Politics
Report on terror-free Türkiye focuses on laws to promote disarmament
Details have emerged on a draft report by a parliamentary committee on the terror-free Türkiye initiative for the disarmament of the terrorist group PKK.
The most significant sections of the report focus on legal arrangements to encourage the terrorist group to lay down its arms and references to rulings by the European Court of Human Rights (ECtHR) and Türkiye’s Constitutional Court.
Parliament Speaker Numan Kurtulmuş, who also chairs the National Solidarity, Brotherhood and Democracy Committee of Parliament behind the report, sent the draft report to political parties for consensus. The document was prepared within the framework of work carried out by the committee, which is composed of deputy parliamentary group leaders serving as coordinators. The report is expected to be finalized in the coming weeks.
The report recommends enacting a special law for the process and amending certain existing laws. It cites the need to establish a legal framework to encourage and accelerate the disarmament process of the PKK. It emphasizes the necessity of legal regulations to provide a basis for PKK members on the run to return home.
It proposes that necessary amendments to the Turkish Penal Code, the Law on the Execution of Sentences and the Anti-Terror Law be made in parallel with the proposed laws.
Under the heading “Democratization Steps,” the report highlights rulings by the European Court of Human Rights and Türkiye’s Constitutional Court, as well as principles of international law.
It does not explicitly mention an individualized “right to hope,” which was once proposed to be implemented for Abdullah Öcalan, jailed ringleader of the group. However, it makes an indirect reference through its emphasis on ECtHR and Constitutional Court rulings and international legal principles.
The report also assesses that certain administrative steps could be taken regarding the practice of appointing trustees to municipalities whose administrators were accused of funding the PKK and/or aiding and abetting the terrorist group.
Under the democratization heading, the report notes that amendments may be made to the laws on political parties, elections, and public meetings and demonstrations.
Turkish authorities have detained 525 suspects in nationwide operations targeting the Daesh terrorist group, the Interior Ministry announced Monday.
The raids were carried out across 56 provinces including Ankara, Istanbul, Izmir, Bursa, Manisa, Mersin in coordination with the police counterterrorism units, intelligence authorities, the National Intelligence Organization (MIT) and public prosecutors, the ministry said in a statement.
Among those detained were individuals with outstanding arrest warrants, as well as suspects accused of previous involvement in Daesh activities, providing financial support to the group and maintaining links with foreign terrorist members, authorities said.
Officials said 88 of the suspects, identified as foreign terrorist fighters, were transferred to repatriation centers for deportation procedures.
The operations, conducted simultaneously by provincial counterterrorism units, resulted in the seizure of weapons, ammunition, financial assets, as well as organizational documents and digital materials, according to the statement.
Last week, a shooting incident near the former Israeli Consulate building in Istanbul’s Beşiktaş district triggered a large-scale security response after armed assailants opened fire near a police point at the Yapı Kredi Plaza complex.
Police units engaged the attackers in a gunbattle, during which the suspects were neutralized and two officers were lightly injured.
Turkish media reports said the gunman who was killed was a 32-year-old man linked to Daesh.
Türkiye considers the Daesh terrorist group one of the biggest threats to the country’s security and peace, as the group faces nationwide raids, and was one of the first countries to declare it a terrorist group in 2013.
Officials said counterterrorism operations targeting Daesh networks and financing structures will continue across the country.
Permission has been granted for a formal investigation into allegations against Ankara Mayor Mansur Yavaş to determine whether municipal resources were used during election rallies, according to statements from the Interior Ministry and the municipality.
The authorization, issued roughly one year after prosecutors first requested it, also covers eight municipal employees. The request had been submitted by the Ankara Chief Public Prosecutor’s Office on Feb. 21, 2025, concerning claims that vehicles, equipment and personnel belonging to the Ankara Metropolitan Municipality (ABB) were used during campaign events held in the provinces of Karabük and Çankırı.
Following an evaluation by civil inspectors affiliated with the Interior Ministry, Interior Minister Mustafa Çiftçi approved the investigation. In the written decision, inspectors stated that the use of municipal vehicles, broadcasting equipment and staff at a rally attended by Yavaş in Çankırı “could not reasonably be expected to have occurred without the knowledge of the mayor,” even though no direct instruction or order was identified.
Those included in the investigation alongside Yavaş are several former municipal officials and staff members from departments such as cultural affairs, public works and technical services.
In a written statement, the Ankara Metropolitan Municipality rejected the allegations, emphasizing that the decision itself acknowledged there was no evidence indicating that Yavaş had issued instructions or directives regarding the use of public resources. The municipality argued that attributing responsibility based solely on the assumption that the events could not have taken place without his knowledge was insufficient.
The municipality further described the investigation authorization as a “strain on legal principles,” alleging it amounted to an attempt to pressure and discredit Yavaş. Officials said they would formally object to the decision and provide additional details to the public in a forthcoming press briefing.
The case is expected to proceed following the completion of procedural steps and potential appeals.
