Politics
Bahçeli-Kılıçdaroğlu meeting revives Great Türkiye Consensus idea
Nationalist Movement Party (MHP) leader Devlet Bahçeli hosted Republican People’s Party (CHP) Chair Kemal Kılıçdaroğlu at his office in Parliament for about 15 minutes on Tuesday.
The brief encounter, however, was highly symbolic, as a similarly short and cordial conversation between Bahçeli and lawmakers from the Peoples’ Equality and Democracy Party (DEM Party) two years ago informally set in motion the terror-free Türkiye initiative.
It remains unclear whether Bahçeli is seeking a similar rapprochement, but Kılıçdaroğlu described the meeting afterward as one between “two old friends,” while his party said in a statement that he thanked Bahçeli for the terror-free Türkiye initiative. The two men were indeed classmates at university, but their political views could hardly be further apart. Bahçeli is a nationalist and an ally of the government, while Kılıçdaroğlu advocates a center-left, social democratic approach.
Such meetings are extremely rare in Türkiye’s deeply polarized political climate. The last similar encounter to generate widespread media interest was a meeting between then-CHP leader Özgür Özel and Erdoğan two years ago. Erdoğan himself signaled openness to more such meetings while addressing a ceremony marking the opening of the new legislative year in Parliament earlier this month. He described his vision as a “grand Türkiye consensus.”
“Consensus on a terror-free Türkiye has upset the country’s foes. (The terror-free Türkiye initiative) is already having a deterrent effect on Türkiye’s foes and is empowering the country,” Erdoğan said.
The president also urged political parties to strengthen the “home front” amid regional tensions and work toward a “grand Türkiye consensus.”
“The era of opposition solely based on opposing what the government does is over. It is a grave mistake to reduce politics to antagonizing rivals and waging a war of attrition instead of making it a race to provide the best public services. Regional and global developments require us to pursue a new style of politics,” Erdoğan told Parliament, drawing sustained applause from lawmakers from his ruling Justice and Development Party (AK Party).
The main opposition New Party (YP) left Parliament’s General Assembly hall as Erdoğan took the floor.
“We have two options now: We will either continue with the old way of politics, focusing on polarization, or build a new politics based on finding common ground and reaching consensus amid competition,” he said.
“If we are to make Türkiye great and strong again, if we are to seize historic opportunities, we have to adapt to this paradigm shift together and without losing more time,” he added.
Erdoğan said the government did not expect all political parties to fully align or share the same views.
“Different views are certainly a source of strength for Türkiye and Turkish democracy. But all political parties should prioritize Türkiye. Every party should draw strength from its own dynamics and grassroots to pursue ‘Türkiye-oriented politics,’” he said.
“Reconciliation and tolerance should replace conflict and polarization. We have to find common ground on matters essential to every member of our nation. This is what we call the ‘grand Türkiye consensus,’” Erdoğan added.
Kılıçdaroğlu, who led the CHP until late 2023, returned to the party’s helm after his successor, Özgür Özel, was ousted following a court ruling related to allegations that votes were bought by his associates in an intra-party election that had ended Kılıçdaroğlu’s leadership three years earlier.
Credited with opening the party to a broader cross-section of society, Kılıçdaroğlu signaled another shift during his new tenure, vowing to “clean up” corruption associated with the Özel era.
Kılıçdaroğlu had previously taken a more hard-line stance toward the government and the MHP, but his recent statements on a range of issues have increasingly aligned with positions held by his political opponents. His acknowledgment that he had returned to the post in compliance with the court ruling further alienated him from Özel’s supporters, who went on to establish the New Party (YP) this summer, positioning it as the main opposition force.
Although Kılıçdaroğlu’s CHP remains as critical of the government and other parties as the YP, it is more closely aligned with the government on foreign policy and security issues.
Türkiye’s main opposition Republican People’s Party (CHP) is reportedly preparing to file a criminal complaint against New Party (YP) Chairperson Özgür Özel over allegations of document forgery and breach of trust involving parliamentary membership fees, according to reports of media outlets.
The allegations center on documents submitted to a bank during Özel’s tenure as CHP parliamentary group leader, requesting the reimbursement of membership fees deducted from lawmakers’ salaries.
According to reports citing CHP sources, signatures originally collected from lawmakers for Constitutional Court applications were allegedly used without their consent to authorize the financial transactions.
Özel had sent a letter to the bank before leaving the CHP to establish the New Party (YP), requesting that membership fees be transferred to lawmakers’ individual accounts, the reports said.
The dispute reportedly involves a letter dated April 23, 2026, bearing 138 lawmakers’ signatures, although the accompanying bank account list contained details for only 100 lawmakers.
CHP officials reportedly argue that party membership fees cannot legally be redistributed as personal income, describing the reimbursement request as an unauthorized transaction involving party funds.
Party sources further alleged that signatures collected for unrelated legal proceedings were improperly attached to the bank documents, potentially constituting document forgery and breach of trust.
