“This is Kemal, I am coming,” was the famed slogan of Kemal Kılıçdaroğlu when he took on President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan in the 2023 presidential elections. The former chair of the main opposition Republican People’s Party (CHP) apparently eyes another comeback. Days before a critical trial where his successor, Özgür Özel, is accused of buying votes to win over Kılıçdaroğlu in a 2023 intraparty election, the veteran politician met Özel’s “messengers.”

Three prominent figures of the party recently met Kılıçdaroğlu, according to the media reports, seeking to persuade him to publicly announce his opposition to a likely verdict in the trial that may conclude with “absolute nullification” of the party convention in November 2023 that brought Özel to power in Türkiye’s oldest party. However, Kılıçdaroğlu opposed the idea, journalists close to the CHP claimed, citing that the process may end with the appointment of trustees to run the CHP. He reportedly told Özel’s messengers, including Ankara and Mersin Mayors Mansur Yavaş and Vahap Seçer, and CHP party assembly member Engin Özkoç that he would not allow trustees to run the party, implying he may take over chairpersonship.

Özel, who spoke to the Birgün newspaper on Wednesday, said his colleagues had good intentions in contacting Kılıçdaroğlu but added that he was not worried about the trial. Özel underlined that even if the court rules for the absolute nullification of his 2023 election, he would not back down. “Nobody should expect us to abandon what people entrusted to us. We will do what we did in Saraçhane since March 19 and stand up for the party,” he said. Since that date, in which the party’s Istanbul Mayor Ekrem Imamoğlu was arrested on corruption charges, the CHP has been holding rallies both in Saraçhane, where the Istanbul municipality building is located, and across Türkiye, to voice its opposition to the arrest. The protests evolved into all-out riots and a controversial boycott call. Özel said, “Some people were trying to dig up the past,” and the CHP should “not fall for it.”

An “absolute nullification” verdict at the next hearing of the trial on June 30 may render all decisions regarding the party signed by Özel invalid and thus, his reelection in an extraordinary vote CHP recently held may be invalid as well. This will force him to hand over his seat to his predecessor.

Kılıçdaroğlu faced a bitter end as chair of the CHP when he lost to Erdoğan in the 2023 elections, although he mostly succeeded in uniting other opposition parties against the incumbent president. His defeat in the run-up gave rise to intraparty dissent and eventually led to the November 2023 election in the party.

Prosecutors are seeking up to three-year prison sentences for a total of 12 suspects, including Istanbul’s ousted mayor, in the ongoing trial against the CHP over alleged vote buying in its 2023 election.

Imamoğlu and 11 others, including CHP’s Izmir Mayor Cemil Tugay, are charged with “rigging votes” in the election, the Chief Public Prosecutor’s Office in the capital Ankara said earlier this month after completing its investigation into allegations of corruption in the CHP.

Other CHP figures facing a prison sentence and a ban on politics for the duration of their sentence include the CHP’s former mayor of Istanbul’s Beşiktaş district, Rıza Akpolat, Bursa’s Osmangazi district Mayor Erkan Aydın, as well as several district mayors in Istanbul. Akpolat was suspended from duty by the Interior Ministry back in January as part of the investigation, which was launched following a lawsuit filed by a former CHP mayor and several other delegates late last year.

The lawsuit seeks to cancel the party’s 38th Ordinary Congress that included the election and asks to suspend all CHP officials linked to the congress. If the court rules to annul the congress that elected Özel as CHP chair, a trustee would be assigned to administer the party, who would then call for an extraordinary congress within 45 days.

The CHP, in its response to the court last month, requested the case’s dismissal, citing the provisions of the legislation that the annulment of a decision taken at the congress could be requested within a maximum of three months from the date of the decision.

Several eyewitnesses testified in court about the allegations that delegates were made to vote in exchange for money at the said congress.

Ankara prosecutors have said the bribery claims are based on the legal complaints of CHP delegates who told investigators that they were offered bribes ranging from cash and houses to prominent jobs in municipalities the party runs.

Prosecutors took the testimonies of some 86 people, including Imamoğlu, who is under arrest and suspended from duty.

Imamoğlu is also accused of orchestrating the scheme to sway at least 150 delegates against Kılıçdaroğlu.

In the first round of the election, Özel received 682 votes and Kılıçdaroğlu 664; since neither candidate received the support of a simple majority (684) based on the total number of delegates, a rerun was held. In the special second round, Özel was elected as the eighth chair of the CHP with 812 votes against Kılıçdaroğlu, who received 536 votes..

