Politics
EU lawmakers criticize von der Leyen’s remarks on Türkiye
Members of the European Parliament criticized on Wednesday remarks by European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen suggesting that Europe should not fall under the influence of Russia, Türkiye or China, calling the comments misleading and divisive.
Lawmakers from the Left Group in the European Parliament, including Belgian members Rudi Kennes and Marc Botenga, said the statement risks reinforcing unnecessary geopolitical polarization.
Botenga described the remarks as “both inaccurate and very strange,” emphasizing that Türkiye is not only a NATO ally but also maintains multifaceted relations with the European Union.
“Türkiye is still officially a candidate country for EU membership,” he noted.
He argued that the broader issue lies in what he characterized as a worldview that divides the globe into opposing camps. “These kinds of statements serve to split the world into ‘us’ and ‘others,’ as if there were some kind of purity test, and as if there were an intention to control the rest of the continent,” Botenga said.
Von der Leyen made the comments during a speech at an event marking the 80th anniversary of the German newspaper Die Zeit in Hamburg, where she reiterated support for EU enlargement and called for a more geopolitical approach.
Responding to her call for Europe to “complete its unity,” Botenga said the continent is already interconnected but not fully represented by the EU. He also warned that framing international relations as “friends versus enemies” poses significant risks for global stability.
Türkiye is preparing a sweeping overhaul of social media regulations that would require users to verify their identities through the e-Government (e-Devlet) system before accessing major platforms, in a move officials say will increase transparency and curb online crime, Justice Minister Akın Gürlek said.
The minister said the draft legislation, described by authorities as a world first, would apply to platforms with more than 1 million daily users in Türkiye, including Instagram, YouTube, TikTok and X.
Speaking to Abdurrahman Şimşek and Halit Turan of Sabah newspaper, Gürlek said the regulation aims to create a safer and more accountable digital environment by preventing users from hiding behind anonymity.
“Digital chaos is growing, and this regulation has become a necessity,” he noted, pointing to the rise of disinformation, online fraud, illegal betting and cyberbullying.
Under the proposed system, users opening accounts on social media platforms would be redirected to the e-Government portal, where their identities would be verified. Instead of sharing personal data directly with the platforms, the system would generate a unique, user-specific digital key confirming the verification.
Authorities say personal identity information would not be transferred to social media companies but would be stored by the Information and Communication Technologies Authority (BTK).
Officials said the draft was prepared in coordination with multiple institutions, including the communications directorate, BTK authority and cybersecurity bodies, and has already been presented to the Cabinet.
The rollout is expected to take place over a nine-month period. In the first phase, regulations and technical infrastructure will be developed. Platforms will then be required to integrate the system, followed by a final phase in which existing users must comply with the new verification rules.
Authorities say companies that fail to meet the requirements could face escalating penalties, including administrative fines of up to 3% of their global turnover, advertising bans and bandwidth restrictions ranging from 50% to 90%.
Platforms may also be required to provide verified identity information of users involved in criminal investigations within 30 days upon request from judicial authorities.
The government says the system is designed to prevent the proliferation of fake and bot accounts and ensure that only real individuals can register on social media platforms.
Officials note that similar identity verification mechanisms are already used in certain online services in Türkiye, such as e-commerce platforms.
Parliament to take steps
Nazım Elmas, head of Parliament’s Digital Platforms Commission, said companies that fail to cooperate with state requirements could face additional regulatory responses. He added that the broader legislative package also includes measures related to digital platforms and social services.
Elmas said the initiative is part of a wider effort to address risks posed by rapidly evolving technologies, particularly for children and young users.
“This regulation alone may not solve all problems, but it is an important starting point,” he stressed.
He also noted that content initially presented as harmless such as games and applications can later be redirected toward more problematic areas driven by commercial interests, at times exposing children to harmful situations.
The European Commission said Tuesday that Türkiye is “unquestionably an important partner” in the region, both economically and politically, following comments by Commission President Ursula von der Leyen that grouped Türkiye alongside Russia and China as influential actors.
