Politics
Turkish opposition’s Özel turns foul-mouthed over defected mayor
Main opposition New Party (YP) Chair Özgür Özel barely restrained himself on Tuesday as he hit back at his critics for picking Cemil Tugay as mayor of the opposition stronghold of Izmir.
In an address to his party’s parliamentary group meeting in Ankara, Özel said he wished he had not nominated “that namussuz” back when he was the chair of the Republican People’s Party (CHP), using a Turkish insult which means “dishonest,” but the severity also amounts to a certain curse word starting with B in English. Tugay, who quit the CHP last summer, joined the ruling Justice and Development Party (AK Party) last week, prompting a wave of condemnation both from the YP and CHP. The CHP has blamed Özel for picking him as the candidate in the 2024 municipal elections while there were better candidates.
“Here is your self-criticism. I wish my hand was broken after I signed the papers to approve the candidacy of this namussuz,” Özel told fellow lawmakers, using a Turkish saying.
Tugay is among dozens of mayors to join the AK Party since 2024, and most of them were reportedly handpicked by Özel as candidates in elections two years ago. This played into the hands of the CHP, now led by Özel’s predecessor Kemal Kılıçdaroğlu, which taps into every opportunity to lay the blame for the party’s failure on Özel. Özel branded Tugay as a traitor, adding that it would not be the first, “nor the last.” He also pledged that the YP would win the next municipal election in Izmir.
CHP ‘robbed’
Özel’s associates, in the meantime, are also accused of siphoning off the cash owned by the party. Media reports say that Özel instructed a bank where the party’s bank account is to pay a refund of TL 57,000 ($1,155) for dozens of lawmakers of the party, as part of an early deal with the bank where lawmakers volunteered to donate a portion of their salaries. Some lawmakers, on the other hand, claimed that they were unaware of the withdrawal of the cash, and Özel and his associates apparently forged their signatures for the withdrawal. The amount of the cash the Özel camp took with them to the YP was more than TL 5 million and recorded as a “donation” to the new party.
Mehmet Sevigen, former secretary-general of the CHP, told the Sabah newspaper that it was a major scandal. “They obviously plotted this robbery,” he said. Sevigen noted that Özel’s supporters also “looted” CHP offices across Türkiye as they were evacuating the buildings when a court verdict ordered Özel to hand over the chairmanship of the party to Kılıçdaroğlu last May.
Trustees were appointed to Halk TV, a broadcaster serving as the mouthpiece of the main opposition New Party (YP), on Wednesday, in an investigation into alleged corruption by the channel’s owner, Cafer Mahiroğlu. Mahiroğlu, who lives abroad, is among 17 suspects wanted in the investigation, while police detained 11 among them in several raids.
Police squads surrounded the Halk TV headquarters in Istanbul in the early hours of Wednesday while the TV station broadcast archive footage of old shows instead of live coverage. The opposition was quick to portray the raids and trustee appointment as politically motivated. Authorities, however, say Mahiroğlu was involved in a bribery and corruption scheme involving the municipality of Izmir, which was an opposition stronghold up until recently.
Suspects are accused of bribery, tender rigging and money laundering in the investigation based on statements of eyewitnesses, statements of suspects detained in other operations and other evidence.
Authorities said that the investigation uncovered findings pointing out that Mahiroğlu had connections with the Izmir municipality and set up a vehicle maintenance company which reaped illicit gains from business done with the municipality. They also said the corruption allegations also involved payment of bribes amounting to more than TL 14 million linked to tender processes. According to investigators, Mahiroğlu funneled cash derived from irregularities in tenders to his own companies and companies linked to him.
Investigators also found contradictions between assets declared to be owned by Mahiroğlu and his actual revenues, raising suspicions regarding money laundering.
Mahiroğlu was already implicated in a tender-rigging investigation linked to Istanbul Metropolitan Municipality (IBB) last year and left the country while he was wanted for tender-rigging.
In a social media post attempting to discredit the police raid, in a matter that also implicates him, Mahiroğlu said from the U.K., “Kılıçdaroğlu and his crew must be happy now,” referring to Kemal Kılıçdaroğlu, chair of the opposition Republican People’s Party (CHP).
Kılıçdaroğlu has been targeted by the YP after a court verdict reinstated him to the leadership of the opposition party.
Halk TV has quickly adopted the rhetoric of Özgür Özel, founder of YP, who was ousted as CHP chair in May, with coverage accusing Kılıçdaroğlu of betraying Türkiye’s oldest party. Previously an outlet for the CHP, Halk TV sided with Özel after his expulsion and became a mouthpiece for the YP after its foundation in July.