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The NATO summit in the Netherlands’ The Hague was set to conclude on Wednesday with a pledge on increasing defense budgets of the top security alliance as conflicts rage on across the world. From the U.S. president to Ukraine’s leader, heads of state and government streamed into the meeting held under the shadow of the Russia-Ukraine conflict and tension between Iran and Israel.

President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan was among the leaders under the spotlight at the summit and stood next to U.S. President Donald Trump during a photo shoot at the summit, while the two leaders shared the same table at a dinner on Tuesday hosted by Dutch royalty. Commanders-in-chief of NATO’s two biggest armies also held a bilateral meeting on Tuesday. Türkiye will host the next summit of NATO heads of state and government in 2026, as reaffirmed in the declaration of the summit.

Erdoğan also held bilateral talks on Wednesday on the sidelines of the summit, including with British Prime Minister Keir Starmer and German Chancellor Friedrich Merz.

Speaking to reporters in Ankara on Tuesday before leaving for the summit, Erdoğan said his country strongly supported fair burden-sharing and the strengthening of European security, adding that Türkiye operates NATO’s second-largest land army and contributes significantly to the alliance’s deterrent power.

He criticized trade restrictions among NATO members in the defense sector, saying such barriers must be removed immediately. “As we set out with the goal of a stronger defense and a more effective military, we do not find it right to raise obstacles to trade in defense products between allies. These obstacles and restrictions should be removed as soon as possible, without ifs or buts.”

“In this context, we closely follow the recent initiatives of the European Union in the field of defense and security. Our country, which contributes more to Europe’s security than many of its members combined, should be properly included in the union’s defense initiatives. The inclusion of the Turkish defense sector in the union’s defense mechanisms and projects will benefit all of Europe. We are in close consultation with our non-EU allies on this,” he added.

During their meeting, Erdoğan and Trump underscored the importance of strengthening NATO’s deterrence as two of the alliance’s leading members. Welcoming the recently brokered cease-fire between Israel and Iran, Erdoğan praised Trump’s efforts in facilitating the truce and expressed hope that it would be sustained. He underscored the urgent need to end the humanitarian crisis in Gaza and reaffirmed Türkiye’s readiness to engage in close dialogue for peaceful solutions to the ongoing conflict in Ukraine. During the meeting, Erdoğan also highlighted the strong potential for cooperation between Türkiye and the United States, particularly in energy and investment. He emphasized that advancing defense industry ties would support the two countries’ shared goal of reaching a $100 billion bilateral trade volume.

Trump took a victory lap at the summit Wednesday, joining leaders in reaffirming the “ironclad” commitment to protect each other after allies agreed to his demand to ramp up defense spending.

Speaking at a news conference after the meeting of the heads of state and government concluded, NATO chief Mark Rutte said the agreement of states would lead to a “quantum leap” in collective defense. He also assured NATO’s support for Ukraine on its “irreversible path to membership.”

The unpredictable U.S. leader appeared keen to take the plaudits as he secured a key foreign policy win by getting NATO’s 32 countries to agree to meet his headline target of 5% of GDP on defense spending.

In a move that will provide reassurance to allies in Europe worried over the threat from Russia, Trump signed off on a final leaders’ declaration confirming “our ironclad commitment” to NATO’s collective defense pledge that an attack on one is an attack on all.

“It’s a great victory for everybody, I think, and we will be equalized,” Trump said of the new spending commitment, ahead of the summit’s main session.

Diplomats said that behind closed doors, Trump insisted there was no greater ally than Washington and urged others to spend some of the new money on U.S. weaponry.

The deal hatched by NATO is a compromise that allows Trump to claim triumph, while in reality providing wiggle room for cash-strapped governments in Europe.

It sees countries promise to dedicate 3.5% of GDP to core military spending by 2035, and a further 1.5% to broader security-related areas such as infrastructure.

Entering the meeting, leaders lined up to declare the summit’s spending hike as “historic.”

NATO allies say the increase is needed to counter a growing threat from Russia but also to keep Trump engaged, with the U.S. leader long complaining that Europe spends too little on its own defense.

Belgian Prime Minister Bart De Wever said: “As Europeans, we should realize that our long break from history is over.”

The continent needed to take responsibility for its own security “in a very difficult time,” added De Wever.

Everything was carefully choreographed at the gathering in The Hague to keep the volatile U.S. president on board: from chopping back the official part of the meeting to putting him up overnight in the royal palace.

