The panel held at the Başakşehir Complex of the University was moderated by Turkish Airlines (THY) Chairman of the Board and Executive Committee, IHU Faculty of Management Sciences Department of Economics Faculty Member Prof. Dr. Murat Şeker made it.

Şeker, who opened the panel, said that they determined the theme of the panel as the enrichment and deepening of young people’s interests and views, which have narrowed over time, their sensitivity to the world, their ability to think about issues from different dimensions, and the development of their intellectual curiosity.

Prof. Dr. For this purpose, Şeker stated that they named the opening panel of the academy “Turkish Brand from an Interdisciplinary Perspective” and that they aimed to make young people think about the Turkish brand with a broad perspective in the fields of education, culture, foreign policy and economy through the evaluations of the guests.

Bilal Erdoğan, Deputy Chairman of the IHU Board of Trustees, stated that he spent about 5 years of his life in Italy, about 10 years in the USA, and a significant part of his life in Türkiye, and explained the cultural differences he saw in these countries.

Noting that many immigrant cultures have melted into a mixed culture in the USA, Erdoğan stated that Italy has a more ancient culture compared to the USA, that a difference is felt between the south and north, that the south of the country is a little warmer, natural and sincere due to its proximity to the Mediterranean and being influenced by Muslim culture, while the north is more dull.

“Türkiye’S CULTURAL WEALTH IS A TYPE THAT IS VERY RARE”

Erdoğan stated that Türkiye has differences due to being in a geography that hosts many civilizations, and said:

“You see that there are differences between Türkiye’s regions in many aspects, stemming from history, geography, and the fact that different societies are transit routes. That’s why you cannot see Türkiye’s cultural richness in America or Italy. This is an advantage, a richness. It is a type of richness that is very rare in other countries of the world. If we are talking about making the Turkish brand unique here, we need to realize that we actually have a unique brand. When we realize that this multi-layered, very rich structure of our brand is unique, how can we bring these to the fore? “What we will extract, what we will frame and present will emerge.”

Recalling the line from the National Anthem, “Recognize the places you step on as soil”, Erdoğan said, “You cannot seriously ignore the blood that flows in these lands, nor can you ignore thousands of years of history here. When we think of all of these, we truly live in the center of the world, in one of the countries with the richest accumulation and heritage. We are in the most beautiful city in the world.” he said.

Bilal Erdoğan stated that every society should be able to live its own culture with self-confidence and comfort, and to be able to freely embrace and express the identity of its culture, and said, “We need this too. We still have some complexes in this regard, we still have things to get over. We are in a much better place than 25, 50 years ago, we are much more self-confident, we can express ourselves more easily. We can establish a relationship with our own culture much more easily. As we eliminated the deficiency here, these values started to appear on the world stage, but they are clearer.” “We will see that it comes out somehow. This will, of course, increase Türkiye’s material and spiritual power of attraction, reputation and economic potential.” made his assessment.

Referring to the richness of food and beverage culture in Türkiye, Erdoğan added that as IHU, they have projects related to the soup kitchen in Suleymaniye Madrasahs, and within this scope, they will realize the Ottoman-Turkish Culinary Arts Center.

In the panel, Central Bank Governor Fatih Karahan and National Intelligence Academy President Prof. Dr. Talha Köse also made a speech.

“WE FOLLOW FAMILIES CLOSELY WITH SOCIAL RISK MAPS”

Stating that, as the Ministry, multifaceted studies are carried out based on protecting and strengthening the family, and that they have expanded the services with concrete steps that touch every household in line with the Action Plan for the Protection and Strengthening of the Family, Göktaş said, “We have further strengthened our institutional structure with our action plan, which covers the 2024-2028 period and is a first in the context of focusing on the family. With Social Risk Maps, we closely monitor families at the district, neighborhood and even household scale. Social risk maps are an important tool that strengthens our protective and preventive services.” We see.” he said. Stating that they have started work in the field with Social Risk Maps created in the areas of children dragged into crime and violence against women, Göktaş said, “Thus, we identify the risks on site through the Children Are Safe system and take the necessary measures without delay. In addition, we see social media regulation as an important step in order to provide a safer digital environment for our children and young people.” he said. Minister Göktaş continued his words as follows: “As a result of our work to develop a model specific to our country, we have created the basic framework of social media regulation for children under the age of 15. It was passed by the commission 2 weeks ago and discussions on this regulation have started in the General Assembly of the Turkish Grand National Assembly.