Three days before the police raids, Kılıçdaroğlu accused Halk TV of “airing lies around the clock” in an interview with KRT TV station. He questioned why the channel’s owner was abroad and said they filed a complaint with the broadcast watchdog over the “fake news” Halk TV disseminated about his administration at the CHP. Mahiroğlu, in response, has branded Kılıçdaroğlu as the “most unfortunate thing to happen to Turkish politics.”
Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan will represent President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan at the seventh summit of the Conference on Interaction and Confidence Building Measures in Asia (CICA) in Azerbaijan’s capital, Baku, on Thursday, where he is expected to address the Gaza crisis, regional security and economic cooperation, Turkish diplomatic sources said.
The summit, hosted by Azerbaijan as CICA’s rotating chair, will bring together representatives from member states, observer countries and international organizations to discuss geopolitical challenges, connectivity, digital transformation and sustainable development.
Fidan is scheduled to deliver a speech and hold bilateral meetings on the sidelines of the gathering, with a particular focus on regional stability, multilateral diplomacy and Israel’s actions in the Palestinian territories.
According to Foreign Ministry sources, Fidan is expected to condemn Israel’s continued military operations in Gaza, its expanding occupation and restrictions on humanitarian assistance, which Ankara says have subjected Palestinians to increasingly dire living conditions.
He is also expected to criticize Israeli policies in the occupied West Bank, including settlement expansion and annexation efforts, arguing that such actions undermine peace initiatives and threaten long-term regional stability.
Fidan will reiterate Türkiye’s call for greater international pressure on Israel to achieve a just and lasting peace based on a two-state solution, the sources said.
Beyond the Middle East, the Turkish minister is expected to emphasize the importance of collective responses to global crises through dialogue, mutual trust and regional ownership, while advocating stronger multilateral institutions.
Economic cooperation will also feature prominently in his remarks, particularly in trade, energy, technology and transportation connectivity.
Founded as a platform for dialogue and confidence-building across Asia, the CICA currently comprises 28 member states, covering approximately 90% of the continent’s landmass and more than half the world’s population.
Türkiye, a founding member, previously hosted the organization’s third summit in Istanbul in 2010 and held its rotating chairmanship from 2010 to 2014.
Ankara continues to play an active role in CICA’s confidence-building initiatives, particularly in counterterrorism, trade, investment and military-political cooperation.
Fidan is expected to highlight Türkiye’s Middle Corridor initiative and the Development Road project as strategic routes capable of strengthening regional trade, promoting prosperity and enhancing connectivity across Asia.
He will also underline the potential benefits of aligning the Middle Corridor with China’s Belt and Road Initiative to facilitate trade and economic integration.
Digital transformation, artificial intelligence and climate change will be among the summit’s other priorities.
Fidan is expected to advocate human-centered technological development that respects national digital sovereignty and ensures equitable access to emerging technologies.
He will also highlight Türkiye’s role as host and president of the upcoming COP31 climate conference, emphasizing the need for coordinated action to address climate-related vulnerabilities.
The summit is expected to adopt the Baku Declaration, outlining member states’ commitments to multilateralism, regional cooperation and the CICA’s institutional transformation. A separate statement on occupational safety and health cooperation is also expected to be approved.
Officials anticipate that Laos will be announced as the CICA’s newest member.
The Nusret-2026 Invitation Exercise, hosted by Türkiye and involving naval and air assets from the Turkish Armed Forces (TSK) and the Turkish Coast Guard Command, is underway in the Gulf of Izmir in western Türkiye and off Karadeniz Ereğli in the north, with observers from various countries taking part.
Distinguished visitors day activities were held off the Foça district of Izmir as part of the exercise, conducted by the Mine Fleet Command under the Turkish Naval Forces Command.
Turkish Naval Forces Commander Adm. Ercüment Tatlıoğlu and Syrian Naval Forces Commander Brig. Gen. Mohammed al-Saud were welcomed aboard the TCG Salihreis, the exercise’s flagship.
Under one exercise scenario performed on Tuesday, the patrol ship TCG Karabiga deployed a Malaman bottom mine. The mine was detected by the minehunter TCG Anamur using a remotely operated underwater vehicle and subsequently neutralized by mine warfare divers aboard the TCG Amasra.
