President Erdoğan spoke at the Mass Opening Ceremony of 563 Facilities completed by DSI, held at Beştepe Nation Congress and Culture Center. Stating that the fight for oil in the past will be fought for water in the future, President Erdogan said, “Usable water resources are rapidly decreasing. 2.2 billion people in the world cannot access healthy drinking water.” he said.

“I would like to express this, this land, whose dough is kneaded with the blessed blood of our martyrs and veterans, flowing with the springs of knowledge and wisdom of our scholars, wise men, men of heart, is a water civilization in every aspect. This is the land of the saints who established their dervish lodges on the shores of the water a thousand years ago and sowed the seeds of goodness in hearts and minds, turning the Land of Rum into a garden of civilization step by step. Water is the symbol of cleanliness, purity, beauty and abundance in the soul roots of this nation, which prays ‘Be holy like water’.

When asked “Which alms would you like to give more?”, the Prophet answered “Water” and stated that providing water to those who have difficulty accessing water means donating life to them, and gave the good news that presenting beautiful and sweet water to people will be rewarded by Allah. We are members of such a water civilization that our ancestors shortened the concept of ‘Fi sebilillah’, which means not seeking any benefit other than the consent of Allah, and named their fountains ‘sebil’. These water fountains, where even the birds are not forgotten, are the works in which our high spirits, compassion and mercy are embodied in flesh and bones.”

“THE MOST STRATEGIC AND MOST VALUABLE RESOURCE OF THIS CENTURY IS WATER”

Poet and writer Necip Fazıl Kısakürek describes the meaning and nature of water as “Water is prayer, supplication, mirror, clarity, purity; spend it like gold in the metallic sky.” Stating that he put it into verses with the words, Erdoğan said, “Our ancestors, who saw water foundations and water dispensers as a form of charity, even treated their patients with the sound of water. Our ancestors literally built an umran from scratch with their fountains, hayrats, fountains and waterways.” he said.

Stating that water clocks, spirit levels and aqueducts are masterpieces of art and engineering, President Erdoğan said:

“Water, which has a very important place in our civilization, culture, art and architecture, and even in our engineering activities, has gone far beyond being a basic resource we need to sustain our lives. The most strategic and valuable resource of a century in which power competition is increasingly intensifying in every field is water, which is also the main element of production and energy. The struggle for oil and carbon fuels in the last century will be fought in the field of water in the coming period. When we look at the hot conflicts around us, we can already see the signs of this. Climate change, Problems caused by factors such as drought, population growth, excessive urbanization and industrialization increase the pressure on water resources.

In particular, these figures reveal more clearly the magnitude of the danger we face; See, only 2.5 percent of the total water of 1.4 billion cubic kilometers around the world consists of fresh water. Although the world population, which was 3 billion in 1960, has exceeded 8 billion today, when we look at the amount of precipitation falling on the earth in the same period, there has been no change. While the need for clean water resources increases, unfortunately, usable water resources are rapidly decreasing due to rapid consumption and pollution. Today, 2.2 billion people in the world do not have access to healthy drinking water. More importantly, according to the World Water Development Report, it is predicted that approximately 6 billion people will not have access to sufficient clean water in 2050. In addition to these, the climate crisis threatens our water, our source of life, the most. “Since we are located in the Mediterranean zone, we are one of the countries that face these threats most harshly.”

President Erdoğan: There will be water conflicts in the coming periods | Video

“WE ARE MAKING PREPARATIONS AGAINST FIRES AS QUICKLY”

In his speech at the “Mass Opening Ceremony of 563 Facilities Completed by DSI” held at Beştepe Nation Congress and Culture Center, Erdoğan stated that they have had to struggle with many problems from forest fires to floods in recent years due to climate change.

President Erdoğan said that they responded to 2 thousand 334 forest fires last year alone, and 81 thousand hectares of forest area were affected by these fires.

