President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan said, “A European Union (EU) without Türkiye as a full member cannot be a global actor.” The Presidential Cabinet convened under the chairmanship of Erdoğan. President Erdoğan said the following after the 2-hour meeting:

Türkiye IS STAYING ON ITS ROUTE: At a time when the world and our region are being thrown left and right in the vortex of conflicts, political and economic turmoil and social tensions, Türkiye is taking firm steps towards its goals without deviating from its route. Each crisis in our region proves the great progress Türkiye has made in the last 23 years and further reinforces our country’s position as an island of stability.

THE MOST STABLE COUNTRY IN THE REGION: Türkiye stands out as the strongest and most stable country in its region today, when routines are being disrupted, uncertainty is increasing, and humanity’s search for path and direction is accelerating. Today, there is a Türkiye that can stand on its own feet in every field and supports its friends and brothers in their most difficult times. Thanks to the advantages provided by the Presidential Government System, we are able to keep the devastating effects of the war, which has left the whole world, especially Europe, at a minimum level in many areas.

THE EU HAS ALWAYS FOUND AN EXCUSE FOR Türkiye: Recently, we have been witnessing some damaging discussions about Türkiye’s position in Europe, triggered by European actors. Despite all the double standards we were exposed to, we stubbornly continued our work towards full membership. Today, our mutual contacts with EU institutions and countries continue intensively. Since 1950, the date of our first application, we have been unable to overcome the deep-rooted prejudices against Türkiye, especially in certain segments of Europe. Sometimes they talked about our democracy, sometimes they saw our economy as a threat, sometimes they spread fear through our population, sometimes they marginalized us by using our faith as an excuse, but each time they always found an excuse to exclude Türkiye, slow down Türkiye’s full membership process, and keep Türkiye waiting at the door.

TURKEY HAS CHANGED AND TRANSFORMED: Türkiye has changed and transformed. It strengthened its economy and democracy. But there has been no change in the distorted approach of these circles towards our country. We had to struggle with this mentality and its representatives. As the late Özal said, we walked on a road that was not only long and narrow but also full of artificial obstacles and bumps. I must say with regret that this journey continues on the same ground. Unfortunately, the strategic strabismus towards Türkiye continues to exist very clearly in many institutions of the union.

EUROPE IS AT A CROSSWAY: Europe is at a crossroads. They will either see Türkiye’s growing power and global weight as an opportunity for the union to get out of the bottleneck, or they will allow exclusionary discourses to darken the future of Europe. Our wish is that decision-makers in Europe will now abandon their political and historical prejudices and focus on developing sincere, genuine and eye-level relations with Turkey. The winner of such a relationship will be the European continent, of which Türkiye is an integral part.

Eid al-Adha holiday has been 9 days

This year, we will celebrate Eid al-Adha between 27-30 May. We have decided to add one and a half days to the public holidays of our public employees, which will start on the afternoon of Tuesday, May 26th. Thus, we provide a total of 9 days of holiday by including a full day on Monday and one and a half days before the holiday until noon on Tuesday.

GRANT GOOD NEWS FOR YOUNG COUPLES

We support young people who want to start a family with the Family and Youth Fund with an amount between 200-250 thousand liras. We provided convenience for our young people who benefited from the loan and had children during the maturity period. We decided to donate the 12-month installment of couples who have their first child within the repayment period and postpone the remaining installments for 12 months. Now we take this one step further. If there is a second child within the repayment period, we will donate the entire remaining installments. We wish good luck to our young couples.

DAMAGE DETECTION WORKS ARE BEING DONE

I extend my best wishes to our citizens in various provinces, especially Gaziantep, Şanlıurfa and Adıyaman, who were affected by the storm. I wish God’s mercy to our brothers and sisters who lost their lives in accidents caused by heavy rains and storms, and I wish a speedy recovery to our injured citizens. Our Ministers of Agriculture and Internal Affairs follow the situation closely with our units in the field and carry out damage assessment studies meticulously.

HOST OF THE SUMMITS

We will host summits and events that will increase Türkiye’s international visibility. On Wednesday, May 20, the 2026 UEFA Europa League final will be played in Istanbul. The NATO summit will be held in Ankara on July 7-8. The 31st United Nations climate change conferences will be held in Antalya in November with a very large participation. The 13th summit of the Organization of Turkish States will also be held in Türkiye. I believe that these international events will contribute to the rise of Turkish tourism.

Türkiye IS NOT THE OLD Türkiye

The issue is not where Ankara stands. The issue is where Brussels wants to be in the world of the future. It should now be understood that a European Union without Türkiye as a full member will not be a global actor and center of attraction. We are not a country whose door will be knocked on when needed or postponed at other times. The EU should know very well the value of Türkiye’s constructive attitude, should not misuse it, and should refrain from actions and statements that would put this in trouble. It should not be forgotten that Türkiye is neither the old Turkey nor the world is stuck in the sphere of influence of Western states as it used to be. A new world is being established, where regional collaborations gain importance, new actors emerge, and the global system rapidly evolves towards multipolarity. Türkiye is among the most powerful countries that are likely to become one of the pole heads of the new system. Today, Europe’s need for Türkiye is greater than Türkiye’s need for Europe. This need will increase even more tomorrow.

