The 10-year prison sentence given to AG (17), who shot and murdered his schoolmate 16-year-old Mehmet Eren Parlak with a gun in front of his friends in the school gym in Karaman, in front of his friends in the school gym due to a girl issue, was approved by the 1st Criminal Chamber of the Konya Regional Court of Justice, with the 10-year prison sentence given to him for the crime of ‘intentional murder against a child’, with the reductions of being under age at the time of the incident, ‘unfair provocation’ and ‘good conduct’. Stating that they were once again devastated by the decision, father Önder Parlak (44) said, “The last resort is the Supreme Court. I will seek my son’s rights until the end. Hopefully, this will not be the price for my son’s life and this penalty will increase.”

10 YEARS IMPRISONMENT WITH ALL REDUCTIONS
AG, who was tried by the Karaman 2nd High Criminal Court as a juvenile court, said, “I regret the incident. I wish such things had not happened.” The court board stated that there was no premeditation in the incident, contrary to the indictment, and sentenced AG to 10 years in prison for the crime of ‘intentional killing of a child’, applying a ‘good conduct’ discount, considering that he was a minor at the time of the incident, ‘unfair provocation’ since it could not be determined who caused the unfair act, and the possible effects of the sentence on the defendant’s future. AG was also sentenced to 10 months in prison for the crime of ‘opposition to law no. 6136’ and 3 months and 21 days in prison for the crime of ‘threat’, while it was decided that there was no punishment for the crime of ‘insult’.

APPEAL DECISION APPROVED
Upon the objection of Parlak’s family and the lawyers of the Ministry of Family and Social Services to the decision, the file was sent to the 1st Criminal Chamber of the Konya Regional Court of Justice. The court, which examined the file, approved the 10-year prison sentence for the crime of ‘intentional murder of a child’, with the possibility of appeal, and the sentences given for the crimes of ‘opposition to law no. 6136’, ‘threat’ and ‘insult’. Stating that they were once again devastated by the decision, father Önder Parlak (44) said, “The last resort is the Supreme Court. I will seek my son’s rights until the end. Hopefully, this will not be the price for my son’s life and this penalty will increase.”

The appeal ruled to overturn the 102 years and 4 months prison sentence given to the detained defendant Seçil Erzan, who was tried in the fraud case publicly known as the “highly profitable secret fund”. The 22nd Criminal Chamber of the Istanbul Regional Court of Justice completed its review of the 102 years and 4 months prison sentence given to the defendant Erzan by the Istanbul 41st High Criminal Court for the crimes of “qualified fraud” and “forgery of private documents”. The chamber found the appeal objections justified, stating that the first instance court did not include the combined file information when making the decision, which caused difficulty in auditing. Stating that some procedures were not followed during the trial of the defendant Erzan, the Chamber ruled that the decision was reversed and the file was sent back to the local court. While the chamber overturned the prison sentence decisions given to some defendants on the grounds that some procedures were not implemented, it found the decisions given to some defendants to be lawful. The Istanbul 41st High Criminal Court, which decided the case on December 1, 2025, sentenced the defendant Seçil Erzan to a total of 102 years and 4 months in prison and a total judicial fine of 753 thousand 880 liras for “qualified fraud”, “forgery of private documents” and “abuse of trust” against 27 complainants. In the decision, the committee also decided to postpone the announcement of the sentence of 1 year, 10 months and 15 days in prison for the crime of “forgery of private documents” and ruled that Erzan be subject to probation for 5 years for this crime.

President Erdoğan spoke at the opening of the Antalya Diplomatic Forum, which was held for the 5th time this year:

We see this organization as a platform of intelligence where in-depth consultations are held on where the world is heading, what values ​​humanity can meet around, and what new areas of interaction might be. We are all clearly aware of this fact: Today, diplomacy is no longer just an area where problems, disputes and interests are negotiated. Diplomacy also represents a basis for discussing the principles in which the common future of humanity will be shaped. I believe that the forum will contribute to Türkiye’s mission of being the key to peace with your stimulating ideas, and I would like to thank each of you in advance.

HOW SHOULD WE TRUST THE SYSTEM THAT CANNOT EVEN PROTECT BABIES?

Today, the world is experiencing a crisis of direction as well as a crisis of power. The genocide in Gaza clearly showed what the current order allows. If a system cannot protect innocent babies in incubators from bullets, if institutions and rules cannot prevent the oppression of oppressors, isn’t this a structural decay? How can we be expected to trust a system that failed to meet the most basic test of humanity in Syria and Gaza yesterday, and in the West Bank and Lebanon today? How can it be possible for us to remain helpless against this system?