Yavaş, who was once touted as the future vice president of the main opposition Republican People’s Party (CHP), also faces charges over astronomical spending on public concerts, as details of the investigation emerge.
According to findings in the investigation file, 32 concerts organized by the Yavaş administration between 2021 and 2024 resulted in a total public loss of TL 154,453,000 ($3.47 million).
Tenders allegedly tailored to specific parties under justifications such as “single source,” “special authorization” and “direct procurement” were recorded as one of the largest organization-related scandals in municipal history. The messages between H.A.B. and organizers suggest that a kind of “exchange” was set up for concerts that had not yet even gone to tender.
The expert report states that company owners sending price lists to municipal bureaucrats for projects that had not yet been approved constitutes clear evidence of bid rigging.
The Ankara mayor was already criticized in the past for excessive spending during Republic Day celebrations on Oct. 29, 2024, as media outlets reported that the municipality paid TL 69 million for a concert by a popular singer.
Recently, prosecutors have been carrying out multiple corruption investigations against the main opposition CHP and its municipal administrations across Türkiye.
Türkiye’s pursuit of justice and balance in international order will also be reflected at November’s COP31 Summit, which it will host in coordination with Australia. Environment, Urban Development and Climate Change Minister Murat Kurum on Tuesday said they will advocate for climate finance to reach directly to affected regions and developing countries at COP31, pledging that the country will act as an “honest intermediary and fair referee” in the process.
Speaking at a program titled Climate Change and Environmental Agenda in Türkiye on the Road to COP31, organized by think tank Foundation for Political, Economic and Social Research (SETA) in Ankara, Kurum stressed that humanity’s core problem today is not merely carbon emissions, but the ongoing struggle between humankind and nature. He noted that Turkish diplomacy was once merely an observer in global climate platforms such as the Rio Summit, but said Türkiye has now strengthened its role as an active and influential actor under the leadership of President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan. Kurum emphasized that water has become a strategic resource and even a factor in conflict in today’s world, adding that states that manage water resources effectively and produce energy without harming nature will shape the future.
At the COP31 gathering, nearly 200 countries are expected to convene in Türkiye to discuss the next steps in implementing the Paris Agreement, including updated emission reduction targets, adaptation measures, climate finance and carbon market rules.
“Today, conflicts in our region trigger energy crises, and asymmetric conflicts increase instability in oil markets. This shows that instability and climate change constitute an ecological survival issue,” Kurum said.
He stated that Türkiye views the climate crisis both as a front requiring strategic defense and as a development opportunity, adding that this approach should be translated into a concrete, measurable, and decisive action plan involving all segments of society.
Kurum said Türkiye’s priorities at COP31 would include water and food security, noting that the world is entering an era where water may replace oil as a critical resource.
“We are rapidly moving toward a period where water will be central to national security and regional stability,” he said, adding that Türkiye advocates for a world where no drop of water is wasted and where countries are able to achieve self-sufficiency with fair financial and technical support. Global population growth, urbanization, changing consumption patterns, conflicts and climate change are intensifying pressure on water resources, with projections showing that by 2040, 33 countries, including Türkiye, could face “extremely high water stress.”
A 2025 study by the U.S.-based World Resources Institute analyzed 167 countries using a water stress indicator. By 2040, countries across the Middle East, North Africa, Central Asia and parts of Southern Europe are expected to face extreme water stress.
Türkiye ranks 27th, highlighting the combined impact of rising demand and climate pressures. Its neighbors also face significant risks, underscoring the regional challenge of securing sustainable water resources. Fourteen of the most at-risk countries are in the Middle East, heavily dependent on groundwater and costly desalination, with water scarcity threatening economic growth, food production, energy supply and migration patterns.
Highlighting the Zero Waste Project initiative, which has become a global brand under the auspices of first lady Emine Erdoğan, Kurum said the initiative represents an effort to protect the “law of nature,” transforming waste into energy and raw material.
“The global financial system places the burden not on those who pollute, but on those who are polluted. We fundamentally reject this,” Kurum added.
“In this regard, we categorically reject the current system. Türkiye will fight at COP31 to ensure that climate finance reaches directly to affected geographies and developing countries, and we commit to acting as an honest intermediary and fair referee,” Kurum said.
Turkish authorities detained 43 suspects, including 19 public officials, in a sweeping operation targeting the outlawed Gülenist Terror Group (FETÖ) network across eight provinces, prosecutors said Tuesday.
The Mersin Chief Public Prosecutor’s Office said the operation, coordinated by the provincial police, was centered in the southern province of Mersin and extended to Ankara, Istanbul, Kayseri, Kahramanmaraş, Gaziantep, Muğla and Erzurum.
Among those detained are three officials still in active duty and 16 who had previously been dismissed from public service, according to the statement.
Prosecutors alleged that a suspect identified by the initials H.K. used the encrypted messaging app Signal to communicate with members of the group abroad between 2017 and 2025. The suspect is accused of organizing financial support under the name “Muavenet,” collecting and distributing funds through bank accounts opened in the names of sympathizers.
