Minister of National Defense Yaşar Güler made important statements before the NATO Summit.

“ALL OPTIONS ARE BEING CONSIDERED”

Minister of National Defense Yaşar Güler, in his statement to Reuters before the NATO Summit to be held in Ankara next week, said that NATO has adapted to the changing security environment and that the USA does not aim to leave the alliance.

Stating that the NATO Summit to be held in Ankara on July 7-8 will focus on intra-bloc unity, increasing defense expenditures of the allies will be evaluated, defense industry cooperation will be strengthened and support to Ukraine will be increased, Minister Yaşar Güler also emphasized that Ankara should take part in European defense initiatives.

Minister Güler emphasized that Türkiye is evaluating all options to strengthen its defense systems, including the purchase of French-Italian co-produced SAMP/T and US-made Patriot systems.

“THE USA HAS NO INTENTION TO WITHDRAWAL FROM NATO”

Minister Yaşar Güler said, “NATO continues to be a unique and fundamental platform for Euro-Atlantic security and defense. We consider the current period not as a crisis, but as a process of adaptation to the changing security environment.” Stating that the USA has no intention of withdrawing from NATO, but wants European allies and Canada to assume more responsibility for European security, Güler also explained that this requires Ankara to be included in defense plans and initiatives.

Defense Minister Yaşar Güler stated that Türkiye aims to meet all NATO capability targets by 2029.

The hearing, held by the Istanbul 40th High Criminal Court in the hall opposite the Marmara Closed Penal Institution, was attended by Istanbul Metropolitan Municipality (IMM) Mayor Ekrem İmamoğlu, who was suspended from his duties after their arrest, Şişli Mayor Resul Emrah Şahan, Beylikdüzü Mayor Mehmet Murat Çalık, Beyoğlu Mayor İnan Güney and former CHP MP Aykut Erdoğdu, Istanbul Metropolitan Municipality Mayor Advisor and MEDYA AŞ Chairman Murat Ongun, IBB Sports. Some detained defendants, including Club President Fatih Keleş and İmamoğlu’s lawyer Mehmet Pehlivan, attended.

Some CHP deputies and relatives of the detained defendants were present as spectators at the hearing, where some undetained defendants and lawyers also attended.

The detained defendant Ekrem İmamoğlu, who spoke at the hearing, renewed his request to testify and stated that he had other cases, so he asked for this situation to be taken into consideration for the order of the other hearings.

President of the Court, Selçuk Aylan, stated that they planned to finish this part of the case at the end of April, but the process has dragged on until this time, and said, “We will have completed 4 months next Thursday. We have 5 defendants left. We do not mind if you make your last defense. We are planning to complete the first session of the trial on Thursday next week. We will try to arrange this hearing with your other trials.” he said.

The hearing continues with the defense of the detained defendant, Advisor to the Mayor of Istanbul Metropolitan Municipality and Chairman of the Board of Directors of MEDYA AŞ, Murat Ongun.

FROM THE INDICTMENT

In the indictment prepared by the Organized Crimes Investigation Bureau of the Istanbul Chief Public Prosecutor’s Office, the Civil Inspection Board Presidency is listed as the “informer”, the Ministries of Treasury and Finance, Internal Affairs, Energy and Natural Resources, Agriculture and Forestry, the Istanbul Provincial Directorate of Environment, Urbanization and Climate Change, the Istanbul Metropolitan Municipality and the Şişli Municipality are listed as the “damaged by the crime”.

In the indictment, there are a total of 407 people as “defendants”, including 16 “complainants”, 7 fugitives, and 5 “complainants-defendants”.

In the indictment, which describes the activities of the criminal organization from its establishment in 2014 until today, it is evaluated that “the public damage caused by the benefit obtained from the 143 acts subject to the indictment is approximately 160 billion lira and 24 million dollars in total as of the crime dates (excluding the current value) and 95 immovable properties in Istanbul and throughout the country in real estate (excluding the assets obtained by the ringleaders and managers of the organization from the proceeds of crime).”

