Politics
Erdoğan hails resistance to coup bid, urges unity to honor the fallen
President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan’s first stopover in remembrance events for victims of the July 15, 2016, coup attempt was Parliament in Ankara. Before heading to a police headquarters where police officers were slain by military infiltrators of the Gülenist Terror Group (FETÖ), Erdoğan addressed a commemoration ceremony at the Turkish Grand National Assembly.
Erdoğan heaped praise on the nation for resisting the attempt, adding that they should maintain the unity that was on display nine years ago to build on the efforts for a terror-free Türkiye. He was referring to an ongoing process where the PKK terrorist group began its disarmament last week.
The president, who had battled lawsuits and ultimatums from the powerful elite opposing his Justice and Development Party (AK Party) throughout his political career, overcame the odds to run the country when FETÖ first attempted to overthrow him in late 2013. The 2016 attempt was the most dangerous among them as he barely escaped an assassination attempt by FETÖ’s putschists. The charismatic leader managed to rally the nation to stand against FETÖ’s would-be junta, and an unprecedented public resistance quelled the attempt, at the cost of 253 lives.
Parliament was among the targets of the putschists who launched airstrikes on the complex during the coup attempt, though they failed to deter the lawmakers who flocked to the building and read a joint statement opposing the coup.
In his speech, Erdoğan likened resistance against the coup attempt to what happened in Çanakkale more than a century ago, referring to the Turkish army’s epic struggle against invading forces in the northwestern Turkish province, to counter the Allied forces trying to pass the Çanakkale Strait, trying to reach the Ottoman capital, Istanbul. Home to the renowned Gallipoli campaign, Çanakkale set an example for future public resistance against enemies, and years later, the War of Independence under the leadership of Mustafa Kemal Atatürk expelled invading forces.
“On the night of July 15, the nation created an epic that will be proudly remembered forever. It was the latest example of the strength and invulnerability of a nation as long as it stood as one and united,” Erdoğan said.
He noted that that night, Türkiye defeated “mankurts who sold their soul,” referring to members of FETÖ. “The plot by the ringleader of FETÖ, who is buried in a pit after his death as a stateless person, was foiled by the brave stance of our nation,” Erdoğan added.
FETÖ leader Fetullah Gülen died in Pennsylvania, U.S., in 2024 after spending years there.
“We drained the swamp they tried to push our country into. Our nation staved off an attempt to occupy the country. It was a critical turning point in our history,” he said.
Erdoğan said July 15 was also a litmus test that laid bare those opposing the coup and those “who supported it.”
“Our martyrs and veterans stood against terrorists wearing military uniforms, while others claimed it was staged. Some sipped their coffee watching the coup attempt, waiting to see what would happen next,” Erdoğan said, in thinly veiled references to the main opposition Republican People’s Party (CHP).
CHP’s current chair, Özgür Özel, was among those rushing to Parliament to express opposition to the coup attempt, but the party, for a long time, adhered to the discourse that the coup attempt was a plot by the state, not FETÖ. Özel’s predecessor, Kemal Kılıçdaroğlu, was photographed enjoying a cup of coffee as he was watching the coup attempt on TV. After he conveniently left Istanbul’s Atatürk Airport, he arrived as the putschists were invading the place on the night of July 15, 2016.
The president thanked lawmakers for standing for democracy that night. “I thank all lawmakers regardless of their political affiliations. Ultimately, the sacrifices of our martyrs and veterans have not been in vain. Terror-free Türkiye, we are building step by step, will be their legacy,” he said.
The initiative was launched by government ally Devlet Bahçeli last year, and under the leadership of Erdoğan, it led to success when the PKK terrorist group heeded the call of its jailed ringleader Abdullah Öcalan last February and announced in May that it would dissolve itself.
Last Friday, the terrorist group made good on its promise, and 30 members of the PKK burned down their weapons in a ceremony in northern Iraq. More terrorists are expected to lay down arms in the coming months, while Parliament will tackle the steps in the initiative in the coming weeks.
