Politics
CHP candidate succeeds electrocuted mayor of western Turkish city
Besim Dutlulu, mayor of the Akhisar district, was elected as the new mayor of Manisa province on Monday, succeeding Ferdi Zeyrek after the latter’s death by electrocution in an incident at home. Zeyrek was severely injured after the incident on June 6 and died in intensive care three days later. A beloved mayor from the Republican People’s Party (CHP), Zeyrek drew public sympathy after stories of his personal benevolence emerged posthumously.
Manisa has been a stronghold of the Nationalist Movement Party (MHP) before CHP won the municipal elections in 2024, first in the province since 1950.
The party nominated Dutlulu for Monday’s election while other political parties, including ruling Justice and Development Party (AK Party) did not field candidates, out of respect in memory of Zeyrek. Dutlulu garnered votes of 85 members of the municipal assembly, out of 87 members who cast a vote.
Addressing the assembly after his election, he said he shouldered a great responsibility by succeeding the late mayor and vowed to work to fulfill “the dreams of Zeyrek as mayor.”
Meanwhile, an investigation is underway into Zeyrek’s death. The mayor was electrocuted while checking apparently faulty wiring in his villa’s swimming pool and his family has claimed that maintenance staff was responsible for the incident, claiming they acted with negligence. Two suspects, including the swimming pool’s maintenance worker and a maintenance man for the villa complex where Zeyrek resided, were initially detained in the case before they were released with judicial control on June 11. Three days later, four people who worked on the construction of the pool and the installation of the power supply for the pool were detained and three of them were subsequently arrested.
Türkiye will continue supporting the Palestinian cause until an independent, sovereign and territorially contiguous Palestinian state is established along the 1967 borders with East Jerusalem as its capital, Interior Minister Mustafa Çiftçi said on Tuesday during talks with his Palestinian counterpart in Ankara.
During a meeting with Palestinian Interior Minister Ziad Hab Al-Reeh, Çiftçi said the events unfolding in Gaza and the occupied Palestinian territories would be remembered as one of the greatest humanitarian tragedies of the modern era.
According to a statement from the Interior Ministry, the two ministers discussed regional developments, the situation in Gaza, support for Palestine and security cooperation between the two countries.
Çiftçi said Israeli attacks that have killed more than 72,000 Palestinians in Gaza since October 2023 had left deep scars on humanity’s conscience and criticized Israel for disregarding humanitarian and moral values. He added that more than 2,400 Israeli cease-fire violations and the displacement of over one million people highlighted the scale of the humanitarian catastrophe in Gaza.
He also warned that Israel’s policies had expanded beyond the Palestinian territories to affect regional stability, citing developments involving Lebanon and Iran as evidence of the broader security risks facing the Middle East.
Türkiye, under the leadership of President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, remains committed to efforts aimed at ending the bloodshed, alleviating the humanitarian crisis and advancing a two-state solution based on the establishment of an independent Palestinian state within the 1967 borders, Çiftçi said.
“Both our state and our nation approach the Palestinian issue with great sensitivity. Our support will continue with the same determination until an independent, sovereign and territorially intact Palestinian state is established with East Jerusalem as its capital,” he said.
Çiftçi said Türkiye had delivered humanitarian assistance to Gaza through 14 aircraft and 21 ships sent to Egypt’s El-Arish port and that total aid sent since Oct. 7, 2023 had reached nearly 110,000 tons through airlifts, maritime deliveries, locally procured assistance and cooperation with the United Nations.
He added that Türkiye was also expanding security cooperation with Palestine through training programs for Palestinian institutions. According to the ministry, Turkish law enforcement agencies have provided 108 training courses to Palestinian police personnel, while nearly 2,000 officers have participated in professional exchange programs. A total of 143 Palestinian students have graduated from Türkiye’s Police Academy, with additional students currently enrolled.
For his part, Hab Al-Reeh thanked Türkiye for its support of the Palestinian cause.
“We see this support at every stage of the Palestinian cause. We thank the Republic of Türkiye and everyone who stands with us,” he said, adding that Palestinians would continue to stand firm and pursue a just peace in the region.
Following the meeting, Hab Al-Reeh presented Çiftçi with a mother-of-pearl model of Al-Aqsa Mosque as a gift.
