Politics
‘Terror-free Türkiye aims to build shared future with entire society’
We want to build a common future through the terror-free Türkiye process and open a new chapter in the country’s history, President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan said on Thursday, celebrating the 24th anniversary of the ruling Justice and Development Party (AK Party).
“Through the process, we will not only solve the problem of terrorism, but also aim to eradicate the possibility and threat of terrorism,” Erdoğan said at the anniversary program in the capital Ankara.
“Türkiye has caught a historical opportunity to solve its most chronic problem – we will not allow it to come to nothing.”
Calling on other political parties to support the initiative, Erdoğan said: “We do not have to think in the same manner on every issue; however, we are obliged to realize a terror-free Türkiye.”
Speaking on the terror-free Türkiye commission, which has been recently created to follow the process after the PKK laid down arms, Erdoğan said that parties should not adopt a maximalist approach here. “Whoever does this for the sake of political interests, I say it openly: Neither this nation nor future generations will forgive him.”
Let us bring down the wall that has been built between our people, let us build our future together, Erdoğan added.
“We are managing a very delicate process here. We carry the legacy of 86 million people, including Turks, Kurds and Arabs, and we strive not to stain that legacy even by the slightest blemish.”
“As the AK Party, with full dignity and awareness of the heavy burden on our shoulders, we will diligently manage this process, which will open the door to a bright future, in a manner that aligns with our nation’s expectations and the greatness of our party,” the president continued.
Underlining the party left its mark on the last quarter century, Erdoğan said: “The AK Party is stronger today, it will be even stronger tomorrow. Nothing will be like before.”
The president gave the most recent data on investments and services in several areas to the people throughout 24 years.
“We increased our exports, which were $36 billion in 2002, to $270 billion on an annual basis in July.”
He also said that the AK Party is more than a party, with the highest number of members.
“We continue to expand participation in the AK Party on its 24th anniversary with new members,” Erdoğan said, criticizing the main opposition for attacking the new members’ choice of joining the ruling party.
“We have never bowed to the tyranny of those who orchestrate reputation assassinations through their media and social media hitmen, and we will never do so again. The gentleman (CHP Chair Özgür Özel) is uncomfortable, so be it; we will make him uncomfortable even more,” Erdoğan said. “The CHP chairman is no longer a matter of politics, but is rapidly becoming a matter of psychiatry.”
Entering political life as Türkiye’s 39th party, the AK Party was introduced by Erdoğan, then the former mayor of Istanbul, with the words: “From today onwards, nothing will be the same in Türkiye.” Two days after its foundation, at the Aug. 16 Founders’ Council meeting, Erdoğan was unanimously elected chairperson, beginning a political journey that has produced four prime ministers, two presidents and multiple landmark reforms.
Just 15 months later, the party contested its first general election on Nov. 3, 2002, without its leader, who was under a political ban, and campaigned under the slogan “On our own, into power.” It won 34.28% of the vote, emerging as the leading party and forming the 58th government under Abdullah Gül.
With amendments to Article 312 of the Turkish Penal Code lifting his political ban, Erdoğan entered Parliament on March 8, 2003, in the Siirt by-election. Following Gül’s resignation, then-President Ahmet Necdet Sezer tasked Erdoğan with forming the 59th government, and on March 15, 2003, he assumed the post of prime minister.
In its first local elections in 2004, the AK Party won 41.7% of the vote, securing 1,950 municipalities, including 11 metropolitan cities. In the 2007 general elections, it increased its vote share to 46.58%, maintaining its single-party government, and again topped the 2009 local polls.
A major challenge came in 2008 when the chief prosecutor filed a closure case against the party, seeking to ban 71 members, including President Abdullah Gül and Prime Minister Erdoğan. The Constitutional Court accepted the indictment on March 31, 2008, but on July 30, it voted against closure as the required qualified majority was not met.
The 2010 constitutional referendum, held on the 30th anniversary of the 1980 coup, saw 57.88% vote “yes” to amending the 1982 Constitution. In 2011, the AK Party won the general elections with 49.53%, and in the 2014 local elections, secured 45.60%, winning 818 mayoralties, 18 of which were metropolitan municipalities.
