Politics
Ankara mayor faces probe over alleged misuse of municipal resources
Permission has been granted for a formal investigation into allegations against Ankara Mayor Mansur Yavaş to determine whether municipal resources were used during election rallies, according to statements from the Interior Ministry and the municipality.
The authorization, issued roughly one year after prosecutors first requested it, also covers eight municipal employees. The request had been submitted by the Ankara Chief Public Prosecutor’s Office on Feb. 21, 2025, concerning claims that vehicles, equipment and personnel belonging to the Ankara Metropolitan Municipality (ABB) were used during campaign events held in the provinces of Karabük and Çankırı.
Following an evaluation by civil inspectors affiliated with the Interior Ministry, Interior Minister Mustafa Çiftçi approved the investigation. In the written decision, inspectors stated that the use of municipal vehicles, broadcasting equipment and staff at a rally attended by Yavaş in Çankırı “could not reasonably be expected to have occurred without the knowledge of the mayor,” even though no direct instruction or order was identified.
Those included in the investigation alongside Yavaş are several former municipal officials and staff members from departments such as cultural affairs, public works and technical services.
In a written statement, the Ankara Metropolitan Municipality rejected the allegations, emphasizing that the decision itself acknowledged there was no evidence indicating that Yavaş had issued instructions or directives regarding the use of public resources. The municipality argued that attributing responsibility based solely on the assumption that the events could not have taken place without his knowledge was insufficient.
The municipality further described the investigation authorization as a “strain on legal principles,” alleging it amounted to an attempt to pressure and discredit Yavaş. Officials said they would formally object to the decision and provide additional details to the public in a forthcoming press briefing.
The case is expected to proceed following the completion of procedural steps and potential appeals.
Yavaş, who was once touted as the future vice president of the main opposition Republican People’s Party (CHP), also faces charges over astronomical spending on public concerts, as details of the investigation emerge.
According to findings in the investigation file, 32 concerts organized by the Yavaş administration between 2021 and 2024 resulted in a total public loss of TL 154,453,000 ($3.47 million).
Tenders allegedly tailored to specific parties under justifications such as “single source,” “special authorization” and “direct procurement” were recorded as one of the largest organization-related scandals in municipal history. The messages between H.A.B. and organizers suggest that a kind of “exchange” was set up for concerts that had not yet even gone to tender.
The expert report states that company owners sending price lists to municipal bureaucrats for projects that had not yet been approved constitutes clear evidence of bid rigging.
The Ankara mayor was already criticized in the past for excessive spending during Republic Day celebrations on Oct. 29, 2024, as media outlets reported that the municipality paid TL 69 million for a concert by a popular singer.
Recently, prosecutors have been carrying out multiple corruption investigations against the main opposition CHP and its municipal administrations across Türkiye.
Justice Minister Akın Gürlek’s recent remarks on proposed social media regulations have sparked new debates. Experts underline that the suggested system could have a deterrent effect against manipulation through disinformation, reputational attacks, and the use of fake and bot accounts.
“Gürlek’s statement in early April 2026 signals a transformative shift in balancing anonymity and accountability in the digital world,” Ali Murat Kırık, professor at Marmara University and the head of Visual Communication Design department, told to Daily Sabah.
“The proposed system aims to curb manipulation carried out through disinformation, reputational attacks, and fake accounts (bots).”
Speaking at a public program on April 3, 2026, Gürlek announced plans to end anonymity on social media, saying users will be required to log in with their national identification numbers under a forthcoming legal framework.
He said negotiations with social media platforms had concluded with mutual agreement, paving the way for a system that would mandate identity verification for all users in Türkiye.
Under the proposed regulation, social media accounts would be tied to individuals’ official identities, making users legally accountable for their online activity.
“If a person opens an account on social media and commits a crime, there must be consequences,” Gürlek said. “We want social media to have rules and a legal framework. If someone opens an account, they must bear responsibility for it.”
The minister stressed that the measure aims to strengthen the fight against cybercrime, curb disinformation and establish legal responsibility in digital spaces.
Kırık also asserted that the system appears technically feasible, particularly in light of reports that authorities have reached an agreement with social media platforms.
He said the model could function through API integration, allowing platforms to connect with centralized identity verification systems such as Türkiye’s e-Government infrastructure. During account registration, users would verify their identity using national ID numbers along with mobile phone authentication.
“This would establish a direct link between digital accounts and real individuals,” he noted.
While announcing the new social media reform Gürlek also added that anonymous or fake accounts often distort events and contribute to what he described as “trial by social media,” where individuals are judged and condemned online without due process.
“If someone insults others or carries out a smear campaign online, they must face the consequences.”
