Under the coordination of the Antalya Chief Public Prosecutor’s Office, a study was initiated against ANSET, a subsidiary of Antalya Metropolitan Municipality, by the Antalya Police Department Anti-Smuggling and Organized Crime (KOM) Branch Directorate teams.

IRREGULARITY HAS BEEN DETECTED

It was learned that, in line with the deposit report prepared by the Chief Civil Inspector and the investigations carried out by the police units, irregularities were detected in the tenders held by ANSET. Within the scope of the investigation, proceedings were initiated against the persons authorized in the tenders and the suspects who were detected to have transferred money between them for the purpose of laundering the proceeds of crime. It was reported in the file that 113 million 426 thousand TL of public damage was detected.

BÖCEK AND TUNCER IN FILE

Within the scope of the investigation, action was taken against people including Muhittin Böcek, who was suspended from his duty as Mayor of Antalya Metropolitan Municipality, and Cansel Tuncer, Secretary General of Antalya Metropolitan Municipality, by the decision of the Ministry of Internal Affairs. A simultaneous operation was organized in Istanbul, Ankara, Izmir, Muğla, Denizli and Edirne, centered in Antalya, on April 30, 2026, to capture the suspects and seize criminal elements.

27 PEOPLE WERE REFERRED TO THE COURTHOUSE

27 of the suspects detained within the scope of the operation were referred to the courthouse after their statements at the police station. Within the scope of the file, it was noted that 1 person was receiving treatment in the hospital, 2 people were released after being processed at the police station, efforts to capture 3 fugitive suspects were continuing and 2 people were in prison.

NUN Education and Culture Foundation Chairman of the Board Dr. Esra Albayrak wrote for AA Analysis about the historical course of colonialism within the framework of decolonization discussions and the conditions under which a new consensus would be possible.

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When we look at the process the world is going through, we can say that we are at an important breaking point where people and societies want to redefine the way they make sense of the world and their position on the global plane. Whether this repositioning process will be shaped through an inclusive consensus or deepening conflicts is one of the fundamental issues that we, as social scientists, must pay careful attention to and develop a common road map. As a social scientist, an educator, and perhaps more importantly, a mother, I think that the attitude we show today for the future of humanity is important for the mental and spiritual legacy we will leave to our children. I believe that a consensus approach should guide humanity’s search for a more just world. Building a consensus that prioritizes human dignity is not a purely political choice but a moral responsibility.

The prevailing international order’s sense of superiority, devoid of values, has dragged humanity into an existential crisis and has legitimized all kinds of inhumane treatment through the distinction between “primitive” and “civilized” throughout history. The genocide that took place in Gaza on October 7 and afterwards brought to light the wounded memory of humanity and brought about a deep questioning of the moral and political legitimacy of the current international system.

This picture reminds us of a historical fact: Colonialism is not a page closed in the 1960s, but a structure that continues its existence by acquiring new forms. Academic studies carried out under the title of postcolonial studies around the world for years still seem far from fundamentally analyzing the global structure in which colonialism is reproduced in different forms. At this point, would it be possible to rethink decolonization as the possibility of liberating from the colonial mentality and imagining a more original, fairer life?

THE HUMAN BURDEN AND THE PRESENT PRESENT OF DECOLONIZATION

The mental background of the “white man’s burden” discourse reached its peak in 19th-century European thought. Malthus conceptualized society as a sphere of contract operating on scarce resources; From here Darwin developed the idea of ​​”survival of the fittest”; Darwin’s cousin Galton carried this into eugenics, dividing humans into superior and inferior genetic categories. With the concept of sociogeny, societies were ranked as primitive or civilized. Sociology was defined as the science of modern societies, and anthropology was defined as the science of primitive societies. Thus, science was turned into a tool to legitimize colonization. In this process, to which Rudyard Kipling gave moral legitimacy with the phrase “the white man’s burden”, the obligation of the so-called superior to elevate the inferior was seen as an indispensable responsibility.

The 20th century continued to bear the traces of this understanding. Even though anti-colonial movements spread and colonies gained their independence, the colonial mentality continued to shape the world order in various forms. Decolonial discourse rightly questioned this framework and often even suggested the opposite: It suggested that the colonized had the burden of regaining what was taken away, but to reverse something is not to transcend it. Saying “the black man’s burden” means continuing to remain within the architecture of the hierarchy that is intended to be destroyed, no matter how critical one is. The dichotomies of black-white, East-West, primitive-civilized were never a fair description of the world, but were dichotomies imposed on the world.

