Minister Göktaş spoke at the roundtable meeting titled “Government Leaders Forum: Public-Private Sector Collaborations Supporting the Economic Empowerment of Women and Girls”, which he hosted within the scope of the Global Women’s Summit that started in Istanbul.

Emphasizing that public and private sector partnerships are directly related to economic security and social resilience, Göktaş said that the latest developments in the Strait of Hormuz once again reveal how delicate balances global trade operates on, and that in an age of fragility, a strong economy will only be an economy that can mobilize human resources.

Emphasizing that Turkey sees women’s empowerment at the center of its development vision, Minister Göktaş said:

“We are working to ensure that women take a strong part in education, production, entrepreneurship, employment, technology, diplomacy and decision-making mechanisms. We accept this as one of the indispensable elements of our Turkey Century vision. This uncompromising determination has gained strength from the will that our President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan has demonstrated for years. Under the leadership of our President, Turkey has made women’s participation in economic, social and political life one of the essential elements of state policies. The historical heritage of our country is supported by strong legislation, comprehensive strategy documents, institutional “Our 12th Development Plan sets out the integration of equal opportunities for women and men into all policy processes as a clear goal.”

A MORE COMPREHENSIVE ROADMAP HAS BEEN PRESENTED

Reminding that the Women’s Empowerment Strategy Document and Action Plan covering the period 2024-2028 offers a comprehensive road map for women to take a stronger place in all areas, Göktaş added that they have given the action plan a stronger structure at the central and local levels with the Women’s Empowerment Coordination Board and provincial coordination boards established in 2025.

“WE AIM TO INCREASE THE RATE OF WOMEN’S PARTICIPATION IN THE LABOR FORCE TO 40.1 PERCENT”

Stating that there has been a significant progress in women’s participation in the workforce with the projects implemented in the last 24 years, Göktaş said, “The labor force participation rate of women, which was 27.9 percent in 2002, increased to 35.2 percent as of the first quarter of 2026. The women’s employment rate increased from 25.3 percent to 31.3 percent. We aim to increase the labor force participation rate of women to 40.1 percent by 2028.” he said.

WOMEN’S PARTICIPATION IN EMPLOYMENT HAS BECOME MORE COMMON IN 2025

Stating that they implemented a multi-dimensional policy set from entrepreneurship to finance, from digital skills to flexible working models, from care services to vocational training, to achieve this goal, Göktaş said that they strengthened the nursery and child care infrastructure and disseminated practices that strengthen work-life balance. Göktaş stated that they have made practices that support women’s participation in employment more widespread within the scope of the 2025 Family Year, and that they will continue to address women’s employment with a holistic approach that strengthens the family and supports population policies in the 10 Year of Family and Population.

“WOMEN’S MOVE” CALL TO THE BUSINESS WORLD

Drawing attention to the critical role of public-private partnerships, Minister Göktaş stated that the public determines the direction, establishes the legal and institutional basis, creates standards and builds the comprehensive policy framework for these partnerships to produce effective results. Pointing out that the private sector is the carrier force of production, technology, market, finance and innovation in the field, Göktaş stated that when these two fields come together around the same goal, new employment areas are opened for women, entrepreneurship supports increase and access to finance becomes easier.

GÖKTAŞ CONTINUED HIS SPEECH AS FOLLOWS:

“In this sense, as Turkey, we consider public-private partnerships as a transformation architecture that accelerates the economic empowerment of women. With this understanding, we carry out strong collaborations with our private sector. We are taking steps to strengthen the standardization of women’s entrepreneurship in the business world, access to finance and integration into global markets. The “Principles of Women’s Action in Sustainable Development”, which we shared with the public on March 8, are a clear expression of this will. In this context, we examine the business world, the potential of women, leadership, decision-making, technology, finance and corporate culture. We invite you to evaluate it with all its dimensions.” Explaining that they have supported the establishment of 1,366 new women’s cooperatives to date and expanded the businesses of approximately 10 thousand women entrepreneurs through e-commerce collaborations, Göktaş emphasized that they attach special importance to the presence of women in the sectors of the future with projects such as “Türkiye’s Engineer Girls”, “Young Women Creating Their Future” and “Energy School for Women”, which have reached more than 10 thousand women.

