After the cabinet meeting held under the chairmanship of President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, Vice President Cevdet Yılmaz made striking evaluations regarding the fight against illegal betting.

COMPREHENSIVE ACTION PLAN AS INSTRUCTED BY PRESIDENT ERDOĞAN: Vice President Yılmaz stated that a multi-dimensional action plan has been prepared in line with the instructions of Recep Tayyip Erdoğan. Stating that the struggle is not limited to judicial processes only, Yılmaz noted that communication, financial tracking, international cooperation and digital control mechanisms have also been put into action. Stating that relevant institutions, especially the Financial Crimes Investigation Board (MASAK), are working intensively, Yılmaz said that artificial intelligence-supported audit systems have also started to be used.

MONEY AND ORGANIZED CRIME THREAT: Emphasizing that illegal betting activities do not only cause economic losses, Yılmaz pointed out that these structures can be linked to money laundering, terrorism financing and organized crime. Yılmaz said, “These structures, which have no control mechanism, operate without age limits and income control. Therefore, they pose serious threats not only economically but also socially.”

REGULATIONS FOR LEGAL GAMES: Stating that legal games of chance such as the National Lottery Administration and Spor Toto are evaluated in a different framework, Yılmaz said that regulations have been implemented to create a more controlled structure in advertising and promotion. Yılmaz stated that preventive work is being carried out against all legal or illegal betting and gambling activities within the scope of combating addiction.

INTERNATIONAL COOPERATION AGAINST STRUCTURES WITH OVERSEAS CONNECTIONS: Stating that a significant portion of illegal betting networks operate in the virtual environment and through foreign-based structures, Yılmaz said that this situation makes the fight more complicated. Stating that the Ministry of Foreign Affairs was also included in the process in this context, Yılmaz noted that contacts with relevant countries were intensified and studies were carried out to strengthen international legal cooperation mechanisms. Yılmaz said, “With the coordination of all our institutions, we continue our fight against illegal betting and related criminal structures with determination.”

MHP leader Devlet Bahçeli made a statement at the Turkish Youth Grand Congress.

The highlights of Devlet Bahçeli’s statements are as follows:

I feel great pride in the magnificent view I see before me and the enthusiasm and idealism that surrounds this hall from end to end. I am happy to witness the future of our great nation and the young breaths of the Turkish-Islamic cause. It is an indescribable honor for me to see the Turkish youth, who carry the power of Ergenekon in their hearts, the determination of Malazgirt in their minds, and the torch of independence of Samsun in their steps, here on this meaningful day.

TURKISH YOUTH IS HERE, STANDING STANDING IN FRONT OF ME

Today, we realize how the sun of freedom, which rose on the horizon of Samsun on May 19, 1919, shines in the eyes of Turkish youth 109 years later. It is here, accompanied by this magnificent picture, that we declare how the idealist movement that shaped the Republic of Türkiye has survived. How happy we are. That Turkish youth that we longed for, prayed for, waited impatiently for, and trusted completely, is here in front of me, standing tall. We cannot be happy enough, proud or proud of this youth. Dear Asena, dear gray wolves, who fill this hall with white foreheads, good sense, solid hearts, obvious determination, pure intentions, and of whom I am proud with all my sincerity, I greet you all with my most heartfelt feelings, affection and respect, on the occasion of the Turkish Youth Grand Congress organized by the Ülkü Ocakları Education and Culture Foundation. I embrace each and every one of you. Welcome. I say you brought joy. I would like to personally thank all of my companions and companions who grew up in the Ülkü Ocakları, especially Mr. Ahmet Yiğit Yıldırım, the Chairman of the Ülkü Ocakları Education and Culture Foundation, and who continue to raise our generation in a pure manner here.

