Minister of Transport and Infrastructure Abdulkadir Uraloğlu stated that the works in the Bursa-Osmaneli section of the Bandırma-Bursa-Yenişehir-Osmaneli High Speed ​​Train Project will be completed in the second half of this year, thus Bursa will be the 12th province to join the high-speed train (YHT) network. Uraloğlu pointed out that the Bursa-Osmaneli section is a critical connection that will directly connect Bursa to Türkiye’s main YHT network and said, “When this section is completed, a train departing from Bursa will be connected to the Ankara-Istanbul YHT line via Osmaneli. Thus, Bursa will be connected to our country’s YHT train network, especially Ankara and Istanbul.” he said. Uraloğlu stated that the excavation, filling, tunnel and engineering works of the line have been completed and said: “We have made 90 percent progress in the superstructure works. We aim to complete our work on the 106-kilometer section following the Osmaneli, Yenişehir, Yenişehir Airport, Gürsu and Bursa route in the second half of this year, and our work on the Teknosab, Karacabey, Dağkadı and Kuşcenneti route from Bursa in 2028.” AA

Iftar tables set up by Trabzon Metropolitan Municipality in Eşrefiye District of Aleppo, Syria, during the month of Ramadan continue to bring hundreds of people together around the same table. The delegation from Trabzon attended the iftar dinner held in Aleppo. Trabzon Metropolitan Municipality Mayor Ahmet Metin Genç emphasized the brotherhood and solidarity between the people of Turkey and Syria and stated that the spirit of sharing and unity of Ramadan was further strengthened at the tables set in Aleppo. In order to examine the aid efforts on site and participate in the iftar program, a delegation consisting of Trabzon Governor Tahir Şahin, Trabzon Metropolitan Municipality Mayor Ahmet Metin Genç, AK Party Provincial Chairman Sezgin Mumcu, AK Party Ortahisar District Chairman Seyit Hisoğlu, some council members and municipal administrators. He went to Aleppo. Speaking at the iftar program, Mayor Genç emphasized the spirit of unity and solidarity of Ramadan and stated that they were happy to share the same table with the people of Aleppo together with the delegation from Trabzon.

President Genç stated that Türkiye has always been on the side of the oppressed and said: “We are currently experiencing the peace of being together at the same Ramadan table with our brothers in Aleppo. We are here, together with our delegation from Trabzon, to share the blessings of this holy month and to further strengthen the bridges of our hearts. I wholeheartedly congratulate the effort made for the independence of these lands and the honorable struggle of its people. May God have mercy on our martyrs who lost their lives for this cause.” “I salute our veterans who took part in the struggle with respect and gratitude. It is also meaningful for us to have some of them at our iftar table today.”

OUR EFFORT WILL CONTINUE

President Genç continued his words as follows: “From Aleppo, from this iftar table, I would like to express our gratitude to our President, Mr. Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, who has been following determinedly and strongly supporting this just struggle of Syria and Aleppo since the beginning of the process. We are the people of these lands. As the Turkish nation, we will continue to stand by our brothers today and tomorrow, as we did yesterday, to disrupt the games that the imperial powers want to establish in our region. We will share the blessings of Ramadan.”

Thanks to the soup kitchens established by Turkish NGOs in Gaza, Palestinians are experiencing Ramadan at mass iftar tables and patients are also being treated. Turkish Red Crescent teams, which offer hot iftar meals to Palestinians during Ramadan, also distribute basic food ingredients such as bulgur, rice, flour, tomato paste and oil to those who want to cook in their tents. Stating that the aid reached the people of Gaza, albeit with difficulty, Turkish Red Crescent President Fatma Meriç Yılmaz said, “We distribute hot meals to 60 thousand people in Gaza every day from our two soup kitchens. We provide two major supports in terms of hospitals. First, we provide food service to hospitalized patients, doctors and nurses from these soup kitchens. Also, with the agreement we made with the Palestinian Red Crescent, we, as the Turkish Red Crescent, cover all the expenses of two field hospitals.” On the other hand, Caravan of Hope Humanitarian Relief Foundation had surgeries performed on some patients brought from Gaza to Egypt. Electric wheelchairs were distributed to support the lives of 10 disabled women and girls from Gaza who were receiving treatment.

