Politics
Govt ally Bahçeli hails terror-free plan as key for rise of Türkiye
Devlet Bahçeli, leader of government ally Nationalist Movement Party (MHP), addressed his party’s parliamentary group meeting in Ankara on Tuesday. The terror-free Türkiye initiative and the U.S.-Israel-Iran war dominated Bahçeli’s speech as he linked the two issues to each other.
The veteran politician stated that the ongoing war indicated that “no adversary power has a chance of success without first dissolving a people and a nation from within. It confirmed that our goal of a terror-free Türkiye is both a blessing from Allah and the wise reason of the Turkish nation’s noble and effective will across the tripod of history, culture and sovereignty.”
The initiative launched in 2024 with a historic speech by Bahçeli and found support from the ruling Justice and Development Party (AK Party), which forms the People’s Alliance along with the MHP. Bahçeli’s call to PKK jailed leader Abdullah Öcalan to order his group to lay down arms was followed by a landmark statement by Öcalan in February 2025, urging the PKK to dissolve itself. The PKK complied and is currently in the process of abandoning arms. Proponents of the initiative reason that disarming the PKK will cement unity between Turks and Kurds, the latter of whom were exploited by the PKK, claiming to fight for a so-called Kurdish self-rule in southeastern Türkiye.
“We have once again seen and demonstrated that our internal peace and atmosphere of tranquility, strengthened by national unity and brotherhood, are our greatest resistance and assurance. We are more eager than ever to rot, one by one, the seeds of discord that some seek to sow among us,” Bahçeli said on Tuesday.
Emphasizing that their goal is a “stronger Türkiye,” Bahçeli added that “a new opportunity has arisen for our state to become a global power.”
“The attainment of a lasting, inclusive peace and a festive atmosphere for Türkiye and the countries of the region will be achieved primarily through solidarity and cooperation. We want wars to end in Turkic-Islamic countries. We can no longer tolerate the massacre of innocents, children, defenseless people, and civilians; we wish for this oppression to end. We are in an understanding and longing for the glory and honor of the crescent, the call of honor for unity and vitality to prevail in the skies, rather than the trails of missiles,” he said.
U.N. lost
Bahçeli also lamented what he called the loss of legal function of the United Nations. “It is helpless and miserable,” he said, referring to inaction in the face of a U.S.-Israel-Iran war. He termed U.S. and Israel attacks on Iran as “unjust,” adding that reciprocal statements by the U.S., Israel and Iran undermined hopes for peace.
Reporting that the strike on Iran’s strategically important South Pars Gas Field and the Natanz Nuclear Facility, followed by Iran’s retaliation against oil refineries in Qatar and Saudi Arabia, as well as Israel’s nuclear sites at Arad and Dimona, has pushed tensions to a peak, Bahçeli said the world was going through a World War III scenario.
“Targeting Iran’s religious leaders and top figures with precision strikes not only expands hostility but also deepens conflicts and polarizations that will last for many years. Since Feb. 28, it has been understood that the Islamic Republic of Iran is not an easy target. The people of Iran, standing by the regime and state leadership and uniting as one heart, have formed a virtual wall against the attacks.
Israeli regime must fall
Noting that Türkiye is sincerely pursuing peaceful solutions against the attacks by the U.S. and Israel targeting Iran, Bahçeli praised the government for its efforts to that extent.
Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan intensified diplomatic efforts Monday, holding separate calls with his Egyptian, Norwegian and Pakistani counterparts to coordinate international pressure to halt the war involving Iran, Turkish diplomatic sources said. Fidan’s conversations with Egypt’s Badr Abdelatty and Norway’s Espen Barth Eide focused on efforts aimed at stopping the Iranian war, the sources said. In another phone call with Pakistan’s Ishaq Dar, the two ministers exchanged views on the latest situation in the war, the sources added.
Türkiye, Pakistan and Egypt passed messages between Washington and Tehran over the past two days to mediate talks, U.S.-based Axios reported Monday, citing an American source. Türkiye’s top diplomat was also engaged in phone diplomacy Sunday with his counterparts across the world, days after he joined a meeting of top diplomats of the Gulf countries on the conflict, which spilled over to the entire region. Türkiye, a neighbor of Iran and a NATO ally of the United States, has been keen on defusing the conflict.
Emphasizing that the international community must “stop watching the war from the sidelines,” Bahçeli stated that every country, including some Islamic nations, should take inspiration from the “honorable, principled, and brave” stance of Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez.
Stating that the war must stop, guns must fall silent, and diplomacy must come to the fore, Bahçeli said Israel has turned into a death machine.
“The real regime change, the real management change, must take place in Israel. This should be the first agenda item of the U.S. president. Israel’s penetration into the U.S. administration and its shaping of decision-making bodies, in one way or another, is a great danger and a direct insult to the American people,” he said.