A parliamentary committee is expected to be set up to form a legal framework on the initiative that, so far, has proceeded with unilateral steps by the PKK. Erdoğan said he had confidence in the “eternal brotherhood” of Turks and Kurds and Turkish democracy’s “problem-solving capacity.”
“I heartily believe that you will put aside your differences as you did on July 15, 2016, and you will support our country’s struggle to get rid of terrorism,” he said. Opposition parties have been largely supportive of the terror-free initiative, although some have expressed reservations and declined to participate in the parliamentary work.
Türkiye’s ruling Justice and Development Party (AK Party) has marked its 25th anniversary by highlighting a series of labor and social security reforms introduced during its time in government, including expanded health coverage, stronger worker protections and changes that allowed millions to retire.
One of the earliest major changes came with the Labor Law adopted in 2003, which established regulations covering employment contracts, overtime, leave and job security while providing a legal framework for flexible employment models.
A broader overhaul followed with the consolidation of the Social Insurance Institution (SSK), Bağ-Kur and the Retirement Fund under the Social Security Institution (SGK). The move sought to eliminate differences in premium collection, retirement procedures and access to health services.
Türkiye subsequently introduced General Health Insurance (GSS), expanding health coverage across the population and creating a common financing structure for medicine, examinations and treatment.
Access to health care was further transformed through digital services, including the Central Physician Appointment System and electronic prescriptions, reducing procedures that previously required patients to wait in long lines for medical services and medication.
Labor protections also expanded during the period. Türkiye adopted its first standalone Occupational Health and Safety Law in 2012, requiring employers to conduct risk assessments, prepare emergency plans and provide employee training. Workplace safety specialists and physicians also became mandatory in covered workplaces.
The government introduced additional protections for underground mine workers, limiting working hours to 7.5 hours a day and 37.5 hours a week while requiring wages to be at least twice the minimum wage.
Changes also affected public-sector employment. Around 900,000 subcontracted public workers gained permanent worker status following reforms launched in 2017, while a 2023 measure allowed hundreds of thousands of contracted public employees to move into civil servant positions.
One of the most consequential recent measures was the 2023 retirement-age reform, commonly known as EYT. The regulation removed the age requirement for eligible workers who had met other pension conditions. About 2.6 million people have since retired under the measure.
The government also abolished income and stamp taxes on the minimum wage beginning in 2022 and expanded additional pension indicators for civil servants, including teachers, police officers, nurses and religious officials.
Since 2018, millions of retirees have also received bonuses ahead of the Ramadan and Qurban Bayram holidays.
Reforms targeting women included expanded maternity-related borrowing toward retirement, part-time work opportunities following maternity leave and broader unpaid leave provisions.
During the COVID-19 pandemic, temporary restrictions on dismissals were introduced, while short-time working allowances and cash assistance programs were expanded to limit employment losses.
The government also introduced employment incentives targeting women, young people, people with disabilities and the long-term unemployed.
Union rights were expanded as well. A 2010 constitutional amendment granted public employees collective bargaining rights, while the unionization rate among public servants rose from 47.94% in July 2002 to 77.96% in July 2026.
The measures form part of a broader transformation of Türkiye’s labor and social security system over more than two decades of AK Party governments.
Hamas on Monday welcomed a joint statement by Türkiye and seven other countries calling on Israel to implement the Gaza plan, while urging further international political and diplomatic action to pressure Israel over the road map.
In a written statement, Hamas welcomed the position taken by the foreign ministers of Türkiye, Egypt, Indonesia, Jordan, Pakistan, Qatar, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates, who accused Israel of obstructing efforts to end the war in Gaza and called for the road map’s implementation.
The Palestinian group said the joint statement should serve as a basis for further diplomatic steps and renewed its call for international action against what it described as Israel’s resistance to implementing the road map for the Gaza Strip.
Hamas described the eight countries’ statement as “extremely important,” highlighting their condemnation of Israel’s rejection of the road map and what the group described as attempts to deny the Palestinian people their right to self-determination.
It said the eight nations’ position represented a critical step for regional peace and stability and called for their demands to be followed by concrete measures at the international level.