While the wounds of the 6.1 and 6 magnitude earthquakes that occurred in Balıkesir on 10 August and 27 October last year were rapidly being healed, it was revealed that AFAD’s request for land allocation from Sındırgı Municipality for earthquake housing to be built in the region had not been included in the parliamentary agenda for 2 months. It was noted that the construction of the houses could not be started due to the obstruction of the Mayor of Sındırgı, CHP’s Serkan Sak. The 6.1 and 6.0 magnitude earthquakes that occurred in Sındırgı district of Balıkesir on 10 August and 27 October 2025 caused severe damage to many structures in the district center as well as in the villages of Gölcük, Osmanlar, Kertil and Alacaatlı. Immediately after the earthquake, Minister of Environment, Urbanization and Climate Change Murat Kurum went to Sındırgı and met with the earthquake victims. Listening to the demands of the citizens, the Minister Kurum promised that the disaster residences would be delivered within 1 year. Instead of houses damaged in the earthquake; The foundations of 531 independent sections, including 385 village houses, 135 TOKİ residences and 11 workplaces, were laid in Sındırgı and Bigadiç districts.

IT HAS BEEN WAITED FOR TWO MONTHS

AFAD, which carried out ground survey work in Kınık, Ormaniçi and Şahinkaya Neighborhoods of Sındırgı, determined that the most suitable areas for housing in these 3 rural neighborhoods were the areas of Sındırgı Municipality and the municipality requested the allocation of these areas. CHP Mayor Serkan Sak referred the agenda item submitted to the municipal council to the commission. It was revealed that the relevant article had been kept in the commission for 2 months upon the instructions of Mayor Sak and was never brought to the agenda of the Parliament again.

‘THE PRESIDENT OPPOSES’

Making a statement about the non-allocation of the areas required for the construction of earthquake houses, AK Party Sındırgı District Chairman İsmail Uluhan said, “Some areas owned by the municipality that are suitable for construction in Kınık, Ormaniçi and Şahinkaya neighborhoods were determined by AFAD’s technical teams. It was requested that these areas be transferred to AFAD free of charge by the council decision in order to build earthquake houses. However, Mayor Serkan Sak opposes giving them to AFAD. Whose property are you denying to whom? “Earthquake victims cannot find permanent homes because of you,” he said. It was noteworthy that the municipality did not make a statement on the issue.

The Crime Organization trial of CHP’s Ekrem İmamoğlu, the former president of Istanbul Metropolitan Municipality, where the public loss of 161 billion, the profiteering of the century, and bribery and corruption in 143 actions were revealed, begins today. Istanbul Chief Public Prosecutor’s Office completed the IMM corruption investigation on November 11 and prepared a huge 3,806-page indictment against 407 defendants, 105 of whom were detained. Bribery and corruption in 143 actions were described as causing a public loss of 161 billion. The trial, which is expected to last 2 months, will start today in the courtroom No. 1 in the Marmara Closed Penal Institution Campus (Silivri).

REQUEST FOR UP TO 2 THOUSAND 352 YEARS OF PRISON

In the indictment, Ekrem İmamoğlu, who was held responsible for 142 actions as the leader of the organization, was accused of “establishing an organization for the purpose of committing a crime”, “recording personal data”, “seizing and disseminating personal data”, “concealing criminal evidence”, “obstructing communication”, “damaging public property”, “bribery”, “publicly disseminating misleading information”, “extortion”, “fraud to the detriment of public institutions and organizations”, “devaluation of assets resulting from crime”. Up to 2,352 years of imprisonment was requested for the crimes of “laundering”, “tender rigging”, “deliberate pollution of the environment”, and violation of the Tax Procedure Law, Forest Law and Mining Law.

