The Grand National Assembly of Türkiye, which started the War of Independence with the Great Leader Mustafa Kemal Atatürk and his comrades in arms and enabled important steps to be taken on the road to the Republic, has left 106 years behind…

Speaker of the Grand National Assembly of Turkey, Numan Kurtulmuş, made the following statements in his speech at the Special Session:

The parliament established an investigation commission. For this reason, I would like to thank all parties with and without groups in the parliament for their support. Dear MPs, April 23 cannot be considered just a day of celebration. The April 23 ceremonies in the parliament and especially the special session of the parliament are not just a routine ceremony. On this occasion, we once again confirm and declare our commitment to our total independence, sovereignty, national will and democracy. April 23 is the day when the will of the nation came to the stage of history. The will that gained national legitimacy from occupation, disorganization and deprivation has turned into a strong representation in Ankara. While the foundations of our state were being laid, our nation’s voice also gained a platform.

“IT WAS MADE CLARE WITH THE OPENING OF THE PARLIAMENT TODAY”

As is known, the Republic was declared later. However, the first steps of the idea of ​​the Republic were taken within our parliament from the first day. Political morality that does not seek the source of sovereignty in privilege and narrow cadres is the essence of the April 23 spirit. Parliament is the place where the common mind of the nation works. Parliament is the place of high politics that turns anger into procedure, objection into negotiation, and social demand into legitimate decisions. The power of representation comes directly from the nation, which is the main source of legitimacy. The value of our assembly has always become more evident in times of crisis. Every time our society got stuck, it turned to the parliament. In times of coups, tutelage attempts, internal tensions and external pressures, the address of solution has always been this supreme place, which is the institutional roof of the national will. The nation sought its voice here. He gave his message here. He escalated his objection here. He matured his reconciliation here. It was made evident today with the opening of the parliament. We remember once again that there is an unbreakable bond between our parliamentary march of the last hundred and fifty years and the will of independence of the first parliament.

THE SPEAKER OF THE TURKISH GRAND NATIONAL TURKEY WAS SAVED AND HIS ACCOMMODATION VISITED ANITKABIR

Speaker of the Turkish Grand National Assembly Numan Kurtulmuş and his accompanying delegation walked from the Road of Lions and came to Atatürk’s mausoleum. In addition to Kurtulmuş, the ceremony included; Vice President Cevdet Yılmaz, political party leaders, Minister of Family and Social Services Mahinur Özdemir Göktaş, Minister of National Education Yusuf Tekin, Minister of Health Kemal Memişoğlu, Deputy Speakers of the Parliament and members of parliament also attended.

Kurtulmuş laid a wreath at Atatürk’s mausoleum. Then, a moment of silence was observed and the National Anthem was sung. The delegation then went to the National Pact Tower.

106 years of pride: April 23… Speaker of the Turkish Grand National Assembly Numan Kurtulmuş and his accompanying delegation visited Anıtkabir | Video

Kurtulmuş, who signed the Anıtkabir Special Book, wrote the following:

“DURING SUCH A PERIOD, THE MEANING OF APRIL 23 IS EVEN DEEPER”

Dear Atatürk, we are excited to visit the first president of the Turkish Grand National Assembly, the heart of Turkish democracy and the manifestation of national will, on the 106th anniversary of the opening of the First Parliament, on the occasion of April 23 National Sovereignty and Children’s Day.
Exactly 106 years later, we once again wholeheartedly comprehend a great day when the nation personally claimed its independence and the founding will that declared that sovereignty unconditionally belonged to the nation.
We see the idea of ​​national sovereignty, which is at the basis of our Republic, as the guarantee of justice, democracy, social peace and a common future. In the age we live in, children bear the greatest burden of conflicts, all kinds of inequality, poverty and heavy humanitarian disasters that wound the global conscience. In such a period, the meaning of April 23 becomes even deeper. As a matter of fact, protecting children is a matter of protecting human values ​​and our claim to civilization. Our goal; To strengthen the strong social ground where every child lives in safety, has access to quality education, can develop himself/herself freely, and walks to the future in the light of science, art and morality.
The truest way to maintain national sovereignty is to leave a more just, prosperous and free homeland to children.
We will continue to carry the Republic, entrusted to us by our heroes of independence, into the future with a determination befitting the historical responsibility of our Veteran Assembly. We will never give up on loyalty to the will of our nation, on protecting the rights of all our citizens, especially our children, and on raising our beautiful country on the shoulders of strong generations.
I remember your greatness and all our martyrs and veterans with gratitude and respect.
May your soul rest in peace.