The reported complaint would mark a further escalation in tensions between the CHP and Özel’s YP following their political split.
Recently, the CHP has also alleged that vehicles, equipment, and other assets worth more than TL 250 million (approximately $5.1 million) were reported to have been removed or gone missing from its provincial and district offices during the formation of the YP.
Türkiye slammed Israel on Wednesday for escalating regional tensions through provocations targeting Al-Aqsa Mosque and efforts to obstruct Syria’s recovery, reaffirming its commitment to regional stability and stronger defense cooperation with Pakistan and Saudi Arabia.
The concerns were raised during a meeting of the Presidential High Advisory Board chaired by President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan at the Presidential Complex in Ankara, according to a written statement by Presidential Communications Director Burhanettin Duran.
The meeting focused on recent regional and international developments, with officials warning of mounting instability across the Middle East.
Participants criticized Israel for launching provocations targeting Al-Aqsa Mosque following its attacks on the Gaza Strip and the occupied West Bank, while also seeking to prevent Syria from rebuilding after years of conflict.
The board also highlighted Türkiye’s growing defense cooperation with regional partners, citing the joint defense agreement signed with Pakistan and Saudi Arabia in Mecca as a demonstration of strengthened solidarity among the three countries.
Officials stressed that Türkiye has continued to navigate regional tensions with restraint and composure, avoiding provocations while maintaining its focus on diplomatic engagement and regional stability.
The meeting reaffirmed that promoting regional peace and security remains a central priority of Türkiye’s foreign policy.
Alongside Erdoğan, the meeting was attended by board members Ismail Kahraman, Mehmet Ali Şahin, Cemil Çiçek, Ismet Yılmaz, Binali Yıldırım and Mustafa Şentop.
Presidential Secretary-General Hakkı Susmaz, Communications Director Duran and Presidential Chief of Staff Hasan Doğan also attended.
Syrian authorities have captured Mihraç Ural, a suspect in the 2013 Reyhanlı bombings that killed 53 people in southern Türkiye, Syria’s state news agency SANA reported Thursday.
Syria’s General Intelligence Directorate reportedly detained Ural as he attempted to escape across the border. according to the agency.
He is among the defendants in the case involving the bombings that struck Reyhanlı, a town in Türkiye’s southern Hatay province near the Syrian border, in May 2013.
Two car bombs exploded in Reyhanlı, killing 53 people, including five children, and wounding scores of others. Court records showed that 912 homes, 891 businesses and 148 vehicles were damaged in the blasts.
According to an indictment prepared by the Adana Chief Public Prosecutor’s Office, Mihraç Ural planned the attack in coordination with the intelligence service of the ousted Assad regime.
Judges said the explosives were smuggled from Syria into Türkiye through five separate maritime shipments using fishing boats. The materials were allegedly concealed in sacks and transported under the supervision of individuals linked to Syrian intelligence under Bashar Assad.
The court found that the defendants acted in coordination with Syrian intelligence operatives and played central roles in preparing the attack. Testimony and evidence presented during the proceedings indicated that those involved were promised large sums of money in exchange for carrying out logistical and operational tasks.
Ural fled Türkiye for Syria in 1982 after being imprisoned over his involvement in illegal organizational activities.
He has also been identified as a key figure responsible for the 2013 massacres in the villages of Banyas and Bayda along Syria’s Mediterranean coast.
Following the outbreak of the Arab Spring and anti-government protests in Syria, Ural reactivated the Popular Front for the Liberation of the Sanjak of Iskenderun-Syrian Resistance, a sectarian-based militant organization, in early 2012.
In Syria, he reportedly developed close ties with Jamil Assad, the brother of former Syrian leader Hafez Assad, through his wife, Malak Fadel, who had family connections to the Assad dynasty. Those relationships reportedly helped Ural gain considerable wealth and influence in the country.
His capture follows the arrest of his associate Cemal Trablusi, whose detention was announced by Syria’s Interior Ministry on Oct. 4.
The ministry said counterterrorism units had detained Trablusi, who reportedly served as the Aleppo representative and office director of the Mukawama Suriya organization.
Dündar Ziya Gültekin, who was elected as acting mayor of the Üsküdar district in Istanbul last month, was killed in a car crash in northern Türkiye on Thursday.
Gültekin was among five people injured when their car collided with another car in Düzce province on the Anatolian Highway. He was traveling to the capital Ankara from Istanbul.
Hasan Şengüloğlu, head of the Düzce branch of the Justice and Development Party (AK Party), which Gültekin represented in Üsküdar, announced the death hours after the injured were taken to a nearby hospital. Media outlets reported that the accident stemmed from road conditions.
Heavy rainfall caused slippery roads in Türkiye’s north, and two people were killed in Istanbul amid severe floods on Wednesday.
Gültekin, a municipal council member from the AK Party, was elected acting mayor of Üsküdar on Sept. 8, in a rerun vote following a court decision suspending the previous election. Üsküdar Mayor Sinem Dedetaş was arrested on July 31 as part of an investigation into allegations of establishing a criminal organization, bribery and extortion. She was subsequently suspended from office by the Interior Ministry, prompting the special election.