With this new regulation, we impose important obligations on social network providers and gaming platforms based on the protection of children. We know that some content is sensitive, especially regarding game ratings. With this legal regulation, game ratings will automatically be counted as 18 years and older. On the other hand, our social media regulation has become an issue that concerns children under the age of 15 and has been discussed not only in Australia but also in France, Italy, Spain, Denmark, England, the USA and many other countries. We also realized that a similar issue was being discussed in our country and we took this step specifically to protect our children from similar issues. We worked very intensively for 18 months. We listened to the experts, we listened to our academics, we listened to the children, we listened to the mothers and fathers. We made them a part of this process.” Emphasizing that this regulation is a very important step that does not censor children, but protects them and enables them to step into the future with confidence, Göktaş said that an international meeting solely addressing this issue is planned in Ankara.

“WE HAVE IMPLEMENTED PROJECTS THAT STRENGTHEN FAMILY IN MANY AREAS”

Göktaş stated that their aim is to raise awareness and offer a safer future to mothers, fathers and especially children.
Stating that they are moving forward with a vision of protecting the family, keeping their values alive, strengthening intergenerational solidarity and seeing the basis of a strong society in the family with the understanding of “Family Friendly Ecosystem”, Göktaş said, “In the 2025 Family Year, which we declared with the appreciation of our President, we made strengthening the family and population structure a common goal covering the society. Public institutions, NGOs, universities, the business world and local governments carried out studies specific to the ‘Family Year’. Financial supports, education “We have implemented projects that strengthen the family in many areas such as programs, cultural activities, and digital transformation projects.” he said. Pointing out that multi-dimensional steps have been taken to support young marriages, encourage fertility and make it easier to start a family, with policies that preserve the dynamic population structure, Göktaş said, “Therefore, we will continue all these efforts with the same determination in the ‘Family and Population 10 Year’ covering the period 2026-2035.” he said. Pointing out that protecting the family is not only protecting the present, but also securing the future of the country’s children, Göktaş said that they see every work that strengthens the family as a strategic step that increases social resilience. Rector of the University of Health Sciences, Prof. Dr. Kemalettin Aydın and Cihannüma Association President Selim Cerrah also made speeches.

According to the published “Justice Statistics 2025” data, the caseload in the courts decreased, and the duration of the case and investigation processes also shortened. Minister Gürlek stated that the functioning of the judiciary has been accelerated and unnecessary grievances of citizens have been prevented, especially with the regulations implemented within the scope of the right not to be tarnished. Minister of Justice Akın Gürlek announced that the efforts carried out towards the goal of a faster and more effective judicial system have yielded results.

“WE PREVENT OUR CITIZENS FROM UNNECESSARY WEAR”

Minister of Justice Akın Gürlek stated that they are determined to strengthen the faster, more fair and citizen-oriented judicial system and said, “Within the scope of the right not to be tainted, we sort the files first and prevent unnecessary wear and tear on our citizens.” he said.

The book “Justice Statistics 2025” prepared by the General Directorate of Criminal Records and Statistics of the Ministry of Justice has been published. A post was shared on the Ministry of Justice’s social media accounts, including visuals about the statistics. Minister of Justice Akın Gürlek, in his post on his social media account, noted that they continue to work determinedly for citizens to have faster and more effective access to justice services. Providing information about the regulations and practices, Minister Gürlek said in his post: “By accelerating the investigation and litigation processes, we make it possible for the trials to be concluded in a shorter time.”

“We continue our work with determination to provide our citizens with faster and more effective access to justice services. With the regulations we make and the practices we develop, we first sort out the files within the scope of the right not to be tarnished, and prevent unnecessary wear and tear on our citizens. By reducing the number of files per judge, we ensure that more time is allocated to each file. By accelerating the investigation and litigation processes, we make it possible for trials to be concluded in a shorter time. We continue to strengthen the faster, more fair and citizen-oriented judicial system.”

FILE LOAD IN COURTS HAS DECREASED; JUDICIAL PERIOD HAS BEEN SHORTENED

Justice statistics for 2025 published by the Ministry of Justice pointed out the decrease in the average hearing time of cases and the decrease in the number of files.

While the annual number of files per judge in the courts of first instance was 506 in 2016, it decreased by 10.3 percent to 454 in 2025.
When the data is examined; It was observed that there were positive developments in the field of judiciary and that the system operated effectively and balancedly, despite the increase in workload, especially in the chief public prosecutor’s offices and courts. Accordingly, while the number of files opened per judge in first instance courts of first instance was 506 in 2016, it decreased by 10.3 percent to 454 in 2025.