In the organizational chart in the indictment, it is stated that the defendant Ekrem İmamoğlu is the “organization leader”, and the defendants Murat Ongun, Fatih Keleş, Adem Soytekin, Ertan Yıldız, Hüseyin Gün and the fugitive defendant Murat Gülibrahimoğlu are the “organization manager”.

In the diagram, it is stated that 10 organization members are directly affiliated with Ekrem İmamoğlu, and it is shown that 77 of the organization members are affiliated with Fatih Keleş, 35 with Murat Ongun, 8 with Ertan Yıldız, 7 with Hüseyin Gün, 6 with Murat Gülibrahimoğlu and 6 with Adem Soytekin.

In the indictment, Ekrem İmamoğlu was accused of “establishing an organization for the purpose of committing a crime”, “recording personal data”, “seizing and disseminating personal data”, “concealing evidence of crime”, “obstructing communication”, “damaging public property”, “bribery”, “publicly disseminating misleading information”, “extortion”, “fraud to the detriment of public institutions and organizations”, “laundering property values resulting from crime”, “tendering”. It is requested that he be sentenced to imprisonment for a total of 849 years to 2,430 years and 6 months for the crimes of “sedition”, “deliberate pollution of the environment”, “opposition to the Tax Procedure Law”, “opposition to the Forest Law” and “opposition to the Mining Law”.

In the indictment, Keleş was accused of “bribery” 48 times, “taking a bribe”, “giving a bribe”, 55 times “tender rigging”, 39 times “fraud to the detriment of public institutions and organizations”, 8 times “laundering proceeds of crime”, “opposition to the Mining Law”, “opposition to the Forest Law”, “causing environmental pollution”, “opposition to the Tax Procedure Law”, It is requested that he be sentenced to imprisonment from 556 years and 8 months to 1542 years and 8 months for the crimes of “extortion”, “destroying, concealing or altering criminal evidence” and “obstruction of communication”.

In the indictment, which demands that Ongun be sentenced to imprisonment from 287 years and 6 months to 779 years and 6 months for the crimes of “bribery”, 53 times “tender rigging”, 33 times “fraud to the detriment of public institutions and organizations”, “giving personal data to others, disseminating or seizing”, “publicly disseminating misleading information” and “laundering proceeds of crime”, Yıldız is accused of “bribery”, “tender bidding”. A prison sentence of 86 to 251 years is foreseen for the crimes of “sedition” and “fraud to the detriment of public institutions and organizations”.

In the indictment, it was requested that Soytekin be sentenced to imprisonment from 67 to 194 years for the crimes of “bribery”, “chain bribery”, “extortion” and “laundering of proceeds of crime”, while Gülibrahimoğlu was accused of “fraud to the detriment of public institutions and organizations”, “laundering of proceeds of crime”, “forgery of documents”, “opposition to the Mining Law”, “opposition to the Forest Law”, “environment He is asked to be sentenced to imprisonment from 19 years and 6 months to 51 years for the crimes of “causing pollution” and “violating the Tax Procedure Law”.

In the indictment demanding Gün’s imprisonment from 20 to 40 years for the crimes of “establishing an organization for the purpose of committing a crime” and “giving personal data to someone else, disseminating or seizing”, it is stated that these defendants, who are the managers of the organization, should be punished separately as perpetrators for all crimes committed within the framework of the activities of their affiliated structures of the organization.

In the indictment, it is requested that the provisions of “effective remorse” be applied to the defendants Adem Soytekin, Hüseyin Gün and Ertan Yıldız, the organization’s managers, who gave information about the crimes committed within the framework of the structure and activities of the organization after they were caught.

In the indictment demanding a prison sentence of 35 to 91 years in total for Şişli Mayor Resul Emrah Şahan, who was suspended from his duty after his arrest, on charges of “taking bribes” 5 times, “extortion” twice, “illegal recording of personal data”, “illegal giving or obtaining of personal data” and “being a member of an organization established for the purpose of committing a crime”, Beylikdüzü Mayor Mehmet Murat, who was suspended from his duty after his arrest, was requested. It is requested that Çalık be sentenced to a total of 30 to 88 years in prison for 7 counts of “taking bribes” and “being a member of an organization established for the purpose of committing crimes”.