In addition to naval assets, mine countermeasures operations in very shallow waters were conducted at Ilıksu Beach in northern Türkiye’s Zonguldak with the participation of 59 personnel from Türkiye, the U.S., Belgium, the Netherlands, Kuwait, Romania and Oman.
As part of the Tactical Claw operation, a mine that had become detached from its mooring and was drifting uncontrollably on the sea surface was neutralized by Underwater Defense (SAS) commandos deployed to the area by helicopter. The Malaman bottom mine used in the exercise can distinguish between friendly and hostile assets using intelligent algorithms. It can also classify the type of target vessel and detonate at the most critical point. Featuring a specialized outer coating that allows it to blend into rocky and sandy seabeds, as well as a low radar and sonar signature that makes it difficult to detect, the mine can neutralize targets through underwater pressure waves and shock effects generated by its high-explosive warhead, manufactured by state-run defense company Machinery and Chemical Industry Inc. (MKE).
Malaman operates as a smart bottom mine and can be deployed from surface vessels, submarines, aircraft and unmanned platforms.
The exercise also involved four minehunters, one command-and-control ship, one frigate, one landing ship, one corvette, one patrol ship, two helicopters, one underwater defense team, one team operating lightweight autonomous underwater vehicles and one unmanned aerial vehicle from the Naval Forces Command. The Air Force Command contributed two F-16 fighter jets, while the Coast Guard Command deployed three coast guard boats.
The exercise included one minehunter each from Germany, Italy, Spain, Greece and Türkiye, all participating in NATO’s Standing NATO Mine Countermeasures Group 2.
Assets from the Black Sea Mine Countermeasures Task Group also took part, including one command-and-control ship and one minehunter from Bulgaria, one minesweeper from Romania and one minehunter from Türkiye. The exercise also brought together 89 foreign participants, 32 observers and 46 explosive ordnance reconnaissance and disposal personnel from the United States, Belgium, the Netherlands, Kuwait, Romania, Oman, Albania, Azerbaijan, Bahrain, Bangladesh, Bulgaria, Morocco, France, Iraq, Cameroon, South Korea, Malaysia, Singapore, Ukraine and Jordan. The exercise will conclude on Oct. 16.
Speaking to journalists on the sidelines of the exercise, Adm. Tatlıoğlu said the Turkish Navy is among the world’s most experienced naval forces in mine warfare. He said the Nusret minelayer, after which the exercise was named, changed the course of history in 1915 by laying 26 mines in the Çanakkale Strait during World War I. Tatlıoğlu said the Nusret minelayer’s success demonstrated that mines can serve as a significant force multiplier capable of producing strategic results when deployed with proper planning, timing and determination. Although technology and operational methods have changed, mine warfare continues to play a crucial role in naval operations, Tatlıoğlu said, adding that the Turkish Navy aims to combine the Nusret minelayer’s historic legacy with modern technology to prepare for future threats.
Tatlıoğlu said the exercise aims to improve the planning, execution and evaluation capabilities of participating units and commands in mine warfare, while also enhancing cooperation and interoperability between the Turkish Navy and friendly and allied naval forces.
Emphasizing the Turkish Navy’s experience in mine warfare, he said: “The Turkish Navy is one of the most experienced naval forces in the world in mine warfare. As you know, hundreds of mines were laid in the Black Sea due to the Russia-Ukraine war. We detect and neutralize mines that drift toward our shores from those laid in the Black Sea. At the same time, we detect and neutralize kamikaze unmanned marine vehicles, unmanned surface vehicles and all explosives that have gone out of control in the Black Sea. We do the same with unmanned aerial vehicles that lose control and fall into the sea, just as we do with mines that drift toward our shores. The Turkish navy is among the world’s best and most experienced naval forces in mine warfare.”
Tatlıoğlu said the seas are vital routes for global trade and energy transportation. He warned that mine threats emerging at strategic chokepoints such as the Strait of Hormuz and the Bab el-Mandeb Strait could disrupt maritime traffic, energy supplies and trade flows, adversely affecting global economic stability.
Unmanned marine vehicles, autonomous underwater vehicles and remotely operated systems offer significant opportunities to mitigate these risks, Tatlıoğlu said. He added that supporting the next-generation minehunter concept with unmanned systems is important for reducing personnel exposure in hazardous areas and carrying out missions more safely and effectively.
Tatlıoğlu said future mine warfare would be shaped by an integrated operational approach in which manned platforms and unmanned systems complement one another, while advanced sensors and data are used effectively.
He emphasized that the Turkish navy has strong capabilities in both operating and manufacturing unmanned systems.