SPEAKER OF THE GNAT, KURTULMUŞ: THIS IS THE PLACE WHERE THE IDEA OF REPUBLIC AND DEMOCRACY GROWS

Following the visit to Anıtkabir, a commemoration ceremony was held in the First Parliament on the occasion of the 106th anniversary of the opening of the Turkish Grand National Assembly and April 23 National Sovereignty and Children’s Day. After the speech made by Sinop Deputy Şerif Bey as the ‘eldest member’ on 23 April 1920, the National Anthem was sung. Then, Speaker of the Grand National Assembly of Turkey, Numan Kurtulmuş, took the podium and made a speech.

“IN EVERY SQUARE SQUARE SQUARE OF THIS BUILDING, THERE ARE REFLECTIONS OF MANY IDEAS CREATED ABOUT Türkiye’S FUTURE”
Stating that he feels great honor and honor to celebrate the 106th anniversary of the establishment of the First Parliament, Kurtulmuş said, “This hall is a sacred place where very big decisions are made, very important discussions are held and our country’s struggle for independence is fought under the most difficult conditions. It is not just a place consisting of just a building, just walls, just desks. I guess that in every square centimeter of this building, there are many memories, many efforts, many sweats and many ideas produced about the future of Türkiye.” This building, as its name suggests, is a building that deserved to be given the title of veteran to our Parliament. When the meetings were held here, we should not think that they were held only as a military meeting. While the sounds of the enemy’s cannons were heard in Polatlı, the heroes of the time, the heroes of the First Assembly, were here to discuss how this country would be saved and what strategies to follow in the struggle for liberation. “They discussed it in the spirit of war, discussed it, and showed a great path to the liberation struggle of this country through very difficult discussions,” he said.

Speaking on behalf of the group, Hürralist Yerli-Sen General Secretary Ahmet Ragıp Hızal emphasized that Mansur Yavaş’s “deluge of applause” on social media does not match the facts on the ground. Hızal stated that Yavaş, who addressed his staff as “heroes” after the fire in the Organized Industrial Zone, turned a blind eye to the job security of these staff in the background, and used the following harsh expressions:

“There is a Mayor who said just a few days ago, ‘Our hero firefighters successfully extinguished the fire’. However, today, those heroes are being stripped of their positions. This practice does not exist in any other province of Türkiye, only in Ankara!”

HAVE HEALTH EXAMINATIONS TURNED INTO “STAFF OPERATIONS”?

The firefighters’ claims also reveal the extent of the management crisis within the municipality. Stating that annual health screenings have been turned into a “liquidation tool”, workers stated that personnel with minor illnesses are first retired to passive duties and then exiled to other departments on the grounds that “their service is no longer needed”.
The cost of this irregular staff change has very heavy consequences for employees. While there is a decrease of nearly 10 thousand lira in the salaries of the personnel who are transferred from firefighters to regular civil servants, this situation directly affects not only the present but also the future of the personnel. Both the pensions and retirement bonuses of employees whose degree advancement is restricted are significantly eroded, causing great anxiety about the future. The most controversial part of this entire process is the allegations that no objective criteria were taken into account in the evaluation of medical reports and the selection of personnel to be removed from the unit, and that the practice was carried out in a completely arbitrary manner.