A Commission spokesperson stressed Ankara’s strategic role and significance for Europe, underscoring ongoing cooperation despite recent debate over von der Leyen’s characterization.
“Türkiye’s mention was a recognition of its geopolitical clout, size and ambitions, not least in the Western Balkans, and not meant as a comparison with any other country,” the Commission spokesperson told Anadolu Agency (AA) in response to a question about von der Leyen’s remarks.
Speaking at an event marking the 80th anniversary of the newspaper Die Zeit in Hamburg on Monday, von der Leyen mentioned her support for EU enlargement and said: “We must succeed in completing the European continent so that it is not influenced by Russia, Türkiye, or China.”
“Türkiye is unquestionably an important partner in the region both economically and politically, including in strategic areas such as the Connectivity Agenda, with the Trans-Caspian Middle Corridor where Türkiye is a key anchor in the region, and on migration management where Türkiye is a long-standing partner,” said the spokesperson.
The spokesperson added: “Türkiye is also an important NATO ally and EU candidate country, and as such, a key interlocutor.”
The Turkish Defense Ministry on Wednesday highlighted Ankara’s adherence to the principle of “One Army, One Libya” after a landmark military exercise in the North African country.
“Türkiye supports the peaceful, stable existence of Libya, whose east and west act in unity,” the ministry said.
Ankara has long been a supporter of internationally recognized western administration in Libya but courted the east in recent years in its bid to support stability in the country, which still lacks unity.
Forces from the east and west-based administrations were joined by military elements from Türkiye and the U.S. earlier this month for exercises in Sirte in the first such joint event since 2014. That year, Libya was divided between forces that took part in the ouster of the Moammar Gadhafi regime. Tensions have cooled considerably since then, and the two sides recently agreed to the first unified budget in more than a decade to determine how to spend the billions of dollars of oil revenues the country earns each year. The “Flintlock” special operations exercises, run by the United States Africa Command, known as AFRICOM, included forces from both the military commander Khalifa Haftar’s Libyan National Army (LNA) and the U.N.-recognized Government of National Unity, which is based in Tripoli.
The Defense Ministry said on Wednesday that the Flintlock exercises demonstrated strong support by participating countries to Libya’s sovereignty and independence and contributed to the country’s ability for joint operations. The ministry also highlighted that their priority was preservation of stability, calm and balance based on the broadest dialogue and compromise in Libya.
The ministry said Türkiye always supported United Nations-led processes in Libya and maintained contacts with “all sides.” It noted Türkiye trained more than 23,000 Libyan military personnel, both in Türkiye and Libya, and was continuing to support Libya in several fields, from demining to defusal of unexploded ordnance, counterterrorism, the fight against irregular migration and smuggling.
Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan will embark on a two-day official visit to the U.K. on Thursday.
Fidan’s visit will focus on talks on the wars in Iran and Ukraine, a Turkish diplomatic source said Wednesday, adding that he will also discuss cooperation between the NATO allies.
Türkiye, which neighbors Iran and is in close contact with Tehran, Washington and mediator Pakistan, hosted a diplomacy forum over the weekend attended by delegations from all sides. It has repeatedly called for an end to the conflict.
U.S. President Donald Trump said earlier that he would indefinitely extend the cease-fire with Iran to allow for further peace talks.
Fidan’s visit comes as the British government said military planners from more than 30 countries would hold two-day talks in London from Wednesday to advance a mission to reopen the Strait of Hormuz. More than a dozen countries said last week they were willing to join an international mission, led by Britain and France, to protect shipping in the strait when conditions permit. Fidan has warned of difficulties with such a mission.
During his two-day visit, Fidan will also repeat Türkiye’s readiness to contribute to efforts to end the war in Ukraine, the source said, after Kyiv said on Wednesday it had asked Türkiye to host a leaders’ level meeting with Russia. He will also convey Ankara’s request to finalize a free trade agreement with Britain and emphasize the importance of deepening defense industry and energy cooperation between the allies, the source added.