European Union Enlargement Commissioner Marta Kos said on Tuesday that Türkiye plays a pivotal role in the bloc’s Connectivity Agenda, stressing that a strong Middle Corridor and deeper digital, energy and trade links would be difficult to imagine without Ankara’s active participation.
Speaking ahead of the high-level opening event of the Connectivity Agenda Platform in Brussels, Kos welcomed the participation of Turkish Transport and Infrastructure Minister Abdulkadir Uraloğlu and said the EU would continue its engagement with Türkiye.
Kos said she would meet Turkish officials later in the day and announced plans to visit Ankara at the end of the month alongside EU foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas and EU Commissioner for Internal Affairs and Migration Magnus Brunner.
She noted that EU-Türkiye relations are currently progressing on two separate tracks, saying there has been no movement in Türkiye’s accession process at this stage but significant opportunities remain under the connectivity agenda.
“I cannot imagine having a strong Middle Corridor and all these digital, energy and trade connections without Türkiye’s strong participation,” Kos said.
The commissioner added that the European Commission had received a list of potential connectivity projects from Türkiye’s Foreign Ministry and was assessing them alongside proposals submitted by other countries, with work on the initiatives continuing.
Türkiye urges faster visas, simpler customs procedures
Transport and Infrastructure Minister Uraloğlu called for faster visa issuance for transport workers and simpler customs procedures to prevent delays in global supply chains, warning that administrative bottlenecks can undermine even completed commercial deals.
Speaking to reporters following the high-level launch of the Connectivity Agenda Platform in Brussels, Uraloğlu said international trade cannot function efficiently if goods are delayed at borders despite being already produced, sold, and paid for.
“If road and rail transport visas are not issued on time, if customs crossings are not facilitated, and if digital infrastructure is not established, then in fact the work you have completed is wasted at customs gates or visa procedures,” he said.
“We really need to make this easier. If we’re not going to make it easier, then why are we doing trade at all?” Uraloğlu added.
The minister stressed that all countries are now deeply interdependent and no longer self-sufficient in production and trade, making efficient cross-border logistics more critical than ever.
“None of the countries, including the most developed ones, can be self-sufficient anymore,” he said, adding that international trade must therefore be supported by faster administrative systems.
Uraloğlu said Türkiye is actively engaging with the EU to strengthen transport connectivity, particularly along the Middle Corridor linking Asia and Europe through Türkiye.
He said that there is growing recognition in Brussels that transport routes must be diversified and not dependent on a single mode or corridor, especially in light of recent global disruptions.
“Therefore, at this point, we see a determination and will to cooperate more strongly with Türkiye,” the minister said.
Uraloğlu recalled that Ankara has long advocated major connectivity investments, including the planned Northern Rail Crossing over the Yavuz Sultan Selim Bridge in Istanbul.
He said the project has already received support from European funding mechanisms under World Bank leadership, and that additional EU credit instruments could be mobilized for future connectivity investments along the corridor.
On the sidelines of the event, Uraloğlu said he held talks with European Commissioner for Enlargement Marta Kos, adding that she is expected to visit Istanbul next week, with further bilateral discussions planned thereafter.
He also highlighted ongoing regional engagement with Armenia, saying he had a bilateral meeting with Armenian Territorial Administration and Infrastructure Minister Davit Khudatyan.
According to Uraloğlu, both sides are working toward reactivating previously operational road and rail crossings.
He said maintenance and preparatory works are progressing on both sides, with Türkiye having begun its own preparations while the Armenian side has also indicated readiness to proceed.
Uraloğlu added that improving regional connectivity could also help restore historical transport links along the Silk Road corridor, referencing ongoing efforts tied to the restoration of a historic bridge in the Kars Ani region.
A recent report approved by European Parliament dominated the speech of Devlet Bahçeli, leader of the government ally Nationalist Movement Party (MHP) as he addressed fellow party members at a parliamentary group meeting in Ankara on Tuesday.
Bahçeli slammed EU for attempting to control Türkiye and “steer it.” He accused European Parliament report of being an instrument to cover up Europe’s own shortcomings. “No one can dare to shape our country,” he said.