Trump rattled his allies by appearing to cast some doubt on the validity of NATO’s mutual defense clause, known as Article 5 of the alliance treaty, telling reporters on the way to The Hague that it “depends on your definition. There are numerous definitions of Article 5.”

But Rutte insisted Trump remained “totally committed” to the pledge, which was reaffirmed unequivocally in the summit’s final statement.

Underpinning the leaders’ discussions on defense was Moscow’s invasion of Ukraine, and in another sop to the demands of allies, the United States allowed NATO to refer to the “long-term threat posed by Russia to Euro-Atlantic security” in the communique.

Though its language was watered down from previous years, the declaration also said allies would continue to support Ukraine, “whose security contributes to ours,” and could use money from the new spending pledge to fund military aid for Kyiv.

That came as Trump was poised to meet the war-torn country’s president, Volodymyr Zelenskyy, on the summit sidelines.

Zelenskyy is playing a less central role here than at previous summits, to avoid a bust-up with Trump after their infamous Oval Office shouting match.

But Trump described him as a “nice guy” and added that he was talking to Russian President Vladimir Putin about the war, saying: “I think progress is being made.”

But despite Rutte’s insistence that Ukraine’s bid for membership remains “irreversible,” NATO’s statement avoided any mention of Kyiv’s push to join after Trump ruled it out.

Hungary’s Prime Minister Viktor Orban was more categorical.

“NATO has no business in Ukraine,” he said. “My job is to keep it as it is.”

Türkiye’s defense

Türkiye, as of 2024, exceeded 2% defense spending per NATO figures, in proportion to its GDP. On the southeastern flank of the alliance’s European wing, the country serves as a gateway to the Middle East where conflicts are brewing, while also serving as a bridge between the West and the East, something that came in handy amid the Russia-Ukraine conflict.

It is one of the few countries maintaining solid ties with both sides of the conflict and recently hosted talks between the warring parties in a bid to utilize diplomacy to end the conflict. Türkiye’s flourishing defense industry, particularly the international success of its unmanned aerial vehicles, also makes the country stand out among NATO members.

European countries recently agreed to involve Türkiye in efforts to reinforce the bloc’s defense amid the perceived threat from Russia. Turkish defense firms will likely benefit from the new security mechanism created by the European Union, which has long dragged out Türkiye’s membership process.

Justice Minister Yılmaz Tunç explained that new amendments will allow authorities to sentence convicts handed down the lowest sentences to serve a jail term.

Tunç’s statements on Wednesday were in response to the public perception of impunity in some crimes that was brought to the spotlight with several cases of offenders with long criminal histories slapped with relatively lenient sentences.

Speaking at an event on judiciary control held at a former prison turned into museum in the capital Ankara, Tunç said the latest amendments passed in Parliament will ensure that people convicted of crimes with one-year prison sentences will be required to remain incarcerated at least 18 days and the number of days required to be served will be proportionally increased based on prison terms. Under previous laws, convicted people were often spared from spending time in prison if they were handed prison terms varying between one and two years.

Tunç emphasized that the purpose of justice is to protect human dignity and rights, stressing that justice is the guarantee of social peace. Speaking about the importance of rehabilitation and reintegration, Tunç said that one of the most significant reflections of this understanding in practice is the probation system.

“Probation is not merely a method of execution but the living face of a justice philosophy centered on humanity,” Tunç said.

“The value of justice is not measured solely by the severity of punishment but by how much that punishment aligns with human dignity and rights.”

Tunç underlined that they do not view justice solely as punishment but as a mechanism that enables individuals to turn away from wrongdoing and reintegrate into society.

“Probation is a bridge that allows individuals who have committed a crime to reconnect with society,” he said. “It is a social rehabilitation initiative that repairs broken ties, revives shattered hopes and helps lost paths to be rediscovered. It reflects a high vision of justice that sees every person as having potential and every mistake as an opportunity for purification.”

The minister added that probation does not label offenders as irredeemably evil. Instead, it represents a comprehensive approach that still sees a human being, hope and the potential for change within the individual. “This system offers a path to recovery rather than leaving the offender in the whirlpool of social exclusion.”

Addressing misconceptions, Tunç stressed that probation is not a form of impunity but an effective method of execution that aims to help individuals live harmoniously within society.

“This system has impacted 5.6 million individuals over the past 20 years,” Tunç said. “Its success is measured not just by numbers but by lives filled with hope, restored family bonds and individuals reintegrated into society.”