Hamas also welcomed the ministers’ insistence on the full and immediate implementation of the road map.
Türkiye, Egypt, Indonesia, Jordan, Pakistan, Qatar, Saudi Arabia and the UAE had earlier issued a joint statement condemning Israel’s refusal to complete implementation of the road map linked to U.S. President Donald Trump’s Gaza plan.
The eight countries said Israel’s position directly jeopardized implementation of the plan and undermined efforts to achieve a just and lasting peace.
They also said Israel would bear responsibility for consequences stemming from any rejection, obstruction or delay in implementing the road map, including a deterioration of conditions on the ground and setbacks to efforts to end the war.
The ministers reiterated their support for a two-state solution and the establishment of an independent and sovereign Palestinian state based on the 1967 borders, with East Jerusalem as its capital.
The investigation into the alleged Alihan Kuriş organized crime group targets criminal acts rather than religious beliefs or communities, Justice Minister Akın Gürlek said on Monday, as Turkish authorities have uncovered tens of billions of liras in financial transactions linked to the case, including several companies.
Gürlek underlined that Türkiye would continue its fight against organized crime regardless of the identity of those involved or the guise under which they operate.
“The fundamental criterion here is not the identity of any belief, religious structure or community, but criminal acts and structures connected to those acts,” Gürlek said in a social media statement. “Faith and religious values can in no way be turned into an instrument or shield for criminal activities.”
He stated that authorities were taking action against groups accused of exploiting citizens’ religious beliefs and sentiments to commit crimes and obtain illicit financial gains, citing the Alihan Kuriş investigation as an example.
The remarks came as details emerged from a 168-page report by Türkiye’s Financial Crimes Investigation Board (MASAK), which identified extensive domestic and international financial activity involving companies allegedly linked to suspects in the investigation.
According to the report, investigators identified large overseas transactions involving Istanbul Hisar Turizm ve Ticaret AŞ. Transfers to accounts linked to Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates alone totaled about TL 8 billion ($167 million), according to the report.
Financial transactions were also recorded with accounts in the United States, Israel, Uzbekistan, India, Kazakhstan, Morocco, Spain, Britain, Jordan, Bosnia-Herzegovina, Sri Lanka, Indonesia, Germany and Albania.
MASAK also highlighted Istanbul Hisar Health Investment and Tourism Trade company, established in November 2025 with capital of more than TL 1.35 billion, despite banking records showing a transaction volume of just TL 34,176 and no recorded gross or net sales.
The report separately detailed millions of dollars transferred from overseas to Akdeniz Toros Et, some of which investigators said were withdrawn in cash shortly after arriving or transferred to other companies.
Authorities said the investigation covers allegations including establishing and leading a criminal organization, membership in a criminal organization, laundering proceeds of crime, fraud against public institutions and violations of tax law.
Thirty-two suspects, including Alihan Kuriş, the de facto leader of a group known publicly as “Süleymancılar,” were remanded in custody on Sunday, along with 31 others.
Authorities searching an address as part of efforts to locate Kuriş’s fugitive brother, Hilmi Tuna Kuriş, also discovered 200 kilograms of gold bars of unexplained origin.
Gürlek said the state would remain equally committed to combating criminal activity and protecting citizens’ freedom of religion and worship.
“Süleymancılar,” a religious community founded by Süleyman Hilmi Tunahan, who was born in Silistra in present-day Bulgaria, traces its roots to the Naqshbandi Sufi tradition.
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.
A report by Türkiye’s Presidency of Religious Affairs (Diyanet) described the group as emerging from the Naqshbandi tradition while not identifying itself as a religious order. The report characterized the community as highly insular, making its views and internal structure difficult to assess.
The community also developed an international presence, particularly after Turkish labor migration to Germany accelerated in the 1960s. It became one of the first Türkiye-based religious groups to establish Quran courses in Europe.
Parliament Speaker Numan Kurtulmuş, who devoted a substantial amount of his time this legislative term to the “terror-free Türkiye” initiative, hailed the stage it has reached and vowed that Türkiye would not allow further separatist agendas.