The report voted last week was full of accusations towards Türkiye in almost every field, to the chagrin of Ankara which enjoys good relations with EU countries despite facing obstacle after obstacle in its decades-long bid to join the 27-member bloc. A highlight of the report was call for sanctions against Justice Minister Akın Gürlek. Although such reports which are published annually and not binding are nothing new for Türkiye, Ankara views it as an attempt by certain countries to block Türkiye’s cooperation with EU, especially in changing security architecture. This issue was also cited by Bahçeli, as he implied that Europe needed Türkiye more than Türkiye needed it, in light of changing dynamics, especially for defense of the continent and worsening ties between EU and the United States.
Bahçeli said Europe cannot “brought Türkiye into line through threats.”
“Everyone should watch their step, know their limits, and remember their place,” he said.
He noted that Europe had long spoken about “strategic autonomy,” yet had still failed to free its defense, political, and economic structures from Washington’s shadow. Referring to statements by NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte, Bahçeli said Europe was now seriously concerned about how it would fill its security gap as the United States signaled a reduction in its military contributions to Europe.
Bahçeli criticized Europe for attempting to lecture Türkiye on democracy, law, security, and foreign policy while continually promoting accusations disguised as reports, threats veiled as sanctions, and outdated anti-Turkish narratives.
“Europe has noticed the cracks in the walls of its own house, yet it has not abandoned its desire to nail reports onto Türkiye’s door,” he stated. “With what face can such a Europe lecture Türkiye? With what mind can it presume to set standards for the Turkish state? With what audacity can it speak against the values of our nation and the institutions of our state?” he added.
The MHP leader recounted how Europe harbored terrorists for years and allowed pro-PKK groups to rally despite the latter’s designation as a terrorist group.
He asked whether those struggling with migration pressures in their own continent had any right to lecture Türkiye on humanity after it had opened its doors to millions of refugees. He also questioned whether countries dependent on U.S. decisions for their own security had any standing to criticize Türkiye’s “Blue Homeland” doctrine and its maritime jurisdiction claims in the Eastern Mediterranean, referring to a chapter in the report.
The report has also called upon for an European ban on “Grey Wolves” or Ülkü Ocakları (Idealists’ Clubs) as is known in Türkiye, an association associated with MHP. Bahçeli argued that references to the Clubs represented an old hostility in a new form. He recalled efforts in the U.S. House of Representatives to include a provision in the 2022 National Defense Authorization Act requiring an investigation into whether Ülkü Ocakları was a terrorist organization. He noted that Türkiye’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs had condemned that initiative at the time as a biased effort driven by anti-Turkish lobbying groups.
“The goal was the same then as it is today. The capitals from which these statements emerge may change, but the intention has not.” He accused critics of attempting to criminalize Turkish nationalism and detach Turkish youth from their national and spiritual values. Describing Ülkü Ocakları as the home of Turkish youth loyal to the state, devoted to the flag and homeland, and firmly opposed to terrorism, he said the organization was being unfairly targeted in European public opinion.
“On one side stands a Europe that is forced to recognize Türkiye’s weight within NATO, its rise in the defense industry, its role in migration management, its place in energy routes, and its geopolitical importance stretching from the Black Sea to the Caucasus and from the Eastern Mediterranean to the Middle East. On the other side stands a Europe that targets the Turkish judiciary, slanders our beloved Ülkü Ocakları, belittles our Blue Homeland cause, and ignores the sovereign equality of the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus and the existence of the Turkish Cypriot people. Whoever attempts to object to Türkiye’s sphere of sovereignty will face us. We will teach those who challenge the Turkish nation, blow by blow, who we are,” he said.
Mustafa Şen, deputy chair of ruling Justice and Development Party (AK Party), told journalists on Tuesday that their party still leads in the polls after more than two decades in power. Şen said the opposition “dreamed on” about the polls, referring to claims by main opposition Republican People’s Party (CHP) which pushes for an early election, confident of defeating AK Party. CHP’s early election rhetoric is now confined to supporters of Özgür Özel, the chairman ousted from the post by a court verdict last month. Özel is as confident as his successor Kemal Kılıçdaroğlu to win the next election scheduled for 2028, five years after Kılıçdaroğlu lost to AK Party’s Recep Tayyip Erdoğan despite the support of a six-party opposition bloc.
Şen said that AK Party ranked second in the polls for about seven months, before it rose to the first place in October 2024. “We conducted a poll last week and we will have another this week. Based on these, we still have 37% or 38%. The polls are not surprising since our party at one point had a 50% lead in polls. We are now working to improve the results,” he said. Şen stated “the second party” in the polls had a 26%-27% rate.
