Minister of Justice Akın Gürlek’s message that the fight against drugs will continue uninterrupted has begun to bear fruit with the operations carried out in the field.
Dozens of street dealers, called ‘purchasers’, were dealt a heavy blow during the drug operations carried out in Şanlıurfa’s Viranşehir district.

DRUG MAP HAS BEEN DEVELOPED

Viranşehir Chief Public Prosecutor’s Office carried out a study on the crime of Drug Production and Trafficking (TCK-188). During the studies, the Chief Public Prosecutor’s Office created the drug map of the district. Street dealers, called ‘purchasers’, who sell drugs in 28 identified neighborhoods, were identified one by one.

OPERATION WAS CONDUCTED ON 97 SUSPECTS

Following the technical and physical monitoring of the identified street vendors, the operation button was pressed. As a result of the follow-ups, 83 ‘confidence acquisitions’ were carried out and 97 suspects were operated on in large-scale operations held between 06 March and 15 April.

49 DETAINED IN THE FIRST OPERATION

An operation was carried out on 50 suspects identified within the scope of the investigation on May 5. 49 suspects were detained during the operation. It was determined that one of the suspects was in a penal institution.

WEAPONS, DRUGS AND CARTRIDGE WERE SEIZED

During the searches carried out at the suspects’ addresses, various amounts of drugs, drug paraphernalia, unlicensed pistols, unlicensed hunting rifles and many cartridges were seized.

46 PEOPLE WERE ARRESTED

While 46 of the suspects who were referred to the courthouse were arrested and sent to prison, a judicial control decision was given for 1 suspect. The two suspects were released after interrogations by the prosecutor’s office.

SECOND WAVE: 37 DETAINED

In the operation carried out against 45 suspects on May 11, 37 people were caught and detained. While it was determined that 1 suspect was in prison, it was learned that efforts were continuing to capture 8 suspects who were on the run.

MINISTER GÜRLEK: “WE WILL MAKE OUR IRON FIST FEEL”

Previously, Minister of Justice Akın Gürlek announced in a television program that he had solved the cocaine map of Istanbul. Talking about his period as Istanbul Chief Public Prosecutor, Minister Gürlek said, “We revealed the amount of cocaine coming to Istanbul, who brought it and the 6 major distributors one by one. We carried out very serious work with the Police and Gendarmerie.” Explaining that he sent a circular to all Chief Public Prosecutor’s Offices, Minister Gürlek stated that there would be no compromise on operations in this regard. Following the words of Minister of Justice Akın Gürlek, “As the Ministry of Justice, we will make our iron fist felt. We will go to the end” regarding the fight against drugs, news of the operation continues to come one after another.

Minister of Justice Akın Gürlek used the following statements in his post on his social media account:

“The work carried out shoulder to shoulder and in full coordination by our Ministries of Justice, Internal Affairs, Treasury and Finance continues to take the breath away from criminal groups.

“ANOTHER DIRTY WHEEL THAT SUCKS THE BLOOD OF OUR YOUTH HAS BEEN DISTURBED”

This strong will demonstrated by our institutions is our greatest support in the fight against crime. Under the coordination of our Eskişehir Chief Public Prosecutor’s Office; With the simultaneous operation carried out in 33 provinces against illegal betting, qualified fraud and money laundering crimes, a dirty wheel that sucks the blood of our youth has been shattered.

“WE WILL NEVER ALLOW ANY STRUCTURE THAT MEANS OUR ECONOMY”

Within the scope of this operation, in which a huge crime revenue of 8.7 Billion TL was detected, the necessary legal proceedings against all those responsible are being carried out meticulously. We will never allow any structure that threatens the peace of our nation and our economy.

Those who contributed to this successful operation; “I would like to thank our Eskişehir Chief Public Prosecutor’s Office, Eskişehir Provincial Police Department and Tax Inspection Board.”

The work carried out shoulder to shoulder and in full coordination by our Ministries of Justice, Internal Affairs, Treasury and Finance; continues to take the breath away of criminal groups. This strong will demonstrated by our institutions is our greatest support in the fight against crime.