On Aug. 10, 2014, Erdoğan was elected Türkiye’s 12th president with 52% of the vote, becoming the first to be chosen directly by the people. Konya Deputy Ahmet Davutoğlu took over as party chairperson, leading the AK Party through the June 7, 2015, general elections and the Nov. 1 snap polls, where it regained its parliamentary majority.
On May 22, 2016, Binali Yıldırım was elected chairperson at the 2nd Extraordinary Congress, forming the 65th government. That same year, on July 15, the Gülenist Terror Group (FETÖ) attempted a coup – the deadliest in Türkiye’s history. Erdoğan’s call for citizens to take to the streets and airports stopped the attempt, and the solidarity between the AK Party and the Nationalist Movement Party (MHP) paved the way for the People’s Alliance.
The April 16, 2017, constitutional referendum – initiated by an AK Party proposal signed by 316 deputies – passed with 51.41% of the vote, ushering in the presidential system and allowing the president to retain party membership. On May 2, 2017, after 979 days away, Erdoğan rejoined the AK Party and was reelected chair on May 21 with all valid votes.
The first elections under the new system were held on June 24, 2018, after a proposal for early elections by MHP leader Devlet Bahçeli was accepted. Erdoğan was reelected president with 52.38%, and the AK Party took 42.28% in the parliamentary vote, winning its 13th consecutive national election.
At the Aug. 18, 2018, 6th Ordinary Congress, Erdoğan was reelected with all valid votes. The party formalized electoral alliances in its bylaws and barred members from holding both Central Executive Board and Cabinet positions. The AK Party and the MHP continued their alliance in the local elections, with the AK Party winning 44.33% and remaining the leading party.
The 7th Ordinary Congress process, launched under the theme “Walk the road you believe in,” was interrupted by the COVID-19 pandemic but resumed in 2021. On March 24, Erdoğan was reelected chairperson with all 1,428 valid votes.
For the 2023 elections, Erdoğan moved the date from June 18 to May 14. In the first round, he won 49.52%, leading to a May 28 runoff, where he prevailed with 52.18%. The AK Party won 35.62% of the parliamentary vote, securing 268 seats and extending its record as the longest-ruling party since 1946.
On Oct. 7, 2023, the 4th Extraordinary Congress reelected Erdoğan chair with all 1,399 valid votes. The new Central Decision and Executive Board saw 49 new members, while 14 of 18 Executive Board members retained their seats.
In the March 31, 2024, local elections, the AK Party won 35.49% of the vote, capturing 24 provincial and 357 district municipalities. Erdoğan said the party would “carefully weigh the messages from the ballot box with reason and conscience” and initiated cadre changes in multiple provinces.
At the Feb. 23, 2025, 8th Ordinary Congress, 39 new members joined the 75-seat Central Decision and Executive Board, renewing more than half the body. Three new presidencies – for relations with Turkic states, health policies, and culture and arts – were established.
From its foundation to its 24th anniversary, the AK Party has been defined by uninterrupted electoral success, constitutional changes and leadership continuity under Erdoğan.
Damaged vessels from the Global Sumud Flotilla are being repaired in Türkiye’s Antalya after an Israeli attack in international waters, with volunteers working to prepare the ships for another voyage toward Gaza.
Some of the vessels were left with damaged engines, broken masts and torn sails after the attack. They were later brought to Antalya, where local and international volunteers are carrying out repairs at a shipyard.
Two vessels have already been repaired and sent to Italy as part of preparations for another Gaza-bound mission, said Sümeyra Akdeniz Ordu, a board member of the Global Sumud Flotilla.
“We are trying to recover the ships drifting at sea one by one. We are carrying out a rescue mission,” Ordu told Anadolu Agency (AA). “We are repairing these ships so they can sail to Gaza again.”
Fourteen flotilla vessels are currently in Antalya, Ordu said, adding that volunteers from different countries were helping coordinate and repair the ships.
She said each vessel had a special significance for the activists and that they were treating the ships “like their own children” as they worked to restore them.
The damage was extensive, Ordu said, describing broken masts, damaged engines and cut hoses. She also said the sails had been torn with knives.
