“YOU HAVE MARKED WOMEN’S POWER ON TURKISH POLITICS”

“If we have succeeded in every election we have entered, know that you have a huge share in this success.” First Lady Erdoğan continued as follows:

“Because you have not left a single door untouched in our 81 provinces, in all four corners of our country. But more importantly, you have opened the doors of your hearts wide. You brought brotherhood and sincerity to the houses you stepped into, not slogans or politics, you brought sincerity, you listened to our nation’s problems with all your heart, you understood the situation, you drew road maps that referenced our cultural and belief codes, you produced policies, you offered solutions. It is our duty to carry out a policy that encompasses everyone without dividing or polarizing people. “It is our founding philosophy. You have embraced all the colours, all the voices, all the stories of Türkiye. You have put your stamp on women’s power in Turkish politics. You have proven to the whole world that politics is the art of contacting people, as our President said, ‘it is the subject of politics, not the object’.”

First Lady Erdoğan stated that women’s hands have a tremendous power that beautifies every place they touch, and said, “We have all seen together what politics touched by women’s hands is capable of. AK Party Women’s Branch is the largest women’s civil movement in the world with the number of members approaching 6 million. It is the name of doing politics for women together with women, it is a school of politics in itself.” he said.

“SUCCESS IS NOT AN ACCIDENT”

Reminding that the number of women members was in the thousands when they first set out on this path, First Lady Erdoğan said, “What successes we have achieved with a handful of convinced and determined women. Now imagine what we can do with 6 million women. Today, there is no such women’s organization even in the western countries that talk about democracy but make politics through women, not for women. In fact, this success is not a coincidence. Anatolian women have been at the forefront of social life in these lands for centuries. A traveler in the middle ages, When Ibn Battuta came to Anatolia, he was very surprised by the status of women and wrote in his travelogue: ‘In Anatolia, women ride horses like raiders and hold the front rows in market trade.’ he noted. ‘My child can grow up without a mother, but he cannot grow up without a homeland.’ “The spirit of Nene Hatuns who ran to defend the homeland by saying ‘The spirit of Nene Hatun’ has mixed with the air we breathe.” he said.

“THE HEADSCARF BAN WAS A DANGER TO OUR DEMOCRACY. THANK GOD WE REMOVED THIS DAGGER”

Stating that the issue of women’s rights has been one of the most important agendas of the AK Party since the first day, First Lady Erdoğan said:

“With every step taken for women since 2002, we clearly see that the AK Party has demonstrated a will to remove obstacles to women, empower them and prioritize them in all areas of life. It has undertaken numerous reform actions, each of which directly improves the lives of women, from laws supporting women in business and family life to the fight against violence against women. Ensuring equality in the public sphere and women’s beginning to exercise their rights to education, work and election freely and in a manner worthy of human dignity is also a historical move of the AK Party.

The headscarf ban, which was a human rights violation in itself, was a dagger stuck in our democracy. Thank God, we took out this dagger and healed the wound. However, today we still sadly witness that women are despised because of their attire, that a woman’s value is tried to be measured by her appearance, and that every woman who does not have a western image is considered anachronistic. So, there is still a barrier of prejudice that we need to fight and overcome. Then we will work harder. Our women, whose democratic rights were restricted and ignored in many areas yesterday, are today taking on important responsibilities in all areas of life and taking on roles that guide society in decision-making mechanisms in increasing numbers. This picture is the pride of all of us.”

Providing information about women in state positions, First Lady Erdoğan said, “For example, while we had 14 female ambassadors in 2002, today this number has reached 80. The number of female academics has increased from 26 thousand to 86 thousand. The number of female judges has increased from 1725 to 8 thousand 243. Today, we have reached the highest number of female deputies in the history of the Republic. All these achievements are achieved by the people who do not see social progress separately from the status of women.” “They are the works of the AK Party mentality, which accepts women’s rights as a criterion of civilization.” he said.

Minister of Energy and Natural Resources Alparslan Bayraktar announced on his social media account that Turkish Petroleum Joint Stock Partnership (TPAO) won two fields, one offshore and one onshore, in the hydrocarbon exploration and exploitation tender in 22 fields in Libya, which was awarded after 17 years.