COMBINED FILE

The indictment prepared against 7 defendants, including Beyoğlu Mayor İnan Güney, who was suspended from his duty after his arrest, was also combined with this case.

In the indictment, detained defendants İnan Güney, İsmail Akkaya, Seyhan Özcan and undetained defendants Veysel Eren Güven, Sabriye Akkaya, Mehmet Akif Bulut and Deniz Göleli are asked to be sentenced to imprisonment from 9 years and 8 months to 31 years and 8 months each for the crimes of “aiding an organization established for the purpose of committing crimes without being a member” and “fraud to the detriment of public institutions and organizations”.

There are 59 detained defendants in the case, with the release of 51 defendants, including those in the file that was merged during the trial process.

The third of the “Türkiye’s Gastrodiplomacy Model: Table and Heritage” program organized by the Presidency’s Directorate of Communications started in Afyonkarahisar. In her video message to the program, President Erdoğan’s wife, Emine Erdoğan, emphasized that Turkish cuisine is one of the oldest archives of history, a vast ocean of culture and the memory of civilization. Pointing out that this great heritage, whose doors opened from Turkestan, took root in Anatolia and spread to every corner of the Ottoman geography for centuries, Erdoğan said:

“During this historical journey, different cultures came into contact with each other, fed on each other and turned into a unique gastronomy heritage that deepened layer by layer. Boiling pots also produced a civilization language that strengthens intercultural dialogue along with food. People from different religions, languages ​​and identities became next-door neighbors in the peace geography of Anatolia, and tables became places of love, respect and reverence. Thus, the spirit of brotherhood was experienced as a fifth season in Anatolia.”

Businessman Turgut Koç, known for his closeness to Özgür Özel and Veli Ağbaba, was arrested last month in a drug and prostitution investigation. It was revealed that Koç gave a new statement to the prosecutor’s office within the scope of the CHP 38th Ordinary Congress investigation carried out by the Organized Crimes Investigation Bureau of the Istanbul Chief Public Prosecutor’s Office. According to the findings in the investigation file, a new detail was found in the examination of Turgut Koç’s phone. It was determined that there was a photo of the video call held by Koç on January 18, 2024. It was determined that the photo in question included bundles of dollars and euros. This detection was recorded as an important finding regarding the connection to money traffic in the file.

In Turgut Koç’s new statement at the courthouse yesterday, he was asked about his photographs and WhatsApp correspondence dated April 14, 2026. In the correspondence in question, it was determined that Veli Ağbaba said, “If you have any problems, write to me” at 19.28, and Koç replied, “No, no problem, I will be there on Thursday.” Koç was also asked about the correspondence in which Ağbaba said, “If there is a problem, write it down, for sure?” In his statement regarding this correspondence, Koç said, “Veli Ağbaba called me to Ankara. He asked if I had 500 thousand TL, and I told him that I would definitely give it to him. However, I could not give the money and I could not go to Ankara. In the call on April 16, 2026, we talked for a minute via WhatsApp. During this meeting, he asked where I was and whether I could come. I said that I could not come right now.”

One of the biggest problems of European countries in recent times is the disappointments in jointly carried out defense industry projects… Countries that want to avoid the US F-35 in their air forces have very few alternatives. Türkiye, the only NATO member other than the USA to bring a new generation warplane to the skies, is one of the strongest candidates for a solution. First Russia-Ukraine, then the US and Israel’s attacks on Iran… And finally the ‘great war’ scenarios that are now more strongly voiced… Germany and France canceled the new generation fighter jet program they were carrying out together. Again, the purchase of warships worth approximately 9 billion euros, which the Germans will procure from the Netherlands for their navy, did not reach a happy ending despite the passing years and all the money spent. Time is needed to produce a new generation warplane. However, in a war that is just around the corner, waiting that long means taking on serious risks. There are only two countries within NATO that can bring the 5th generation warplane to the skies: the USA and Türkiye. It is no secret that Europeans are hesitant about relations with the USA, especially during Trump’s second term. In addition, the operating costs of the F-35s were much higher than expected and the problems experienced in updates raised serious question marks for everyone. Countries such as Spain and Switzerland canceled their F-35 purchase decisions. Many European countries also chose not to enlarge their fleet.