What needs to happen is that this logic should be abandoned, not reversed. We must center the “man’s burden”, not the black or white man’s burden. We must look at the issue not as a racial or civilizational category but as a shared responsibility arising from a more fundamental claim. As adopted by many universal beliefs and civilization teachings, existing as a human being is valuable and worthy of respect, regardless of other qualities. As a matter of fact, Islam defines human beings as beings with immunity (ismet) and adopts the protection of their rights under all circumstances as a basic principle. Sincerely embracing such a universal human understanding makes it possible to embrace humanity in all its diversity and turns into a behavioral value that rejects exploitation from the first moment. However, we now clearly see that the human rights discourse, which has become global since the second half of the 20th century, has not gone beyond the “white man’s burden” rhetoric, despite all its flashy propositions, and has even been turned into a tool of exploitation and taming the other. Then, we have to look for ways to transcend Western-centered and predominantly Western-produced discourses and place human immunity and dignity at the center of discourse and life. In this way, it may be possible to restore the rights of the oppressed world and to purify the exploiter from the “mastery complex”, which is the main burden that he cannot prevent.

MULTI-CENTERED GEOPOLITICS OF INFORMATION

Today’s information ecosystem, shaped by a single-centered and supremacist perspective, is one of the areas we must confront first in the context of decolonization. Because the “epistemic arrogance” created by the formation of the production and circulation processes of knowledge under the hegemony of a single center is one of the main responsible for the alienation and crisis of meaning that humanity has been dragged into today.

There have also been intellectual objections to “epistemic arrogance” rising within Western academia. While Frantz Fanon exposed colonial violence with psychoanalytical sharpness, Edward Said showed how the East was constructed as a geographical and conceptual phenomenon within a matrix of knowledge. Talal Asad, on the other hand, questioned the epistemic violence on which the West’s claim to universality is built. This critical vein is a tradition that decolonial thought both feeds on and continues to reckon with, and this tradition asks us the following questions: For whom and for what purpose do we produce knowledge? Through which knowledge traditions do we make or fail to make sense of ourselves, our geography and the world? Is knowledge a tool of power production or the basis for the search for truth and meaning? The answers we give to these questions will determine what position we will take in the new world order.

Undoubtedly, knowledge traditions that establish the relationship with knowledge through meaning and truth, and do not turn it into a tool of superiority and privilege, will protect the dignity and solidarity of humanity more strongly. Today, we have to question the roles and hegemonic epistemic powers of the world’s respected universities, institutions that produce knowledge and represent international law, in the construction of the current crises and unfair order. In this regard, as the conscience of academia and knowledge, we need to revive ancient epistemic centers and even uncover new ones and turn our direction to new horizons.

ISTANBUL AND A NEW COMPROMISE

Istanbul is not only a host in this debate, but also an actor with a unique perspective due to its historical location. Istanbul, which has been the intersection of world trade, culture and politics for thousands of years, can offer a reliable basis for a compromise that prioritizes human dignity, epistemic justice and the possibility of multicultural social life in the new world order. This consensus should not be satisfied with a well-intentioned passive resistance, but should also build a strong objection to the impositions of the single-centered dominant system and the self-confidence to call to account.

The World Decolonization Forum, planned to take place in Istanbul on May 11-12, will rise on this basis. More than 70 academic papers will be presented at the forum, where academics, intellectuals and activists from Africa, South Asia, Latin America, the Middle East and the critical traditions of the West will come together. With the decolonial art exhibitions that can be followed simultaneously and the Decolonized Film Festival that will take place at Atlas Cinema the same week, participants will be provided with an honest dialogue environment where different disciplines rarely meet on the same ground.

We invite everyone who believes that humanity’s heritage cannot fit into a single story to Atatürk Cultural Center on 11-12 May.

Minister of Transport and Infrastructure Abdulkadir Uraloğlu said that 49 percent of the Silifke-Mut-Sertavul Road, which was designed as 101 kilometers, has been completed and they aim to complete it completely by the end of 2030. Minister Abdulkadir Uraloğlu examined the ongoing works on Silifke-Mut-Sertavul Road.

Minister Uraloğlu stated that the existing road, which provides transportation between Silifke and Mut districts, is located in a geography that is topographically very difficult and has a high risk of landslides, and said, “In order to increase traffic safety and provide comfortable transportation, we started the construction works by designing the Silifke-Mut-Sertavul Road as a 101-kilometer-long divided road standard with bituminous hot mixture coating. Within the scope of the project, we are building 8 tunnels and 8 viaducts. 49.2 kilometers of bituminous hot mixture coating. “We have completed the divided road and 6 tunnels. We are currently continuing the construction of the 2nd Kılıçarslan Viaduct, the construction of the escape ramp on the Mut-3rd Region Border Road and landslide rehabilitation works in various sections of the route. The physical realization rate of the project is currently at 49 percent,” he said.