There has been no news from 27-year-old Uğur Çalışkan, who went from Van to Hatay to work, since February 19, 2026. The belongings of Çalışkan, who went missing after leaving his home in Serinyol District of Antakya district, were found in the forest area on the 7th day of the search, and no trace of him was found for 72 days.

HE ASKED FOR HELP FROM HIS SOCIAL MEDIA ACCOUNT

Speaking about the loss of his brother, brother Tarık Çalışkan called for help to the Minister of Internal Affairs Mustafa Çiftçi. Çalışkan said, “I am calling out to our esteemed Ministry of Internal Affairs from here. Dear Mustafa Çiftçi, please, we are in the dark. Please be a light for us. Turn on this light of ours.”

MINISTER FARMER DID NOT RESPOND TO THE CALL

Sending a message under the aid video shared on social media, Minister of Internal Affairs Mustafa Çiftçi said, “Dear Brother, I am aware of the issue. Necessary efforts are being made to find your brother under the coordination of our Governor. If necessary, we will assign a team from our JASAT (Gendarmerie Crime Investigation Team) teams, which have significant experience in finding the missing and shedding light on the events. I am following the process closely. May God grant you a safe reunion.”

“STATISTICS ARE PROMISING ON THE EMPLOYMENT SIDE”

Stating that Türkiye will host many large and small organizations and that high-level guests from all over the world will be hosted, President Erdoğan said that he believes that international events will also contribute to the rise of Turkish tourism, and that the statistics are promising not only in exports and tourism, but also on the employment side.

Erdoğan reminded that the unemployment rate decreased by 0.3 points compared to the previous month and decreased to 8.1 percent, and noted that the number of employment increased by 226 thousand people in the same period, reaching 32 million 425 thousand people, and the employment rate increased by 0.3 points to 48.5 percent.

Stating that the number of workforce increased by 129 thousand people in March compared to the previous month, reaching 35 million 298 thousand people, and that the labor force participation rate increased by 0.1 point to 52.8 percent, Erdoğan pointed out that the unemployment rate maintained its single-digit course in the 35th month.

President Erdoğan also stated that they are carefully following the increase in the rate of idle labor and emphasized that despite this positive picture in exports, employment and tourism, inflation is one of the areas where the effects of the war are felt the most.

Reminding that the inflation rate for April was announced as 4.18 percent today, Erdoğan said that fuel prices, which are still very high, put heavy pressure on inflation in Türkiye, as in the world.

Erdoğan said, “Even though we are walking against the wind in the global atmosphere in the fight against inflation, there is not the slightest regression in our will. We are determined to move forward with firm steps on the path we know is right, without succumbing to pessimism or listening to the doomsayers.” he said.

“Türkiye WAS PUSHED OUT OF THE NEGOTIATION TABLE DUE TO POLITICAL MOTIONS”

Stating that they have recently witnessed some damaging discussions triggered by European actors regarding Türkiye’s position in Europe, President Erdoğan said:

“By using these discussions as an opportunity, I find it useful to remind some basic facts about our country’s journey to the European Union. Turkey applied for partnership with the European Union, which was then called the European Economic Community, on July 31, 1959, 19 months after its establishment. The Ankara Agreement, which forms the legal basis of the relations between Turkey and the European Union, was signed in 1963. The partnership agreement, whose ultimate goal is Türkiye’s full membership in the community, consists of three separate periods, namely the preparatory period, the transition period and the final period, which are the continuation of each other. “With the entry into force of the Ankara Agreement on December 1, 1964, the first phase, that is, the preparation period, began.”

Erdoğan reminded that the Addition Protocol was signed on November 13, 1970, and the first step towards the transition period was taken with the implementation of this document 3 years later.

Stating that the disputes arising from the Cyprus case blocked Türkiye’s path to the European Union in the following period, Erdoğan said, “This is quite remarkable. Look, our neighbor Greece at that time was accepted to the European Union in a very short time in 1981, to which it applied for membership in 1975. Turkey, on the other hand, was pushed off the negotiation table for purely political reasons. With the September 12 coup, in which our democracy was seriously damaged, our relations with the European Union were officially suspended.” “In the following years, our relations with the Union gained momentum again with the restoration of civilian power and the initiative of the late Turgut Özal.” he said.

“WE FULFILLED RESPONSIBILITIES DURING THE NEGOTIATION PROCESS”

President Erdoğan reminded that the application for full membership to the Union was made on April 14, 1987 and that, in the words of the late Özal, “a long and narrow road” was started, and that the commission that evaluated the application stated in its response 2.5 years later that “Although Türkiye is qualified to join the community, it will not accept new members without ensuring the internal integration of the community.”

