The theme of the 30th March International Zero Waste Day, which will be celebrated for the fourth time this year, has been determined as ‘food waste’. In this context, the United Nations Habitat Program (UN-Habitat) and the United Nations Environment Program (UNEP) call on governments, businesses and individuals, as well as non-governmental organizations, academia, local communities, women and youth, to participate in zero waste initiatives at national, regional and local levels. While billions of people struggle with hunger, one third of the food produced in the world is wasted. According to the global ‘Food Crises Report’, more than 295 million people in 53 countries and regions faced various levels of acute hunger in 2024. This number increased by 13.7 million compared to 2023. An average of 1.4 million people worldwide are struggling with ‘famine’, the most severe level of acute food insecurity. In addition, more than 30 million people around the world are struggling with a level 4 acute food crisis. Children are among the most vulnerable groups of this crisis. According to WFP data, more than 3 million children die every year due to hunger-related reasons. 43 million children worldwide struggle with extreme hunger, and approximately 45 percent of deaths in children under 5 are caused by hunger and malnutrition.

Türkiye is preparing to host another critical summit on the international diplomacy scene. The address of the 2026 NATO Leaders Summit will be Ankara this year. Preparations are continuing at full speed in the capital for the giant organization to be held on July 7-8.

ETİMESGUT AIRPORT IS BEING RENEWED: One of the most important topics of the summit preparations is logistics studies. In this context, the military airport in Etimesgut is being brought up to standards where large-bodied aircraft can take off and land. On the other hand, hotel reservations throughout Ankara have been completed for the delegations that will attend the summit. The capital will turn into the center of diplomatic traffic in July.

THE CENTER OF THE SUMMIT WILL BE BEŞTEPE: The Presidential Complex and ATO Congresium will host the summit. A comprehensive press center will be established in the Exhibition Palace within the complex. Press conferences of the leaders will be held in Beştepe.

THE PROGRAM HAS BECOME CLEAR: The summit calendar has also taken shape. Within the scope of the program, which will start with the arrival of the leaders in Ankara on July 7, President Erdoğan will host a dinner in honor of the guest leaders on the same evening. The final declaration will be announced after the summit meeting to be held on July 8. The leaders will leave Ankara in the evening of the same day.

Murat Kurum, Minister of Environment, Urbanization and Climate Change, celebrated the 4th anniversary of ‘March 30 International Zero Waste Day’ with his post on his social media account. Pointing out that this year’s International Zero Waste Day will raise awareness with the theme of ‘food waste’, Minister Kurum said in his message: “Reduce, share, transform. Food waste consumes not only today but also tomorrow. Every food that goes to waste steals from a child’s table; every drop of water wasted dries a lake. Turkey is determined to break this cycle with the Zero Waste Movement, which spreads to 7 continents under the leadership of First Lady Emine Erdoğan. Because it is a more just world.” “It is possible with Zero Waste,” he said.

‘International Zero Waste Day’ was accepted by the UN

The Zero Waste Movement started on September 27, 2017, under the auspices of Emine Erdoğan, wife of President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan. The project, carried out under the coordination of the Ministry of Environment, Urbanization and Climate Change, has turned into a global environmental movement accepted by the United Nations (UN). In the voting held at the UN General Assembly on December 14, 2022, with Türkiye as the main presenter and 105 countries as co-hosts, March 30 was accepted as “International Zero Waste Day”.

One of the most important agendas for the COP31 Presidency this year is zero waste.

One of the main topics at the “International Zero Waste Day” events at the UN this year was Türkiye’s COP31 Presidency and hosting process. COP31 President and Minister of Environment, Urbanization and Climate Change Murat Kurum attended the programs organized in New York under the umbrella of the UN on the occasion of “March 30 International Zero Waste Day” and talked about Türkiye’s COP31 vision and Zero Waste success. First Lady Erdoğan’s video message was also published in the program.

It turned out that the facts were completely different after the person who entered the crowd and introduced himself as a farmer during a series of visits made by the Minister of Internal Affairs Mustafa Çiftçi in Konya on March 28, complained that he was in debt and could not keep up with expenses such as diesel and electricity.

HE WAS LIVING WITH THE HELP OF THE DISTRICT GOVERNOR’S OFFICE.

After entering the crowd and introducing himself as a farmer, Uğur Öksüz said, “I swear I can’t afford diesel, fertilizer and electricity. Look, I have a debt of 3.5 trillion right now. I’m going to go crazy. Interest rates in banks are skyrocketing. I have a field of 300-400 decares.”

