Politics
Turkish probe finds FETÖ took students to Balkans for brainwashing
A recent investigation revealed that the Gülenist Terror Group (FETÖ) recruited students in Türkiye and sought to brainwash them through trips to Balkan countries.
An investigation conducted in the western province of Izmir led to raids in nine safe houses of the group earlier this month. After about six months of surveillance, police carried out operations in Izmir and the provinces of Ankara, Aydın, Balıkesir, Kocaeli and Denizli. Forty-two suspects were detained and 27 among them were remanded in custody on June 17. The operation focused on FETÖ’s “education network” found that the students were lured into the group’s secret houses for brainwashing and were taken to some Balkan countries for “intense education,” a name given by the group for training for new recruits.
For decades, the terrorist group relied on an international network of schools and prep schools across Türkiye to trick the youth into joining their movement. The youth later helped infiltrate state institutions, from courts and law enforcement to the military. On July 15, 2016, FETÖ’s military infiltrators tried to seize power. The attempt ultimately failed due to unprecedented public resistance.
The investigation in Izmir, based on evidence and confessions of suspects, showed that students accommodated at safe houses were picked on the advice of FETÖ members who personally knew the prospective recruits. Youth whose family members had no past ties to the group were primarily picked. Before and after the coup attempt, thousands of FETÖ members were questioned, detained and arrested for involvement in crimes ranging from illegal wiretapping to participation in the coup attempt and fraud in public exams (an important element of infiltration into public agencies). FETÖ members conducted “interviews” with potential recruits via social media platforms, and none of the recruits knew each other before their recruitment.
The investigation also revealed that FETÖ members organized “touristic trips” to the Balkan countries, but in reality, they were attempts to win the youth and have them engaged in a brainwashing session. The trips were arranged in secrecy, and instead of mass flights, students often traveled separately on different dates. In the Balkans, they were welcomed by fugitive FETÖ members and accommodated at safe houses of the group.
Statements of suspects showed FETÖ’s safe houses in Türkiye also served as centers to deliver cash to members of the group. FETÖ members regularly delivered cash to these houses to be distributed to other FETÖ members who were released from prison earlier, to ensure their continued loyalty to the group. At times, safe houses were occupied by fugitive members of the group before their escape abroad.
The police investigation found that the terrorist group continued its practice of recording the information on potential recruits. Similar investigations in the past years have found massive databases covering everything about the ethnicity of the group’s members to the “degree of their loyalty” to FETÖ. The safe house investigation unearthed lists compiled by FETÖ members on prospective recruits, with some described as “people not fit for duty.”
Türkiye and Egypt agreed on the need for stronger measures to address Israel’s violations in Gaza as the two regional powers deepen cooperation on a range of regional crises, Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan said Thursday.
Fidan, speaking at a news conference alongside Egyptian Foreign Minister Badr Abdelatty in El Alamein, described Egypt as Türkiye’s “natural partner” and voiced hope that the growing relationship between Ankara and Cairo would soon evolve into a formal partnership.
“Our region has lost too much time to wars, occupations and internal conflicts. We have a significant gap to close,” Fidan said, stressing the need for closer regional cooperation.
Fidan said Ankara and Cairo were working closely on Gaza and had agreed that stronger measures were needed regarding the situation in the Palestinian enclave.
Noting that Israel’s failure to fulfill its commitments under the terms of the Gaza peace deal may push Ankara and Cairo and other mediators to take radical steps, Fidan said both countries expect the U.S. to apply necessary pressure on Tel Aviv.
“Otherwise, Türkiye, Qatar, and Egypt will have to take radical steps on this issue. This is a responsibility we owe to our nation, our people, and the Palestinians,” Fidan said.
He also emphasized the broader importance of cooperation between the two countries as they seek to coordinate their positions on conflicts and political crises across the region.
“Our region has lost too much time to wars, occupations and internal conflicts. We have a significant gap to close,” Fidan said.
“Egypt is our natural partner, and hopefully it will soon become our formal partner as well,” he added.
Fidan sharply criticized Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and his government over their provocative policies in the region.