53.5 BILLION WAS STEAMED

One of the most critical points in the indictment was the fate of billions of euros of loans received from abroad for rail systems. According to the indictment, the total size of 14 separate loans is 2 billion 36 million euros and 1 billion 588 million dollars. According to the exchange rate of the period in which they were purchased, the total amount reaches 69 billion 516 million lira. Although there was a “cannot be used for purposes other than allocation” condition for these loans, it was determined that 53 billion 532 million lira of them were used for purposes other than their intended purpose. Some of the resources were first transferred to municipal subsidiaries. According to the findings, this figure is 13 billion 836 million lira. Then, through irregular tenders through these subsidiaries, it was directed to companies linked to names such as İmamoğlu, Fatih Keleş and Murat Ongun. Some payments were transferred directly to private companies. The directly transferred figure was determined as 6 billion 189 million lira. It was determined that 1 billion 200 million liras were transferred to companies in the media and advertising sector named Mişel Organizasyon and Reklam, Adgreat Digital Media and Creative Medya Reklam.

THE WHEEL OF BRIBERY IN THE BOSPHORUS

One of the most serious income items of the İmamoğlu Crime Organization was the irregularities committed in the Bosphorus, where the ultra-rich reside. The organization targeted high-level capital owners who owned waterside mansions on the Bosphorus or had villas on the Bosphorus ridge. These people apply to the Boğaziçi Zoning Directorate for a renovation or repair that they are entitled to. Elçin Karaoğlu, the manager of the unit, and engineer Yakup Öner, the “Shadow Boğaziçi Zoning Manager”, acting on behalf of İmamoğlu, step in. After these names come into contact with the businessmen, the ball is passed to Fatih Keleş. The amount of bribe to be requested is determined by evaluating the political-social status and capital size of businessmen.

HERE ARE THE ORGANIZATION MANAGERS

The indictment also includes detailed information about the duties and roles of the names stated to be the leaders of the organization within the organization. It is stated that Fatih Keleş, who was appointed as a “consultant” after İmamoğlu became the President of Istanbul Metropolitan Municipality and became the head of the Istanbul Metropolitan Municipality Sports Club, was positioned as the “second man” and “secret safe” in the organization. It is claimed that Keleş conducted bribery negotiations with some business people and decided who would win the tenders. Media Inc. President Murat Ongun is Medya A.Ş. and Kültür A.Ş. It is noted that it is effective in the tenders given through the company, and some tenders are directed to certain companies through subcontractors.

The agenda of the cabinet, which will meet today at the Presidential Complex under the chairmanship of President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, is busy. The main agenda of the critical meeting will include the increasing tension in the Middle East, Türkiye’s diplomatic traffic and important topics regarding domestic policy.

❱ WAR IN THE MIDDLE EAST: At the cabinet meeting, the escalating tension in the region following the attacks of the United States and Israel targeting Iran will be discussed in detail. The regional effects of the conflict, which expanded as Iran launched attacks against US bases and Israel, will be evaluated. The intense diplomacy traffic that Türkiye has been carrying out since the first day of the crisis will also be one of the important agenda items of the cabinet. President Erdoğan’s contacts with leaders since the start of the war on February 28 and the progress of Türkiye’s mediation initiatives will be shared with cabinet members.

❱ DEVELOPMENTS IN GAZA AND LEBANON: The meeting will also discuss the ceasefire conditions in Gaza, which are stated to be violated by Israel, and the increase in Israel’s attacks on Lebanon. The humanitarian situation in the region and new diplomatic steps that Türkiye can take will be evaluated.

❱ TERRORIST-FREE Türkiye GOAL: On the internal agenda of the cabinet, there are studies carried out within the scope of the “Terror-free Türkiye” goal. After the commission established within the Turkish Grand National Assembly completes its work, the legal steps to be taken will be discussed. The new phase of the process will be evaluated in line with the latest information from intelligence units.

❱ PENSIONER’S FESTIVAL BONUS: On the other hand, the Eid bonus to be given to retirees before the upcoming Ramadan Feast will also be discussed in the cabinet. While there is a two-week period for the possible regulation to become law before the holiday, which will start on March 20, alternatives regarding the bonus amount are expected to be discussed.