SCO to a “higher level.” He said the summit he attended in Bishkek had been a concrete indicator of Türkiye’s will to diversify its economic, political and strategic options at the international level.

“We have bilateral trade and economic relations with SCO member states. In our relations with the Organization, significant progress has been made in recent years, reflecting our multidimensional foreign policy approach. Türkiye is a country capable of developing balanced relations with both the West and the East and deepening its ties with both sides accordingly. Türkiye’s approach also strengthens our aim of finding solutions to global challenges based on cooperation and effective multilateralism. From our perspective, it is possible to take our relations with the SCO to even higher levels in the period ahead,” he said.

Türkiye is a dialogue partner of the bloc, and Erdoğan said Türkiye’s perspective on membership in the SCO “does not in any way mean breaking away from one bloc or turning its back on the West. Our goal is to increase our own weight and influence with a 360-degree vision.”

Ties with Russia

The Turkish leader also had a rare meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin on the sidelines of the SCO summit. He said their talks were very fruitful and that they had particularly discussed the conflict between Russia and Ukraine. He hailed significant cooperation with Russia in fields ranging from tourism to energy.

“Concluding the conflict through peace is also Mr. Putin’s expectation,” Erdoğan said. “This conflict has had bad consequences for our region and the world, and Mr. Putin is not pleased with this. I conveyed to Mr. Putin that we were ready to do anything for peace,” he said. Türkiye is among the few countries that have achieved some progress toward partial peace between the two countries.

Maritime security in the Black Sea amid the Russia-Ukraine conflict was also on Erdoğan’s agenda. Several Turkish commercial vessels have come under fire over the past two months while sailing through the Black Sea. Erdoğan said the conflict should not “come to a point where the security of civilians and trade security erode.” “We have to resolve this issue because the damage is growing. We need a mechanism for lasting security in maritime shipping in the Black Sea,” he said.

Mecca alliance

Erdoğan also commented on Türkiye’s joint defense agreement with Saudi Arabia and Pakistan. The agreement evolved into the Mecca Defense Alliance as ministers from the three countries came together in Istanbul on Monday to discuss its future. Erdoğan said the meeting was very important.

“In line with our approach of taking concrete steps as soon as possible, we have identified the issues that need to be addressed from a technical standpoint. Chief among these is the establishment of the secretariat and making it fully operational. Military and political issues need to be addressed here. The defense industry is an important area of cooperation. In terms of military operational cooperation, technical issues such as military training, military standardization, and the sharing of information on military threats, capabilities and capacities were also discussed. Decisions were made on when and how these initiatives will be implemented,” Erdoğan said.

“There are very few countries that have openly opposed this alliance, but there are also countries that have expressed opposition behind the scenes. In particular, the balance among Saudi Arabia, Pakistan and Türkiye makes it difficult for many actors to openly criticize the alliance. This alliance was established to promote stability and security in our region. We will continue on our path together with our brothers, growing stronger,” he said.

Terror-free Türkiye

Asked about the terror-free Türkiye initiative aimed at the dissolution of the terrorist group PKK, Erdoğan said that the timetable for the process was not clear. “You can’t set a schedule on such issues,” he said. “This is not about timing anyway; it is about reaching our goal. Certainly, we have a road map, and our institutions work in coordination,” he said.

Türkiye’s Parliament earlier this month passed a landmark 12-article law supporting the initiative, following months of political efforts led by Erdoğan and Nationalist Movement Party (MHP) Chairperson Devlet Bahçeli.

The legislation outlines legal procedures for members of the PKK terrorist group who lay down their arms and surrender to Turkish authorities as the organization moves toward dissolution and disarmament. It includes provisions allowing the deferral of prosecution or prison sentences in certain circumstances, while establishing different legal procedures depending on an individual’s position within the organization and involvement in criminal activity.

The law does not constitute a general amnesty and does not eliminate existing convictions, change the legal classification of crimes, or broadly remove criminal liability, according to the justification accompanying the legislation.

“The monitoring board established under the leadership of Vice President Cevdet Yılmaz has begun planning the steps to be taken within the framework of the duties defined by law. For the law to begin to be implemented, however, the PKK must actually lay down its arms and disband. It is clear how the necessary assessments and verification will be carried out in this regard. The process is moving forward step by step. It has not been confined to rigid parameters in every respect. There is also a degree of flexibility in this regard. We are approaching the issue with the seriousness of the state and taking our steps accordingly. Our nation has also demonstrated its support for a terror-free Türkiye. Processes that are open to such provocations should not be allowed to drag on for too long,” he said.