“We see that Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and his team are increasingly escalating policies that trample on human dignity and are adopting an attitude that effectively provokes the entire international community,” he said.
On Libya, Fidan said Türkiye and Egypt were aligned on safeguarding the North African country’s territorial integrity.
“Türkiye and Egypt share the same view regarding Libya’s unity, territorial integrity, sovereignty and indivisibility,” he said.
Fidan also addressed regional tensions involving Iran, saying Ankara hoped for the restoration of a cease-fire between the United States and Iran and the reopening of the Strait of Hormuz.
“We hope that the cease-fire between the U.S. and Iran will be reestablished and that the Strait of Hormuz will be reopened,” he said.
Referring to the Mecca Joint Defense Agreement signed between Türkiye, Pakistan and Saudi Arabia, Fidan described the pact as a landmark development for regional cooperation.
“The Mecca alliance, by its very nature, has marked a historic moment for our region,” he said.
Abdelatty, meanwhile, emphasized the strength of the relationship between Ankara and Cairo and the need for sustained coordination as the region confronts multiple crises.
“Relations between Türkiye and Egypt are truly built on strong foundations,” Abdelatty said.
“We face many challenges in the region, and considering this, we must remain in constant consultation,” he said. “Today, we held constructive talks with Mr. Fidan, and senior officials also participated in these meetings. There is political will to advance our relations.”
Abdelatty said he expected bilateral relations to continue developing, including through greater coordination between the Turkish and Egyptian private sectors.
He said closer cooperation between the two countries could serve as an example to the international community.
Turning to Syria, Abdelatty said Türkiye and Egypt shared opposition to Israeli attacks targeting Syrian sovereignty.
“In our meeting with Minister Fidan, we expressed that we oppose and condemn all Israeli attacks on Syria’s sovereignty,” he said.
Abdelatty also highlighted the two countries’ shared position on Sudan amid the conflict there.
“We are in full agreement with Türkiye on supporting Sudan’s territorial integrity and categorically rejecting its partition,” he said.
The two ministers also signed three documents aimed at strengthening cooperation between Türkiye and Egypt following their talks and the second meeting of the Türkiye-Egypt Joint Planning Group in El-Alamein. The documents included the minutes of the Joint Planning Group meeting, a decision amending Protocol No. 3 on rules of origin under the Türkiye-Egypt Free Trade Agreement, and Egypt’s accession document to a memorandum of understanding on strengthening transport connectivity between Türkiye and African coastal countries.
The talks in El Alamein came as Türkiye and Egypt continue to strengthen bilateral ties following years of strained relations, while expanding coordination on Gaza, Libya, Syria, Sudan and other regional issues.
Ankara prosecutors have launched an investigation into main opposition Republican People’s Party (CHP) lawmaker Ahmet Baran Yazgan over allegations of sexual harassment and sexual assault, while his party referred him to disciplinary proceedings with a request for permanent expulsion on Friday.
The Ankara Chief Public Prosecutor’s Office said it launched the investigation over video footage circulating on social media and related allegations involving Yazgan, a CHP lawmaker representing the northwestern province of Edirne.
The investigation covers alleged offenses of “sexual harassment” and “sexual assault limited to molestation,” according to the prosecutor’s office.
CHP Deputy Chair and spokesperson Müslim Sarı separately announced that Yazgan had been referred to the party’s disciplinary board as a precautionary measure with a request for permanent expulsion.
“Within the framework of our party’s fundamental principles, bylaws and disciplinary provisions, Edirne lawmaker Ahmet Baran Yazgan has, as of today, been referred to disciplinary proceedings with a request for permanent expulsion,” Sarı said.
The developments followed an altercation at an apartment in Edirne early Thursday.
Police were dispatched to the residence in the city’s Cumhuriyet neighborhood after residents reported hearing sounds of a fight.
Yazgan told police that he had been assaulted, that his cellphone had been taken and that he was filmed during the incident. Officers later found his phone under a refrigerator and returned it to him.
Three people, including two women, were detained over the altercation.
The suspects told investigators that they had gone to T.A.’s residence following a birthday celebration, where they consumed alcohol with Yazgan before an argument escalated into a physical confrontation.