“The mast was broken, surface cleaner and coffee had been poured into the engines, and the hoses on each ship had been cut one by one,” she said. “They caused this damage by ramming them with larger ships.”
The repairs have been difficult because of the extent of the damage, but volunteers have continued working, Ordu said.
Türkiye has provided a safe port for the repair effort, she added.
Ordu said the activists remained determined to continue their efforts despite the damage to the vessels.
“If the enemy does not give up, we cannot give up,” she said. “We are trying to be a voice here for our Palestinian friends.”
She said the damage to the vessels showed what she described as the violence and hostility directed at the flotilla.
“We, too, insist on continuing every form of resistance,” Ordu said.
Türkiye condemned a drone attack on a power distribution station in the Saudi city of Medina that supplies electricity to the Prophet’s Mosque, reiterating its support for Saudi Arabia amid renewed regional tensions.
Ömer Çelik, spokesperson for Türkiye’s ruling Justice and Development Party (AK Party), condemned the attack on Friday, saying targeting infrastructure serving the Prophet’s Mosque was unacceptable.
“Attacks targeting our sacred values are illegitimate acts directed against all Muslims,” Çelik said in a social media post, adding that Türkiye strongly supported Saudi Arabia’s security and stability.
The targeted facility supplies electricity to the Prophet’s Mosque, Islam’s second-holiest site. The attack put one transformer out of service but did not affect the electricity network.
Türkiye’s Foreign Ministry also strongly condemned the attack, saying strikes targeting civilian infrastructure and threatening Saudi Arabia’s sovereignty and security should “cease immediately and unconditionally.”
The ministry reiterated Türkiye’s support for Saudi Arabia and called on parties to avoid steps that could further escalate tensions in the region.
“We reaffirm our strong support for Saudi Arabia and emphasize the need to avoid any steps that would further escalate tensions in the region,” the statement said.
Presidential Communications Director Burhanettin Duran on Friday separately condemned the strike and said Türkiye would continue to stand by Saudi Arabia.
The Saudi-led coalition said an investigation and examination of drone wreckage indicated Houthi involvement in the Sept. 29 attack.
Coalition spokesperson Maj. Gen. Turki Al Maliki said the targeted facility supplies electricity to the Prophet’s Mosque, one of Islam’s holiest sites.
Saudi Arabia said two weeks ago it had intercepted and destroyed a Houthi drone south of Mecca before it entered restricted airspace over the Muslim holy city. The coalition described that incident as the second Houthi attempt to target Mecca since 2017.
Earlier on Thursday, the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) and several Arab countries, including the United Arab Emirates (UAE), Jordan, Kuwait and Bahrain, also condemned the attack on Medina.
The OIC described the targeting of vital infrastructure and facilities as “a dangerous escalation and a blatant violation of the sanctity of holy sites,” as well as international and humanitarian laws and norms.
Bashiqa-Zilkan, a key Turkish base in Iraq, will soon be handed over to Iraqi authorities while Turkish troops are expected to withdraw from the country. The development, which comes amid the withdrawal of U.S. forces from the country, which remained there as part of an anti-Daesh coalition, signals the start of a new era for Iraq and Türkiye. The Ministry of National Defense said in a statement on Thursday that the handover of the base did not mean an end to cooperation with Iraq and, on the contrary, Türkiye would continue supporting Iraq’s security and stability.
Türkiye and Iraq agreed earlier this month to deepen security cooperation, restore full Iraqi state authority in Sinjar and begin the gradual handover of the Bashiqa-Zilkan military base to Baghdad under an agreed timetable.
President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan and Iraqi Prime Minister Ali al-Zaidi announced the steps in a joint statement following talks in New York on the sidelines of the 81st United Nations General Assembly.
The ministry said Türkiye welcomed steps to ensure state authority in Sinjar. The base was set up in 2015 to help Iraq fight against Daesh and later maintained its presence when the terrorist group PKK sought to replace Daesh following the liberation of Sinjar.
“These steps will contribute to normalization of the region, establishing an environment of security and stability and a terror-free region,” the ministry said, using an expression referring to Ankara’s “terror-free Türkiye” initiative, which aims to disarm the PKK.