The person is Uğur Öksüz, born in 1984, and he regularly receives food aid, educational material aid and coal aid from the Social Assistance and Solidarity Foundation Cumra Branch; It was determined that he was not engaged in farming and did not own large-scale land as he claimed.

HE IS ON TRIAL FOR HARASSMENT

On the other hand, it was learned that the trial of a person named Uğur Öksüz continues in Adana Tufanbeyli Courthouse on the charge of “harassment”, that he is under investigation in Izmir on the charge of “persistently following” a woman, and that he is under investigation in Konya Çumra on the charge of “fabricating a crime” due to unfounded accusations such as “so-and-so people broke into my house and stole”. It was noted that Uğur Öksüz, in this and similar capacity as a numerous complainant, complained about other people with unfounded allegations, but was someone who kept the Courthouse busy due to allegations that were not confirmed by his own wife.

Minister of Internal Affairs Mustafa Çiftçi answered journalists’ questions in a program he attended. Minister Çiftçi, who made important statements about APP, fake license plates and in-car multimedia systems, said, “The license plate issue is not just a matter of shape. It is an extremely important issue in terms of public security, the peace of our country and our general security strategies. Just as a person has an identity card, an identity card and a citizenship number that identify him, a license plate is the identity of a vehicle, and the letters and numbers on it are the number of that vehicle.” he said.

“PLATE PLATE ISSUE IS A SECURITY ISSUE: THE PURPOSE IS NOT PUNISHMENT, BUT A STANDARD”

Minister Çiftçi, who made a statement at a time when the inspections regarding APP license plates were intensely discussed in the public, emphasized that their main purpose in license plate applications is not to impose fines, but to ensure public safety by maintaining standards. Stating that the plate is not just a formal element, Çiftçi stated that it serves a critical function as vehicle identification. Minister Çiftçi made public statements regarding the increasing discussions regarding inspections and sanctions regarding APP license plates in recent days. Stating that their aim is not to victimize citizens, Çiftçi said that they aim to ensure unity and security in practice.

“PLATE PLATE IS VEHICLE IDENTIFICATION”

Emphasizing that the plate is an identity for a vehicle, Çiftçi said, “Just as a person has an identity, the plate is also the identity of the vehicle. For this reason, it should only be issued by authorized institutions.” Stating that there are security elements on the plates, Çiftçi noted that the TŞOF seal, TR phrase, hologram, security stripe and crescent-star signs are the basic elements of the standards. Reminding that the license plates printed as of January 1, 2024 include a QR code and a 12-digit serial number, Çiftçi stated that the license plates without a QR code will not automatically be considered fake, and that other security elements are sufficient.

“NO PENALTIES FOR PLATES WITH BOLD LETTERS”

Çiftçi stated that license plates with letters and numbers that are thicker than normal remain valid, provided that they comply with the standards, and that vehicle owners are not obliged to renew these plates. He also particularly emphasized that no penalty will be imposed during traffic inspections due to such license plates.

“NUMBER OF VEHICLES IS INCREASING RAPIDLY”

Drawing attention to the increase in the number of motor vehicles in Türkiye, Çiftçi announced that the number of vehicles has increased from 23.2 million to 33.9 million since 2019, while the number of motorcycles has increased from 3.3 million to 7.2 million. Stating that the total number of registered vehicles exceeds 34.5 million, Çiftçi said that a vehicle park of this size can only be inspected with a strong technological infrastructure and standard license plate system.

“APP PLATES CREATE A SECURITY VULNERABILITY”

Stating that non-standard APP plates cannot be read properly by electronic control systems, Çiftçi said that this situation creates a serious security vulnerability. He emphasized that it is essential to maintain license plate standards for systems such as Radar, PTS, KGS and EDS to operate effectively.

“THE PURPOSE IS PEACE AND LIFE SAFETY”

Stating that the regulations regarding drivers’ in-car display devices are also evaluated, Çiftçi stated that their basic approach is to ensure a balance that will protect life safety in traffic. “Our goal is to protect the peace and law of our citizens,” he said.