On CHP’s call for early elections, Şen said AK Party always favored elections in time but the date may be slightly rescheduled to an earlier date, but only “weeks or months before the scheduled date,” he said. Şen also ruled out the speculation that Erdoğan would not be nominated again. “Our candidate is our president,” he underlined. On a question whether Erdoğan would be eligible to run again as it may require a parliamentary approval for an earlier election for his eligibility, Şen said they would accomplish the majority to that extent. People’s Alliance comprised AK Party and Nationalist Movement Party (MHP) are about forty short of majority for approval but Şen ruled out that there would be problems in achieving majority. “The politics is art of achieving this,” he said, without elaborating. CHP has earlier hinted voting in favor of an earlier election for eligibility of Erdoğan though they advocated a far earlier vote.
Özgür Özel, who was removed from office as the leader of Republican People’s Party (CHP) with a court verdict last month over allegations of vote-buying, called reinstated leader Kemal Kılıçdaroğlu to hold an intra-party election.
Özel, now parliamentary group chair of the party, made his second speech at the parliamentary group meeting since his removal while Kılıçdaroğlu decided to skip the address traditionally done by party leaders. Instead, he attended Tuesday’s administrative committee meetings of the party where new administration under Kılıçdaroğlu would reportedly discuss expulsion of pro-Özel names from the party.
“I invite Mr. Kemal to make a historic decision and end the deadlock in our party, our country,” Özel said in his speech in Ankara. His supporters already mobilized delegates for a petition calling for an extraordinary convention in the party. They believe Özel can win a new vote while Kılıçdaroğlu so far dragged his feet although he pledged that a convention would be held eventually.
Kılıçdaroğlu often repeats that he is seeking to cleanse CHP of “corruption” in reference to vote-buying allegations that reportedly brought Özel to power in the party in November 2023 and corruption allegations engulfing CHP-run municipalities.
Özel said that the party should get rid of “shame of not holding an election.” He noted that it was CHP which introduced elections to Republic of Türkiye. CHP, Türkiye’s oldest party, was established by Republic’s founder Mustafa Kemal Atatürk and until first multi-party elections in 1950, de facto governed the country. Since then, the party failed to win any general election alone.
“One way or another, we will take back this party,” Özel said. The former leader hinted at establishing a new party with his supporters but abstained to take concrete action so far.
A total of 209 suspects from several terrorist groups were detained on Tuesday in a string of operations by police and gendarmerie forces in the capital Ankara.
Chief Prosecutor’s Office in Ankara announced that counterterrorism police launched raids to capture 148 suspects linked to Daesh and far-left terrorist groups including DSIH, TKP/ML, TKIP, People’s Revolutionary Liberation Party-Front (DHKP/C), MLKP, THKP/C and DKP/BÖG while counterterrorism units of the gendarmerie forces carried out operations to capture 93 suspects from TKP/ML, Daesh, DHKP/C and MLKP. The Office said 209 suspects out of 241 wanted suspects were apprehended in operations.
Separately, Chief Prosecutor’s Office in Istanbul announced 24 DHKP/C suspects were captured in operations in the city and seven other provinces. 13 other suspects remain at large.
Daesh and DHKP/C are among major terror threats for Türkiye. Daesh was behind a string of attacks across Türkiye that killed dozens in the past while DHKP/C, although involved in less deadly attacks, is still a security concern especially in big cities.
The terrorist group pursues a far-left ideology and has been actively carrying out attacks and assassinations in the country since the 1980s, but its campaign of violence hit a snag when faced with Türkiye’s barrage of counterterrorism operations.
The DHKP-C’s most high-profile attacks include a suicide bombing that targeted the U.S. Embassy in the capital Ankara in 2013 and the killing of a prosecutor in an Istanbul courthouse in 2015.
Türkiye was one of the first countries to declare Daesh a terrorist group in 2013 and carried out a steady stream of operations to thwart the group, rounding up hundreds of suspects over the past few years. Operations prevented plots by Daesh to attack places of worship in Türkiye. Terrorists from Daesh and other groups, such as the PKK and its Syrian wing, the YPG, rely on a network of members and supporters in Türkiye. Turkish authorities have ordered the freezing of millions of lira worth of assets since 2013 to crack down on terrorism financiers in line with United Nations sanctions.
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