THREE AREAS TO FOCUS ON FOR GLOBAL COOPERATION

Stating that their expectations from the summit are not limited to countries sharing their experiences, but also the emergence of concrete, applicable and traceable cooperation models that increase economic opportunities for women and girls, Göktaş stated that they believe that public-private partnerships should focus on three areas in particular and listed these areas as follows:

THE MAIN TITLES ARE AS FOLLOWS…

“Firstly, women’s access to the skills of the future should be strengthened. Digital and financial literacy, artificial intelligence, green jobs and entrepreneurial skills are the main topics of the new era. Secondly, care services should be considered as one of the main areas that support family life and strengthen women’s participation in economic life. Accessible, quality and affordable care services are a strategic investment that increases women’s employment and strengthens work-life balance. Thirdly, women’s access to finance, markets and decision-making mechanisms should be strengthened. Because when women’s labor participates in production, the economy grows. Women make decisions. “The nature of development changes when it participates in the acquisition processes.”

“EVERY PARTNERSHIP WE CREATE TODAY CAN GROW A WOMAN’S BUSINESS”

Stating that Turkey is ready to share experience in these three fields, develop joint projects and deepen global cooperation, Göktaş said, “No development model that does not put women’s labor, knowledge, courage and leadership at the center of the economy is complete. Every partnership we establish today can expand a woman’s business, facilitate a young girl’s access to the profession, and strengthen a country’s production capacity.” he said.

The indictment against former Habertürk TV Editor-in-Chief Mehmet Akif Ersoy and 7 suspects was returned.

WHAT HAPPENED?

The investigation into Habertürk’s former Editor-in-Chief Mehmet Akif Ersoy, carried out by the Istanbul Chief Public Prosecutor’s Office within the scope of the fight against drugs, was completed. In the indictment, which included 7 defendants, it was emphasized that the organization founded under the leadership of Ersoy weakened the will of the female victims by supplying them with cocaine, and that it prepared the ground for multiple sexual intercourses at the parties organized.

UP TO 266 YEARS OF PRISON WAS REQUESTED

In the indictment, which stated that the members of the organization systematically introduced women to Ersoy in order to benefit from Ersoy’s influence, the roles of the members of the organization were also explained one by one. In the indictment, it was requested that the detainee Ersoy, who was held responsible for 11 acts, be sentenced to imprisonment from 11 to 27.5 years for the crimes of “establishing an organization to commit a crime”, “facilitating the use of drugs or stimulants”, and to not less than 266 years for the crimes of “11 qualified sexual assaults in a chain” and “trafficking or supplying drugs or stimulants in a chain”.

According to the statement made by the SSB, Abdurrahman Tchiani and his accompanying delegation visited ROKETSAN, one of Türkiye’s leading defense industry companies, and made inspections.

During the visit, the national and unique capabilities of the Turkish defense industry, high-tech production infrastructure, engineering competencies and future vision were shared comprehensively with the Niger delegation.

Within the scope of the program, information was given about the level Türkiye has reached in the defense industry ecosystem, its domestic and national system development approach, and the advanced technology solution capabilities offered by ROKETSAN for different operational needs.

In the program, it was emphasized that in line with the strategic vision put forward by President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, the Turkish defense industry has become a strong ecosystem that not only meets Türkiye’s needs but also contributes to the security architecture of friendly and allied countries.

Türkiye-NIGER DEFENSE INDUSTRY COOPERATION WAS DISCUSSED

During the visit, evaluations were made regarding the further development of cooperation in the field of defense industry between Türkiye and the friendly and brotherly country Niger.

It was evaluated that the steps to be taken in this context will be important in terms of contributing to Niger’s meeting its security needs with stronger means, as well as supporting regional stability and deepening the permanent partnership between the two countries.

It was stated that the defense industry capabilities developed by Türkiye in line with the National Technology Move will continue to provide effective and sustainable solutions to the security needs of friendly countries.