Emphasizing that they made preparations against fires as quickly as possible, Erdoğan said, “This year, by adding 14 new helicopters to our air fleet, we increased the number of helicopters to 119 and our water dropping capacity from the air to 462 tons. We will fight fires much more effectively this year with our 28 planes, 14 unmanned aerial vehicles, 2 thousand 766 first response vehicles, 1953 water trucks and 878 work machines.” he said.

From Izmir Metropolitan Municipality, news about the raise came to the people of Izmir, like an April 1 joke. The people of Izmir woke up to a rain of price hikes on the morning of Wednesday, April 1, 2026. Many services, from urban public transportation to ferry services, from bread to minibuses, from taxis to İZBAN, came into force on the first day of April in line with the decisions taken by the metropolitan municipal council recently. There was a 16 percent increase in urban public transportation vehicles such as buses, metro, ferries and trams. Thus, full boarding increased from 30 lira to 35 lira. The people of Izmir woke up on the morning of April 1 to the newly increased tariffs that the Metropolitan Municipality had put into effect. The increases in public transportation fees in Izmir came into force as of April 1, 2026. In line with the decision taken by the Izmir Metropolitan Municipality Council at the beginning of March, ESHOT, tram, metro, ferry İZBAN and ferry will have an increase. According to the new tariff valid throughout the city as of April 1, the full ticket price on ESHOT, tram, metro and ferry increased by 16 percent from 30 TL to 35 TL. The ‘Youth Card’ fee used by students was increased from 15 TL to 17.5 TL. Teachers also got their share from the increased tariff. Teacher tariff increased to 23.50 TL.

İZBAN, which is the lifeblood of urban public transportation, established by İZBB and TCDD with a 50 percent partnership, received the lion’s share of the increases. Although the decision of the İZBAN Board of Directors was not taken, the İZBB Assembly increased the full boarding fee from 30 TL to 40 TL, the youth boarding fee from 12.50 TL to 16.50 TL, and the teacher boarding fee from 22.15 TL to 29.50 TL, with the votes of CHP council members. A 25 percent increase was applied to the per kilometer fees at İZBAN. For journeys exceeding 20 kilometers, the pricing per kilometer has increased from 1.17 TL to 1.50 TL for full rides, from 0.50 TL to 0.65 TL for junior rides, and from 0.5250 TL to 0.65 TL for teacher rides. With the increase, the total fare between Aliağa and Selçuk was determined as 214.8 TL. The vehicle toll for car ferries serving on the Bostanlı-Üçkuyular line also increased by 20 percent. Motorcycle transportation fee was increased from 75 TL to 90 TL, automobile transportation fee was increased from 200 TL to 240 TL, middle class vehicle transportation fee was increased from 400 TL to 480 TL, bus-truck transportation fee was increased from 900 TL to 1,080 TL, and TIR transportation fee was increased from 1,250 TL to 1,500 TL. It was decided to increase taxi fares by approximately 15 percent to 20 percent. Taximeter opening fee increased from 30 TL to 34.50 TL, kilometer fee increased from 43 TL to 49.50 TL, one hour fee increased from 180 TL to 207 TL, and under 2.94 kilometers increased from 150 TL to 180 TL. Student services were increased by 5 percent. There was a 15 percent increase in personnel service fees.

BREAD HAS ALSO BEEN INCREASED

The sales price of 200 grams of bread, which is 15 TL in Izmir, increased to 17.50 TL. The fact that the increased tariffs came into force as of April 1 became a matter of joke among the city residents. Many Izmir residents who called our newspaper criticized the increased tariffs in a humorous manner, saying “Mayor Tugay played an April 1 joke on the people of Izmir.”

“Investment Ecosystem Meeting” was held in Istanbul within the scope of the “Women in Innovation” program by the Women and Democracy Foundation (KADEM). Speaking at the program, where the topics of empowering women entrepreneurs, increasing their access to finance and developing sustainable collaborations came to the fore, KADEM Chairman of the Board of Trustees Sümeyye Erdoğan Bayraktar stated that strengthening women’s entrepreneurship is critical for sustainable development. Stating that the power of the entrepreneurship and innovation ecosystem arises from collaborations where different stakeholders can bring together their knowledge, experience and opportunities, Bayraktar said, “It is of great importance for women entrepreneurs to take a stronger place in this ecosystem, to increase their access to finance and to establish new collaborations. Our program has gone beyond a competition and become a strong ecosystem that brings together women entrepreneurs, investors and institutions. The role of women in economic life is no longer just a social policy issue, but also an important part of Türkiye’s sustainable development vision.”