The parties filed complaints against each other. The suspects accused Yazgan of sexual harassment, threats and insults, while N.D. said she suffered a hand injury from a piece of glass during the altercation.
Footage purportedly showing parts of the incident is also being examined as part of the investigation.
The three suspects were later released by a criminal judgeship of peace under judicial control measures and were barred from traveling abroad.
The CHP said Yazgan had also been summoned to party headquarters for an internal inquiry into the incident.
Turkish ministers and political figures on Friday marked the 25th anniversary of the ruling Justice and Development Party (AK Party), highlighting President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan’s leadership and the party’s quarter-century in Turkish politics.
Interior Minister Mustafa Çiftçi recalled Erdoğan’s remarks at the party’s founding on Aug. 14, 2001, when he declared that, “Nothing in Türkiye will ever be the same again.”
Çiftçi said the statement opened the door not only to a new political movement but also to a new era for Türkiye.
“Exactly 25 years have passed since that day,” Çiftçi stressed, adding that Erdoğan and the party had faced numerous challenges during that period.
He said Erdoğan had left a significant mark on Türkiye’s recent history through his leadership and policies, while maintaining a strong connection with the public.
Citing Erdoğan’s statement that “the AK Party’s dough was kneaded by the nation,” Çiftçi noted public support had been at the core of the party’s political journey.
Environment, Urbanization and Climate Change Minister Murat Kurum also issued an anniversary message, saying the party’s establishment 25 years ago marked the beginning of a political movement built around what he described as the nation’s values and the vision of a stronger Türkiye.
“Under the leadership of our President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, our AK Party, which placed the nation’s will at the center of politics and transformed Türkiye through its works, today represents 25 years of struggle, service and cause,” Kurum said.
AK Party spokesperson and Deputy Chair Ömer Çelik described the anniversary as an exceptional milestone in the country’s political history.
Çelik said reaching the party’s 25th year after such a long period in government was a rare political achievement, describing the anniversary as a “celebration.”
“We have carried out this entire process under the leadership of our president with uninterrupted rule in a way rarely seen in political history,” Çelik said.
He argued that the party’s longevity stemmed from its relationship with voters and Erdoğan’s approach to politics, saying public approval had provided the basis for its continued governance.
Furthermore, Mustafa Destici, chair of the Great Unity Party (BBP), also congratulated Erdoğan and the AK Party on the anniversary.
Destici said the AK Party had played a major role in Türkiye’s political life over the past quarter-century while confronting political, economic and social challenges, terrorist attacks and the July 15, 2016, coup attempt.
He also pointed to Türkiye’s growing regional and international role and developments, including the establishment of the Organization of Turkic States and the reopening of Hagia Sophia as a mosque.
Destici said cooperation within the People’s Alliance would continue around shared objectives, including national unity, economic strength, counterterrorism and greater independence in the defense industry.
Türkiye’s ruling Justice and Development Party (AK Party), founded under the leadership of President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan on Aug. 14, 2001, marked its 25th anniversary Friday, completing a quarter-century in which it has won every general election it has contested and reshaped the country’s political landscape.
Established as Türkiye’s 39th political party by a movement led by Erdoğan, then a former Istanbul mayor, the AK Party entered national politics with a pledge for sweeping political change.
“From now on, nothing in Türkiye will be the same,” Erdoğan said at the party’s launch. Two days later, he was unanimously elected its chair.
Just 15 months after its establishment, the AK Party won the Nov. 3, 2002, general election with 34.28% of the vote. Erdoğan was barred from running because of a political ban, and Abdullah Gül formed the 58th government.
Erdoğan enters Parliament
After legal changes lifted his political ban, Erdoğan won a parliamentary seat in a rerun election in the southeastern province of Siirt on March 9, 2003.
Following Gül’s resignation as prime minister, Erdoğan formed Türkiye’s 59th government on March 15, beginning more than a decade as premier.
The AK Party consolidated its position in subsequent elections, receiving 41.7% in the 2004 local elections and 46.58% in the 2007 general election.
The party faced one of its most serious legal challenges in 2008 when Türkiye’s chief prosecutor filed a case seeking its closure and political bans for 71 figures, including Erdoğan and Gül.