NOW WAS GIVEN IN MORE THAN 1.4 MILLION NOTIFICATION FILES

From the date of entry into force of the regulation in Article 158 of the Code of Criminal Procedure regarding the right not to be tarnished, a Decision Concerning No Investigation (SYOK) was given to 1 million 443 thousand 259 of the notification files received by the Chief Public Prosecutor’s Office until December 31, 2025. It was observed that the investigation phase regarding these denunciations was not initiated, and thus the number of files filed with the Chief Public Prosecutor’s Office during the year decreased by 3.5 percent.

AVERAGE TIME OF APPEARANCE IN NOTIFICATION FILES HAS DECREASED TO 51 DAYS

The average appearance time in notification files decreased from 58 days in 2023 to 51 days in 2025. The average time for a file to be heard in the Chief Public Prosecutor’s Office decreased from 431 days in 2016 to 393 days in 2025. When we look at the last 5 years of the files cleared of permanent search warrants in the Chief Public Prosecutor’s Office, it was seen that the decisions were taken in an average of 156 days.

Vice President Cevdet Yılmaz attended the ‘Agriculture, Food and Industry-Oriented Development Vision Workshop in Eastern and Southeastern Anatolia’ meeting held in the meeting hall of a hotel in Diyarbakır’s Yenişehir district. The program was also attended by Governor Murat Zorluoğlu, AK Party Diyarbakır MPs Mehmet Sait Yaz, Suna Kepolu Ataman and Mehmet Galip Ensarioğlu, Dicle University Rector Prof. Dr. Kamuran Eronat, AK Party Provincial Chairman Ömer İler, representatives of non-governmental organizations and many guests attended.

‘THE EAST AND SOUTHEAST HAD THE BIGGEST ECONOMIC LOSS’

Speaking after the reading of the National Anthem and the opening speeches, Vice President Cevdet Yılmaz said, “In line with our goal of a terrorism-free Turkey, the strengthening environment of trust and stability in our Eastern and Southeastern Anatolia regions has opened the doors to a much stronger progress in every field from agriculture to industry, from investment to employment. The environment we have lived in over the past 40 years, terrorism and security issues have unfortunately produced great costs in terms of economic development as well as human losses. Some calculations we have made regarding direct and indirect economic costs show the following “This is the minimum figure, we are talking about a loss of at least 2 trillion dollars. Therefore, if these resources had not been wasted and used for the development of this region and our country in general, the Republic of Turkey would be at a much different point today. We need to think about this in the coming period. The region where the biggest loss was experienced and the biggest loss of development was in the Eastern and Southeastern Anatolia region. Of course, all of Turkey suffered losses, but the East and the Southeast suffered the biggest loss in terms of development and economy,” he said.

‘EASTERN AND SOUTHEAST ANATOLIA WILL WIN THE MOST’

Stating that the whole of Türkiye will win in the ‘Terror-Free Turkey’ process, Yılmaz said, “The whole of Turkey will win in a period when terrorism is off the agenda and the environment of peace and trust is permanently consolidated. Our 81 provinces and 86 million people will win, but Eastern and Southeastern Anatolia will win the most, and its development will gain momentum. The positive picture we see in the field today clearly shows that where the shadow of terrorism has receded, production is revitalized, cities are breathing, hopes are growing. What we have implemented is “I wholeheartedly believe that this process will be moved to a much further point in the coming period with the projects, the determined steps we have taken and the great opportunities our provinces have. We have not reached the point we have reached today by treating development as a one-dimensional issue. We act with a broad perspective, from increasing production capacity to strengthening human capital, from developing infrastructure to increasing competitiveness,” he said.

‘WE FOLLOW A STRATEGY OF DIVERSIFICATION IN LOGISTICS AND DEVELOPING ALTERNATIVES

Stating that Türkiye has developed new logistics lines, Yılmaz said, “We frequently encounter crises, especially wars, in our geography. Therefore, Ukraine, Russia, Iran, the USA and Israel are recent examples of this. We are following a strategy of diversifying and developing alternatives in logistics by using the advantages of our geography. At this point, I see three critical logistics ahead of us. All three of them are actually related to the East-Southeast. The first is the Development Road Project. The recent events going down from Türkiye to the Middle East are how meaningful this project is.” It is not only a highway but also a route that should be discussed in terms of new energy routes. This is a work that will directly connect Türkiye with the Turkish Republics. We have reached a certain point in this regard. I see this as the third strategic transportation network. I think it would be beneficial to re-look at it in a modern framework. “It has opened a new logistics perspective for us in Syria with some of its projects. We definitely have to take a closer look at this,” he said.