THERE ARE 1.2 MILLION WOMEN ENTREPRENEURS

Bayraktar also shared data on women entrepreneurship and stated that there are approximately 1.2 million women entrepreneurs in Türkiye, the share of women entrepreneurs in total entrepreneurs is 18 percent, and the rate of women founders in newly established companies is approximately 20 percent. Noting that these rates are still below international averages, but the increasing trend indicates a strong transformation, Bayraktar said, “Increasing diversity on the investment side directly affects equality of opportunity. The probability of investing in women entrepreneurs is 60 percent higher in funds that have at least one woman in the investment team.” Pointing out the critical role of mentorship, strong networks and correct investment mechanisms in the entrepreneurship journey, Bayraktar hoped that this meeting would pave the way for new collaborations and investments. The meeting, where three main panels were held after the opening speeches, aimed to increase women entrepreneurs’ access to finance, strengthen their collaborations and increase their visibility in the investment ecosystem.

COMPREHENSIVE SUPPORT FOR R&D AND INNOVATION

Deputy Minister of INDUSTRY and Technology Muhammed Kasım Saygı pointed out the role of women in technology and production processes and stated that the way to make the country a structure that produces high technology and competes on a global scale is through the more active participation of women in production processes.

Stating that they carry out comprehensive support programs for women to be more involved in R&D, innovation and entrepreneurship fields, Saygın said, “We have provided billions of lira of support to hundreds of thousands of women researchers and entrepreneurs to date. We do not see women’s entrepreneurship as limited to big cities only, but also consider it as one of the basic elements of the development of Anatolia.”

DIVERSITY IN THE INVESTMENT ECOSYSTEM IS INCREASING

Burak Dağlıoğlu, Head of the Presidential Investment and Finance Office, also emphasized that women’s entrepreneurship is getting stronger in Türkiye and said, “The rate of women entrepreneurs has exceeded 18 percent and this increase indicates a significant acceleration.

There has been serious activity in technology investments in recent years. Since 2020, early-stage investments have reached over $5 billion. There are 7 unicorns in Türkiye today, and 3 of them have female founders. The presence of women in the investment ecosystem is increasing not only as entrepreneurs but also as fund managers. “This transformation enables the ecosystem to gain a more inclusive and stronger structure,” he said.

Lawyers of the families of victims who lost their children suggested establishing a “grief therapy center” at the Grand National Assembly of Turkey Investigation Commission on Children Driven to Crime. At the commission meeting, Şeyda Karayazgan, the lawyer of the victim families who wanted the terminology of children dragged into crime (SSÇ) to be changed, said, “The term child perpetrator can be used.”

A GRIEF THERAPY CENTER SHOULD BE ESTABLISHED

Stating that families need not only justice but also “grief therapy”, Karayazgan said, “Necessary steps need to be taken to which people with such grievances can directly apply, especially those who rush for justice without even experiencing their grief.” Karayazgan listed the demands of the families as follows: “Our main demand is that the punishment be given according to the severity of the crime, not according to age. It is not the age of the murderer, but the gravity of the act, intent, intensity and the way it was committed that is important. The judge should be given the discretion to not apply a discount. The obligation for a reduction should be abolished for serious crimes in the 15-18 age group, and a reduction should not be applied.”

BOTH GUILTY AND STRONG

Şahin Çakır, father of Hakan Çakır, who was killed in Ankara, read some of the threatening messages he received. Among the messages were the following statements: “It’s a meaty ocean, I cast a fishing rod, the finale is certain, I’m pacing in the courtyard” and “We’ll lie down like lions and come out.” With the suggestion of the members of the commission, it was decided to include the messages in the report.