Eskisehir Republic…

— Akın Gürlek (@abakingurlek) May 11, 2026

Minister of Youth and Sports Osman Aşkın Bak attended the opening ceremony organized by the Islamic Cooperation Youth Forum (ICYF) for the election of Konya as the 2026 Youth Capital of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation.

Speaking at the ceremony, Minister Bak said, “The greatest strength of the Islamic civilization is its young population and the high ideals carried by this youth. A youth that draws strength from its faith, history and culture is the guarantee of a more just, more prosperous and stronger future. Under the leadership of our President, Turkey plays a leading role in strengthening unity, solidarity and cooperation in the Islamic world with the inspiration it draws from the past. Our country, with its historical background, strategic location and strong institutional structures, is in cooperation with the countries and organizations of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation.” “We strive to act together in the field. The work we carry out in the field of youth is an important part of this vision. The Islamic Cooperation Youth Forum, located in Istanbul, has been bringing hope to the future of not only our region but also the whole world by bringing our youth together in a wide range of activities within the framework of our common beliefs and values.”

‘WE CONTINUE TO SUPPORT THE VERSATILE DEVELOPMENT OF OUR YOUTH’

Minister Bak stated that they support the development of young people and said, “At this point, our Ministry also supports the forum by hosting young people from the Organization of Islamic Cooperation countries in our youth camps organized on different themes every year. In these camps, our young people learn and produce together in many fields from media to volunteering, from environmental awareness to entrepreneurship, and establish lasting friendships. In addition, we continue to support the versatile development of our young people with international youth projects, exchange programs, sports organizations and cultural events.”

A panel titled “Business World and Entrepreneurship: Driving Forces of Women’s Empowerment” was held in Istanbul within the scope of the Belgian Economic Mission. Minister of Family and Social Services Mahinur Özdemir Göktaş and Queen Mathilde of Belgium also attended the program. The program held in Istanbul started with the opening speech of Erdal Bahçıvan, Chairman of the Board of Directors of Istanbul Chamber of Industry. Then, Minister of Family and Social Services Mahinur Özdemir Göktaş and Queen Mathilde of Belgium made speeches. At the event, issues related to women’s full participation in economic life, equal opportunities in the business world, entrepreneurship and supporting women’s rights in the economic field were discussed. The panel was moderated by William Massolin, Head of the Council of Europe Türkiye Office.

The panel included LEAD Network Turkey President Neslihan Nigiz Ulak, UNFPA Turkey Representative and Azerbaijan and Georgia Country Director Mariam A. Khan, Sioen Industries CEO Michèle Sioen, Anatolian Technology Research Park General Manager Duygu Yalnızoğlu and B-Fit founder Dr. Bedriye Hülya attended as a speaker.

‘THE POWER OF COUNTRIES WILL NOT BE LIMITED TO NATURAL RESOURCES’

Speaking at the panel, Minister of Family and Social Services Mahinur Özdemir Göktaş said, “The issue we are discussing today is not limited to the representation of women in business life. This issue is directly related to the direction of development, the quality of production, the depth of social welfare, and the economic order we will leave to future generations. The world economy is being reshaped by digitalization, green transformation, artificial intelligence, new production technologies and changes in global supply chains. The ‘Role of Business World and Entrepreneurship Panel’ in Women’s Empowerment will focus on the power of countries, capital accumulation, market size or “It will not be limited to natural resources; the real determinant will be the ability to mobilize human resources, transform knowledge into value and open opportunities to all segments of society.”

‘WE IMPLEMENTED POLICIES THAT EMPOWER WOMEN IN EVERY FIELD’

Minister Göktaş said, “As Turkey, we have taken important steps in the last 24 years to strengthen the position of women in social and economic life. Under the leadership of our President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, we have implemented policies that empower women in all areas. With the ‘Women’s Empowerment Strategy Document and Action Plan’, we have created a strong policy framework that will reflect the potential of women in all areas of life. With our Action Plan, we have implemented projects that support women’s greater involvement in employment, entrepreneurship, STEM fields, digital economy and innovative sectors. Women’s cooperatives; “We support women as strong structures that transform them into production, local development and sustainable income. In this context, we offer women education, digital skills, access to technology, mentoring, opening up to the market and access to finance. We strengthen safe working conditions and support their greater representation in decision-making processes.”