APP license plate statement from Minister Çiftçi: It is not just a matter of shape

“12/36 WORKING SYSTEM IS COMING TO THE POLICE”

Minister Çiftçi, who made important statements regarding internal security policies, noted that according to the new regulation, guards can work not only at night but also in areas of need determined by the governorships, and said that a guard system will be implemented at different points in line with the initiative to be taken in the provinces. Announcing that the induction process for 10 thousand candidates who will graduate from the Police Academy will be brought forward, Çiftçi stated that the graduations planned for September will be moved to the beginning of June. Stating that with this step, 12/36 hours working order will be implemented throughout the country, Çiftçi emphasized that the regulation will improve the working conditions of police officers and increase motivation.

A HARD MESSAGE TO STREET GANGS

Giving a message of determination in the fight against street gangs, Çiftçi said, “We cannot afford to lose even a single child. Our stance against these gang activities is clear.” Stating that the necessary instructions were given to the security units, Çiftçi stated that the operations will continue increasingly. He announced that 358 people were caught and brought to justice in operations carried out across Türkiye last week.

DETERMINATION IN THE FIGHT AGAINST DRUGS

Pointing out that drugs are the main source of crimes, Çiftçi stated that the fight is being continued in many aspects. Stating that the coast guard and intelligence elements, as well as the police and gendarmerie units, will take an active role, Çiftçi said that they are acting with the aim of “draining the source” against this threat, which especially targets young people. Declaring that 13 tons of drugs, 37.8 million synthetic pharmaceuticals and 13 thousand cannabis-skunk roots were seized in the operations carried out between January 1 and March 22, 2026, Çiftçi stated that these data reveal the intensity of the struggle in the field.

Yasin Yellice, who was allegedly one of the closest staff of Muhittin Böcek, who was detained within the scope of the “Corruption” investigation against the Istanbul Metropolitan Municipality (IMM), was suspended from his duty as the Mayor of Antalya Metropolitan Municipality and was detained, was taken into custody. Yasin Yellice, who was detained in Antalya, was brought to the Istanbul Police Department.

HE WAS REFERRED TO THE COURTHOUSE

Yasin Yellice, who is alleged to be the son-in-law of the detained former Antalya Metropolitan Municipality Mayor Muhittin Böcek’s brother and works in Antalya Metropolitan Municipality, was referred to the courthouse after being processed by the Istanbul Police Department’s Financial Crimes Department.

HE WAS REFERRED TO ARREST

Yasin Yellice was referred to arrest on the charge of “bribery” after the prosecutor’s statement.

ARRESTED:

After the interrogation at the Criminal Court of Peace on Duty, Yasin Yellice was arrested and sent to prison.

DETAILS OF THE REFERRAL LETTER HAVE BEEN REACHED

According to Yasin Yellice’s arrest referral letter; It was stated that Yasin Yellice worked as the relative and mobile private secretary of Antalya Metropolitan Municipality Mayor Muhittin Böcek, who is currently detained in the ‘corruption’ investigation.

“MUHITTIN BÖCEK AND FERDİ ZEYREK MEET IN MANİSA”

According to the dispatch letter, Yasin Yellice went to Manisa with Muhittin Böcek on January 15, 2024. It was reported that CHP Manisa Metropolitan Municipality Mayor Candidate Ferdi Zeyrek and Muhittin Böcek had a meeting that lasted approximately 3 hours. It was stated in the dispatch letter that Muhittin Böcek’s vehicle stopped at a gas station at the entrance of Manisa, confirming the report that was made public before this meeting and was also made to the Istanbul Chief Public Prosecutor’s Office.

“15 MINUTES AT THE GAS STATION”

According to the referral letter of the prosecutor’s office; The drivers waited outside, while Yasin Yellice stayed at the gas station with Muhittin Böcek for about 15 minutes, and when Muhittin Böcek’s HTS records were examined, it was determined that he had no contact with Ferdi Zeyrek before this meeting. However, it was noted that they started meeting frequently shortly before the date of meeting.

“IT IS AGAINST THE ORDINARY FLOW OF LIFE”

In its referral letter, the prosecutor’s office stated that it took into account the suspicious statements and the information reflected to the public at the time and said, “It is against the normal flow of life for Muhittin Böcek, who is not considered as a candidate by the party, to visit a city that has nothing to do with him in order to support another mayoral candidate.” He used his expressions.

DEFENDANT IN THE CASE IN ANTALYA

In the referral letter; In his statement, it was stated that Yasin Yellice said that he had to be with the mayor due to the nature of his job, that Yellice was one of the people closest to Böcek, and that he participated in some of the ‘corruption’ acts of Muhittin Böcek and his son Gökhan Böcek within the scope of the investigation carried out by the Antalya Chief Public Prosecutor’s Office.