The statement also said it was decided to gradually hand over the compound to the central government in Baghdad, “based on improvement of security in Sinjar.”
“Our country, as it did in the past, stands with our neighbor Iraq in terms of maintaining an environment of security and stability. Throughout future contacts, we are planning to take steps that will further advance military and security cooperation. We will continue supporting Iraq’s armed forces in increasing military capacity, sharing know-how in counterterrorism and in the fields of military training and defense industry cooperation, based on bilateral agreements,” the ministry stated.
Ayhan Sarı, an assistant professor at the Turkish-German University and a security and foreign policy expert at the Turkish Research Foundation (TAV), noted that Türkiye’s withdrawal was linked to ending the PKK’s presence in Sinjar and the re-establishment of Baghdad’s authority there.
Sarı told Daily Sabah that Türkiye has been in Iraq as an exercise of its right to self-defense under international law, particularly Article 51 of the United Nations Charter, which recognizes the right to individual and collective self-defense against armed attacks. “Türkiye’s presence in Iraq has been due to the PKK threat in the north. (The dissolution) of the PKK will remove the need to remain in Iraq,” Sarı said.
He noted that the PKK and other terrorist groups had, for years, filled the power vacuum that emerged in Iraq’s northern region following the beginning of the Iraq War.
“Iraq’s central government claims it can find a solution to this vacuum through recent steps and establish full authority within its borders after the U.S. withdrawal,” Sarı said.
A U.S.-led coalition deployed in Iraq more than a decade ago against Daesh formally concluded its mission on Wednesday. Daesh was largely expelled from Iraq and Syria, also thanks to Türkiye’s cross-border operations in Assad-era Syria, but U.S. forces remained. Washington and Baghdad reached an agreement two years ago to wind down the mission.
Sarı said it was only natural that Türkiye was supportive of Iraq’s steps to ensure security on its own, since Ankara was committed to developing good relations with its neighbors and centered its foreign policy on peace and stability.
“As it did in Syria, Türkiye sides with central authority, stability and security in Iraq. Türkiye will support this move and will do whatever it can to ensure that this mission succeeds in maintaining stability and security, based on its neighborly relations,” he said.
Sarı added that Iraq’s efforts were compatible with Türkiye’s foreign policy and plans. “Iraq’s success will also mean the complete expulsion of the PKK from that country. This expulsion, removal of this malignant tumor between Türkiye and Iraq, will certainly add momentum to Turkish-Iraqi relations,” he also stated.
Speaking at the inauguration of the new legislative year at the Turkish Parliament on Thursday, President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan hailed a law passed by Parliament on terror-free Türkiye, which involves the disarmament of the terrorist group PKK.
“Consensus on a terror-free Türkiye has upset the country’s foes. (Terror-free Türkiye) is already having a deterrent effect on Türkiye’s foes and is empowering the country,” Erdoğan said.
The president also urged other political parties to strengthen the “home front” amid regional tensions and reach a “grand Türkiye consensus.”
The Law on Strengthening National Solidarity and Social Integration was approved by Parliament in August following months of political consultations over the government’s terror-free Türkiye initiative. The 12-article legislation received broad parliamentary backing, with 468 lawmakers voting in favor, 88 against and six abstaining. It mainly involves deferral of sentences and prosecution, as part of the initiative that paved the way for the dissolution of the PKK.
For decades, the PKK remained the main security threat for Türkiye, and its violent campaign is blamed for the deaths of thousands of people and immense economic losses, especially in southeastern Türkiye. Apart from small nationalist parties, almost all political parties openly supported the initiative, something rare in polarized Turkish politics.
“The era of opposition solely based on opposing what the government did is over. It is a grave mistake to reduce politics to antagonizing the rivals, to a war of attrition, instead of making it a race in offering the best public services. Regional and global developments require us to pursue a new style of politics,” Erdoğan told Parliament amid constant applause from lawmakers from his Justice and Development Party (AK Party). The main opposition New Party (YP) left Parliament’s general assembly hall as Erdoğan took the floor.
“We have two options now: We will either continue with the old way of politics focusing on polarization, or we will build new politics based on finding common ground, finding consensus amid competition,” he said.