‘WOMEN ARE WRITTEN SUCCESS STORIES IN Türkiye’

Minister Göktaş said, “With the ‘Rising Women: My Own Business, My Trace’ program that we launched last year, we are transforming entrepreneurship supports into a strong ecosystem extending from local to national. Today, our country offers strong production and innovation opportunities to women entrepreneurs with its dynamic entrepreneurship ecosystem that competes on a global scale. The presence of women in this ecosystem is increasing every year. The number of female R&D personnel working in R&D and design centers and technoparks has increased approximately eight times in the last 10 years, reaching over 61 thousand. In addition, Türkiye, It ranks first in the world with the rate of female inventors exceeding 26 percent in international patent applications. This success reveals the strong potential of women in the fields of science, technology and innovation. On the other hand, women in Türkiye are writing success stories in many strategic fields, from software to artificial intelligence, from defense industry to clean technologies, from advanced production to digital. I believe that today’s panel will add a strategic dimension to these contacts. “I would like to emphasize that the empowerment of women in the business world is too big an issue to be limited only to national policies. As Turkey, we are ready to contribute to every joint effort that will enable women to take a more active role in production, entrepreneurship, technology and leadership.”

‘IF WE WANT TO SHAPE THE FUTURE, WE MUST TAKE ACTION NOW’

Speaking at the panel, Queen Mathilde of Belgium said: “Let me share with you three thoughts based on the Belgian experience: First, women’s equal and meaningful participation in economic and political decision-making is a prerequisite for inclusive economic growth, innovation and social resilience. Belgium’s experience shows that equality is achieved not by chance, but through conscious and structural choices. If we want to shape the future, we must act now. Progress will include concrete measures, including legislation to promote gender balance, wage transparency and social dialogue initiatives, as well as sustainable developments towards accessible, high-quality child care.” “At the same time, real equality in education, mentoring and professional networks is necessary but not sufficient to empower women and girls; it must be accompanied by efforts to eliminate persistent barriers such as discrimination and stereotyping. Secondly, women’s empowerment in the workplace cannot be separated from safe, respectful and dignified working environments.”

‘WE ARE BUILDING A BETTER EQUIPPED LABOR MARKET FOR THE FUTURE’

Queen Mathilde said: “Belgium takes an integrated approach combining prevention, protection and accountability through a comprehensive legal and policy framework. Its legislation provides strategies such as preventive obligations for employers, confidential counseling mechanisms, formal complaints procedures with protection against reprisals, informal dispute resolution procedures and, finally, access to labor inspectors and courts when necessary. In practice, confidential and informal mechanisms play a vital role: more than 70 percent of workplace incidents in Belgium are safe for victims who may hesitate to speak out.” “At the international level, Belgium strongly supports mechanisms that strengthen the prevention of violence or harassment in the workplace and protect victims. By promoting these goals and sharing best practices, we will make progress towards safer and more inclusive workplaces around the world. This will benefit not only women but society as a whole. By consciously investing in women and girls today, we are building a labor market that is not only fairer, but better equipped for the future.”

Within the scope of the “50 Libraries in the 50th Year” project, which was initiated by the Science Dissemination Foundation with 36 libraries in the earthquake regions after the February 6 Kahramanmaraş earthquakes, the mass opening ceremony of 15 libraries in Istanbul was held at Beşiktaş Anatolian High School with the participation of the Minister of National Education Yusuf Tekin and the Chairman of the Board of Trustees of the Science Dissemination Foundation Necmeddin Bilal Erdoğan. Istanbul Governor Davut Gül, Istanbul Provincial Director of National Education Murat Mücahit Yentür and students also attended the program.

420 SQUARE METERS LIBRARY

Speaking about the libraries they opened, Necmeddin Bilal Erdoğan, Chairman of the Board of Trustees of the Science Dissemination Foundation, said, “Of course, our philanthropists supported us when we decided to carry out this service. We keep their names alive on the doors of our libraries. When we said we should build libraries in 50 schools, we asked our Ministry of National Education. Beşiktaş Atatürk Anatolian High School, where we are here today, was our school that needed a touch, even though it had a really big library area. It is one of the distinguished schools of our country. “We have built a 420 square meter library in one of the schools. This is the largest library,” he said.