Gürlek noted that the regulation is expected to be formalized as part of Türkiye’s upcoming 12th Judicial Reform Package, which would provide the legal basis for requiring verified identities on social media platforms.
Kırık also argued that the platform compliance is another critical dimension of the proposal, pointing to a shift in the stance of major global companies such as such as X and Meta, which previously resisted similar regulatory demands, now appear more open to cooperation.
According to him, this change is largely driven by Türkiye’s recent legal framework, which requires social media companies to maintain local representation and comply with national regulations, increasing pressure on platforms to align with domestic rules.
On the other hand, Mert H. Akgün, a researcher in law and human rights at the Foundation for Political, Economic and Social Research (SETA), asserted that the misuse of anonymity on social media has become a growing concern, particularly through fake accounts used to shape public opinion or influence political and social developments.
“In some cases, these practices can even undermine individual safety and public order. In that sense, efforts to extend the rule of law and reinforce cyber sovereignty into the digital sphere can be seen as both reasonable and necessary,” he said.
Ensuring that legal norms are effectively applied on social media is essential to maintaining the integrity of the legal order, according to Akgün. “Anonymity should not function as a shield from legal accountability.”
The plan outlines a three-month transition period, with the regulation to be implemented gradually rather than all at once.
Under the proposal, existing users would be required to verify their accounts by linking them to their real identities through secure systems such as Türkiye’s e-Government platform or similar verification tools.
At the end of the transition period, accounts that fail to complete identity verification including those identified as fake or automated would be permanently removed by the platforms.
According to Akgün, while steps such as identity verification may strengthen accountability and security, they must be designed in a way that does not undermine the open and dynamic nature of online public discourse.
“Balancing freedom of expression with the protection of other fundamental rights and public security remains a delicate challenge.”
The regulation also introduces an age requirement, setting a minimum of 15 years to access social media platforms. While children under 15 would be restricted from opening accounts, additional biometric limitations and filtering systems are expected to be applied to users under 18.
Combatting Disinformation
Moreover, Türkiye has been actively working to counter disinformation as it poses a great threat against the peace in public. The Disinformation Combat Center (DMM) was established to address the growing global challenge of misinformation and focus on debunking false claims related to national security, public safety and diplomatic affairs.
“The system could have a strong deterrent effect in combatting disinformation,” Kırık asserted. Reminding that when users know their online activity is directly linked to their real identities and legal responsibilities, they are more likely to act with caution.
“This could lead to a noticeable decrease in the spread of false information and unlawful content.”
Burhanettin Duran, the head of the Directorate of Communications, previously said that the state must play a regulatory and supervisory role by establishing a strong legal framework, while families should raise awareness for themselves and their children. Digital platforms, he added, must assume greater responsibility for content moderation and algorithmic transparency.
“Digital platforms do not only create personal addictions,” Duran said. “They produce consequences that destroy families, weaken social relationships and, in some cases, cost individuals their lives. We cannot abandon the digital world, but we must manage it. Control has to remain in our hands.”
Meanwhile, Akgün stated that the measure could provide meaningful support in the fight against disinformation, but caution that it is not a standalone solution, saying that the problem extends beyond anonymous individuals, pointing to more complex dynamics such as coordinated networks, automated bot systems, engagement-driven platform business models and algorithmic amplification.
“Introducing real-name requirements may reduce certain types of fake accounts, but it does not automatically dismantle the broader ecosystem through which disinformation operates, Akgün agrued, “For that reason, combating disinformation requires an integrated and multi-layered approach.”
He indicated that rather than concentrating exclusively on monitoring users, priority should be given to placing platforms themselves under effective legal oversight.
“Mechanisms such as enhanced transparency obligations, independent oversight structures, and a graduated system of sanctions can create more sustainable and systemic solutions to the problem of disinformation.”
Turkish authorities have detained 525 suspects in nationwide operations targeting the Daesh terrorist group, the Interior Ministry announced Monday.
The raids were carried out across 56 provinces including Ankara, Istanbul, Izmir, Bursa, Manisa, Mersin in coordination with the police counterterrorism units, intelligence authorities, the National Intelligence Organization (MIT) and public prosecutors, the ministry said in a statement.
Among those detained were individuals with outstanding arrest warrants, as well as suspects accused of previous involvement in Daesh activities, providing financial support to the group and maintaining links with foreign terrorist members, authorities said.
Officials said 88 of the suspects, identified as foreign terrorist fighters, were transferred to repatriation centers for deportation procedures.
The operations, conducted simultaneously by provincial counterterrorism units, resulted in the seizure of weapons, ammunition, financial assets, as well as organizational documents and digital materials, according to the statement.