Explaining that the transition period was completed and the final period was started with the Customs Union between Türkiye and the European Union, which came into force on January 1, 1996, Erdoğan said that the problems encountered began to reoccur after a short time.

President Erdoğan continued his words as follows:

“So much so that while candidate status was given to 12 countries at the Luxembourg Summit held in 1997, Turkey was once again ignored. Finally, at the summit of heads of state and government held in Helsinki in 1999, Türkiye’s candidacy was approved by the council and it was decided to prepare the accession partnership document. After taking over the task of governing the country on November 3, 2002, we brought a new breath to all these activities. Within a two-year period, 8 harmonization packages were passed by the Parliament. In the same period, we made changes to 218 articles of 53 laws. Again, in 2001 and 2004, the European Union, which made the biggest expansion move in its history, accepted 10 more countries, including the Greek Cypriot Administration of Southern Cyprus, as members. As Turkey, we tolerated all these wrong and unfair decisions and continued on our way. “We fully fulfilled our responsibilities during the negotiation process that started in 2005 and its continuation. We announced our 9th reform package between 2006 and 2010. Only one chapter was opened between 2010 and 2013. The positive agenda that was put into effect in 2012 lasted only 2 years.”

PRESIDENT ERDOĞAN GAVE THE GOOD GOOD

Reminding that they support young people who want to establish a home with the Family and Youth Fund with an amount between 200-250 thousand liras, President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan said:

“We provided convenience for our young people who benefited from the loan and had children during the maturity period. We decided to donate the 12-month installment of couples who had their first child within the repayment period and postpone the remaining installments for 12 months. Now we are taking this one step further. If the second child is born within the repayment period, we will donate the entire remaining installments. I wish good luck to our young couples and hope that the decisions in our Cabinet Meeting will be beneficial.”

LOAN OPPORTUNITY WITH 48 MONTHS TERM AND 2 YEARS NON-REPAYMENT

Minister Göktaş, who recently announced that they updated the loan amount in January so that more young couples can benefit from the fund, said, “We provide 250 thousand lira support if both couples applying to the fund are between the ages of 18-25, and 200 thousand lira if they are between the ages of 26-29. We provide loan support to couples whose applications are approved, with a maturity of 48 months and a grace period of 2 years.”

Minister of Energy and Natural Resources Alparslan Bayraktar made important statements about the agenda in a television program he attended.

Explaining that the energy crisis in the world is global, Minister Bayraktar said, “The world is facing major crises. We must be on alert at all times and be prepared for uncertainties. Markets are waiting for positive news. The Russia-Ukraine crisis has completed four years. The process that started in Iran, the uncertainties may continue for a longer time. I hope the region does not get used to this new normal. Turkey does not have any problems in terms of energy.”

“WE WILL UNDERTAKE THE BILL BURDEN”

Minister Bayraktar explained that if the global energy crisis continues until the end of the year, citizens will bear the 1.5 trillion lira electricity, natural gas and fuel bill burden.

THE OPPOSITION CALLED THE BLUE COUNTRY A “FAIRY TALE”

Explaining that Türkiye increased its moves for independence in energy after 2016, Bayraktar said, “In the new process we started after 2016, there is a Turkey that searches for oil in its own seas with its own ships. The strategy that there will be no place where Türkiye does not go and does not drill led us to the discovery in Gabar and the production of 81 thousand barrels. We put forward the goal of ending foreign dependence. When we look at the opposition, they call the Blue Homeland a ‘fairy tale’. ‘What will we do with the ships? There are those who say ‘let’s rent it’. This is Türkiye’s common interest, we need to continue strengthening it.
Having our own ship means ‘We are present in the Mediterranean’. Türkiye continued its search with determination and made discoveries in the middle of the pandemic. “With our developing capabilities, today we have become a country that can explore for oil in Somalia,” he said.

Minister of Culture and Tourism Mehmet Nuri Ersoy had a meeting with Barış Manço’s son Doğukan Manço at the Atatürk Cultural Center in order to pass on Barış Manço to future generations. According to the statement made by the Ministry, the importance of working to preserve cultural values ​​and transfer them to future generations was emphasized during the meeting. Ersoy noted that they exchanged views on the current situation of the museum-house in Moda, which hosts the life and production of the master artist.

At the meeting, where Barış Manço’s knowledge and cultural impact throughout his artistic life were discussed, topics aimed at preserving these values ​​and transferring them to future generations were evaluated. Sharing a post on his social media account regarding Doğukan Manço’s visit, Minister Ersoy said: “We met with Doğukan Manço at the Istanbul Atatürk Cultural Center on the legacy of Barış Manço, who carries not only the voice but also the memory of an era.

We exchanged views about the current situation of the museum-house in Moda, which hosts the life and production of our artist. We attach importance to studies aimed at preserving such values ​​that nourish our cultural memory and transferring them to future generations. “On this occasion, I commemorate the late Barış Manço with respect and mercy, and thank Doğukan Manço for his kind visit,” he said.