The festival, which was implemented under the auspices of Emine Erdoğan, Chairperson of the United Nations (UN) Zero Waste High-level Personalities Advisory Board and Honorary President of the Zero Waste Foundation, and in cooperation with the Zero Waste Foundation and the Ministry of Energy and Natural Resources, continues.

Zero Waste Foundation President Ağırbaş visited the festival area and received information from the authorities.

Ağırbaş, who also visited the established stands, said in his statement to the AA correspondent that more than 1500 events were implemented in 39 districts within the scope of the “Istanbul Zero Waste Week” declared in cooperation with the Istanbul Governorship and the Zero Waste Foundation.

Ağırbaş stated that it was the first day of the festival and said, “We hosted more than 100 thousand guests. We expect more than 1 million citizens to visit for 4 days. In this context, there are different events for ages 7 to 77 at the Zero Waste Festival. We have free treats and gifts. We have concerts in the evenings. We wanted to create safe areas for our citizens to come with their families, especially as the summer months begin. We planned areas where they can socialize with their families.” he said.

“WE HAD A VERY GOOD SYNERGY WITH 6 MILLION ISTANBUL RESIDENTS”

Ağırbaş stated that waste-free kitchen workshops were organized for women, interviews were held, competitions and various programs were held for young people, and continued as follows:

“In our second day program, 183 countries participate in the Zero Waste Forum. It is the largest civil meeting in the world. The Zero Waste Forum is the largest civil meeting in the world, with more than 120 ministers, more than 20 former heads of state, prime ministers and more than 7 thousand guests coming. In this context, we host more than 1 million people and guests from 183 countries with the Zero Waste Forum and Zero Waste Festival. We also work on food waste. In this context, we are in Taksim Square. “We set up an exhibition. We are giving messages to reduce food waste. We also welcome our citizens to our exhibition in Taksim Square. We have achieved a very good synergy with 16 million Istanbulites. We continue to work side by side with our citizens for a more livable, more prosperous world.”

Our Zero Waste Festival started today with great energy.

We are waiting for you all at Ataturk Airport to share the joy and excitement of the festival together. 🌱 pic.twitter.com/AtJujLK52A

— Samed Ağırbaş (@samedagirbas) June 4, 2026

“OUR WORK WILL CONTINUE IN DIFFERENT AREAS INCLUDING FOOD WASTE AND ENERGY EFFICIENCY”

Ağırbaş stated that they aimed to create zero waste awareness in children within the scope of the festival.

Stating that the main message here is energy efficiency, Ağırbaş said, “As our President stated, if we can increase energy efficiency in Türkiye by 10-15 percent, it will contribute 10-15 billion dollars to the Turkish economy. We believe that we can achieve this. In this context, our work will continue in different areas such as food waste and energy efficiency.” he said.

After his one-on-one and inter-delegation meetings with Niger President Abdurrahman Tchiani at the Presidential Complex, President Erdoğan attended the signing ceremony of agreements in various fields.

In his speech at the joint press conference held later, President Erdoğan expressed his pleasure to host Tchiani and his delegation, who paid their first official visit outside Africa to Türkiye, in Ankara.

Wishing that today’s meetings and the contacts of the guest delegation with Turkish business circles will be beneficial, Erdoğan said that Niger is one of the friendly and brotherly countries in Africa with which we have deep historical relations.

Pointing out that relations with this strategically important geography, dating back to the 1400s, are improving day by day with the contributions of Tchiani, Erdoğan said, “Under the leadership of my dear brother, we see that Niger is making a different breakthrough despite all the difficulties it faces. As a dark-day friend of the African people, we support Niger’s struggle for development with all the means we have.” he said.

Erdoğan stated that in today’s meetings, they confirmed that they have the will to advance the relations built on common history and mutual respect in every field.