MAY 19 IS A HOLY BEGINNING WHERE THE TURKISH NATION WAS BORN AGAIN ON THE STAGE OF HISTORY

My children, May 19, 1919 is a blessed beginning in which the Turkish nation rose again on the stage of history, broke the chain of captivity that was intended to impose its fate, and rejected the tutelage games established by imperialism. The harsh provisions of Mudros stabbed our nation like a dagger, and all corners of Anatolia were surrounded by the dirty plans of those who wanted to invade. While the land of the homeland was being trampled by the boots of the invaders, the nets of betrayal stretched from Istanbul to Mosul, from Erzurum to Thessaloniki, and were surrounded by the protection ambitions of the mandate holders and the calculations of surrender of the separatist societies. The heavy shadow of the occupation fell on the skies of Istanbul, the army’s resources were cut short by the terms of the armistice, and the patience of the patriots ran out. Namık Kemal, our poet of homeland and freedom, gave voice to the nation’s pain as follows. “The enemy has put his dagger in the heart of the country. Is there anyone who will save his bad luck?” The first step taken by Mustafa Kemal Atatürk in Samsun is the greatest answer to this question.

EITHER INTEGRATION OR DEATH…

That first step was to national consciousness in Havza, to the liberation edict in Amasya, to national unity in Erzurum, to “Either independence or death” in Sivas. With the decision that said, it turned into a national will that became a state and a giant in Ankara. Thus, Namık Kemal’s cry found its answer, and Mustafa Kemal Atatürk sealed this answer to history with these verses. “Let the enemy put his dagger to the heart of the country. He will find his bad luck that will save him.” These verses foreshadowed how the spark that broke out in Samsun would turn into a fire of revolution in Anatolia.

My dear comrades, my beloved sons, while Gazi Mustafa Kemal Pasha was igniting the national struggle in Samsun, there was uncertainty in front of him, an enemy trying to invade, informers of treason behind him, and a death sentence around his neck. But there was no room for fear in his soul. Just as the Bandırma Ferry was sharpened by the rough waves of the Black Sea, the will of the national struggle emerged from poverty, betrayal, and the shadow of invasion and emerged from strength to action. Gazi Mustafa Kemal Pasha, the architect of that will, did not consider impossibility as an excuse and heard the footsteps of the approaching apocalypse in the silence of Anatolia. It was Gazi Mustafa Kemal Pasha’s love and belief in the Turkish nation that turned silence into sound, helplessness into grandeur, disarray into peace, and grief into uprising. This great will, which turned the opportunity provided by an official duty into a milestone of national revival, rebuilt the fortune and history of the Turkish nation in Samsun.

MAY 19 IS THE LEGACY OF OUR SADRED NATION

I want you to know very well that we are walking on this construction today. There is no room for fatigue on this walk. There is no room for discouragement in this walk. There is no room for hesitation, surrender, exhaustion and division in this walk. May 19 is the legacy of our saddened nation. May 19 is the Turkish hand rewriting the destiny of those who want to be left in captivity. May 19 is the first light of dawn in a geography that is intended to be abandoned to darkness. Because May 19 is the name of the future campaign that started 107 years ago with that first step taken by Gazi Mustafa Kemal Pasha in Samsun and will continue forever. Your duty today is to be a soldier at the forefront of this expedition. Galip Erdem, a man of ideas and cause, said, “Just as it is important to win the war of freedom, it is at least as important to be worthy of freedom.” he said. You will continue this great struggle with the language of your age, with your efforts, with your halal earnings, with your mind nourished with faith, with your successes with your sweat. As a matter of fact, Mustafa Kemal Atatürk said, “If one day you are helpless, do not expect a savior. Be the savior yourself.” He called out with his advice.

