Gürsel Tekin, who was appointed as trustee to the Istanbul branch of the main opposition Republican People’s Party (CHP) in 2025, is one of the staunch defenders of Kemal Kılıçdaroğlu, the new chair of the party. As the Özgür Özel administration engaged in a battle to take the seat back from Kılıçdaroğlu, Tekin said Kılıçdaroğlu has more support than the public was led to believe.

A former lieutenant of Kılıçdaroğlu, Tekin spoke to the Sabah newspaper on Monday, commenting on the reinstatement of Kılıçdaroğlu by a court verdict last month, after Özgür Özel was ousted amid a lawsuit over a November 2023 election, on allegations of vote-buying in his favor.

He hit back the criticism of last Saturday’s event at party’s headquarters by the Özel supporters and denied “lack of interest” to the event where Kılıçdaroğlu made his first public speech after his reinstatement. He also rejected claims that people attending the event were not linked to the party. “All party members voluntarily attended the event and turnout was higher than we expected. People come to Ankara on their own and demonstrate a valuable example of solidarity. I am thankful to all party members,” he said.

Tekin argued that pro-Özel camp in CHP relied on social media influence too much and said politics cannot be redesigned through social media. “I am in touch with people every day, and hold in-person meetings. We see an extraordinary interest (in Kılıçdaroğlu’s comeback). Let (the Özel camp) choose any location in Istanbul and let’s see how many people they’d talk to will support them. We are with the people. Those who do not stand with us are online troll gangs,” Tekin said.

He stated that a large number of CHP supporters left the party during three years of Özel’s tenure. “In Istanbul alone, some 29,000 members quit. This is a striking number. I will work to win them back. We are working for unity, brotherhood of CHP,” he said.

He also criticized pro-Özel media outlets, which were funded by the Özel administration in the past. “They have been disappointed. I thought some journalists in those media outlets were dignified people but they have not talked to me since (appointment as CHP Istanbul chair). They criticize us, but they deprive us of the right of response,” he stated.

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A storm is brewing in the otherwise calm waters of the Aegean Sea, dividing Türkiye and Greece. While Türkiye seeks to assert its rights on the sea whose both shores are popular summer destinations, Greece is reportedly gearing up to counter it, per reports by Turkish and Greek media outlets.

In response to the “Blue Homeland” draft bill unveiled in early May in Ankara, Athens is reportedly considering declaring new “marine parks” in the Aegean Sea while expanding the limits of its territorial waters south of Crete island, according to the reports.

The Greek government did not confirm reports, but Foreign Minister George Gerapetritis was recently quoted as saying that they would “absolutely utilize legal tools of response if Ankara takes this matter to new extremes.”

Greece last year announced two marine parks or areas for protection of maritime species in the Ionian Sea and southern islands of Cyclades, to the chagrin of Ankara. Türkiye argued that the declaration of marine parks near the islands in particular was political rather than for the sake of biodiversity and was an attempt to change the status quo in the disputed sea. The Greek media outlets reported that new marine parks can be declared near Dodecanese islands, or “On Iki Ada” (Twelve Islands) as they are known in Türkiye. The islands were Ottoman domain until the early 20th century before they were ceded to Italy. Italy, in turn, ceded them to Greece following World War II.

“Blue Homeland” is the name of a doctrine conceived by two former Turkish naval officers. The doctrine encompasses Türkiye’s maritime jurisdiction, exclusive economic zone and continental shelf in line with United Nations resolutions. These connected issues have been a source of dispute between Türkiye and Greece for decades.

Ankara and Athens seek to improve relations after years of hostilities, but maritime jurisdictions remain a thorny issue. The countries, which came close to an all-out war in the 1990s over the Aegean Sea, remain vigilant, with Türkiye concentrating on developing a domestic defense industry. Greece relies on foreign partners to boost its defenses. Embracing the doctrine of being effective and powerful at sea as its predecessor, the Ottomans, were once, Türkiye in the past two decades has developed an independent defense industry capable of operating in open waters, thereby shifting geopolitical balances in its favor. The navy plays a critical role in ensuring the security of maritime trade routes in the Eastern Mediterranean, the Black Sea and the Aegean Sea, promoting regional stability.