Since its inception in 2005, the probation system has executed 8.46 million judicial decisions, conducted 3.63 million rehabilitation activities, carried out 1.48 million addiction intervention efforts and assigned 1.45 million individuals to community service. Additionally, 74,000 individuals received financial or material aid, 71,000 were monitored through electronic tracking, and environmental initiatives resulted in planting 2.4 million saplings.

Tunç also highlighted significant reforms enacted under the 10th Judicial Package passed by Parliament, which introduced critical changes to the probation system.

“With this amendment, offenders are now required to serve at least one-tenth of the time remaining until their conditional release in prison,” he said. “Previously, those sentenced to less than two years effectively avoided prison due to fixed probation periods, creating a perception of impunity.”

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President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan on Wednesday held talks with heads of state and government on the sidelines of a critical NATO summit in The Hague, Netherlands.

In his meeting with British Prime Minister Keir Starmer, Erdoğan discussed bilateral ties, and pressing regional and global issues.

During the meeting, Erdoğan voiced hope that Iran and Israel would stick to the cease-fire reached on Monday, stressing that these tensions must not be allowed to overshadow the Gaza humanitarian crisis, according to the Presidency’s Directorate of Communications. Underlining that violations of international law by Israel’s government in Palestine are unacceptable, Erdoğan stressed that Türkiye’s priority is the establishment of a lasting cease-fire in Gaza and the unimpeded delivery of humanitarian aid.

Reaffirming Türkiye’s commitment to supporting the stabilization of Syria while preserving its territorial integrity and political unity, Erdoğan warned that Israel’s attacks on Syria could also endanger regional security, and added that improvements in social and economic welfare would facilitate the large-scale return of refugees to Syria.

The Turkish president also emphasized his country’s commitment to promoting a just and lasting peace between Ukraine and Russia.

Türkiye will continue to enhance relations with the aim of boosting the bilateral trade volume to $30 billion, with efforts ongoing to strengthen cooperation in all areas, particularly in the defense industry, the Turkish leader said.

During the meeting, the president was accompanied by Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan, National Defense Minister Yaşar Güler, intelligence chief Ibrahim Kalın, Presidential Communications Director Fahrettin Altun, Akif Çağatay Kılıç, chief presidential adviser on foreign policy and security, and Justice and Development (AK) Party Deputy Chair Halit Yerebakan.

Erdoğan later held talks with German Chancellor Friedrich Merz. In statements after the meeting, Merz said he thanked Erdoğan for his mediating role between Russia and Ukraine. “I also asked President Erdoğan to exert influence on Russia and the Russian president to come to the negotiating table so that, after these terrible three and a half years of war in Ukraine and the bloodshed there, a peace solution could finally be reached,” he said.

The president later met French President Emmanuel Macron in a closed-to-press meeting.

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Ali Nuhoğlu, a businessperson detained last March in a corruption probe against Istanbul municipality and its Mayor Ekrem Imamoğlu, unveiled more bribes that the municipal officials took from him. Nuhoğlu was among dozens of suspects detained as part of the probe. Imamoğlu and others arrested in the case are accused of taking bribes from businesses in exchange for building permits and rigging public tenders. Most of those arrested in the probe are the municipality’s top bureaucrats and businesspeople who bribed their way into lucrative tenders.

Nuhoğlu collaborated with authorities earlier in exchange for release and testified twice about the alleged wrongdoings of the municipal officials. His third statement, published by the Sabah newspaper on Wednesday, showed he shared the evidence of bribes he paid disguised as legitimate payments.

The construction tycoon made the headlines when an investigation found he sold three villas in Istanbul’s upscale Emirgan quarters to a construction company owned by the mayor’s family, for a price well below market value. Nuhoğlu came forward in June, agreeing to a plea deal. In his earlier testimony, Nuhoğlu presented official documents about payments he made (through his employees) to municipal officials and others linked to Imamoğlu. On one occasion, he paid $640,000 to Zafer Keleş, brother of Fatih Keleş, who chaired Istanbul Metropolitan Municipality’s (IBB) sports club before his arrest alongside Imamoğlu, and the cash was delivered in person to the younger Keleş by an employee of Nuhoğlu in 2022 as a form of bribe. He confessed he also delivered $700,000 to Keleş a few months later in the same year.

Nuhoğlu told investigators that he also handed over $1.5 million in March 2024 to Ibrahim Bülbüllü, legal adviser for IBB, who remains at large in the corruption probe. “I paid it to facilitate payments to my company,” he confessed. He also shared details about locations and dates of payments his employees delivered to IBB in cash, from a construction site to restaurants run by the municipality. He testified that only after he delivered the cash through his employees was he able to receive progress payments for contracts he made with the municipality.