The meaning of this exceptional day gifted to youth lies in this call and truth. The dignity of the future, the responsibility of the future, the honor of the republic, the Turkish nation’s covenant to live freely forever, have been entrusted to the Turkish youth with the memory of May 19, 1919. Precious Asenas, precious Gray Wolves, then you will not be afraid, you will not run away, you will not sell, you will not be thrown away. The wind may blow hard and the roads will become steep. From time to time you will experience that wolf loneliness. Sometimes no one will understand you, no matter how much you try, you will not be understood. You will not be the travelers of sunny days, the guests of cheerful tables, the enthusiasts of smooth roads, but the sentries of difficult times, the guardians of their hearths in misty weather, and the sole innkeepers of the cause of Turkish nationalism. If anyone is wondering who you are, where you come from and where you are going, they should first look back at the past. How did Arif Nihat Asya address the idealist Turkish youth? “You, the idealists, who will realize the great Türkiye. You, the idealists, who are the grandchildren of the Oghuzs, Kürşads, Alparslans, Fatihs, Yavuzs, Abdulhamid Khans, Yunus Emres, Mevlanas, Hacı Bektaş, Sütçü İmams, Dilşad Sultans, Nene Hatuns, Gevher Nesibes, Malhun Hatuns.” You are the continuation of such a generation, the heirs of such a history, the custodians of such a cause. You will not break away from your roots, you will consider your identity as honor, and you will not become a burden on your history. You will not sell your ancestors’ advice or your mother’s prayers in the modern markets of the West. You will not lose your agenda to the mercy of global winds, your days to the vortex of the virtual world, and your heart to the flood of rootless currents. You will not surrender your time to emptiness, your mind to chaos, your efforts to useless rush, your pure souls to false shine. You will strengthen your mind with knowledge, your morals with faith, your dreams with ideals, and your goals with discipline. You will not abandon your ranks, you will not hesitate to rush forward when necessary and never turn back. You will not be the one who saves the day, but you will be the great Turkish youth who is a candidate to establish centuries and leave their mark on that century as the Turkish and Turkish Century. Those heroes are the idealist Turkish youth who stand before me like a flag. The name of the institution that keeps the yeast of those heroes in its hands, kneads the dough of the brave men, saves the young minds from the abyss of straying and puts them on the scales of responsibility, the home where we all grew up is the Idealist Hearths.

“THE TRUST OF OUR MARTYRS HAS NOT REMAINED AND WILL NOT REMAIN ON THE GROUND”

The Ideal Hearths are the gates of upbringing that temper the minds of our youth, filter the overflowing emotions through the filter of decency, and direct the desires in the direction of chastity. Ülkü Ocakları, connecting ability to purpose, “Not me, but us.” It is the threshold of wisdom that teaches us to say, and transforms our existence, which consists of objections, into a personality that lives with its nation. Ülkü Ocakları is a shelter that does not abandon Turkish youth to thought movements of unknown origin, does not abandon them to the rudeness of the streets, and does not surrender them to the bright complacency of the screens. Ülkü Ocakları is a school that pulls Turkish youth out of the crises of belonging, spiritual drought, value erosion, and the grinding wheels of identitylessness and rootlessness. The history of this school is the youth front of the Turkish nation’s struggle for existence in the last century. A struggle has been fought to prevent Turkish youth from being divided into ideological camps of unknown origin, not being handed over to street clashes, not looking for a cure in imported prescriptions fueled by grudges, and not being left to the theses of division. This struggle was fought both in university corridors and student dormitories, as well as in courtrooms, dungeons and coffins. This struggle was born not as a youth enthusiasm, but as a nation’s reflex to protect its national survival. This struggle has been enchanted with the cherished memories of Fırat Yılmaz Çakıroğlu, the leader of our caravan of martyrs, kneaded with sacrifice and stoned with martyrdom.

When we look into the eyes of the Turkish youth who fill this hall today, we see that the legacy of our martyrs has not remained and will not remain in place. The memories of our idealist martyrs are our polar stars that shape and brighten our present. Their cherished memory lives not only in our prayers and memories, but also in the sweat of the Turkish youth who sweat in front of books, work with science in the laboratory, write code, develop projects, know the soil and produce. Because times have changed. Battlefields have been integrated into cyberspace. Algorithm has been added to the side of the sword, and software has been added to the side of the banner. Today, headquarters are now technology centers. One front of the war is sometimes on a laboratory table, sometimes on a national software, sometimes on a UAV wing, sometimes on the engine of a racing vehicle. For this reason, the moves of the Ülkü Ocakları in the field of technology are an effort to make Turkish youth the subject of the age.