Safeguarding the Blue Homeland rights is essential for Ankara, especially at a time of growing international cooperation, particularly with Israel, for Greece and the Greek Cypriot administration, whose maritime claims contradict those of Türkiye and other countries.

The bill was introduced to the public on May 12 at a press conference organized by Ankara University’s National Center for the Sea and Maritime Law (DEHUKAM), the main body that prepares maritime maps to support Türkiye’s maritime jurisdiction policies. Professor Çağrı Erhan, acting chair of the Turkish Presidency’s Board of Security and Foreign Policies, told the press conference that maritime laws have been dynamic and Türkiye needed to follow developments in the laws. He said the draft bill was not specifically aimed at any country.

“We are talking about a text based on the rights and interests of the Turkish nation. Other countries may believe that the world belongs to them only. We do not heed what they are worried about,” he said, in thinly veiled remarks against Greece.

Over the past century, the Republic of Türkiye has been at odds with its neighbors over maritime rights. Similarly, Greece invoked international laws that are also supposed to protect the rights of Türkiye. Speaking to Daily Sabah last month, Hüseyin Fazla, founder and director of Strategic Research Centre (STRASAM) and a retired air force brigadier general, said the draft bill brought a fresh point of view to “a mechanism where Türkiye strived to maintain control over its maritime jurisdiction through various laws and regulations,” noting that it was significant to amalgamate steps on the issues regarding continental shelf, exclusive economic zones, etc. He added that the draft also included the definition of internal bodies of water, such as the Çanakkale Strait, Marmara Sea and Bosporus, and this was another significant aspect of the bill. “This, on the other hand, does not contradict the Treaty of Montreaux and rather, it is a viewpoint reinforcing Türkiye’s sovereign rights,” he said.

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Interior Minister Mustafa Çiftçi visited the headquarters of the elite Special Operations Police in Ankara on Sunday, where he exchanged greetings of Qurban Bayram, or Eid al-Adha, with police officers.

The occasion was also a tribute to members of Special Operations slaughtered by military infiltrators of the Gülenist Terror Group (FETÖ) during the July 15, 2016 coup attempt.

Speaking there, Çiftçi said the Special Operations Directorate has repeatedly demonstrated what sacrifice meant since its inception. “On the night of July 15, an act of betrayal by those who sold their souls beyond the ocean took place,” he said, referring to FETÖ’s leader Fetullah Gülen, who was residing on the other side of the Atlantic Ocean, specifically in the United States, during the coup attempt.

“Those traitors aiming at our nation’s will bombed the Special Operations Directorate, whose members have always been loyal to God, their homeland, the nation and the state. That dark night, however, was illuminated by heroes who acted under the leadership of our president, by heroes who became a member of this haven of martyrs,” he said.

A total of 51 police officers were killed at the headquarters of Special Operations Police in Ankara’s Gölbaşı district when F-16 fighter jets commanded by putschists carried out two strikes on the building where police officers were mobilized to counter putschists attempting to take over the capital.

“As the sons and daughters of this noble nation, many of you spend holidays away from your families and loved ones, working on duty to ensure the peace and security of our people. Therefore, if we are able to celebrate a holiday in peace and safety, if there is happiness instead of tears in mothers’ eyes and joy instead of sorrow in children’s eyes, if holidays truly feel like holidays, it is thanks to your sacrifice. We know very well that the peace enjoyed by this nation is often the result of your sleepless nights and the holidays you spend serving on duty,” Çiftçi told the police officers.