Members of the Turkish minority in Greece’s Western Thrace region have raised concerns over the continued closure of minority schools, warning that the measures threaten children’s right to education in their native language and the preservation of their cultural identity.
Eight Turkish minority primary schools have had their operations suspended for the 2026-2027 academic year, including five in Rhodope, two in Xanthi and one in Evros, according to Mustafa Trampa, chair of the Western Thrace Turkish Minority Advisory Board and elected mufti of Xanthi (Iskeçe).
Speaking to Anadolu Agency (AA), Trampa said the suspensions, officially described as temporary, effectively amounted to permanent closures, undermining the minority community’s educational and cultural rights.
He argued that minority education enjoys a special legal status under the Treaty of Lausanne, bilateral agreements and international law, which should protect schools from closure solely because of declining enrollment.
“If we want to preserve our Turkish language, we must also preserve our schools,” Trampa said, emphasizing the role of bilingual education in maintaining the community’s identity, traditions and religious heritage.
Trampa criticized Greece’s policy of suspending schools with low enrollment, pointing to Türkiye’s efforts to maintain Greek minority schools in Istanbul and Gökçeada despite similarly limited student numbers.
He urged Athens to adopt a comparable approach, arguing that preserving minority schools would also safeguard the region’s cultural diversity.
The closures have also placed additional burdens on families, forcing young children to travel to neighboring villages for education, often under difficult winter conditions, Trampa said.
He warned that losing a school could weaken village life by removing an institution central to the community’s cultural and educational activities.
Ozan Ahmetoğlu, chair of the Xanthi Minority Secondary and High School Board, echoed those concerns, criticizing Greek authorities for applying nationwide minimum-enrollment rules to minority schools without accounting for their distinct legal status.
Ahmetoğlu said the number of Turkish minority primary schools had declined significantly in recent years, raising fears about the long-term survival of bilingual education in Western Thrace.
He called on Greece’s Education Ministry to engage directly with minority representatives and school administrators to develop mutually acceptable solutions.
According to Ahmetoğlu, repeated requests over the past three decades to improve educational standards in minority schools have gone unanswered, contributing to growing frustration among parents and community leaders.
He said the lack of consultation had fueled concerns that the gradual closure of minority schools could ultimately undermine the community’s educational institutions.
Minority representatives insist that their demands extend beyond keeping school buildings open, emphasizing the importance of ensuring children can receive quality education in both Turkish and Greek.
“This is an acquired right, and we want to exercise it,” Ahmetoğlu underlined.
He stressed that minority families want their children to develop strong proficiency in Greek while retaining their native language and cultural heritage.
Ahmetoğlu described minority schools as institutions essential to preserving cultural continuity, identity and belonging, urging Greek authorities to recognize their importance.
Both representatives called for renewed dialogue with Athens and greater respect for the minority education framework established under international agreements.
Justice Minister Akın Gürlek announced on Wednesday the capture of 33 out of 35 suspects for whom detention warrants were issued as a result of operations conducted across four separate investigations centered in Izmir, Eskişehir and Ağrı against the Gülenist Terror Group (FETÖ) and Daesh.
In a statement made on his social media account, Gürlek stated that they will not tolerate any financial network, organizational activity or restructuring attempt of FETÖ. FETÖ has been on the decline after its attempt to seize power through military infiltrators on July 15, 2016, spectacularly failed. Yet, multiple operations conducted since then indicated that the group tapped into commerce and a secret scheme of donations to regain its former power.
“Today, as a result of joint efforts conducted by our police and gendarmerie organizations under the coordination of our Chief Public Prosecutor’s Offices in Izmir, Eskişehir and Ağrı, four separate operations were carried out targeting the FETÖ and Daesh terrorist groups. As part of the operations, 33 out of a total of 35 wanted suspects were detained. One suspect is at large,” Gürlek said.
“In the investigations, significant findings were reached regarding FETÖ’s financial connections extending abroad, money transfers carried out through companies, and its current structure.”
Conveying that in the Eskişehir-centered investigation, money transfers were determined to have been made through a U.S.-based company affiliated with FETÖ in exchange for food products sent from Türkiye, Gürlek said: “It was evaluated that the transfers in question could be used in financing the restructuring of FETÖ. In the operation carried out against 10 suspects, nine suspects were caught and detained. Efforts to capture one suspect are ongoing.”
Gürlek said two suspects were captured in an Izmir-based investigation, and the suspects were identified through their ties with now-defunct lender Bank Asya, once secretly operated by FETÖ, and through their use of Bylock, an encrypted messaging app exclusively used and developed by the members of the terrorist group.
Stating that in the other Izmir-centered investigation, operations were carried out in four provinces targeting 21 suspects evaluated to be active within FETÖ’s current structure, Gürlek reported that all of the suspects were caught and detained.
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