Kurtulmuş chaired a parliamentary committee on the initiative aimed at the disarmament of the PKK terrorist group. The committee’s work and Kurtulmuş’s meetings with various political parties eventually led to a draft bill that was passed by Parliament earlier this month.
In a speech at an event in Istanbul on Saturday, Kurtulmuş said Türkiye had no room for separatism and discrimination, referring both to the agenda of the PKK, which long sought to set up a so-called “Kurdistan” in the southeast and to far-right groups equating the Kurdish community with the PKK.
Pointing out that terrorism inflicted a heavy toll on Türkiye, both in terms of casualties and economic losses, Kurtulmuş recalled how numerous politicians strove to solve it in the past with little success. Kurtulmuş said former prime ministers and presidents Necmettin Erbakan, Turgut Özal, Süleyman Demirel, and Bülent Ecevit were among them.
“Unfortunately, whenever a step was taken to solve this problem, someone intervened, and this process was ruined through certain assassinations and provocations. Similarly, during our president’s tenure as prime minister in 2013-2014, when a process was carried out that came almost to the point of completion and was etched into collective memory as the ‘Dolmabahçe Accord,’ right at a point where things were going extremely well, that process was disrupted by certain traitors, namely servants of FETÖ,” he said, referring to the Gülenist Terror Group (FETÖ), which tried to seize power in 2016.
Expressing that the process restarted under President Erdoğan’s instructions and leadership, Kurtulmuş said: “The process went through an exceptionally long phase, and this month, the Bill on Strengthening National Solidarity and Social Cohesion was accepted in Parliament with 467 votes.” The law, temporary in nature, offers deferrals in sentencing and prosecution for PKK members not involved in violent crimes and acts of terrorism.
Referring to the vote, he stated that the emergence of such a massive social alliance in Türkiye is a great achievement in itself, noting that it is very rare for people from such different parties to come together and meet at a common point.
Highlighting that the PKK’s will to lay down arms played an important role in reaching this stage, Kurtulmuş said, “The thing found most in the Middle East is weapons. We know that for decades, weapons were sold and supplied in the Middle East like selling bread and cheese in the market. The main issue is creating an environment that will no longer make it possible for any Kurdish youth in this country to pick up a weapon and go to the mountains for whatever reason. Allah willing, we will achieve this.”
“This has never been an issue of a single party or the government; this is Türkiye’s issue, the issue of all parties. If there is to be success, it will be the success of everyone who gives strength, power, and support to it,” Kurtulmuş added.
Regarding the details of the law, Kurtulmuş stated: “Presumably in no conflict resolution in the world has a state so thoroughly protected itself while doing its job. There are three safeguards. It is impossible to skip any of them. That is, as long as the PKK does not lay down its arms while pretending to do so, it is impossible to benefit from the scope of this law.”
U.S. President Donald Trump welcomed the fresh security agreement forged by Türkiye, Saudi Arabia and Pakistan, framing the regional trilateral deal as a positive step toward broader security cooperation.
“Very happy to see that Saudi Arabia, Turkey, and Pakistan have recently, and finally, signed the Mecca Joint Defence Agreement,” he wrote on his Truth Social platform in a statement late Sunday.
“It shows how the Middle East is coming together, and how Countries will finally be able to defend themselves in a more meaningful way,” he wrote, calling it “a big, bold, and important first step.”
The three-way agreement, signed Aug. 7, comes amid a U.S.-Iran war that has extended violence to the region, including Iran-backed Houthi rebel attacks.
The three countries will also share a commitment to participating in efforts to resolve the conflict between Iran and the United States.
Under the pact, the three countries plan to establish strategic political and military mechanisms involving their defense and foreign ministers as well as chiefs of general staff or armed forces commanders.
On the other hand, Pakistan’s Prime Minister Shahbaz Sharif on Monday praised U.S. President Donald Trump for his “kind words of support” following the signing of the trilateral defense pact between Türkiye, Pakistan and Saudi Arabia.