Çiftçi stated that he remembered the martyrs with mercy, gratitude and appreciation, and wished good health to the veterans. Thanking the parents of the Special Operations police officers as well, Çiftçi said, “You are a source of pride and confidence for this nation. Both our state and our people recognize and take pride in your sacrifices. May God preserve our unity and solidarity. May He protect our heroic security forces from all dangers.”

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Buca district of western province of Izmir, a stronghold of the main opposition Republican People’s Party (CHP) was rocked by an anti-corruption operation on Monday. Incumbent Mayor Görkem Duman and his predecessor Erhan Kılıç were detained, along with 51 other suspects.

Earlier, authorities have issued detention warrants for 62 suspects. A manhunt is underway to capture the other suspects. Along with mayors, three deputy mayors, the former chair of CHP’s Buca branch, municipal bureaucrats and 16 businesspeople were detained.

Chief Prosecutor’s Office said in a statement that suspects were involved in a criminal ring utilizing the resources of the municipality to enrich themselves, were bribed by contractors, involved in irregularities in construction works, illicitly used credit cards, bank accounts belonging to the municipality for their personal expenses, assaulted people who posted stories about alleged wrongdoings in the municipality and paid “ghost employees.”

Authorities have conducted another anti-corruption operation against corruption in the municipality last February and arrested seven suspects. Last month, Mustafa Günay, another CHP mayor for Izmir’s Güzelbahçe district, was arrested and suspended from his office, on charges of corruption.

Duman was already under fire for vacationing in Thailand with his girlfriend while unpaid workers of the municipality went on a strike late last year.

The office said that based on surveillance by police, tip-offs to a public hotline and accounts of eyewitnesses, suspects attempted to hide the technical irregularities in construction projects through forged documents, arranged paperwork to give retrospective legitimacy to illegally built buildings, and laundered bribe money through construction companies and luxury properties.

Suspects are accused of approving additional floors to certain construction projects in Buca, violating construction laws. Some municipal bureaucrats among the suspects are accused of fast-tracking the approval process for problematic projects, possibly in exchange for bribes.

According to the statement, contractors among suspects supplied cash, flats and other benefits to municipal officials in return of turning a blind eye to irregularities.

Contractors allegedly sought to disguise bribes through various tactics and the cash flow involving the bribes was codenamed as “soap” by suspects.

Regarding the usage of municipal resources for personal expenses, prosecutors said some suspects withdrew cash from municipal coffers without offering any service in return and funds of municipal subsidiaries were allocated to cover the expenses for political events, from accommodation and catering to car rentals for said events.

Suspects are also accused of rigging tenders for acquisitions for the municipality, from vehicle rentals to the purchase of tires, garbage containers and event planning, and awarding lucrative contracts to certain companies, in exchange for bribes.

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China is prepared to further align its Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) with Türkiye’s Middle Corridor project and expand cooperation in emerging sectors, including renewable energy, 5G technology and biomedicine, China’s Ambassador to Ankara Jiang Xuebin said Monday, describing bilateral relations as entering a new period of strategic opportunity.

Speaking to Anadolu Agency (AA), Jiang said political trust between the two countries has continued to strengthen since diplomatic relations were formally established in 1971 and elevated to a strategic cooperative relationship in 2010.

“China and Türkiye are pursuing complementary national visions,” Jiang said. “China is advancing toward the great rejuvenation of the Chinese nation, while Türkiye is promoting its ‘Century of Türkiye’ vision. China-Türkiye relations have entered a strategic stage full of opportunities.”

Jiang said China remains committed to deepening the integration of the Belt and Road Initiative with Türkiye’s Middle Corridor project, a transportation and trade route connecting Asia and Europe through Türkiye.

Türkiye was among the first countries to sign an intergovernmental cooperation document with China under the Belt and Road framework, Jiang noted. He added that cooperation has steadily advanced in recent years, including the successful convening of the first working group meeting focused on aligning the two initiatives.

The ambassador noted that bilateral trade, which stood at roughly $1 million when relations were first established, has grown to nearly $50 billion. He also highlighted growing people-to-people exchanges, saying annual mutual visits have exceeded 500,000, while bilateral investments have reached approximately $3.6 billion.