TPAO HAS GOT THE RIGHT TO CONDUCT EXPLORATION ACTIVITIES

Minister Bayraktar said in his post, “We are now taking the local and national steps we have taken in energy to a new phase in cross-border exploration fields. Our national oil company, TPAO, has been entitled to carry out hydrocarbon exploration activities both at sea and on land with its bid for the Libyan oil and natural gas tender.”

HYDROCARBON EXPLORATION WORKS WILL BE CONDUCTED

Minister Bayraktar continued his post with the following statements: “TPAO will carry out its activities in the Libyan high seas with the consortium structure it formed with Repsol and MOL Group. With the consortium, hydrocarbon exploration activities will be carried out in a block with a size of approximately 10 thousand 300 square kilometers, located off the coast of Benghazi, which has a strategic location in the Mediterranean.”

MINISTER FIDAN’S INTERVIEW

Foreign Minister Fidan, in his interview on February 9, regarding the presence of the terrorist organization PKK in Iraq, said, “There is also an Iraq leg of this issue. After the Syrian leg is over, there is an Iraq leg. I hope they will learn from what happened here in Iraq and make a smarter decision and the transition there will be easier.” he said. Fidan emphasized that the Iraqi government would have to make a determination regarding the PKK issue and that the structure in Sinjar could not and should not stop there. Regarding the organization’s presence in the region, Fidan said, “PKK is an organization established against Türkiye, but there is no area it can occupy in Türkiye. However, in Iraq, on the other hand, it occupies very large areas of land. In Syria, it is occupying. The problem is your problem rather than my problem. What kind of a sovereign state are you that you allow its existence in this way?” made his assessment.

Fidan stated that Sinjar is surrounded by Hashd al-Shaabi elements and said, “When Hashd al-Shaabi advances by land and we operate from the air, it takes 2 or 3 days. It does not take long. It is such a simple military operation.” he said. “The Iraqi government is in a position to allow its territory to be occupied by another armed element. It does not perceive this as a national security threat. Who does it consider as a national security threat? I do not know. It was directed against Türkiye 6-7 years ago. Now such an issue does not exist in practice.” Using his statements, Fidan pointed out that there are other balances within the country.

CHP Chairman Özgür Özel, whose abusive and threatening messages were revealed to Keçiören Mayor Mesut Özarslan, instead of apologizing, insulted him again. Keçiören Mayor Mesut Özarslan’s controversial resignation from CHP remains on the agenda. Özgür Özel, who was revealed to have sent abusive messages and threats to Özarslan via WhatsApp, broke his silence at the group meeting. It was a matter of curiosity whether Özel would apologize for the swearing in question. Özel, who did not apologize for the harsh statements, defended himself with new insults.

HEAVY INSULTS

At the group meeting, Özel read the messages he sent to Özarslan one by one, excluding the swearing parts, and this time made insulting definitions towards him such as “a little bitch, a bad seed, a broken piece”. It was noteworthy that Özel frequently made sentences such as “You cannot come to power with the corrupt seed Mesut. This little boy has received the halal votes of the nation and is trying to escape.” “Won’t those who nominate candidates make self-criticism?” Defending himself and his staff against the reactions such as, Özel said, “You will open your mouth when a single broken piece does something. There are no right or left wingers in this business, there are honest and dishonest people in this business. I take responsibility for all the decisions made.” Özel’s use of sarcastic statements, even insulting, in the first group meeting after Özarslan’s separation decision drew reaction.

The first signature was signed for the joint production of the GÖKBEY helicopter abroad within the scope of the World Defense Show (WDS) 2026 held in Riyadh, the capital of Saudi Arabia.

In this regard, a memorandum of understanding was signed between Turkish Aerospace Industries (TUSAŞ) and the Saudi Arabian Ministry of Investment and Military Industries Authority Institution (GAMİ).

TO BE PRODUCED JOINTLY

The memorandum was signed on behalf of the company by Presidency Defense Industry Vice President and TAI Board Member Gökhan Uçar. The memorandum of understanding includes long-term, high-technology joint production.

Saudi Arabian Ministry of Investment and GAMI will collect helicopter requests for various needs in military and civilian fields. In line with this demand, TAI will produce the required helicopters in Saudi Arabia with a local manufacturer. The scope and details of joint production will be shaped according to demands.

Helicopter systems have an important place in Saudi Arabia’s 2030 localization targets.

GÖKBEY’s structure suitable for different roles played an important role in Saudi Arabia’s choice. Joint production helicopters can also be sold to neighboring countries. AA