Minister of Culture and Tourism Mehmet Nuri Ersoy hosted young artists at the Ministry of Culture and Tourism on the occasion of 19 May Commemoration of Atatürk, Youth and Sports Day. Çankırı Selahattin İnal Fine Arts High School students, who came to the Ministry within the framework of the “Living Heritage Youth Festival” held within the scope of the “Living Heritage School” activities carried out by the General Directorate of Living Heritage and Cultural Activities, presented the glass mosaic Turkish flag they prepared to Minister Ersoy.

Minister Ersoy received information about the production process of the work prepared by the students under the guidance of Glass Artist Sertaç Bayraktar, Bearer of the Intangible Cultural Heritage. Ersoy, who carefully examined the application of the glass mosaic technique, asked what stages the work went through and how the students contributed to the project. Minister Ersoy chatted with the young people for a while; He exchanged views about the students’ school lives, their interest in art and their future goals. Asking the students whether they would work on new projects in the future, Ersoy also received information about whether the work was carried out individually or as a team.

During the visit, which took place in a friendly atmosphere, attention was drawn to the importance of keeping traditional arts alive through young generations; It was emphasized that efforts to preserve cultural heritage and transfer it to future generations will continue to grow stronger with the contribution of young people. To the program; Living Heritage and Cultural Activities General Manager Selim Terzi, Çankırı Selahattin İnal Fine Arts High School Principal İbrahim Gökmen, Glass Artist Sertaç Bayraktar and students Şerifenur Ceyhan, Aylin Coşkun, Hikmet Emin Demirci and Yasin Yalçın attended.

There has been a new development regarding the money traffic that Gökhan Böcek, the son of former Metropolitan Mayor Muhittin Böcek, who was arrested in the corruption investigation carried out in Antalya, benefited from effective repentance and gave to CHP Deputy Veli Ağbaba on the instructions of CHP Chairman Özgür Özel before the local elections. Gökhan Böcek, who stated that he delivered 200 thousand dollars in a bag to Özgür Özel’s team in the municipal vehicle at the mayoral candidate promotion meeting in Antalya under the guidance of CHP’s Veli Ağbaba, and the stage manager Batuhan Ülker, who said that he witnessed the incident, was taken as a witness. Ülker said that on the day of the candidate promotion launch, he saw Gökhan Böcek give a package he took from the vehicle to a male person he did not know.

Entry Date: 19.05.2026 12:47

Update Date: 19.05.2026 12:48

President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan said that he condemned in the harshest terms Israel’s attack on the Global Sumud Fleet, which carries humanitarian aid to Gaza, in international waters. The Cabinet Meeting held at the Presidential Complex under the chairmanship of Erdoğan lasted 2 hours. Making a statement after the meeting, President Erdoğan briefly said:

I DAMN THE ATTACK: (SUMUD FLEET) Despite the ceasefire reached on October 11 with our efforts, Israel unfortunately continues its legal, immoral and inhumane policies towards Gaza. They display all kinds of barbarism, from blocking humanitarian aid entries to air strikes targeting Gaza civilians. Today, we witnessed once again how Israel is governed by a fascist mentality. The Global Sumud Flotilla, which carries humanitarian aid to Gaza, was attacked by Israeli forces and in international waters. I condemn in the strongest terms this piracy and banditry against the hopeful passengers of the Sumut Fleet, which consists of citizens of 40 different countries. We are taking the necessary initiatives to ensure that our citizens in the fleet return to our country safely. We invite the international community to take action now against Israel’s unlawful and unruly actions.

AFTERSHOCKS OF THE CRISIS CONTINUES: The aftershocks of the crisis, which started with the attacks on Iran on February 28, continue in many areas. We are faced with a multi-layered uncertainty where the balance in fuel prices is still not achieved… Inflation is on the rise in many countries of the world… Breaks in supply chains have not yet been repaired… The blockage in the Strait of Hormuz cannot be overcome. The extent of the destruction caused by this shock wave, which hit the world like a tsunami, cannot be fully estimated. The more serious aspect of the issue is that this atmosphere produces a “cluff economy” at the global level, creating a rent system based mostly on speculation and market manipulation. A handful of wild capitalists who control hot money are growing stronger and adding to their wealth by literally usurping the throat of billions of people from Africa to Asia, from America to Latin America.