Türkiye also links the initiative to stability in the wider region. In this context, the dissolution of the YPG, the Syrian wing of the PKK, is viewed as crucial by Ankara. After two years, the YPG reached an agreement with the new administration in Damascus on its integration into the Syrian army. Erdoğan said Türkiye welcomed the news and was following the implementation of the integration agreement.

“We want more than anyone else for Syria to remain united. This is important for achieving sustainable development and building capacity in Syria. We have always stood by our Syrian brothers and sisters to this end, and we will continue to stand by them going forward. In this regard, President Ahmed al-Sharaa has successfully navigated and continues to navigate difficult challenges. We are hopeful about both the integration process and the gains the Syrian people have achieved in a short period of time. I believe this process will open the door to a new era not only for Türkiye and Syria, but for the entire region. The chapter of terrorism must now be closed; the era of weapons and violence must come to an end,” he said.

The integration was also welcomed by the United States, Türkiye’s NATO ally, which controversially supported the YPG in Syria during the Baathist era. Washington has also modified its policy toward Syria and embraced the unity approach of the al-Sharaa administration. “Obviously, the United States eventually grasped the reality in Syria,” Erdoğan said.

F-35 deal

Erdoğan also commented on Türkiye’s pursuit of a return to the F-35 fighter jet program with the United States. “The talks are underway to achieve this. We believe we will put all these issues behind us. While we pursue diplomatic efforts, we won’t abandon the development of our Kaan fighter jet. We are committed to developing our own aerial defense systems. As a matter of fact, we are diversifying the options we have. This is how Türkiye becomes stronger,” Erdoğan said.

After declaring its dissolution, the terrorist group YPG, once militarily backed by the United States, has started handing over its heavy weapons to the Syrian army.

Syrian troops are receiving weapons in Hassakeh, once a stronghold of the YPG, following a key deal on the group’s integration with the Syrian army.

Among the weapons and equipment handed over to the Syrian army are armored vehicles, tanks, mortars and machine guns. Anadolu Agency (AA) reported on Thursday that the army also seized air defense systems that the YPG had looted from some military air bases following the fall of the Baathist regime in 2024.

Damascus and the YPG signed a memorandum on a cease-fire and the group’s gradual integration into the security forces on Jan. 29. Syrian forces recently entered Hassakeh, which had been under YPG control, and took over key institutions, including the governorate and courthouse. On Sept. 1, the Syrian Interior Ministry sent reinforcements to the city to help complete the takeover.

The new administration in Damascus has sought to restore central government control across the country after years of fragmentation during the civil war.

The dissolution of the YPG, the Syrian wing of the PKK, is crucial for Türkiye. Türkiye itself launched the “terror-free Türkiye” initiative aimed at the dissolution of the PKK. The PKK agreed and made a symbolic start to its disarmament process last year. In exchange, Türkiye offered leniency and deferred sentencing for PKK members not involved in acts of terrorism.

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A power struggle is intensifying within the New Party (YP), with rival factions reportedly seeking to consolidate control over local party organizations ahead of a nationwide congress process.

The YP formally announced its congress schedule last month, setting the stage for district and provincial contests that are expected to determine the party’s organizational structure ahead of future elections.

In several provinces, mayors, provincial party chairs, lawmakers and figures aligned with former Istanbul Mayor Ekrem Imamoğlu are reportedly working separately to shape local organizations by backing their preferred candidates. The competition has raised concerns within the party that disputes over local leadership could deepen existing divisions before the organization has fully established itself across the country.

The latest example emerged in Biga, a district of Çanakkale province in western Türkiye.

Cemal Mantar, the founding chair of the YP’s Biga district organization, announced that he would not seek the position again just one month after helping establish the local branch.

Mantar stressed that he was not leaving the party or withdrawing from politics and rejected suggestions that his decision was the result of an internal crisis.

However, local party sources have alleged that Çanakkale Mayor Muharrem Erkek backed Barış Çetin as a candidate to replace Mantar, creating tensions within the district organization. According to the allegations, the dispute prompted Mantar to withdraw his candidacy despite having recently helped establish the party’s local organization.

The episode has fueled concerns that competition over local positions could become one of the first major tests of the YP’s internal cohesion.

The party has already faced a separate controversy in the southeastern city of Gaziantep.