JOINT ROOM OF GLOBAL CONSCIENCE

On the path we set out five years ago with the aim of a global platform that would keep the pulse of diplomacy, today we see that Antalya Diplomatic Forum has become the common platform of global mind, global conscience and especially hope for the future. I believe that the discussions to be held for three days under the theme of ‘Constructing tomorrow, managing uncertainties’ will make this unique and special aspect of the forum even more evident.

OUR ATTITUDE TOWARDS HÜRMÜZ IS CLEAR

Our stance on Hormuz is very clear. Gulf countries’ right to access the high seas should not be restricted. The main thing is to ensure freedom of navigation on the basis of established rules and to keep Hormuz open to commercial ships.

ISRAEL SHOULD NOT DYNAMITE THE PROCESS

We are satisfied with the 15-day ceasefire. We believe that the window of opportunity opened by the ceasefire should be used effectively to establish lasting peace. No matter how deep the disagreements, words should not be allowed to be replaced by bloody struggle in resolving disputes. We must be ready and vigilant against Israel disrupting the negotiation process.

WE ARE READY FOR RUSSIA AND UKRAINE

In the Russia-Ukraine war, Türkiye is ready to support the facilitating step in the continuation of direct negotiations, including the leaders’ summit, if the parties are willing. Peace and stability in our neighbor Syria are vital for the future of our region.

ERDOĞAN’S STAMP ON DIPLOMACY

President Erdoğan held strategic meetings with the leaders of the participating countries within the scope of ADF and carried out intense diplomacy traffic for peace. Erdoğan met separately with Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev, Pakistani Prime Minister Shahbaz Sharif, Syrian President Ahmed Shara, Qatar Emir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamed Es Sani, Moldovan President Maya Sandu and Georgian Prime Minister Irakli Kobakhidze, within the scope of the meetings where global crises were discussed.

‘ANTALYA HAS BECOME THE NEW DAVOS’ CONVERSATIONS IN THE CORRIDORS…

Antalya Diplomatic Forum (ADF), organized under the auspices of President Erdoğan and hosted by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, is held at the NEST Congress and Fair Center in Belek Tourism Center with the main theme of “Coping with Uncertainties While Designing Tomorrow”. The Antalya Diplomacy Forum, which was first held in 2021, is being held with intense participation this year as well. More than 20 heads of state and government from more than 150 countries, approximately 15 deputy heads of state and government, more than 40 ministers of foreign affairs, more than 50 ministers, more than 460 high-level dignitaries, including 75 representatives of international organizations, as well as many guests, including academicians and students, are present at the forum. While there was great interest in the panels and forums held on the first day of ADF, it was observed that participants made ‘new Davos’ comments for ADF in the corridors.

WITH THIS FORUM, THE BORDERS BETWEEN HEARTS ARE REMOVING

EMİNE ERDOĞAN: We were pleased to host the international guests of this meaningful forum. I hope that the forum, which builds bridges between countries and removes the borders between hearts, will bring goodwill, peace and solidarity to the world.

FİDAN HOSTED THE QUADRUPLE SUMMIT

Referring to President Erdoğan’s call for a “more just world”, Minister of Foreign Affairs Hakan Fidan said, “Today, we see that many countries come to this point when the crisis hits their doorstep.” Fidan also hosted the 3rd meeting of the foreign ministers of Türkiye, Egypt, Pakistan and Saudi Arabia yesterday.

WE ARE ALWAYS SUPPORTERS OF DIALOGUE

Vice President Cevdet Yılmaz: Türkiye is always a supporter of dialogue. As Türkiye, we are ready to cooperate with African, Asian and South American countries. We are determined to reach out wherever it is and strengthen these ties for the good of our people and the global environment.

Türkiye PLAYS A KEY ROLE IN THE REGION

US Ambassador to Ankara Tom Barrack: Türkiye plays a key role in the region. The only functioning player in the region is a member of NATO. Relations between the USA and Türkiye are better than ever. Progress in the last 16 months is better than 50 years ago.

KAAN’S MODEL WAS ENOUGH

The stands of Türkiye’s leading defense industry companies such as TAI also attracted great attention at the forum. Turkish Aerospace Industries (TUSAŞ) exhibited the model of Türkiye’s fifth generation fighter plane KAAN, developed with domestic and national resources. The guests showed great interest in KAAN.

YOUNG DIPLOMACY WAS ALSO AT THE FORUM

President Erdoğan’s grandson Ömer Tayyip Erdoğan was among the panel audience. Erdoğan is the Vice President of the Young Diplomacy Association.