Developments in Türkiye and around the world highlight the importance of maintaining a technologically advanced, powerful and effective naval force, Tatlıoğlu said. He added that the Turkish navy continues to develop its capabilities to protect Türkiye’s maritime rights and interests, contribute to the security of maritime transportation and fulfill its national and international missions.
Police detained 25 suspects, including two deputy mayors, in a corruption investigation into Ankara’s Etimesgut Municipality, prosecutors said Tuesday.
The Ankara West Chief Public Prosecutor’s Office said the investigation concerns alleged irregularities in municipal tenders, falsified documents and illicit benefits obtained through zoning and permit procedures.
The suspects, including five municipal officials, were detained in simultaneous operations across five provinces. Prosecutors identified the deputy mayors only by their initials, G.B. and F.G.
The allegations include establishing or managing a criminal organization, membership in such a group, embezzlement, bribery, extortion by public officials, bid rigging and manipulating the fulfillment of contractual obligations.
Prosecutors said investigators examined reports from the Court of Accounts, statements from suspects and complainants, applications to the presidential communications center, financial intelligence records and telecommunications data.
Ankara police’s financial crimes unit is continuing searches, seizures and procedures to bring the suspects before prosecutors, according to the prosecutor’s office.
On July 30, the investigation previously led to simultaneous raids across nine provinces, when police detained 55 suspects, including 42 municipal employees and 13 company representatives.
Etimesgut Mayor Erdal Beşikcioğlu and four deputy mayors, identified by their initials as M.K., T.Ö., I.B.B. and A.A., were among those detained.
Prosecutors requested that 44 suspects, including Beşikcioğlu, be jailed pending trial and that 10 others be released under judicial supervision. A court subsequently ordered 40 suspects, including the mayor, jailed pending trial.
Türkiye strongly condemns the recent Houthi attack on Saudi Arabia that left 12 people killed, President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan said on Monday.
“We strongly condemn Houthi attacks targeting the main airport in the Saudi capital Riyadh, which killed 12 people,” Erdoğan said, adding that Ankara “stands with Saudi brothers” against these attacks.
Speaking after the Cabinet meeting in Ankara, Erdoğan also reiterated that Türkiye wants peace and stability across the region.
He expressed condolences for those killed in the attacks, including people performing the Umrah pilgrimage, and wished the injured a speedy recovery.
“We want peace and stability across our entire region,” Erdoğan said, adding that Türkiye would continue defending peace based on “regional ownership.”
The president also announced that work is underway to submit the Mecca Joint Defense Agreement – a pact signed in August between Türkiye, Saudi Arabia, and Pakistan – to Parliament in the coming days to complete domestic approval procedures.
Turkish police detained 18 suspects Tuesday in coordinated raids across seven provinces as part of an investigation into attacks allegedly carried out by the far-left terrorist group DHKP-C, including firebombings of police vehicles and shootings in Istanbul, prosecutors said.
The Istanbul Chief Public Prosecutor’s Office said the investigation focused on a series of attacks between 2016 and 2019, including Molotov cocktail attacks, gunfire targeting police facilities and the placement of a banner designed to resemble an explosive device.
Investigators identified 50 suspects have carried out or ordered the attacks after obtaining statements from two individuals cooperating with authorities under Türkiye’s effective remorse provisions.
According to prosecutors, the incidents included a March 31, 2016, firebomb attack on a police water cannon vehicle in Istanbul’s Sultangazi district, followed by Molotov cocktail attacks on police vehicles and gunfire targeting the Gazi Police Station on May 1, 2016.
Other incidents under investigation included the burning of a General Directorate of Highways facility in 2016 and the placement of a banner resembling an explosive device near the Bayrampaşa Riot Police Department on April 6, 2017.
The DHKP-C is an offshoot of an extremist Marxist-Leninist movement that emerged in the 1970s and has been responsible for a series of violent attacks over the decades, including the assassination of two politicians and several intelligence officials in 1980.
Authorities also linked the investigation to a 2019 shooting targeting an election campaign office of the ruling Justice and Development Party (AK Party) in Sultangazi.
Eleven of the 50 identified suspects were already in prison, while another 20 were believed to be abroad, prosecutors said.
Police subsequently launched simultaneous operations at 27 addresses, including 21 in Istanbul and others in Ankara, Hatay, Tunceli, Balıkesir, Manisa and Izmir, targeting 19 suspects.
Counterterrorism officers detained 18 suspects during the raids, while efforts to locate the remaining fugitive continued.
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