“THERE IS A CIRCULAR, NO IMPLEMENTATION”

Hızal explained that although they requested an appointment three times to personally convey the problems, they were rejected by the Head of the Fire Department. Stating that despite Mansur Yavaş’s circular stating that “unions should be treated equally”, union activities were prevented and even a station entrance ban was imposed on him, Hızal argued that the “libertarian” discourses of the Yavaş administration remained only on paper.

“IF YOU ARE LOOKING FOR ROTTEN, LOOK AT THE TOMATOES!”

At the end of the action, Hızal, who left tomatoes in front of the Fire Brigade Department in order to protest the management approach in Ankara Fire Department, called out to the authorities and expressed his reaction by saying: “Stop looking for rotten things in the organization. If you have to look for rotten things, look at these tomatoes.”

THE FIRE DEPARTMENT HAS BEEN MENTIONED WITH MOBBING BEFORE

The personnel crisis experienced today is not the first management weakness in Ankara Fire Department. In the past, allegations that the staff were subjected to mobbing by the managers in order to switch to the union called Tüm Yerli-Sen, and that union pressure was put on them with the promise of a station close to their homes, were reflected in the public opinion. Particularly, the promise of “privilege” during the training process to the new staff, who are planned to start working in April 2025, and the blocking of other union representatives from entering the center with security barriers upon the instructions of the Head of Department Ali Levent Çeri, had previously sparked discussions on merit and freedom in the institution. Today’s allegations of “staff extortion” are considered as a new link of this chronic management approach.

Ala participated in the “Library Talks” program organized by the AK Party Culture and Art Policies Presidency at the AK Party Congress Center.

The moderator of the program, AK Party Deputy Chairman, Head of Culture and Art Policies Hüseyin Yayman, expressed his satisfaction in listening to AK Party Deputy Chairman Ala, in his speech at the opening. Reminding that Ala held very important positions, Yayman said, “Mr. Efkan Ala is a great intellectual beyond his identity as a politician, a statesman who is concerned about Turkey’s issues, seeks solutions for them and devoted his life to his nation.” he said.

In Hüseyin Yayman’s introduction speech, we are starting the first of the 25th anniversary conversations in the AK Party library conversations with Mr. Ala. From now on, we will continue with new guests. AK Party, under the leadership of our President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, has done things that were said to be impossible. Now we will move towards new goals.

When we came to power in 2002, we set the target of 2023. Today, we set the target of 2053. As we celebrate our 25th anniversary, we will continue to work in the service of our nation. We would like to thank the participants who showed great interest in our meeting.

WE ARE STARTING THE TWENTY-FIFTH ANNIVERSARY CONVERSATIONS

Speaking at the Twenty-fifth Anniversary Interviews Program, Efkan Ala stated that the AK Party is a brand in Turkish politics and that it has changed positions in politics in 25 years and added:
“The most important thing is that there was a tremendous tension between the system, the status quo, and the society in Türkiye. The system, as it were, had designed itself not to govern society in its own desires and direction, but only to direct and shape it. It had defined modernization and modernity to completely change people’s lifestyles. This changed with the AK Party. In the past, there would be a government elected by the people, but there could not be a government. With the AK Party, there was a government elected by the people, and there was power. That’s why I say the tables have changed.”
Ala emphasized that under the AK Party government, all wrongs were solved through politics and democracy, without turning to violence and without allowing a part of the society to turn to violence.

AK PARTY HAS PERFORMED MENTAL TRANSFORMATION IN POLITICS

Pointing out that the AK Party has established an alliance with the people, Ala continued his words as follows:

“What is the proof? Whenever we encountered a big problem, we went to a referendum, decided to vote, went to the people. AK Party is the name of a team that won 19 referendums and elections. Its leader and our President said something when it was first established, which is very valuable: ‘The people founded this party, the nation founded it, we hung the sign. From now on, nothing will be the same.’ he said. That’s exactly what happened. Previously, memorandums were given and governments would comply. Is he gone? He didn’t go. The memorandum was given, the memorandum was taken, it was thrown away by the government, it was torn up, and the people went to the public. “The people put it back to work and continued on their way.”
Stating that the AK Party has guaranteed politics with its actions, Ala said, “People say, ‘Politics will solve this.’ You can’t turn to any institution other than politics and say, ‘Tell politics this.’ It doesn’t say. He says it in the market, he says it in meetings, he says it at the ballot box. Whatever he says, he says, and whatever he expects, he expects from politics for the state and the nation. Was it like this before? It provided mental transformation for him. AK Party has also made a mental transformation in politics.” he said.