PASSWORDS ARE BUILDING EVERY DAY: While the bread on the table of the middle and lower income groups is getting smaller and smaller, their passbooks are swelling every day. It is a fact that every war produces its own economy; So every war has winners and losers. However, with the Iran war, this issue has exceeded the limits of tolerance and reached destructive dimensions in terms of global economic welfare. Behind the unresolved crises and conflicts that cannot be ended in many parts of the world is the irreconcilable attitude of the parties, as well as the great role, influence and sabotage attempts of the tufeylis who benefit from the crisis. Unfortunately, we observe that there are people in our country who are in a hurry to grab logs from the flood. They are trying to gain political and material benefit from this extraordinary process by injecting demoralization, pessimism and hopelessness into society.

THE SMOKE OF THE FIRE IN OUR REGION REACHES US TOO: While our world is globalizing; Problems, crises and opportunities are also gaining a global dimension, and everyone is faced with the reality called the “butterfly effect”. In this new world where distances have lost their meaning, no one has the luxury of remaining indifferent to what is happening in another part of the world. So to speak, today, when a country in the Middle East sneezes, a country in Latin America or Asia can easily catch a cold. The days when every sheep was hanged by its own legs are now over. Like every country integrated with the global economy, we are somehow affected by every positive or negative event outside. Especially, even if there is no flame from the fire in our region, its smoke reaches us and spreads to us.

WE MAINTAINED OUR COOL BLOOD: We maintained our composure against the traps of drawing Türkiye into war from the first day. In addition, we made efforts to reduce tension and restore tranquility with our peaceful policy that prioritizes negotiation, dialogue and diplomacy. By further increasing our dialogue with our Turkish and Kurdish brothers in the region, we contributed to disrupting the games that would deepen instability. Türkiye’s ability to manage regional conflicts and crises was once again demonstrated in this process. Despite the instability that surrounds us, Türkiye has stood out as the island of stability in its region. Although it will take some time to return to the pre-war period, our country will continue on its way much stronger than before. We can already see signs of this. The interest of international investors in our country is increasing day by day.

OPPOSITION PURSUES CRISIS OPPORTUNITY
Instead of making constructive criticisms and adopting a tone that prioritizes Türkiye in the Iran war and its aftermath, which brought our region to the edge of the abyss, the opposition unfortunately chose to turn the process into a tool of exploitation for its political interests and resorted to crisis opportunism. Even in such a period, they could not save themselves from acting with the logic of “let the government wear down and if necessary, let Türkiye lose”. We regret to see that they insist on maintaining this attitude. Instead of strengthening the capacity of the political institution to produce solutions by saying “right is right and wrong is wrong”, unfortunately, they cannot go beyond calling what the government says is “white” “black” and what the government says is “right” as “wrong”. What’s worse is that this is done in an extremely ugly, hurtful and destructive manner that has rarely been seen in our political history.

EVERYONE MUST BE SENSITIVE
However, opposition does not mean distorting, manipulating, or being so despicable as to set the country on fire for one’s political gain. The opposition’s duty is not to provoke, to incite, or to try to benefit from this by acting as an economic hitman. Embracing rhetoric with high levels of threat and provocation, especially in order to conceal the corruption agenda, is an extremely cheap and stale policy. In democracies, the opposition is at least as responsible as the government; It has to act responsibly when it comes to the interests of the country and nation. I would like to remind you that; Our region is going through a ring of fire… Where no one, including the developed countries, can foresee the future… At a time when a new equation is being established in the global system, the opposition has to act at least as sensitively as we do and take a local and national stance.