EQUAL OPPORTUNITY IN EDUCATION

Explaining their work in education, Erdoğan said, “This is very important for Türkiye’s equality of opportunity in education. It is very important for eliminating the imbalances between regions. The Science Dissemination Society Science Dissemination Foundation, which has provided scholarships and accommodation opportunities to more than a million students at the university high school level and provided project supports and overseas education supports to tens of thousands of academics to date, will touch the lives of all students who will pass through here with this library. The science dissemination foundation, which we have built in our Science Dissemination Society, will touch the lives of all students at the secondary and high school levels.” “We provide scholarships to 3 thousand of our student friends in Istanbul. As the Knowledge Dissemination Foundation, we provide scholarships to approximately 4 thousand high school, university and graduate doctor students every year,” he said.

HE EXPLAINED THE SITUATION OF EDUCATION BEFORE 2002

Speaking at the opening, Minister of National Education Yusuf Tekin said, “Turkey has truly done revolutionary work in the education and training processes in the last twenty years. We are not aware of many things because we live in it. We do not see many things. We, as much as possible, tell some anecdotes about Turkey before 2002 in the environments we attend in our conversations, and at the point we have reached, we see it as a human and Islamic duty to express our gratitude and thank those who have brought us this success or this point. “Unfortunately, we were living in a situation where Turkey ranked second and third from last among OECD member countries in the world rankings in terms of the number of students per teacher, physical capacity and quality of education. In this table, environments such as libraries, workshops and laboratories in our schools were not very noticeable to us because we needed classrooms much more seriously,” he said.

750 THOUSAND CLASSROOMS

Stating that Türkiye currently has 750 thousand classrooms, Minister Tekin said, “Currently, we have approximately 750 thousand classrooms. 750 thousand classrooms throughout Turkey. We had approximately 350 classrooms in 2002. When we look at this number, it seems to have doubled. But if we look at it this way, if we consider that approximately half of those 350 thousand classrooms were demolished and rebuilt for reasons such as earthquakes or ending their economic life, we have approximately 150 thousand classrooms before 2002. “Now, when I say this, some people get upset. Today, we have 750 thousand classrooms. Wouldn’t it be unfair not to thank the people who did this and the politicians who allocated resources for this? According to the TIMS scores announced in December last year, this is a very important indicator for us. PISA scores, which we applied last year, will be announced on September 8, and we are saying that we expect a very good grade there.”

Breaking news… President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan attended the “158th Establishment Anniversary of the Council of State and the Council of State and Administrative Jurisdiction Day Ceremony” in Ankara and gave important messages.

Highlights from President Erdoğan’s statements:

In its modern sense, the state of law is a source of equal light for everyone, like the sun at the top of the day in the middle of the day. Public administration cannot look down on citizens. The administrator is not the master of the citizen, but his servant.

“WE REMEMBERED THE BARBED WIRE MESH”

We put an end to all kinds of privileges and discrimination, and tore down the barbed wire fences that stood between the people and the republic. There is no fear for anyone in the rule of law.

Last Minute | New Constitution message from President Erdoğan! “We put an end to all kinds of privilege and discrimination” | Video

No unlawful interference in the exercise of judicial power can be tolerated or excused. However, the judiciary does not have the right or authority to act or make decisions under the tutelage of the legislature or the executive.

We will continue to increase our efforts for a more fair judicial system. There is a lynching culture on social media.

NEW CONSTITUTION MESSAGE

A new, encompassing, libertarian and civil constitution stands before us with the possibility of building our democracy from the bottom up. We have to transform the Constitution from a framework determined by the coup plotters or elites and imposed on the society into a text determined by the society itself and declared to the state.

Despite the 4 constitutions that followed the Constitution, the Turkish nation’s longing for a good constitution has still not subsided. I believe that with such a constitution, it will be possible for us to achieve a superior legal logic that will protect both law, democracy, state and nation at the same time.