Seydi Ahmet Keleş, a YP member in the province, allegedly attacked Gaziantep lawmaker Melih Meriç with a knife after Meriç declined to support his bid for the district chairmanship. The incident attracted widespread attention and became an early example of the tensions surrounding the party’s local organization.

Membership lists prepared for the congress process have also become a source of dispute. Some individuals reportedly claimed that they had completed the process of joining the party but later could not find their names on the official membership lists.

The allegations have raised concerns that disputes over membership could become intertwined with leadership contests, as the composition of party membership directly affects who is eligible to participate in local congresses and influence the selection of new leadership.

The competition appears to be particularly significant because the YP is still in the process of building its organizational network. Unlike an established political party with long-standing local structures, the new party is attempting to create provincial and district organizations while simultaneously defining its political identity and internal power balance.

The disputes are reportedly not limited to smaller districts. Competition over leadership positions in major cities has also become increasingly tense, according to reports, raising the possibility that some upcoming congresses could take place in a highly contentious atmosphere.

The developments come as the YP seeks to establish itself as a major force in Turkish opposition politics.

In late July, Özgür Özel launched the New Party after being ousted from the main opposition Republican People’s Party (CHP) following a court ruling that invalidated the party’s previous congress.

Özel had led the CHP to a historic victory in the 2024 local elections, winning control of several major municipalities, including Istanbul, Ankara and other major urban centers. After the split, he argued that the YP could build on that momentum and develop into a broader political movement.

“The New Party is the first party in Turkish political history to be founded as the main opposition,” Özel said shortly after its establishment. “It is not a splinter party formed by people leaving another party in search of something else. It is actually a party built around an understanding, and around resistance and struggle against the coup that was carried out.”

The launch followed months of turmoil within the CHP, where a leadership dispute between Özel and former party Chair Kemal Kılıçdaroğlu escalated following a court ruling that invalidated the previous party congress.

The ruling, widely described in Turkish political circles as the “absolute nullity” decision, paved the way for Kılıçdaroğlu to return to the party leadership and further intensified the confrontation between the two camps.

Özel’s supporters have accused Kılıçdaroğlu of attempting to undermine the CHP’s prospects of winning the next presidential election under Özel’s leadership, with some of his allies going as far as branding the former chairman a “traitor.”

Kılıçdaroğlu, meanwhile, has continued to challenge Özel and his supporters, deepening the political rupture that eventually contributed to the establishment of the YP.

Özel has sought to present the new party not simply as a breakaway organization but as a political movement capable of attracting voters and members beyond the CHP’s traditional base.

He has said the YP reached 600,000 members shortly after its establishment and predicted that membership would rise to 1 million in a short period.

The party’s ability to translate that rapid growth into a functioning nationwide organization, however, is now facing an early test as local factions compete for influence.

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A municipal council member from Türkiye’s main opposition Republican People’s Party (CHP) was detained on Wednesday in the northwestern province of Edirne over allegations that he demanded 200,000 euros ($232,000) from a contractor in exchange for securing approval of a building permit.

Engin Yağcılar, a member of the Edirne Municipal Council and deputy chair of the CHP group in the council, was taken into custody as part of an investigation led by the Edirne Chief Public Prosecutor’s Office.

Authorities also searched Yağcılar’s home and law office and launched a separate investigation into suspected laundering of assets derived from crime.

The investigation began after a contractor, identified by the initials N.Ö., approached law enforcement authorities on Aug. 23, prosecutors said.

The contractor alleged that Yağcılar contacted him and said he could secure approval for a building permit in exchange for 200,000 euros.

Prosecutors subsequently obtained authorization to monitor Yağcılar’s communications and activities using technical surveillance.

Yağcılar and the contractor met at a mosque in Edirne on Sept. 1, after which authorities detained Yağcılar. Investigators recorded the meeting on video and audio, according to information from the investigation.

Authorities searching Yağcılar’s residence and law office seized four computers, two notebooks and five pages of documents.

Yağcılar invoked his right to remain silent while in police custody.

Prosecutors also opened a separate investigation under Article 282 of the Turkish Penal Code, which covers the laundering of assets derived from criminal activity.

Authorities are examining Yağcılar’s financial and asset transactions, while Türkiye’s Financial Crimes Investigation Board (MASAK) is expected to prepare a report as part of the investigation.

The latest investigation comes months after Edirne Municipality was implicated in a separate probe involving building permit procedures.

Thirteen suspects, including the municipality’s then-director of zoning and a municipal council member, were detained in February as part of that investigation.

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