“WE SAVED CHP FROM THOSE CORRIDORS”

Stating that the AK Party “pulled the CHP to the ballot box and showed it that the address is the ballot box,” Ala said:

“Previously, it would always get enough votes to become the opposition, but it would make an alliance with the centers of the status quo in order to limit the power. It would look for ways and opportunities to be in power and be a partner in power in the corridors of the Constitutional Court and the General Staff. Because when it cooperated with them, it would block the government with either memorandums or decisions. Now, when that opportunity no longer exists, the address has become only and only the ballot box. Now it works there. It is a good thing. This is one of our most important achievements. We saved the CHP from those corridors.”
Some MPs, party executives and members of the organization attended the programme.

BREAKING NEWS… Minister of Internal Affairs Mustafa Çiftçi met with journalists in Ankara. Minister Çiftçi gave critical information on many issues, especially school attacks, Gülistan Doku investigation, investigations against municipalities and the fight against street gangs. Minister Çiftçi stated that a circular containing the measures to be implemented will be sent to the governorships of 81 provinces and made the following statements:

After the heinous attacks in Kahramanmaraş and Şanlıurfa, we did not see the issue only as a public order issue; We have reconsidered all aspects of school security. We held a comprehensive evaluation meeting with our governors, provincial police chiefs, provincial gendarmerie commanders and provincial national education directors, with the participation of our Minister of National Education, Mr. Yusuf Tekin.

IT WILL USUALLY BE SENT TO THE GOVERNORSHIP OF 81 PROVINCES

Then, we will send a circular containing the measures to be implemented to our 81 provincial governorships. First of all, the environment of all schools will be re-evaluated on a risk basis; Entrance-exit density, student mobility, service routes, blind spots and environmental risk areas will be reviewed one by one. Law enforcement visibility will be increased during school entrance and exit hours. Patrols and inspections will be increased in derelict buildings, parks, internet cafes, game halls and routes where students are concentrated.

A SECURITY BOARD WILL BE ESTABLISHED IN EVERY SCHOOL

Camera systems, entry-exit control, visitor procedures and safe gathering areas will be re-evaluated; Deficiencies will be corrected quickly. “School Safety” meetings, which were previously held twice a year, will now be held regularly in the first week of each month. A “security board” will be formed in each school, which will include the school principal, guidance counselor, nearest law enforcement officer and social worker.

7-STEP SAFETY MEASURES

We are working on a seven-step framework here: renewal of risk and threat analyses, increasing physical security measures, early warning system, follow-up mission, guidance-security coordination, inter-ministerial coordination and emergency awareness training. We do not see the issue only as building security; Signs of peer bullying, threatening language, exclusion, anger management, withdrawal and digital risk will also be closely monitored. A closer monitoring and support process will be established between school-family-guidance-public institutions for children who are absent, have weakened ties with school, and are considered to be at risk. Guidance and psychosocial support services will be strengthened. Preventive awareness raising activities on social media, digital channels, content that encourages violence and negative role models will be expanded. Awareness will be raised for parents who own licensed guns, and the fight against unlicensed guns will continue uncompromisingly. In case of possible incidents, the response order, inter-institutional coordination and first response capacity will be reviewed. Each province will prepare a short, medium and long-term implementation plan and regularly report the measures to our Ministry.