The minister will meet U.K. Foreign Secretary Yvette Cooper, members of the U.K. Parliament and other officials. During his visit to London, diplomatic sources say, Fidan is also expected to deliver remarks at an event hosted by the University of Oxford Global History Centre and the Global Order Program and meet with members of the Turkish community and business representatives living in the U.K.
The sources said Fidan is expected to express satisfaction with the positive trajectory of relations between Türkiye and the U.K. and discuss joint efforts to expand existing cooperation and deepen ties in a multidimensional manner.
He will likely also emphasize the importance of completing negotiations to update the current free trade agreement to increase bilateral trade volume. Fidan is expected to emphasize that the nearly 500,000-strong Turkish community in the U.K. represents one of the most important elements strengthening human, cultural and economic ties between the two countries. Diplomatic sources say the foreign minister is likely to raise concerns about delays in the processing of indefinite residency applications for Turkish citizens and convey expectations for swift action to address the issue. The talks are also expected to underscore the strong political will to enhance defense industry cooperation and deepen collaboration in the energy sector, including nuclear and renewable energy. During the talks, Fidan will stress the importance of EU security and defense initiatives being conducted in close coordination with NATO, according to the sources.
Fidan is anticipated to also emphasize the need for a principled, determined, and unified international stance against Israel’s actions undermining the Gaza cease-fire and two-state solution prospects, as well as the importance of keeping the humanitarian situation in Palestine at the forefront of the international agenda and the critical importance of encouraging initiatives that promote long-term stability and reconstruction in Syria.
The visit follows recent high-level contacts between the two countries.
U.K. Prime Minister Keir Starmer visited Türkiye on Oct. 27, 2025, where he met with President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, and agreements were signed finalizing Türkiye’s procurement of Eurofighter Typhoon aircraft.
Fidan last visited London on Oct. 30, 2024, and attended a Ukraine-focused meeting hosted by the U.K. in London on March 2-3 of last year. He also met with Cooper on the sidelines of the Antalya Diplomacy Forum last Saturday.
The U.K. remains one of Türkiye’s leading trade partners. Bilateral trade volume reached $26 billion in 2025, with both sides aiming to increase it to $30 billion, diplomatic sources said.
The U.K. became Türkiye’s second-largest export market in 2025 and remained among the top three in foreign investment and tourism. Between 2002 and 2025, British investments in Türkiye reached $14.5 billion, while Turkish investments in the U.K. totaled $3.5 billion. In 2025, 4.3 million tourists from the U.K. visited Türkiye.
Negotiations to expand the scope of the current free trade agreement between the two countries are ongoing, with completion targeted in 2026, according to diplomatic sources.
Vice President Cevdet Yılmaz spoke at the 2nd Council on Aging on Thursday and highlighted that Türkiye was on the threshold of a demographic transformation.
The council was first held in Ankara in 2019, which was declared the “Year of the Elderly.” The second edition, organized by the Ministry of Family and Social Services, sought to address the issue of an aging population.
Yılmaz said in a speech at the council that projections by the Turkish Statistical Institute (TurkStat) indicated that the number of the elderly would make up 13.5% of the total population in 2030.
“This data demonstrates that we have a rapidly aging population,” he said.
The vice president noted that, in addition to the continuous and sharp decline in the fertility rate, the mortality rate has decreased as a result of improvements in living standards and welfare, as well as advances in the field of health.
“Türkiye ranks 75th among 194 countries in 2025 in terms of the proportion of the elderly population. While the proportion of elderly people in our country was 5.7% in 2000, it exceeded 10% for the first time in 2023, placing Türkiye among the group of ‘very old countries.’”