Six Constitutional Court judges voted to close the party and five opposed the move, falling short of the qualified majority required for a ban.
Referendums, election victories
A constitutional referendum in September 2010 became another milestone for the party, with 57.88% voting in favor of a package of constitutional amendments.
The AK Party subsequently received 49.83% of the vote in the 2011 general election, one of its highest nationwide vote shares.
In 2014, Erdoğan shifted from the prime minister’s office to the presidency. He won 51.79% of the vote on Aug. 10, becoming Türkiye’s first president elected directly by popular vote.
Ahmet Davutoğlu succeeded Erdoğan as AK Party chair. After the June 2015 election produced no single-party government, the AK Party regained its parliamentary majority in the Nov. 1 snap election.
Binali Yıldırım became party chair and prime minister in May 2016.
Presidential system changes
Türkiye’s political trajectory changed sharply with the July 15, 2016, coup attempt by the Gülenist Terror Group (FETÖ).
Erdoğan called on citizens to take to the streets and public squares, while resistance to the coup attempt helped foster closer political cooperation between the AK Party and the Nationalist Movement Party (MHP), laying the groundwork for the People’s Alliance.
A constitutional referendum on April 16, 2017, approved a shift to an executive presidential system with 51.41% support.
The changes also allowed the president to retain party membership. Erdoğan rejoined the AK Party after 979 days and was reelected its chair at an extraordinary congress in May 2017.
The AK Party and MHP contested the June 24, 2018, elections under the People’s Alliance, as Türkiye held presidential and parliamentary elections simultaneously for the first time.
Erdoğan won the presidency with 52.59%, becoming the first president under the new system, while the AK Party received 42.56% in the parliamentary vote.
The alliance continued into the 2019 local elections, in which the AK Party received 44.33% nationwide.
The COVID-19 pandemic later disrupted the party’s congress process, but its seventh ordinary congress was eventually held in March 2021, with Erdoğan again elected chair.
Erdoğan wins new term in 2023
Türkiye returned to the polls in May 2023 for presidential and parliamentary elections.
Erdoğan received 49.52% in the first presidential round, forcing a runoff. The AK Party received 35.62% of the parliamentary vote and secured 268 seats.
Erdoğan defeated his challenger in the May 28 runoff with 52.18%, securing another presidential term.
The victory extended the AK Party’s record of finishing first in every general election it had contested since its establishment and maintained its position as the longest-governing party since Türkiye entered its multiparty era in 1946.
The March 31, 2024, local elections represented a setback for the AK Party, which received 35.49% of the vote and won 24 provincial and 357 district municipalities.
Erdoğan acknowledged the message delivered by voters and pledged to evaluate the results, after which the party began replacing provincial and district officials.
That renewal accelerated at the AK Party’s eighth ordinary congress on Feb. 23, 2025. Thirty-nine new members joined its Central Decision and Management Board, renewing 52% of the body.
Further organizational changes followed, including replacements of provincial chairs in 15 provinces.
‘Terror-free Türkiye’ initiative
One of the latest chapters in the AK Party’s quarter-century in politics has been the “Terror-Free Türkiye” initiative, which followed a call by MHP Chair Devlet Bahçeli in October 2024 and was subsequently backed by Erdoğan.
A parliamentary National Solidarity, Brotherhood and Democracy Commission began work in August 2025 to address terrorism, social integration, national unity, democracy and the rule of law.
The commission adopted its report in February 2026.
A bill setting out the legal framework for the process was submitted to Parliament on Aug. 5, 2026. The legislation links its implementation to an official determination that the PKK terrorist group and affiliated structures have ended their operational existence and surrendered weapons under their control.
Parliament approved the legislation on Aug. 10 with 467 votes in favor, 87 against and seven abstentions.
Turkish Cypriot leaders on Friday commemorated the victims of the 1974 killings in the villages of Muratağa, Sandallar and Atlılar, marking the 52nd anniversary of one of the deadliest episodes of intercommunal violence on the divided island.
Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus (TRNC) President Tufan Erhürman and Prime Minister Ünal Üstel paid tribute to Turkish Cypriots killed on Aug. 14, 1974, according to the Turkish News Agency Cyprus (TAK).
Commemoration ceremonies were held at cemeteries in Muratağa, Sandallar and Atlılar, where officials laid wreaths, observed moments of silence and attended prayers for the victims.
Speaking at the Muratağa-Sandallar cemetery, Erhürman said the victims represented the suffering endured by the Turkish Cypriot community during the conflict.
“Each of our martyrs lying here is the most concrete indication of the suffering experienced and the heavy price paid by the Turkish Cypriot people,” Erhürman said.
He criticized what he described as international silence over the killings, saying the lack of acknowledgment raised questions about the international community’s approach to the events.
Üstel, in a separate message marking Aug. 14, described the date as one associated with both resistance and deep suffering in Turkish Cypriot history.
He said Turkish Cypriots had refused to abandon their homeland, freedom or future despite years of violence and pressure, adding that they continued to show the same determination in the face of what he called “unjust isolation and embargoes.”
On Aug. 14, 1974, armed Greek Cypriot groups, including members of the ultranationalist EOKA terrorist group, attacked the three Turkish Cypriot villages.
A total of 126 Turkish Cypriots, many of them women and children, were killed. The youngest victim was 16-day-old Selden Ali Faik, while the oldest was 95-year-old Hüseyin Osman.
A mass grave in Atlılar was discovered on Aug. 20, 1974, after the second phase of Türkiye’s operation on Cyprus began.
The victims in Muratağa and Sandallar were discovered in early September after a shepherd noticed a hand protruding from the ground.
The mass graves were later opened in the presence of United Nations observers, and the remains of the victims were identified before being reburied at cemeteries.
Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan met Thursday with Arab League Secretary-General Nabil Fahmy and Egyptian General Intelligence Service chief Maj. Gen. Hassan Rashad in the coastal city of el-Alamein, the Foreign Ministry said.
Fidan began a two-day visit to Egypt on Thursday.
During the visit, Fidan is scheduled to be received by Egyptian President Abdel Fattah el-Sissi and meet senior Egyptian officials, according to Turkish Foreign Ministry sources.
He will discuss bilateral relations, review the current status of agreements under negotiation and encourage mutual investment in line with a common goal of increasing bilateral trade volume to $15 billion, diplomatic sources said.
The Turkish foreign minister will also discuss cooperation in hydrocarbons, electricity grid integration, energy infrastructure and mining, according to the sources.
Fidan will assess steps that can be taken to advance existing cooperation in the military and defense industries and emphasize the importance of addressing regional issues through dialogue and diplomacy on the basis of regional ownership and shared responsibility, the sources said.
He will also underline Türkiye’s determination to continue joint efforts bilaterally and through multilateral platforms such as the R4 initiative, which brings together the foreign ministers of Türkiye, Egypt, Pakistan and Saudi Arabia.
The visit will include the second meeting of the Türkiye-Egypt Joint Planning Group, co-chaired by Fidan and Egyptian Foreign Minister Badr Abdelatty, according to the sources.
The meeting will review the outcomes of the second meeting of the High-Level Strategic Cooperation Council, held in Cairo in February, and prepare for a third meeting planned in Türkiye in 2028.
Fidan will express support for diplomatic efforts aimed at restoring the ceasefire between the U.S. and Iran and reopening the Strait of Hormuz, the sources said.
He will also stress the importance of immediately halting ongoing attacks in Gaza, fully implementing the ceasefire and ensuring the uninterrupted delivery of humanitarian aid.
The minister is expected to exchange views on implementing the second phase of the Gaza Peace Plan and Israel’s attacks on Palestine, Lebanon and Syria, according to the sources.
Fidan will underline the need to continue joint efforts to ensure lasting stability and security in Libya based on the country’s territorial integrity and political unity.
He will also reaffirm Türkiye’s support for Sudan’s sovereignty, unity and territorial integrity, the sources said.
Fidan will share assessments on the roles and contributions Türkiye and Egypt can make toward establishing lasting peace and stability in the Eastern Mediterranean.
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