Fuat Oktay, Chairman of the Foreign Affairs Commission of the Turkish Grand National Assembly, pointed out that cooperation, especially in the field of defense industry, has historically played a decisive role in the relations between the two countries, and stated that some restrictions that should not exist between allies are still applied to Türkiye. Stating that the restrictions in question do not coincide with the strategic interests of neither the USA nor NATO, Oktay noted that the current situation harms the spirit of the alliance.

Considering the US administration’s more constructive attitude towards the removal of these restrictions as a positive development, Oktay said that it is vital for the Congress to adopt a similar approach without delay and hesitation for long-term and mutually beneficial cooperation. He emphasized that this process requires a strategic perspective and constant dialogue.

Underlining that it is imperative to strengthen the relations between the legislative bodies of the two countries, Oktay expressed that they believe that parliamentary diplomacy can play a key role at this point.

In this context, Oktay announced that they would pay a visit to Washington within the week as the Turkish Grand National Assembly’s Foreign Affairs Committee, and stated that they would also hold contacts with think tanks, academic circles and non-governmental organizations, as well as meetings with members of Congress. Oktay stated that they aim to move Turkish-US parliamentary relations from the “turbulent crisis management mode” to a principle-based and permanent “stable partnership” with the contacts to be held.

Mattia Ahmet Minguzzi, who lost his life as a result of a knife attack at the Kadıköy flea market, was commemorated with a mawlid program held in the Sultanahmet Mosque on the anniversary of his death. Minister of Justice Yılmaz Tunç also attended the Mevlid program along with Minguzi’s family and loved ones.

Speaking after the program, Minister Tunç said, “A Mawlid-i Sharif was held at the Blue Mosque on the anniversary of the death of Mattia Ahmet Minguzzi. We prayed. We were with his family. We commemorated him once again on the anniversary. May God have mercy on him. I wish patience to his family. Yesterday, we visited the family of our son Atlas and expressed our condolences. He also informed the family about the investigation process. Especially the need for “The brutal murder of our son Mattia Ahmet and our son Atlas deeply hurt us all as a nation. We also have children whose names we cannot mention who were brutally murdered in this way. We wish patience to the families of all of them,” he said.

“The regulation regarding children involved in crime will come to the parliament after the commission works are completed.”

Emphasizing that the issue of children dragged into crime after the murders has come to the agenda of the country once again, Minister Tunç said, “The issues regarding the punishment of children under the age of 18 are regulated in Article 31 of the Turkish Penal Code. Regarding this, Türkiye’s implementation consists of 3 levels. Those under the age of 12 do not have criminal liability, children-specific measures are applied. There is a half-and-half reduction in the 12-15 age group. In the 15-18 age group, there is a 1 in 3 reduction.” There is a discount. For aggravated murder crimes, a sentence of up to 24 years can be imposed for the 15-18 age group, and when you look at the practices of other countries, there is no criminal liability under the age of 15. At this point, it is clear that there is a need to re-evaluate our legislation, especially to ensure that children do not participate in these crimes. We had worked on a draft with the idea that judges should be given a discretionary power on a case-by-case basis, taking into account issues such as the way the crime was committed, the child’s criminal tendency, the intensity of the intention, etc. Our parliamentary group evaluated this and discussed it with other political parties. An agreement was reached. A detailed investigation should be carried out, especially in terms of eliminating these reasons and the measures to be taken, and making a change in the law accordingly. “The idea of necessity has emerged in our parliament. Currently, this commission is continuing its work. These legal regulations will be brought to the agenda in our parliament according to the report that will be produced after the commission’s work is completed,” he said.