Yılmaz also stated that out of more than 7 million households with at least one elderly individual, nearly 2 million consist of elderly people living alone. “This picture shows us not only a demographic change but also that loneliness in old age is becoming an increasingly serious social problem. In order to determine how effectively the elderly population experiences the aging process, the Active Ageing Index (AAI) was developed with the contributions of the United Nations Economic Commission for Europe (UNECE). While the most recent AAI value published for EU member states for 2018 was 36.8, this figure was 29.7 for Türkiye in 2024. This indicates that we still have much to do in making the aging population more active and productive.”
Within the framework of the Medium-Term Program (OVP), Yılmaz stated that adapting to Türkiye’s changing demographic structure and strengthening care services for the elderly are among their priority goals. He noted that efforts are ongoing to implement a “Long-Term Care Insurance” system. He added that multidimensional policies have been put into practice to improve the quality of life of elderly individuals by enabling them to effectively exercise their rights in areas such as care, health, social services, employment, accessibility and social participation.
“While in 2002 we provided services to approximately 5,000 elderly people in 63 public nursing homes, today we serve around 15,000 citizens in 178 public nursing homes. In addition, we provide these services to nearly 30,000 citizens in total through other public institutions and private nursing homes. In 2026, we will further expand this infrastructure by opening new nursing homes with a capacity of 900 in eight provinces. We do not limit these services to accommodation; we offer our elders a holistic approach, including health care, psycho-social support, rehabilitation, and social, sports and cultural activities. In line with this approach, we are expanding service models closer to a home environment through the Elderly Living Home Project. Moreover, we support families and elderly individuals by providing up to 45 days of guest care services within a year when needed,” he said.
Yılmaz also stated that they are implementing important projects to support the active participation of elderly individuals in social life.
Family and Social Services Minister Mahinur Özdemir Göktaş, on the other hand, said that through the second council and workshops held in all 81 provinces, they comprehensively evaluated findings and solution proposals from the field, and conducted the Elderly Field Research with contributions from 24,697 people across the country.
“The ultimate goal we aim to achieve with the 2nd Council on Aging is to make the services we provide more effective, more widespread and higher in quality,” she said.
Turkish authorities detained 21 more suspects in an ongoing corruption investigation into allegations of bribery, extortion and forming a criminal organization tied to the former administration of the Manavgat Municipality in Antalya province, prosecutors said Tuesday.
The Manavgat Chief Public Prosecutor’s Office said the detentions were carried out under an investigation coordinated by prosecutors and executed by provincial gendarmerie anti-smuggling and organized crime units.
The suspects were detained in raids at identified addresses and included municipal employees, tourism sector figures, businesspeople and contractors, authorities said.
The investigation is part of a broader case in which former Manavgat Mayor Şükrü Sözen fom the Republican People’s Party (CHP) and his brother, Fatih Sözen, were arrested on Sept. 11, 2025.
They face accusations including bribery, embezzlement, bid-rigging, extortion, money laundering and establishing a criminal organization. Authorities previously said large amounts of cash and jewelry were seized during searches of the brothers’ homes.
In follow-up operations, eight more suspects, including two former deputy mayors, were arrested. In a separate operation on Dec. 2, 2025, 19 suspects were detained and three were later jailed. On March 10, 12 of 40 detained suspects were also arrested.
After some suspects were released pending trial, the number of jailed suspects in the case stood at 11.
A separate Manavgat Municipality case involving 43 defendants also continue including Niyazi Nefi Kara, another former Manavgat mayor who was previously detained and suspended from duty.
Kara, his nephew and others were arrested on charges of bribery, corruption and malversation. Police seized 3 kilograms (6.61 pounds) of gold bullion, 500,000 euros and $153,160 that his nephew had hidden at an agricultural warehouse.
Previously, Muhittin Böcek, the former mayor of Antalya province, was also arrested in July on allegations of accepting a TL 195 million bribe with his son, reportedly laundered through jewelry stores and currency exchanges. The Interior Ministry later suspended him from duty.
The main opposition CHP is under mounting scrutiny as a wave of corruption, bribery and terrorism-related investigations sweeps across its municipalities.
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