Minister Uraloğlu pointed out that they will revitalize regional trade by reducing the transportation costs of the road and said, “We will facilitate the access between Taşucu Port and coastal tourism areas and the inland areas, and make our region more attractive in terms of tourism. We will increase investment and employment opportunities by strengthening the connection between rural and urban areas. With the shortening of the route and the increase of the road standard, we will reduce the travel time from 105 minutes to 70 minutes. With a 35-minute shorter travel time, we will save 800 million liras in time, “We will save a total of 1 billion 58 million liras annually, including 258 million liras from fuel, and reduce carbon emissions by 13 thousand tons. With this project, we will increase the transportation standard between the inner parts of Mersin and the coastal regions and make a strong contribution to the economic and social development of our region.”

There is a 15-item road map in the “Family and Population Decade Vision Document” prepared by the Ministry of Family and Social Services, signed by President Erdoğan and published in the Official Gazette.
1- Our country priorities regarding the protection and strengthening of family and population structure will be included in national policy documents and institutions’ strategic plans and programs.
2- All public policies, regulations, practices and research conducted or supported by public institutions will be evaluated in terms of their effects on the family institution and population change.
3- Public institutions and organizations will act with a family-protective and population-increasing approach in their activities related to their concrete areas of duty, and will carry out their practices accordingly.
4- Sexualization movements and addictions will be addressed with a holistic approach to protect generations.
5- The social reputation of the marriage institution will be protected, and mechanisms that will facilitate the marriage of young people will be strengthened.
6- “Motherhood and fatherhood” will be strengthened as a social value; Practices that encourage having children and support families with multiple children will be implemented.
7- Policies for raising young people as well-equipped individuals will be strengthened, sustainable social security and health systems for the welfare of the elderly and diversified care and support models, especially family-centered, will be developed.
8- In an integrated framework that considers the balanced distribution of the population, holistic measures will be implemented to prevent population loss in rural areas, to encourage the return of the population concentrated in cities to rural areas, and to transform urban spaces with a family and child-oriented perspective.
9- Existing legal regulations will be reviewed with an approach to protecting and strengthening the family and population structure, and studies on new legal regulations will be carried out in line with the identified needs.
10- Changes in family and population structure will be regularly monitored and examined.
11- For the effective implementation of the Family and Population Decade Vision Document, institutional structuring, local implementation capacity, cooperation, technical and digital infrastructure will be strengthened, and the professional competence of the staff will be improved.
12- Diplomatic activities that reinforce Türkiye’s leading role in international arenas regarding the issue will be carried out, and cooperation will be developed with countries that have similar attitudes to Türkiye.
13- Necessary measures will be taken within the scope of the relevant legislation, especially the creation of a digital family shield for the detection, evaluation and prevention of harmful elements in all mass media, family-friendly broadcasting will be encouraged and awareness of responsible media use will be disseminated.
14- Communication campaigns regarding strong family and population goals will be carried out, and these issues will be addressed as a basic component of formal and non-formal education programs.
15- Every year, the last week of May will be celebrated as “National Family Week”, and events appropriate to the meaning and importance of this week will be organized by public institutions and organizations.

CONSTITUTIONAL PROTECTION
In the circular, it was emphasized that the stable existence of societies depends on a strong family and population structure. It was reminded that Article 41 of the Constitution of the Republic of Turkey places the family under the protection of the state, and it was stated that the family is defined as the “natural and basic unit of society” in international agreements.

THANKS FROM EMINE ERDOĞAN
First Lady Erdoğan said, “I would like to thank everyone who contributed to this valuable work that protects the family, which is the strongest pillar of our society, and strengthens the bond between generations.”

The institution of family and generations will be protected
The institution of marriage will be encouraged
Fertility rate will be increased
Qualified training of young people and welfare of the elderly will be realized
Balanced distribution of the population and on-site development of the rural area will be ensured

President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan spoke at the Family and Population 10 Year Vision Promotion Program held by the Ministry of Family and Social Services at the Haliç Congress Center: Family and Population 10 Year is the manifestation of a strong state will that sees the family as the basis of society and the population as the guarantee of the future of our nation. Our vision document is the road map of the vision of Türkiye, which starts with people, roots with family, grows with generations, strengthens with population, and moves towards the future. We built our document on five complementary strategic priorities. Our first strategic priority is to protect the family institution and generations. Our second priority is the promotion of the institution of marriage. While our third priority is increasing the fertility rate, our fourth is the qualified education of young people and the welfare of the elderly. Our fifth and last strategic priority is the on-site development of the rural area and the balanced distribution of the population. We will also carry out work on research, institutional capacity, legislation, communication and diplomacy to implement the priorities of the 10 years. From now on, we will celebrate the last week of May as ‘National Family Week’ and ensure that social awareness is increased.