Pointing out that a regulation regarding children dragged into crime has been enacted in the 11th Judicial Package, Minister Tunç said, “The regulation regarding increasing the penalties to be given to organization managers and organization members by half in case children are used in organized crimes has become law in the 11th Judicial Package. The regulation regarding the penalty periods in Article 31 of the TCK will be made after the commission works. The cases regarding both of our children and our other children are continuing. I also met with Atlas Çağlayan’s family. Bakırköy Republic Republic “The investigation continues at the Chief Public Prosecutor’s Office. We are following the investigation carefully, in the 12-15 age group. 4 people who threatened the Çağlayan family on social media were also threatened. 3 people who threatened the family and 1 person who destroyed the grave were sentenced to up to 5 years in prison.”

“We are very sensitive, we need to protect our children”

Emphasizing that they are working meticulously on children who are dragged into crime, Minister Tunç said, “Our sensitivity here is extremely high. We need to protect our children. Necessary precautions must be taken sensitively by both families and the relevant institutions of the state to protect children from the effects of social media and to prevent them from getting involved in crime. Regarding the protection of children, of course, this is an important problem all over the world. In Türkiye, especially the child protection law came into force in 2005. Constitutional regulations regarding the protection of children and the prevention of child abuse have been implemented in our Constitution. At the point of reflecting the constitutional and legal regulations especially in practice.” “We continue to be sensitive. We are following the investigations closely. Once again, I wish God’s mercy to our son Ahmet Minguzzi, our son Atlas Çağlayan, and our children who were brutally murdered in this way. We respect the sensitivity of the mothers. We also maintain our sensitivity to take appropriate measures and make laws.”

Yasemin Minguzzi: “My anger increases with the pain. I will not let this go.”

Mattia Ahmet Minguzzi’s mother, Yasemin Minguzzi, said, “It is a very difficult day for me. Because in fact, these are the minutes when I received the news from the doctor that Ahmet’s brain death had occurred. As a mother, it was very difficult and devastating. His departure was very heavy. Afterwards, as you know, we continued our struggle. It has been 1 year now. We have always fought for our children. I hope justice will not be delayed anymore. We lost not only Atlas but also many of our children. We continue to lose. My anger increases with the pain. “I’m telling you, I will not let this go. Also, you know, there are two acquittals. They should definitely go in. We do not accept this. Hopefully, good things will happen. We met with the Minister of Justice and our President and got their word,” he said.

CHP’s Keçiören Mayor Mesut Özarslan announced that he resigned from CHP in a statement he made on his social media account. In Özarslan’s statement, “Would a chairman swear at the mayor? Would a chairman target and insult family values? Would a chairman threaten with unspeakable words?” His use of expressions also attracted attention.

The Republican People’s Party was shaken by one of the harshest internal crises of recent years. Ankara Keçiören Mayor Dr. Mesut Özarslan resigned from his party with serious accusations targeting CHP Chairman Özgür Özel. In Özarslan’s statements, especially Özgür Özel’s style and party management approach were criticized harshly.

“WILL THE GENERAL MAYOR CURSING AT THE MAYOR?”

Özarslan, who published a long and remarkable statement on his social media account, claimed that CHP Chairman Özgür Özel sent him messages containing insults, threats and slander via WhatsApp. In his statement, Özarslan posed the following questions to the public:

“Would a chairman swear at the mayor?

Would a chairman target and insult family values?

Would a chairman threaten with unspeakable words?

Özarslan described the targeting of his mother and late father as “unacceptable” and stated that it was not possible to do politics under the umbrella of CHP with this understanding.

MURAT CORPORATE VISIT TRIGGED THE CRISIS

It was stated that the background of the resignation process was Özarslan’s meeting with the Minister of Environment, Urbanization and Climate Change Murat Kurum. Stating that this visit, which was carried out to find a solution to Keçiören’s problems, was deliberately targeted by some cliques within the CHP, Özarslan emphasized that a “systematic gossip and perception operation” was being carried out within the party.

Although Özarslan stated that his relationship with Murat Kurum was a school and work friendship that goes back a long way, he said that this visit was interpreted differently by the CHP administration and the pressure increased.