The views and opinions expressed in this article are solely those of the author. They do not necessarily reflect the editorial stance, values or position of Daily Sabah. The newspaper provides space for diverse perspectives as part of its commitment to open and informed public discussion.
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.
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.”
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.
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.
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.
The Republican People’s Party (CHP) on Monday descended further into polarization and chaos as ousted chair Özgür Özel sought a new path out of the turmoil.
Özel was removed from the office last month by a court ruling in a lawsuit, where his associates were accused of buying votes for him in a 2023 intraparty election.
The court reinstated his predecessor, Kemal Kılıçdaroğlu, as chairman and media reports suggested he is determined to clear the name of the party of corruption allegations.
A report by the Turkish-language newspaper Sabah said Kılıçdaroğlu will unveil a new administrative committee of the party this week as part of a “purge” or “cleansing,” something the veteran politician had repeatedly pledged.
Kılıçdaroğlu’s supporters advocate the establishment of an “ethics board,” comprising experts, that will tackle the situation of CHP members implicated in corruption cases and will look into expenditures of the Özel administration since they took office in 2023. Any irregularities will be reported to the authorities. The board will likely refer corruption suspects to the board for suspension of their memberships.
Sources in the CHP told Sabah that the “cleansing process” may take a few months. They added that Kılıçdaroğlu had the authority to reject any call for re-election in the party (as demanded by Özel and his supporters), citing the party charter that suspends such processes in a “state of emergency.”
Kılıçdaroğlu is also expected to postpone setting a date for a new election until after the highest court of appeals upholds or rejects absolute nullification of the Özel administration. Any preliminary for the election of delegates who will be eligible for the party general election will also face strict scrutiny, as party sources say the CHP still has delegates with “dubious legitimacy.”
Purging corruption
In a speech at the CHP headquarters Saturday, Kılıçdaroğlu vowed a purge of corruption in the party.
“We are members of the CHP. We do not harbor hatred against anyone. We confront people for moral reasons, not for personal grudges. Cleansing is key. This is not a purge but a rebirth for us,” he said.
The CHP saw several mayors, including former Istanbul Mayor Ekrem Imamoğlu, detained or arrested on charges of corruption in the past two years. Several investigations were linked to each other as prosecutors pointed out criminal networks thriving on bribery and tender-rigging.
“If a party’s internal democracy is damaged, the country’s democracy is also damaged. If a party administration had problems with moral legitimacy. They cannot claim to be working for democracy in Türkiye. We entrusted the CHP headquarters to a new administration, but they led it to the courtrooms. I want to know who made this party entrusted to us (by Atatürk) amid talk of the negotiations at nightclubs,” he said Saturday, referring to allegations of negotiations with CHP delegates to vote for Özel in return for bribes.
“First, the CHP will be cleansed and then Türkiye will be cleansed. We will not only clean up the past; we will also build the future. We will bring together all the honorable sons and daughters of this country. Do not be afraid. We will protect our innocent mayors, but we will not turn a blind eye to those who have been tainted by corruption,” Kılıçdaroğlu added.
His remarks turned the spotlight to some prominent members of the CHP, including lawmakers with immunity who are investigated by prosecutors. Burhanettin Bulut and Özgür Karabat face lifting of their immunities over allegations of receiving bribes.
Karabat and Bulut are recipients of bribes according to an indictment on Aziz İhsan Aktaş, a businessman who was awarded lucrative tenders by CHP-run municipalities in exchange for bribes. Karabat claimed to have called Aktaş before the 2024 municipal elections and asked for cash for Imamoğlu’s campaign and threatened not to pay advance payments to him from the tenders if they did not donate.
According to statements of eyewitnesses, TL 5 million ($108,936) in cash was delivered to Karabat’s office on March 6, 2024.
Meanwhile, Bulut faces an indictment for receiving a bribe of $1 million. Aktaş confessed to investigators that he handed over the cash to Celal Tekin, husband of Oya Tekin, CHP mayor for Seyhan district in southern Türkiye. Tekin and Bulut shared the cash. The investigation revealed that Aktaş’s company, which won a tender from the Seyhan municipality, obtained its progress payment after the bribe was delivered.
Özel’s petition
As the Kılıçdaroğlu administration seeks to stamp out corruption, Özgür Özel, who now holds the title of CHP’s parliamentary group chair, announced Monday that they launched a petition for an extraordinary congress, for a new election within the party.
Özel told reporters that they needed more than 550 signatures for the call to an election and it was an easy task for them.
He added that they were advised by legal experts that the current process in the party cannot block any future election. “Indeed, those (reinstated) have no other task than organizing a new congress,” he said.
He said it was wrong that a party “which introduced (voting) to Türkiye was governed without an election.”
“This hurts the party. We are afraid that dense anger on the street will evolve into a negative development targeting politics,” he said, in a veiled threat of riots.
The CHP supporters have staged similar riots after former Istanbul mayor Ekrem Imamoğlu was arrested on corruption charges last year.
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