According to the research conducted by the Turkish Grand National Assembly Investigation Commission on Children Driven to Crime on children in prison, most of the children think that they are not loved. University of Health Sciences Faculty Member Prof. Dr. Toker Ergüder, Ankara University Faculty Member Prof. Dr. The report prepared by Betül Ulukol and the academic team was presented to the Grand National Assembly of Turkey Investigation Commission on Children Driven to Crime yesterday. The results of the unique research, conducted with 607 children and 70 questions, are as follows:

THEIR FAMILIES ARE GUILTY TOO

Of the children, 43.5 percent of whom commit crimes in their families, 60.6 percent of them have people around them who commit crimes. It was determined that 37.6 percent of the children ran away from home and 6.9 percent ran away from prison. 40 percent of children have experienced violence outside the home at least once, and 26.9 percent have been threatened with a knife or gun at least once in their lives. The places where children spend the most time with their friends are 79.4 percent in streets and neighborhoods, and 68.2 percent in unsupervised open spaces such as parks and gardens.

THEY DON’T GO TO SCHOOL

It was observed that 93.7 percent of the children dragged into crime, most of whom were between the ages of 15-17, committed criminal offences. 51.1 percent of the children dropped out of school before going to prison, and the rate of those who attend regular school is 28.7 percent. 83.4 percent of children in prison use cigarettes, and 53.9 percent use drugs and stimulants. 72.5 percent of children use social media for more than 1 hour a day. 32.3 percent of children have played a game of chance at least once before, and the frequency and rate of regular playing is around 10 percent. The rate of children who say they will commit the crime again is around 25 percent. While 64.7 percent of the children were tried as the “primary perpetrators” of the crime they committed, 22.7 percent were accused of participating in the crime and 10.2 percent were merely aiders.

THEY FEEL SAD

While 69.4 percent of children who felt “SAD” tried to harm themselves, this rate was only 14.4 in the group that did not feel sad. While 49.4 percent of children in the family felt loved only “sometimes,” 17.6 percent stated that they never felt loved.

HE SHOOT HIS PEER BECAUSE OF SOCIAL MEDIA SHARING

In the Sarayönü district of KONYA, a 15-year-old boy shot Enes Özden, the same age, in the back with a rifle, with whom he had an argument on social media. U.C., one of the two who had an argument over a post on social media, came to the meeting place with a rifle. Enes Özden noticed the rifle and started to run away. Meanwhile, U. Ç. shot after him and shot Enes Özden in the back and arm. Necip Fazıl Kısakürek Vocational and Technical Anatolian High School 9th ​​grade student Enes Özen, who collapsed in blood, was taken under treatment. Detained U.C. was arrested. Tolga YANIK/SABAH

AK Party Spokesperson Ömer Çelik spoke briefly as follows before the AK Party Central Executive Board meeting held under the chairmanship of President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan:

Today, the sole responsibility for the crisis and the negativity affecting 8 billion people is the attack on Iran by the USA and Israel. There is no justification for this. What needs to be done in the first stage is to end the unjust and unlawful aggression of the USA and Israel.

We see that the genocidal policy of Israeli aggression continues in other areas as well as physically killing people. It commits spatial, intellectual and religious genocide. While the Iran war continues, we see that some people are taking our eyes off Gaza and the West Bank, and we will definitely not allow this.

We know that the Israeli side is working intensively to draw our Kurdish brothers into this war by meeting with certain groups and certain actors. Our Kurdish brothers in Iran and our Kurdish brothers in Northern Iraq acted prudently. Important Kurdish opinion leaders stated that they would not be a part of this war in any way. What is important is the common sense approach of our Kurdish brothers.

(Israeli parliament’s death sentence) This is clear racism, clear discrimination and crime. The Israeli Parliament enacts the death penalty to be applied only to Palestinians. It is the most damning decision taken in a parliament, it is shameful. We condemn and categorically reject it.