OUR CALL FOR THREE CHILDREN HAS BEEN PROVEN RIGHT
In 2007, we pointed out a rapidly approaching danger by saying at least three children. This call attracted the reaction of those who viewed every issue regarding the country through ideological lenses, and they criticized us with extremely low-level expressions. We have been exposed to many irrational and immoral accusations, slanders and rudeness, ranging from arrogance that interferes with our lifestyle to targeting our belief values. What happened after all? In the meantime, our calls for three children have been proven right.

THEIR CLAIMS ARE ABSURD

Those who criticized us in those days are forced to give up our rights today. We are sure that history will repeat itself tomorrow. The absurdity of the claims of those who accuse us of trivializing the individual and weakening women because we give importance and priority to the family will be revealed.

The accuracy of our efforts to protect and strengthen the family will be better understood in the future. As Türkiye, we have not only felt the effects of the rapid changes in the world regarding family and population issues. At the same time, we faced the negative consequences of the wrong policies and perceptions put in place since the 1960s.

THEY MADE PROPAGANDA

Especially those over 50 will remember it very well. Our country has been bombarded with propaganda for years. We are told that there is an opposing relationship between population and development. In other words, it was stated that as population and fertility increase, poverty will increase and welfare will decrease.

THE NUMBERS ARE WORRIING

The rate of single-person households reached 20.5 percent. While the age of first marriage has increased to 28.5 for men and 26 for women, the rate of never-married women between the ages of 20-24 is 79 percent and 94 percent for men. The age of marriage is increasing, divorce rates are increasing, and as a result, our fertility rate is decreasing. In other words, as a nation, we have a situation in front of us where we need to worry about our future, and not only that, but also take action to solve it. Our fertility rate dropped to 1.48 in 2024. While 1 million 351 thousand babies were born annually in 2014, it decreased to less than 1 million in 2023. While the median age is approaching 35 in our country, it is 45 in Europe. Türkiye is still 10 years younger than the European Union, but despite this, we must take the necessary measures now. We are developing our family-centered policy by increasing the support for our young people who are getting married and increasing the maternity leave to 24 weeks.

THEY CALLED FAMILIES WITH MANY CHILDREN IGNORANT AND COUNTRY

While corpses were taken hostage in hospitals in the heart of Istanbul simply because they were not paid, resources that should have been used to improve the health system were wasted with population control policies prescribed from outside. Today, the mentality that sees children as a burden to the family and the population as a burden to the country is completely bankrupt. Almost all of the countries that are shown as examples to the world as welfare societies complained about the decrease in population growth rate. They made population control policies a taboo and did not allow even the slightest contradictory voice or idea. They also devalued the family and accused families with many children of ignorance, provincialism and bigotry.

SACRIFICE AND LOYALTY AWARD
The Sacrifice and Loyalty Award was received by the relatives of the martyr Özlem Emir and Kıvanç Emir, the hearing-impaired family Gizem, Burak and their children Okan Ali Uyanık, the foster family Merve and Seydullah Yuyucu, and the four-generation family Ahmet Demirci, Metin Demirci, Havva Demirci, Gülşah Doğan, Murat Doğan and Eren Doğan. Fatima-Şahin Alkan and her children Ali Asaf, who established a home by benefiting from the Family and Youth Fund, were deemed worthy of the Young Family Award. President Erdoğan also gave the couple a gift. Ercüment Öztürk received the first prize in the Our Family is Our Future Photography Competition, and Mehmet Ali Alkış received the first prize in the “Family” themed short film competition.

TREE OF LIFE FROM ZERO WASTE
Minister Göktaş presented First Lady Erdoğan with the work titled “The Root of the Tree of Life, Our Family is Our Strength, Population”, which was produced from recycled materials based on the Zero Waste vision, symbolizing the family and the new generations that arise from it.

Clinical Psychologist Mehmet Yasir Cebeci, one of the Sumud Flotilla activists who survived Israel’s attack in international waters, made special statements to SABAH. Stating that they are still anchored off the coast of Crete, Cebeci said:

We were at the rear of the fleet that night. Warships began to attack some boats. When we saw the Zodiac boats, we quickly steered towards Crete. We covered the 30-40 mile distance in a matter of hours. The drones followed us for a while. They then focused on the boats behind. We are waiting for the weather to improve in Crete. An Israeli attack could occur at any moment. Because they were afraid of us breaking the blockade, they attacked us 800 miles from their so-called territorial waters. But we will set out with more ships. We will break that blockade.

There were reports that warships were seen sailing off the coast of Crete. We were traveling in groups. We had been watched by spotter drones since we left Italy, but we thought of the drones as Israel’s psychological intimidation tool. At that time, we were 30 miles from Greek territorial waters. We later confirmed that the ships were warships.

Later in the day, we saw the Zodiac boats. We saw red lights 5-6 miles away to our right. We learned that there was an attack on the ships around us. “We are currently waiting off the coast of Crete with 31 ships.”