‘WE WILL SEE MORE REFLECTIONS OF THE SECURITY ENVIRONMENT IN THE COMING PERIOD’

Referring to the tourism potential of Diyarbakır, Yılmaz stated that the potential will increase with the creation of a security environment and said, “Last year, more than 1 million tourists and visitors came to Diyarbakır. We all remember what the environment was like in the past. Today, thankfully, there is a very different atmosphere. This will be even better. I hope we will see more reflections of the security environment in the coming periods. It may not appear suddenly, but after passing a certain threshold, such as the boiling of water, these effects will emerge much more clearly. It is one of the areas where this emerges most rapidly. One of them is the tourism sector. Beyond this physical construction, we also need a mental transformation. I think tourism contributes significantly to this. These perceptions need to be transformed both in the minds of the people living in the region and throughout Türkiye. Therefore, this will take some time, but tourism contributes significantly to this.

‘THE STRENGTHENING THE PEACE AND TRUST ENVIRONMENT MEANS THE IMPROVEMENT OF THE INVESTMENT ENVIRONMENT’

Stating that all of Türkiye will win in an environment where terrorism is off the agenda, Yılmaz said:

“It is not possible for a region to develop and develop only with public investments. If public investments are one side of the business, the other side is private investments. When you realize both at the same time, you make a real economic move. You increase production, exports and employment. With this understanding, we made public investments on one side. On the other hand, we provided very serious incentives to this region. Now, state investments can continue in an environment of peace and security, even if there are some problems. It continues in a way. But the private sector is much more sensitive. Capital is sensitive. What we call the investment environment There is a concept: If the security environment in a region is not good and the perceptions are negative, the capital in that region moves to other regions and invests. Therefore, the strengthening of the peace and confidence environment means that we see more private investments here. We all live in this process and we support it. In an environment where terrorism is off the agenda and the environment of peace and security is strengthened. “We will win, and the living standards of our 86 million population in 81 provinces will rise. We believe this wholeheartedly. Therefore, I wholeheartedly believe that we must put aside the words of yesterday and take into account the current period and the future perspective, and that we should all fulfill our responsibilities in these processes and contribute positively to this, and move our country towards a much stronger future together with the public, private sector and civil society.” (DHA)

WITH PHOTO

Breaking news: President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan had a phone conversation with French President Emmanuel Macron.

According to the statement made on the Presidential Communications Directorate’s NSocial account, the leaders discussed regional and global issues as well as Türkiye-France relations during the meeting.

Erdoğan emphasized that it would be beneficial to move the relations between the two countries further by evaluating cooperation opportunities in every field, especially in the defense industry.

‘The ceasefire process should not be sabotaged’

Pointing out that the process that started with the attacks on Iran had a negative impact on the whole world, Erdoğan stated that the diplomatic efforts supported by Türkiye together with the relevant countries played an important role in the ceasefire process. Pointing to the attacks against Lebanon, Erdoğan noted that attempts that could sabotage the ceasefire process should not be given an opportunity and that Türkiye will continue to contribute to this process as much as it can.

Stating that it is important to launch the second phase of the peace plan in Gaza, Erdogan pointed out that the momentum gained in this regard should not be lost.

During the meeting, the leaders also discussed in detail the issues of ensuring freedom of navigation in Hormuz on the basis of international law, developments in Syria, supporting the peace process in the Caucasus, the search for permanent peace between Ukraine and Russia, and reviving negotiations.

The number of Syrians under temporary protection in Türkiye, which was 3 million 737 thousand 369 in 2021, decreased by 38.5 percent to 2 million 296 thousand 568. Safe zones provided across the border within the scope of the policies implemented accelerated returns. Minister of Internal Affairs Mustafa Çiftçi said, “In line with the instructions and strong will of our esteemed President, we are taking steps carefully and determinedly that will contribute to our Syrian brothers living in peace and security on their own land. We support the ongoing efforts for revival, reconstruction and normalization of life. This allows the voluntary repatriation process to proceed on a healthier basis. In the coordination of our police and gendarmerie units, our work to update the records and carry out the process in an orderly manner is carried out meticulously. Our main goal is to ensure that this process is voluntary, “It is to be completed in a safe, orderly and human dignity-centered manner,” he said. Of the population under temporary protection, 1 million 183 thousand 799 were men and 1 million 112 thousand 769 were women. When looking at age groups, it was determined that the largest segment consisted of adults between the ages of 18-64, with 1 million 169 thousand 694 people. When we look at the distribution of Syrians under temporary protection by province, Istanbul is the city with the highest density of 405 thousand 16 people. Gaziantep and Şanlıurfa followed Istanbul, respectively. The province with the lowest number of registered people was Hakkari with 8 people.