Explaining that they thoroughly evaluated the relations with Tchiani and his delegation, especially in the fields of defense industry, security, energy, mining, trade, investments, education, health and agriculture, Erdoğan said:

“We discussed the investment opportunities in Niger and agreed on the establishment of an economic and trade partnership. As we have just witnessed, we have further strengthened the contractual basis of our relations by signing agreements in various fields. The Turkey-Niger Friendship Hospital, whose operating protocol we have renewed, makes very valuable contributions to the humanitarian dimension of our relations with Niger. TİKA, which carries out the Friendship Hospital and Friendship School projects, continues its contributions to strengthening Niger’s administrative and civil infrastructure, especially irrigation, agriculture and animal husbandry.”

“WE WILL CONTINUE OUR COOPERATION WITH NIGER”

Pointing out that they are satisfied with the course of cooperation in the field of education, which they attach great importance to, Erdoğan continued his words as follows:

“Our Turkish Maarif Foundation provides education to more than 1700 students in 12 schools in the capital Niamey. Nearly 500 Niger students, 300 of whom are from Turkey, are receiving higher education in our country. Turkey graduates, as our volunteer ambassadors, are instrumental in strengthening the conversation between us. A memorandum of understanding for cooperation was just signed between our Council of Higher Education and the equivalent Nigerian institution. Hopefully, in all these areas “We will continue our cooperation with Niger.”

President Erdoğan said, “As I emphasize at every opportunity, we continue to develop our relations with African countries on the basis of equal partnership, mutual respect and win-win principles. We see these relations as long-term cooperation not only in commercial and economic fields, but also in a wide range of areas such as security, education, culture and transportation. We stand by our friendly and brother countries in the fight against terrorist organizations that create instability in the continent, especially in the Sahel region.” he said.

Stating that they are following the fight against terrorism of the Niger security forces under the leadership of Niger President Tchiani, Erdoğan said, “In this context, we evaluated the opportunities for closer cooperation with them in the fields of military training and intelligence. We stated that we are ready to share our country’s experience in this field. I also believe that we will soon receive the positive results of the meetings that the guest delegation will hold with our leading defense industry companies.” he said.

Highlights from the statements of Niger President Abdurrahman Tchiani:

“ERDOĞAN WAS ALWAYS BY US”

Thank you for your hospitality. An official delegation visit was held on January 8, 2013. Several agreements have been signed. This strengthened our relations. Erdogan has always given special importance to the Republic of Niger. Erdoğan has always been with us. He always supported us to fight against terrorism. Thank you very much for the support you gave us. Our cooperation is not limited to the field of defence.

In the investigation carried out by the Istanbul Organized Crimes Investigation Bureau, remarkable findings were reached in line with the statements of the suspects and the examinations made on the mobile phones of Uşak Mayor Özkan Yalım, who was detained.

OZKAN YALIM’S CONFESSION OF BRIBERY

Allegations that CHP Manisa Deputy Özgür Özel demanded financial benefits from Özkan Yalım, which were considered as “political bribes”, on different dates and that the amounts in question were delivered by Yalım were included in the file. It was reported that HTS/base matches and messaging minutes were evaluated and the findings were of a nature that may require the preparation of a report.

CONGRESS FILE WAS ALSO SENT

Another topic of the investigation was the allegations regarding the 38th Ordinary Congress of the CHP held on 4-5 November 2023. During the congress process, actions aimed at influencing the will of the delegates and rigging the congress were detected.

PRIVATE AND AĞBABA COORDINATION

In this context, it was stated that there were allegations that actions were taken under the coordination of CHP Manisa Deputy Özgür Özel and Malatya Deputy Veli Ağbaba. It was also stated that CHP Ankara Deputy Umut Akdoğan and Istanbul Deputy Suat Özçağdaş also participated in the said actions.

IT WAS SENT TO ANKARA WITHOUT AUTHORITY

Within the scope of the allegations in question, the prosecutor’s office issued a decision of lack of jurisdiction against Özgür Özel for “taking a bribe”, and against Özgür Özel, Veli Ağbaba, Umut Akdoğan and Suat Özçağdaş for the crime of violating the Political Parties Law No. 2820. It was decided to send the file to the Ankara Chief Public Prosecutor’s Office for necessary procedures.