Last week, a shooting incident near the former Israeli Consulate building in Istanbul’s Beşiktaş district triggered a large-scale security response after armed assailants opened fire near a police point at the Yapı Kredi Plaza complex.
Police units engaged the attackers in a gunbattle, during which the suspects were neutralized and two officers were lightly injured.
Turkish media reports said the gunman who was killed was a 32-year-old man linked to Daesh.
Türkiye considers the Daesh terrorist group one of the biggest threats to the country’s security and peace, as the group faces nationwide raids, and was one of the first countries to declare it a terrorist group in 2013.
Officials said counterterrorism operations targeting Daesh networks and financing structures will continue across the country.
Türkiye’s pursuit of justice and balance in international order will also be reflected at November’s COP31 Summit, which it will host in coordination with Australia. Environment, Urban Development and Climate Change Minister Murat Kurum on Tuesday said they will advocate for climate finance to reach directly to affected regions and developing countries at COP31, pledging that the country will act as an “honest intermediary and fair referee” in the process.
Speaking at a program titled Climate Change and Environmental Agenda in Türkiye on the Road to COP31, organized by think tank Foundation for Political, Economic and Social Research (SETA) in Ankara, Kurum stressed that humanity’s core problem today is not merely carbon emissions, but the ongoing struggle between humankind and nature. He noted that Turkish diplomacy was once merely an observer in global climate platforms such as the Rio Summit, but said Türkiye has now strengthened its role as an active and influential actor under the leadership of President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan. Kurum emphasized that water has become a strategic resource and even a factor in conflict in today’s world, adding that states that manage water resources effectively and produce energy without harming nature will shape the future.
At the COP31 gathering, nearly 200 countries are expected to convene in Türkiye to discuss the next steps in implementing the Paris Agreement, including updated emission reduction targets, adaptation measures, climate finance and carbon market rules.
“Today, conflicts in our region trigger energy crises, and asymmetric conflicts increase instability in oil markets. This shows that instability and climate change constitute an ecological survival issue,” Kurum said.
He stated that Türkiye views the climate crisis both as a front requiring strategic defense and as a development opportunity, adding that this approach should be translated into a concrete, measurable, and decisive action plan involving all segments of society.
Kurum said Türkiye’s priorities at COP31 would include water and food security, noting that the world is entering an era where water may replace oil as a critical resource.
“We are rapidly moving toward a period where water will be central to national security and regional stability,” he said, adding that Türkiye advocates for a world where no drop of water is wasted and where countries are able to achieve self-sufficiency with fair financial and technical support. Global population growth, urbanization, changing consumption patterns, conflicts and climate change are intensifying pressure on water resources, with projections showing that by 2040, 33 countries, including Türkiye, could face “extremely high water stress.”
A 2025 study by the U.S.-based World Resources Institute analyzed 167 countries using a water stress indicator. By 2040, countries across the Middle East, North Africa, Central Asia and parts of Southern Europe are expected to face extreme water stress.
Türkiye ranks 27th, highlighting the combined impact of rising demand and climate pressures. Its neighbors also face significant risks, underscoring the regional challenge of securing sustainable water resources. Fourteen of the most at-risk countries are in the Middle East, heavily dependent on groundwater and costly desalination, with water scarcity threatening economic growth, food production, energy supply and migration patterns.
Highlighting the Zero Waste Project initiative, which has become a global brand under the auspices of first lady Emine Erdoğan, Kurum said the initiative represents an effort to protect the “law of nature,” transforming waste into energy and raw material.
“The global financial system places the burden not on those who pollute, but on those who are polluted. We fundamentally reject this,” Kurum added.
“In this regard, we categorically reject the current system. Türkiye will fight at COP31 to ensure that climate finance reaches directly to affected geographies and developing countries, and we commit to acting as an honest intermediary and fair referee,” Kurum said.
Turkish authorities detained 43 suspects, including 19 public officials, in a sweeping operation targeting the outlawed Gülenist Terror Group (FETÖ) network across eight provinces, prosecutors said Tuesday.
The Mersin Chief Public Prosecutor’s Office said the operation, coordinated by the provincial police, was centered in the southern province of Mersin and extended to Ankara, Istanbul, Kayseri, Kahramanmaraş, Gaziantep, Muğla and Erzurum.
Among those detained are three officials still in active duty and 16 who had previously been dismissed from public service, according to the statement.
Prosecutors alleged that a suspect identified by the initials H.K. used the encrypted messaging app Signal to communicate with members of the group abroad between 2017 and 2025. The suspect is accused of organizing financial support under the name “Muavenet,” collecting and distributing funds through bank accounts opened in the names of sympathizers.
Authorities said the detainees were taken to police headquarters for questioning. Türkiye designates FETÖ as a terrorist group, blaming it for the 2016 failed coup in which 252 people were killed, and 2,734 were wounded.