“Deeply appreciate” Trump’s statement on the signing of the defense agreement in Mecca, Sharif said in a statement on the U.S. social media platform X.
Sharif said the pact, signed on Aug. 7, “will continue to play a constructive role in ensuring the defense of our own countries as well as the entire region.”
Military cooperation is expected to expand gradually, beginning with command-post and field exercises before progressing to joint drills involving land, naval and air forces, air defense assets and unmanned systems.
Saudi Arabia, whose critical infrastructure and oil facilities have come under attack as part of the war in Iran, has been looking to diversify its defense partnerships. In September, Pakistan and Saudi Arabia signed a mutual defense pact that also defines any attack on either nation as an attack on both. The agreement also comes amid rising tensions between Türkiye and Israel over Gaza and other regional conflicts, including the war in Iran and Lebanon.
Two presidential decrees published in the Official Gazette on Sunday have reaffirmed Türkiye’s maritime rights in the Aegean Sea.
One decree designated an area between the Fethiye district of Muğla and the Kaş district of Antalya in the south of the Aegean as a “national marine park,” while another applied the same designation to an area in the North Aegean Sea, near the coasts of Tekirdağ and Çanakkale.
For Türkiye, it is merely a move to protect marine biodiversity, but marine parks have been a source of contention with neighboring Greece for some time. Greek media outlets reported earlier this month that the Greek government was also moving forward with plans to declare a new national marine park in the southern Aegean Sea. The decree on the matter is now before a top court in the country and, according to the To Vima website, will be finalized in October.
Greece last year announced two marine parks, or areas designated for the protection of marine species, in the Ionian Sea and around the southern Cyclades islands, to the chagrin of Ankara. Türkiye argued that the declaration of marine parks, particularly near the islands, was political rather than aimed at protecting biodiversity and was an attempt to change the status quo in the disputed sea. Greek media outlets reported that new marine parks could be declared near the Dodecanese islands, or “On İki Ada” (Twelve Islands), as they are known in Türkiye. The islands were Ottoman domains until the early 20th century, before they were ceded to Italy. Italy, in turn, ceded them to Greece following World War II.
Ankara and Athens seek to improve relations after years of hostilities, but maritime jurisdictions remain a thorny issue. The countries, which came close to an all-out war in the 1990s over the Aegean Sea, remain vigilant, with Türkiye concentrating on developing its domestic defense industry. Greece relies on foreign partners to bolster its defenses. Embracing the doctrine of being effective and powerful at sea, as its predecessor, the Ottoman Empire, once was, Türkiye has over the past two decades developed an independent defense industry capable of operating in open waters, thereby shifting geopolitical balances in its favor. The navy plays a critical role in ensuring the security of maritime trade routes in the Eastern Mediterranean, the Black Sea and the Aegean Sea, promoting regional stability.
Ankara’s proactive stance on marine spatial planning is part of a broader strategy to assert its maritime rights and uphold international legal norms in the face of what it sees as encroaching initiatives by Greece. Turkish officials maintain that marine protection efforts must be transparent, equitable and cooperative, particularly in semi-enclosed seas like the Aegean, where maritime boundaries remain unsettled.
As Türkiye moves to institutionalize its marine planning within international frameworks, it seeks to preempt efforts that may attempt to redefine maritime jurisdiction through environmental discourse. The broader message from Ankara is clear: Marine conservation is vital, but not at the cost of geopolitical stability or sovereign rights.
Safeguarding its rights in its “Blue Homeland” (areas of Türkiye’s maritime jurisdiction) is essential for Ankara, especially at a time of growing international cooperation, particularly involving Israel, Greece and the Greek Cypriot administration, whose maritime claims contradict those of Türkiye and other countries. In May, Türkiye unveiled plans for a “Blue Homeland law,” which is expected to be debated in Parliament when the next legislative term starts in October. Aiming to cover all legal aspects of maritime areas over which the country has sovereignty, it will cement and clarify Türkiye’s rights across the Black Sea, Aegean Sea, Mediterranean and Marmara Sea.
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