THE MOST IMPORTANT PLAYER OF HIS CLASS
Türkiye, on the other hand, developed the National Combat Aircraft KAAN with its own means and brought it to the skies. 2030 and beyond are pointed out for KAAN, which is considered one of the most important players in its class with its capabilities, to be fully operational. If an EU or NATO member country wants to equip KAAN with its own sensors, radars or other subsystems, Türkiye can quickly adapt to this. AA

HÜRJET MODEL WILL BE APPLIED
HÜRJET, which will be equipped with Spain’s unique systems, will quickly be able to enter the inventory of the Spanish Air Force. If a similar road map is followed for KAAN, European countries can have a very powerful intermediate formula in this new period for which they are extremely unprepared. When we put all these together, it will not be a surprise that KAAN will be one of the most important issues on the leaders’ table at the NATO Summit to be hosted by Ankara on July 7-8.

President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan spoke at the dinner he hosted at Dolmabahçe Palace in honor of the parliamentarians, parliamentarians and representatives of international organizations who were in Istanbul for the NATO Parliamentary Summit: I believe that the NATO Parliamentary Summit has a special meaning before the NATO Summit that we will hold in Ankara on 7-8 July. Euro-Atlantic Security is going through a historical turning point. Threats such as war, crisis, terrorism and irregular migration, especially on the eastern and southeastern borders of our alliance, require us to reshape our understanding of security. The massacres we have witnessed recently, especially those in Gaza and Lebanon, have caused deep wounds in the conscience of humanity, while at the same time they have destroyed the reputation of international institutions and institutions. The current geopolitical equation has increased the importance of NATO’s role. As Türkiye, we are one of the countries that best understand the spirit of the new era.

Türkiye is one of the allies that has been contributing to NATO’s security for more than 70 years with its strong army, modern military capabilities and advanced defense industry. We take an active part in NATO missions and support the maintenance of peace and stability. We share both our exceptional ability in managing regional crises and our vast experience within NATO with our allies. Türkiye, with its history, social structure and geostrategic location, is a strong country with experience in providing simultaneous communication with a wide geography stretching from Europe to Asia and from the Balkans to Africa. We wish to use this potential to the maximum extent for regional peace and world peace.

Our main expectation from the NATO Summit is to achieve results that take into account the national security sensitivities of the allies and strengthen the alliance solidarity and spirit of unity. As the leader of a country that has successfully fought against terrorism for many years and is now working to end terrorism completely, I would like to express that we have high expectations from the alliance in this field.

If we want to meet the challenges we face, we must share the burden among allies in a balanced and fair manner. We are doing our part in sharing the burden, and we will continue to do so.

Excluding Türkiye’s defense capacity due to narrow political interests does no one any good. At this point, we must create an alliance-wide security and defense network stretching from Texas to Ankara, without any buts or buts.

At the NATO Defense Industry Forum, which we will organize within the scope of the NATO Summit, our allies and guests will see the significant progress that Türkiye has made in the field of defense industry in a short time.

NATO PA PRESIDENT PERESTRELLO: WE THANK Türkiye
NATO Parliamentary Assembly (NATO PA) President Marcos Perestrello: I would like to thank the Turkish authorities for hosting this organization. It is a great pleasure to be with you in this beautiful city that brings our alliance together.

WE HAVE TO FIGHT FOR A FAIR SYSTEM
Speaker of the Grand National Assembly of Turkey, Numan Kurtulmuş, spoke at the NATO Parliamentary Summit: We have to continue our struggle together to establish a new global system that is fair and equitable on earth, based on the principle of equality of all people in creation and equality of sovereignty of all countries.