THERE IS NO OTHER Türkiye
The words spoken on the podiums, the messages given on the screens, and the judgments made on social media should be carefully calculated to whom they serve, and whether they are in the interest of the country or not should be carefully evaluated. There is no other Türkiye. As 86 million of us, we have no homeland other than this heavenly country. No one has the right to harm this, cast a shadow on the environment of stability and trust in Türkiye, or deal a blow to our country’s interests by hiding behind the excuse of “I am in opposition.” No matter which wing of the political spectrum we are on, we all have to act with the principle of “my nation first, my country first”.

President Tayyip Erdoğan spoke at the TOBB Service Certificate of Honor and Plaque Presentation Ceremony at the Twin Towers of the Union of Chambers and Commodity Exchanges of Türkiye in Çankaya, Ankara:

Since the first day we took over the responsibility of governing Türkiye, we have acted and continue to act with the awareness that we carry the responsibility of every member of our nation on our shoulders. In the last 23.5 years, with the support of you and our beloved nation, we have carried Türkiye to the next level in every field, from education to health, from transportation to trade, from agriculture to security. We have established a solid structure for our economy, which we have built on four pillars. We have made the Turkish economy resistant to shocks in a period when protectionist tendencies are on the rise on a global scale, commercial competition is becoming increasingly harsh, and wars and conflicts are followed by water, climate, food and energy crises.

OUR UNEMPLOYMENT RATE HAS CONTINUED ITS SINGLE-DIGITAL COURSE FOR EXACTLY 35 MONTHS: Our defense and aerospace exports exceeded 10 billion dollars last year. We further reinforce the momentum we have achieved in exports with tourism and employment figures. While our labor force participation rate has increased to 52.8 percent, our unemployment rate has remained in single digits for 35 months. Investors from abroad established 89 thousand companies in our country in 23 years and invested 290 billion dollars.

THERE IS OPPORTUNITY IN PRICING

While Türkiye today has the lowest input costs in Europe in many areas, especially energy, it is obvious that if there are disproportionate increases in the prices of some products, this cannot be explained by market conditions. We resolutely continue our inspections against those who make exorbitant pricing a habit, citing fluctuations in input costs.

OUR FOREIGN TRADE VOLUME IS 820 BILLION $

Despite the conflicts in our region, we grew our economy by 3.6 percent last year, reaching 1.6 trillion dollars and national income per capita to 18 thousand 40 dollars. We increased our foreign trade volume to 820 billion dollars and our exports of goods and services to 396 billion dollars. We will exceed 400 billion dollars in the very near future, God willing. The 4.6 billion dollar increase recorded in April was the highest export increase in the last 53 months.

WE DO NOT GIVE BONUSES TO WEDGE DRIVERS

While we are trying to break down the walls of learned helplessness that have been imposed on Türkiye for decades, some people are constantly putting obstacles in our way in this process. So far, we have not taken into account those who use every opportunity they have to preach goodness. We will not give them bonuses from now on. We will continue to achieve new successes in the same way that we responded to those who asked “What do they know about producing automobiles?” by producing them. We are about to leave behind almost a quarter of a century on the path of serving the nation and the country.

PRESIDENT ERDOĞAN RECEIVED EBU CEZER AND HIS FAMILY FROM GAZA
President Erdoğan received 11-year-old Gazan Ramazan Abu Cezer, known for his videos describing the Gaza tragedy on social media, and his family. Erdoğan met with Cezer at the Presidential Dolmabahçe Working Office. Cezer’s father and aunt were also present at the reception. Ramazan Ebu Cezer gifted the book he wrote to Erdoğan.

The little phenomenon, which announced the human rights violations in Gaza, the blockade and the most basic human rights taken away from its peers in an impressive language filtered from the children’s world, raised public awareness thanks to these efforts and became known as the “ambassador of Gaza children”. During the meeting, Erdogan expressed his appreciation for the brave struggle of little Ramadan in the digital field, who reached millions of people globally and became the voice of the people and children of Gaza. Cezer moved millions to tears by saying, “They wrapped two of my friends in shrouds in front of my eyes” in his interview with CNN Turk. Muhammed UZUN / SABAH