Authorities said the detainees were taken to police headquarters for questioning. Türkiye designates FETÖ as a terrorist group, blaming it for the 2016 failed coup in which 252 people were killed, and 2,734 were wounded.
Ankara also accuses the terrorist group of being behind a long-running campaign to overthrow the state through the infiltration of Turkish institutions, particularly the military, police and judiciary.
Earlier this month, Maj. Murat Kalaç, who was on the wanted list of the Interior Ministry for his involvement in the coup attempt, was also captured, security sources said.
Kalaç was on the run since the coup attempt, instigated by military officers linked to the FETÖ, was quelled. Authorities earlier issued an arrest warrant for the suspect, who was stationed at the Gendarmerie General Command at the time of the coup attempt.
Istanbul police announced on Tuesday that two Greek tourists who unfurled a “Byzantine flag” at the Hagia Sophia Grand Mosque in Istanbul were arrested.
The incident took place on April 9. A report by the broadcaster NTV says tourists, identified as 35-years-old Mazis Michael and 42-years-old Kostantina Mazi, arrived in the iconic mosque which was converted from a Byzantine cathedral after Istanbul’s Ottoman conquest in 1453, with a group of fellow tourists.
Inside, two suspects unfurled a Byzantine flag, taking photos of each other with the flag. When security guards noticed, they intervened and alerted police.
Suspects were subsequently detained at the hotel they were staying in Istanbul’s Fatih district. An Istanbul court ordered their arrest on charges of “inciting public hatred.”
NTV reported that the flag had an inscription translated into Turkish as “Be Orthodox or Die.”
The incident underscores the enduring political and symbolic significance of Hagia Sophia, a structure that has stood at the center of competing historical narratives for centuries. Built in 537 under Byzantine Emperor Justinian I, it served as the main cathedral of the Byzantine Empire and a focal point of Eastern Orthodox Christianity before being converted into a mosque following the Fall of Istanbul. Its reconversion into a mosque in 2020 reignited sensitivities, particularly in Greece.
For many Greeks, Hagia Sophia represents a lost center of Orthodox heritage. Turkish authorities, however, often interpret such displays inside the mosque as deliberate provocation.
The episode also reflects broader tensions between Türkiye and Greece, whose relations have long been strained over territorial, political and cultural disputes. In this context, symbolic acts at contested or sensitive sites can quickly escalate.
Istanbul on Wednesday will host a four-day meeting of Inter-Parliamentary Union (IPU) in Istanbul. The event is expected to bring together 2,500 people from around the world. So far, more than 800 lawmakers and 77 parliamentary speakers signed up for this 152nd meeting of the Union.
The IPU, based in Geneva, holds semiannual assemblies in the spring and the fall, either in Geneva or elsewhere. The assembly will be an occasion where strengthening parliamentary diplomacy and multilateral cooperation will be discussed. The lawmakers will also discuss the genocide in Gaza, developments in the Middle East, and a number of regional and global issues.
The theme of the summit will be “nurturing hope, securing peace and ensuring justice for future generations” and it will host several events, including permanent committee meetings, the fora and several side events. The IPU will also elect its next secretary-general as incumbent Martin Chungong’s tenure will expire.
Founded in 1889 by parliamentary representatives to strengthen inter-parliamentary cooperation and dialogue, the IPU now stands out as the umbrella organization of the world’s parliaments, with 183 member countries.
Türkiye, which hosted General Assembly meetings in 1934 and 1951 and most recently 30 years ago, is set to once again demonstrate its experience and expertise in parliamentary diplomacy, as well as the importance it places on multilateral relations and international dialogue.
Turkish Parliamentary Speaker Numan Kurtulmuş will chair the general assembly of IPU. He will also hold bilateral talks with visiting parliamentary speakers, before they attend a meeting with President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan on Thursday.
Kurtulmuş on Monday attended executive committee meeting of IPU in Istanbul. Speaking there, he said it was great pleasure to host parliamentarians in the city which bridged continents, cultures and civilizations.
Commenting on meeting’s theme, he said “nurturing hope and safeguarding the peace” was “a responsibility for the parliaments.”
“In this context, your role is particularly important. The guidance you provide and the decisions you make here will directly influence not only the success of the Union but also the broader impact of parliamentary diplomacy. At a time when the international system is facing increasing uncertainty and complex challenges, the responsibility of parliaments to act with vision and determination has never been greater. Increasing our dialogue, raising our voices against injustice and conflicts, and developing new ideas for a better world are our responsibilities toward future generations. Therefore, I hope that our Union will serve as an opportunity to convey strong messages supporting the defense and strengthening of peace, democracy, and multilateralism. With this understanding, I wish the Executive Committee success in its meetings. I am confident that your deliberations will lead to concrete and constructive outcomes for our countries and our cooperation,” he said.
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