MHP brought together the mayors at the “Mayors Consultation and Evaluation Meeting” held in Antalya. The camp organized under the auspices of MHP Chairman Devlet Bahçeli will end on April 19. In the camp, studies on the 3 main themes, 9 principles and 100-article declaration in the “Productive Municipality” vision document prepared by the party for the March 31 Local Government Elections will be evaluated. MHP Deputy Chairman Sadir Durmaz will make the opening speech today.

ACADEMICS PARTICIPATED
At the camp, the work carried out by the municipalities to date, the commitments made during the election period and future plans will be discussed. Within the scope of the camp, feedback in the form of written documents and digital archives will be received from the mayors. Presentations under the titles “Strategic Communication and Management Model in Municipalities” and “Transformation of Areas at Disaster Risk – Risky Buildings and Urban Transformation” will be held with the participation of academics who are experts in their fields. On the other hand, MHP Deputy Chairman Semih Yalçın reported that Bilecik, Çanakkale and Muğla provincial organizations were terminated.

A commemoration program was held at the Mausoleum in Topkapı on the 33rd anniversary of the death of Turgut Özal, the 8th President of Turkey. Özal’s children Ahmet, Zeynep and Efe Özal, his daughter-in-law Sinem Özal and his grandchildren, as well as Deputy Secretary General of the Grand National Assembly of Turkey Ahmet Bozkurt, Governor of Istanbul Davut Gül, Deputy Mayor of Istanbul Metropolitan Municipality Nuri Aslan, Provincial Police Chief Selami Yıldız, Provincial Gendarmerie Commander Lieutenant General Yusuf Kenan Topcu, 52nd Motorized Infantry Division Commander Major General Hakan Tunç, Coast Guard Marmara and Straits Regional Commander were present at the ceremony. Rear Admiral Serkan Tezel, Zeytinburnu District Governor Adem Uslu, Zeytinburnu Mayor Ömer Arısoy, AK Party Istanbul Provincial Chairman Abdullah Özdemir and Özal’s loved ones attended. At the ceremony, which started with the reading of Özal’s CV, Minister of Internal Affairs Mustafa Çiftçi laid the Presidential wreath on the monument.

Following a moment of silence, a prayer was recited by Provincial Deputy Mufti Ahmet Aktürkoğlu, and protocol members expressed their condolences to the Özal family. Afterwards, Çiftçi and his entourage visited the Turgut Özal Memorial Site Museum, then visited the graves of the late Prime Minister Adnan Menderes and ministers Fatin Rüştü Zorlu and Hasan Polatkan, laid carnations and recited prayers.

Farmer also went to the graves of Menderes’ wife Berin and son Aydın and prayed. In his post on his social media account on the 33rd anniversary of Özal’s death, President Erdoğan said, “I remember with mercy and respect the 8th President Turgut Özal, who provided very important services to Türkiye and the Turkish nation and played a leading role in the development, progress and breakthroughs of our country, on the 33rd anniversary of his passing.”

The dissenting opinion prepared as a result of the work of the Istanbul Metropolitan Municipality (IMM) 2025 Audit Commission revealed the financial picture of the municipality’s subsidiaries and affiliates. In the report, striking figures, especially in maritime transportation and bus maintenance tenders, once again revealed the ‘inefficient management’ staff. The most concrete “damage” data of the IMM 2025 Audit Report came from the Sea Taxi operation. According to the financial statements of 2025, a total of 74.4 million TL was generated from the Sea Taxi service throughout the year. However, it was determined that 479 million TL was spent from the municipal budget to carry out the same service and outsource the service. This difference of approximately 400 million lira was reported as “non-rational use of public resources”.

MONOPOLY CLAIM
In the investigations of IETT, one of the affiliated companies, the lack of competition in bus maintenance tenders came to the fore. In the report, it was noted that the majority of maintenance tenders with huge budgets were concentrated in only two companies, and the companies that submitted lower bids were excluded from the system for various technical reasons. In İSKİ, the increase in administrative expenses while the investment budget decreased was criticized. While the Audit Commission was doing its work, the classic CHP mentality showed itself once again. Members of the Audit Commission noted that information such as the lists of the boards of directors of 31 subsidiary companies within the Istanbul Metropolitan Municipality were not presented to the audit commission. Members stated that there was a violation of Article 25 of the Municipality Law and noted that the financial structure of the companies was overlooked. In the conclusion part of the dissenting opinion, it was stated that the municipal administration had moved away from financial discipline and the following statements were made: “It is unacceptable to hide the data of the subsidiary companies while creating holes in the municipal budget with inefficient projects such as Sea Taxi.”