HEAVY CRITICISM ON ÖZGÜR ÖZEL: “THERE IS NO POLITICAL COURTESY AND STATE SERIOUSNESS LEFT”

Özarslan, who directly targeted CHP Chairman Özgür Özel in his statement, argued that the current CHP administration has lost political courtesy, party morality and state seriousness. Özarslan specifically emphasized that his reaction was not to CHP voters, but to “the current management approach that engages in politics with the language of insult.”

“Mr. Özgür Özel and his close colleagues have no trace of homeland, family or the values ​​we consider sacred.”

His statements were among the most striking parts of the statement.

Many CHP deputies and mayors also thanked the Minister of Environment, Urbanization and Climate Change, Murat Kurum, who was appreciated by citizens from all walks of life, especially with his work in the earthquake zone. Unable to accept these thanks, CHP Chairman Özgür Özel warned the MPs harshly, saying, “Do not praise Murat Kurum again.”

HE INSULTED THE PRESIDENT

The last target of Özgür Özel, who targeted Minister Murat Kurum in every rally he organized to denigrate the work in the earthquake zone, was Ankara Keçiören Mayor Mesut Özarslan. It was revealed that Özel sent insulting messages to Keçiören Mayor Mesut Özarslan, who met with Minister Murat Kurum to discuss urban transformation works in his district. Following the messages, Mayor Özarslan decided to resign from CHP.

The relevant part of Mesut Özarslan’s post on his social media account is as follows:

“On January 6, 2026, a meeting was held with the Minister of Environment, Urbanization and Climate Change of the Republic of Turkey, Mr. Murat Kurum, to solve the problems of Keçiören.

After this visit, some cliques within the CHP; This has increased the dose of gossip and perceptions. However, a Mayor; I cannot understand why he visited the Minister of Environment, Urbanization and Air Conditioning, who has won the hearts of our people with his effective and fast services, especially in the earthquake zone, and why he visited his district to serve his district. Moreover, although our relationship with Mr. Minister is a friendship that goes back many years, based on school and work friendships; After this visit, the number of these cliques and their pressure on me increased. Although I kept my silence against pressure, gossip and slander and continued my services, on 07.02.2025, at 23:59, Whatsapp messages started to come to me from CHP Chairman Mr. Özgür Özel. These messages; It contains insults, threats and slander that are incompatible with political courtesy, party morality, public responsibility and humanity.

I ask; Would a chairman swear at the mayor? Would a chairman target and insult family values? Would a chairman threaten with unspeakable words? Especially in the face of messages that confused my family values ​​and my sacred existence, even my mother and my late father; It is out of the question for me to serve in the ranks of the Republican People’s Party anymore, provided that my respect and love for the voters of the Republican People’s Party remain. “Although my only priority is to serve Keçiören, I have come to the conclusion that it is not possible for me to serve in a healthy manner by focusing my energy and work on the problems of my district, on a ground dominated by the style and understanding in the messages.”

Keçiören Mayor Mesut Özarslan resigned from CHP: Would a chairman swear at the mayor?

A fuel company applied to the Izmir 7th Administrative Court and requested that the activities of the fuel station belonging to the municipal company be stopped and its business license be cancelled. In the application, it was pointed out that the gas station had previously been operated illegally and that its operations had been stopped for a year due to the reactions.

AGAINST THE LAW

The court gave its decision regarding the fuel station, which was put into service by CHP’s Karabağlar Municipality in May last year. Izmir 7th Administrative Court reminded the article of the law and said, “In order to allow fuel stations, they must be shown as fuel stations in the master zoning plan. Operating licenses for these stations are given by the metropolitan municipality in metropolitan cities.” The court decided to cancel the license of the gas station located in the municipality service area in the master development plan and suspend its activities. SABAH had announced the incident on November 30 with the title ‘the station in litigation’. The fuel station belonging to CHP’s Karabağlar Municipality company, KARBEL AŞ, was reorganized under the leadership of Mayor Helil Kınay and put into service within the Karabağlar Municipality.