According to Jiang, passenger transportation links between the two countries have expanded significantly, while China-Europe freight trains passing through Türkiye now operate regularly.

He also pointed to several major projects as examples of growing economic cooperation, including the Hunutlu Thermal Power Plant, which has been connected to the national grid, and the continued growth of container traffic and revenues at Kumport Port.

Jiang said the two countries’ central banks recently renewed their bilateral currency swap agreement and that the Industrial and Commercial Bank of China (ICBC) Renminbi Clearing Bank has begun operations in Türkiye.

“To achieve a higher level of mutual benefit and win-win outcomes, we are ready to further strengthen the integration of the Belt and Road Initiative with the Middle Corridor plan, develop the southern corridor of the China-Europe railway route and deepen cooperation in traditional sectors such as trade, culture and tourism, as well as in emerging fields including new energy, 5G and biomedicine,” he said.

The ambassador added that Beijing is encouraging more Chinese companies to invest in Türkiye.

He also emphasized that Chinese investment has contributed to economic development across various regions and sectors of Türkiye, stating that cumulative Chinese investment in the country exceeded $3.2 billion as of last year.

Jiang also welcomed Türkiye’s decision to grant visa-free entry to Chinese citizens holding ordinary passports beginning in January 2026.

According to official Turkish data cited by the ambassador, the number of Chinese tourists visiting Türkiye during the first quarter of this year rose 43.01% year-over-year to more than 111,700 visitors.

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The National Intelligence Organization (MIT) chief Ibrahim Kalın met with senior Hamas officials in Ankara to discuss the next phase of the Gaza cease-fire agreement and ongoing efforts to secure a lasting truce, security sources said Monday.

According to the sources, Kalin held talks with Mohammed Darwish, chair of Hamas’ Shura Council, and members of the group’s political bureau.

During the meeting, Hamas representatives said they had complied with the terms of the cease-fire and briefed Kalın on what they described as Israeli violations of the agreement.

The talks also addressed Israeli military operations in the Gaza Strip during the Eid al-Adha holiday and Türkiye’s efforts, as a guarantor country, to support the implementation of the cease-fire.

Participants discussed possible steps to prevent further violations and emphasized the need to oppose policies aimed at occupation and destabilization across the region, particularly in Jerusalem, the sources said.

The meeting also reviewed efforts to ensure Israel fulfills its obligations under the first phase of the cease-fire agreement and examined developments in ongoing negotiations.

Kalın provided information on Türkiye’s humanitarian assistance to Gaza, while discussions focused on coordination with regional countries and international organizations to facilitate the delivery of additional aid.

Hamas officials expressed gratitude to President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan for Türkiye’s efforts to promote peace in Gaza, the sources added.

On the other hand, a Hamas delegation is due to meet with mediators in Egypt on Wednesday to discuss ways of advancing the fragile Gaza cease-fire, Palestinian sources told AFP.

The Palestinian territory remains gripped by daily violence, with the Israeli military violating the truce in effect since October.

A transition to the second phase of the cease-fire, which was supposed to involve Hamas’s disarmament and a gradual withdrawal of the Israeli army, has been stalled for months.

“Egypt has invited Hamas and other factions to participate in talks with mediators on Wednesday… which will also include Qatari and Turkish officials,” a Hamas official said, declining to be identified as he was not authorised to speak publicly on the matter.

“The mediators have presented ideas for formulating a new, revised proposal acceptable to both Hamas and Israel.”

The official said the Hamas delegation, headed by chief negotiator Khalil al-Hayya, as well as representatives from other Palestinian factions, was expected to arrive in Cairo starting Tuesday for the talks to be held in the Mediterranean town of El-Alamein.

“Hamas believes a breakthrough and progress are possible if Israel does not create new obstacles and if there is a genuine Israeli will to reach a solution,” the official added.

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