FIGHT AGAINST CYBER CRIMES

After the school attacks, we did not only focus on the physical security aspect at the scene; We also followed digital channels with the same seriousness. Because we saw that some accounts glorify crime, encourage aggression, spread fear and try to provoke society. Within the scope of the virtual patrol activities of our law enforcement forces, 210 thousand 234 account managers and users were detected in 2025 and 86 thousand 937 account managers and users as of April 16, 2026. Following these two school attacks alone, necessary action was taken against 539 account administrators or users with offensive content and 379 account administrators or users with provocative content.

TELEGRAM CHANNEL NAMED C31K HAS BEEN CLOSED

A content removal and access blocking process was carried out for 8,011 URLs related to the incidents; In total, decisions were made on 8,270 URLs. 259 channels operating on Telegram belonging to the organization named “C31K” were closed. Many social media accounts making provocative posts were examined one by one; Judicial processes regarding these were put into effect. Arrest, judicial control, access ban and capture processes were carried out simultaneously. In addition, access ban requests were made for many accounts and individuals who disrupt public order, praise crime and criminals, and manipulate events. In line with the determined will of our esteemed President, we increased our virtual patrol capacity. For us, the digital field is not an area outside the law. Just as we do not allow crime on the streets, we intervene with the same determination against structures that glorify crime on social media and digital channels. The virtual world is not an extra-legal space; We will not leave space in digital media to those who praise crime or provoke society.

The reception at the Presidential Complex was closed to the press.

Minister of Foreign Affairs Hakan Fidan, Minister of National Defense Yaşar Güler and Chief Foreign Policy and Security Advisor to the President Akif Çağatay Kılıç were also present at the reception.

AGENDA IN THE CRITICAL 1-HOUR MEETING USA/ISRAEL-IRAN WAR

The following statements were used in the statement made by the Directorate of Communications regarding the 1-hour meeting between President Erdoğan and Rutte:

Our President, Mr. Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, received NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte at the Presidential Complex. During the reception, preparations for the NATO Leaders Summit to be held in Ankara, topics on the Alliance’s agenda, regional and global issues were discussed.

President Erdoğan stated that the unstable environment in our region once again shows the importance of cooperation and solidarity among NATO Allies, and that they expect decisions to be taken at the Ankara Summit that will reinforce the solidarity between the Allies and support the Alliance’s always preparedness against crises.

Our President stated that Türkiye is increasing its capacity in the field of defense industry, especially air defense systems, day by day, and aims to further develop cooperation in this field with allied countries.

Our President said that preserving the Trans-Atlantic bond is of indispensable importance, that we, as Turkey, expect the European leg of the Alliance to assume more responsibilities, and that at this point, excluding European allies who are not members of the European Union from the defense initiatives of the Union will not serve the purpose. President Erdoğan stated that Türkiye positioned itself on the side of peace and diplomacy in the process that started with the attacks against Iran. During the meeting, our President stated that, as Türkiye, we are active in ensuring that the Ukrainian-Russian War ends in peace, and that we are making efforts to revitalize the negotiations and start negotiations at the leadership level.

During the meeting, President Erdoğan and Secretary General Rutte comprehensively evaluated the preparations for the NATO Ankara Summit.

Tunceli Governor Şefik Aygöl, Tunceli Chief Public Prosecutor Ebru Cansu, Gendarmerie Public Order Chief Major General Murat Bulut, Provincial Gendarmerie Commander Brigadier General Bülent Baykal and Provincial Police Chief Kazım Günay Demiralay also attended the meeting. At the meeting, all aspects of the judicial and administrative processes carried out within the scope of the “Gülistan Doku” investigation were discussed. Authorities emphasized that they acted with the understanding that no person or authority is above the law, and stated that all allegations made were evaluated meticulously. It was stated that the processes were carried out simultaneously and effectively in judicial and administrative terms.

In the statement, which drew attention to society’s expectation of justice, it was noted that carrying out the process in a transparent, impartial and sensitive manner is a priority. It was also stated that the aim is to conclude the investigation with an approach that takes into account public conscience. It was stated that all necessary steps will continue to be taken under the coordination of the Ministry of Justice and the Ministry of Internal Affairs, without compromising the law and public order.