Ankara also accuses the terrorist group of being behind a long-running campaign to overthrow the state through the infiltration of Turkish institutions, particularly the military, police and judiciary.
Earlier this month, Maj. Murat Kalaç, who was on the wanted list of the Interior Ministry for his involvement in the coup attempt, was also captured, security sources said.
Kalaç was on the run since the coup attempt, instigated by military officers linked to the FETÖ, was quelled. Authorities earlier issued an arrest warrant for the suspect, who was stationed at the Gendarmerie General Command at the time of the coup attempt.
Istanbul police announced on Tuesday that two Greek tourists who unfurled a “Byzantine flag” at the Hagia Sophia Grand Mosque in Istanbul were arrested.
The incident took place on April 9. A report by the broadcaster NTV says tourists, identified as 35-years-old Mazis Michael and 42-years-old Kostantina Mazi, arrived in the iconic mosque which was converted from a Byzantine cathedral after Istanbul’s Ottoman conquest in 1453, with a group of fellow tourists.
Inside, two suspects unfurled a Byzantine flag, taking photos of each other with the flag. When security guards noticed, they intervened and alerted police.
Suspects were subsequently detained at the hotel they were staying in Istanbul’s Fatih district. An Istanbul court ordered their arrest on charges of “inciting public hatred.”
NTV reported that the flag had an inscription translated into Turkish as “Be Orthodox or Die.”
The incident underscores the enduring political and symbolic significance of Hagia Sophia, a structure that has stood at the center of competing historical narratives for centuries. Built in 537 under Byzantine Emperor Justinian I, it served as the main cathedral of the Byzantine Empire and a focal point of Eastern Orthodox Christianity before being converted into a mosque following the Fall of Istanbul. Its reconversion into a mosque in 2020 reignited sensitivities, particularly in Greece.
For many Greeks, Hagia Sophia represents a lost center of Orthodox heritage. Turkish authorities, however, often interpret such displays inside the mosque as deliberate provocation.
The episode also reflects broader tensions between Türkiye and Greece, whose relations have long been strained over territorial, political and cultural disputes. In this context, symbolic acts at contested or sensitive sites can quickly escalate.
Istanbul on Wednesday will host a four-day meeting of Inter-Parliamentary Union (IPU) in Istanbul. The event is expected to bring together 2,500 people from around the world. So far, more than 800 lawmakers and 77 parliamentary speakers signed up for this 152nd meeting of the Union.
The IPU, based in Geneva, holds semiannual assemblies in the spring and the fall, either in Geneva or elsewhere. The assembly will be an occasion where strengthening parliamentary diplomacy and multilateral cooperation will be discussed. The lawmakers will also discuss the genocide in Gaza, developments in the Middle East, and a number of regional and global issues.
The theme of the summit will be “nurturing hope, securing peace and ensuring justice for future generations” and it will host several events, including permanent committee meetings, the fora and several side events. The IPU will also elect its next secretary-general as incumbent Martin Chungong’s tenure will expire.
Founded in 1889 by parliamentary representatives to strengthen inter-parliamentary cooperation and dialogue, the IPU now stands out as the umbrella organization of the world’s parliaments, with 183 member countries.
Türkiye, which hosted General Assembly meetings in 1934 and 1951 and most recently 30 years ago, is set to once again demonstrate its experience and expertise in parliamentary diplomacy, as well as the importance it places on multilateral relations and international dialogue.
Turkish Parliamentary Speaker Numan Kurtulmuş will chair the general assembly of IPU. He will also hold bilateral talks with visiting parliamentary speakers, before they attend a meeting with President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan on Thursday.
Kurtulmuş on Monday attended executive committee meeting of IPU in Istanbul. Speaking there, he said it was great pleasure to host parliamentarians in the city which bridged continents, cultures and civilizations.
Commenting on meeting’s theme, he said “nurturing hope and safeguarding the peace” was “a responsibility for the parliaments.”
“In this context, your role is particularly important. The guidance you provide and the decisions you make here will directly influence not only the success of the Union but also the broader impact of parliamentary diplomacy. At a time when the international system is facing increasing uncertainty and complex challenges, the responsibility of parliaments to act with vision and determination has never been greater. Increasing our dialogue, raising our voices against injustice and conflicts, and developing new ideas for a better world are our responsibilities toward future generations. Therefore, I hope that our Union will serve as an opportunity to convey strong messages supporting the defense and strengthening of peace, democracy, and multilateralism. With this understanding, I wish the Executive Committee success in its meetings. I am confident that your deliberations will lead to concrete and constructive outcomes for our countries and our cooperation,” he said.
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