Earlier this month, the Financial Crimes Investigation Board (MASAK) issued a report accusing Imamoğlu of seven counts of laundering ill-gotten assets. Imamoğlu, along with Tuncay Yılmaz, general manager of Imamoğlu Construction Company, is suspected of laundering 25 immovable properties, TL 63.5 million ($1.6 million) and 637,106 euros ($731,078), MASAK said in a report. The seven counts of laundering range from illicit real estate purchasing contracts and unlawful sale of immovable properties to cover up financial transactions by pushing sums through various personal and corporate bank accounts and cash submissions by individuals with red-flagged financial profiles.

MASAK said the investigation was expanded to include Yılmaz, Imamoğlu Construction Company, SSB Real Estate Industry and Trade Inc. and Güllüce Agriculture Industry and Trade Inc. The board detected TL 35.2 million in the bank accounts of Imamoğlu Construction Company, all of which was submitted in cash and whose source could not be determined.

The board also found irregularities in the transfer of Güllüce Agriculture shares owned by Ali Nuhoğlu, who was released after pleading effective remorse, to Imamoğlu’s construction company.

According to the board, Imamoğlu and the companies involved supplied financing with high sums whose origins could not be traced and registered in the current accounts differently from the normal process. They also made a purchase strongly suspected to be prearranged look like a commercial purchase and even created an invoice that was recorded in the company’s legal books.

All of these were preceded by accounting tricks in commercial records, the report said.

The report also included testimonies from some suspects in the case.

Furkan Hamzaoğlu, a construction company owner and one of the suspects in the case, alleged he gave away shops and apartments to Adem Soytekin, another businessperson arrested alongside Imamoğlu, to obtain a construction license in Istanbul’s Beylikdüzü district. He claimed four of these apartments were transferred to the ownership of Imamoğlu’s father, Hasan Imamoğlu.

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The European Union’s law enforcement agency issued its latest report on trends in terrorism on Tuesday and revealed the PKK terrorist group has maintained its “significant presence” across the EU.

The report says the group engaged in political advocacy, fundraising, recruitment and propaganda dissemination.

The PKK, which has killed thousands of people since the 1980s across Türkiye, is designated as a terrorist group by the EU, although its supporters enjoyed free rein on the continent to the chagrin of Ankara.

The Europol report said that in 2024, the group continued to leverage its networks to sustain operations and influence the Kurdish diaspora. The PKK claims to fight for a self-styled Kurdish state in southeastern Türkiye.

The report notes that the group blended legal and illegal methods for financial and recruitment efforts. “The PKK operates through various front organizations and advocacy groups across Europe, lobbying for political recognition and the removal of its terrorist designation. Kurdish Democratic Centres (CDKs) serve as key hubs for PKK activities, organizing demonstrations, cultural events and conferences to promote its political struggle, while simultaneously facilitating recruitment and ideological indoctrination,” the report said.

The PKK nowadays appears engaged in the terror-free Türkiye initiative launched by Devlet Bahçeli, an ally of the Turkish government. Last May, the group announced it would heed the call of its jailed leader Abdullah Öcalan and dissolve itself. The dissolution will largely involve terrorists hiding in Iraq, especially senior leadership. However, the future of the PKK’s Syria wing, YPG, and its supporters in Europe remains unclear for now, as the former did not openly respond to the dissolution declaration.

The Europol report says PKK recruits undergo training in Europe before their transfer to “military camps” in northern Syria, where the YPG is active, and in Iraq. “Fundraising remained a cornerstone of the PKK’s operations in Europe, through voluntary and coerced donations, membership fees and fundraising events. The annual “Kampanya” donation generates substantial revenue, with estimates indicating that the PKK raises over 30 million euros ($34.77 million) across Europe each year. These funds support media operations, logistical infrastructure and armed activities,” the report said.

According to the report, the PKK also continued to engage in illicit financial practices such as money laundering, extortion and fraud.

“Business owners within Kurdish communities are often pressured into contributing financial support, while underground gambling networks and fraudulent humanitarian donations further supplement PKK finances. The PKK’s extensive propaganda network to maintain support and mobilize its base also continued throughout 2024. Kurdish-language media outlets, social media platforms and print publications serve as key tools in disseminating PKK ideology,” the report concluded.

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