“If we are meant to make Türkiye great and strong again, if we are meant to utilize historic opportunities, we have to adapt to this paradigm shift altogether and without losing more time,” he said.
The president said they did not expect all political parties to fully align or have the same opinion.
“Different views are certainly the wealth of Türkiye, Turkish democracy. But all political parties should prioritize Türkiye. Every party should draw power from its own dynamics, its grassroots, to carry out ‘Türkiye-oriented politics,'” Erdoğan said.
“Reconciliation and tolerance should replace conflict and polarization. We have to find common ground on matters essential for every member of our nation. This is what we call the ‘grand Türkiye consensus,'” Erdoğan added.
New constitution
The president also focused on drafting a new constitution. “The goal of a new and civilian constitution is a struggle for Turkish democracy to prove its maturity. Our esteemed Parliament is competent and authorized to draft a constitution under all circumstances and in every period. A new constitution that will broaden Türkiye’s horizons will be the product not of a politics of polarization, but of a new politics based on competition within consensus. Our nation’s longing for a new constitution must not be held hostage by manufactured fears. Our position regarding the first four articles of the Constitution currently in force is clear. Rolling up our sleeves for a new and civilian constitution worthy of the ‘Century of Türkiye’ is a genuine test of sincerity for everyone. I hope the current legislative year will be a year of constitutional reform that expands Türkiye’s opportunities and potential,” he said.
Since the founding of the Republic of Türkiye, constitutional design has served as the backbone of the country’s legal system. The current Constitution, adopted in 1982, has been repeatedly amended over the decades, most notably in 2017, when a national referendum paved the way for the country’s transition from a parliamentary model to an executive presidential system.
Despite numerous amendments over the decades, replacing the 1982 Constitution with a new, civilian-drafted charter remains a prominent issue in Türkiye’s political debate.
Erdoğan and Parliament Speaker Numan Kurtulmuş have repeatedly advocated for a new civilian constitution, arguing that the existing charter retains the legacy of military rule under which it was drafted despite extensive subsequent amendments.
Türkiye condemned Thursday a drone attack by Houthis on a power station in the Muslim holy city of Medina, reaffirming its support for Saudi Arabia.
The targeted facility supplies electricity to the Prophet’s Mosque, Islam’s second-holiest site. The attack put one transformer out of service but did not affect the electricity network.
The Saudi-led coalition in Yemen said on Thursday that an investigation and examination of drone wreckage confirmed Houthi involvement in planning and carrying out Tuesday’s attack.
“We strongly condemn the Houthis’ attack on civilian infrastructure serving the Prophet’s Mosque in Medina,” the Turkish Foreign Ministry said in a statement.
“These provocative attacks, which threaten Saudi Arabia’s sovereignty and security and target the sacred values of the Islamic world, must cease immediately and unconditionally,” it said.
Saudi Arabia said two weeks ago it had intercepted and destroyed a Houthi drone south of Mecca before it entered restricted airspace over the Muslim holy city. The coalition described that incident as the second Houthi attempt to target Mecca since 2017.
The Foreign Ministry emphasized the need to avoid any steps that would further escalate tensions.
“We reaffirm our strong support for Saudi Arabia and emphasize the need to avoid any steps that would further escalate tensions in the region,” the statement said.
Earlier Thursday, the Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) and several Arab countries, including the United Arab Emirates, Jordan, Kuwait and Bahrain, also condemned the attack on Medina.
The OIC described the targeting of vital infrastructure and facilities as “a dangerous escalation and a blatant violation of the sanctity of holy sites,” as well as international and humanitarian laws and norms.
The organization affirmed its full solidarity with Saudi Arabia in measures taken to protect its territory, security and stability, defend Islamic holy sites and safeguard citizens and residents.
The UAE Foreign Ministry said the drone attack constituted “a flagrant violation of the sovereignty of Saudi Arabia and a threat to its security and stability.”
The Saudi-led coalition said the Medina attack was part of what it described as repeated Houthi attempts to target the Two Holy Mosques and “provoke” Muslims worldwide. It said it would continue taking measures to protect the holy sites and pilgrims.
Houthis denied the accusation.
The latest escalation is the most serious fighting between Saudi Arabia and the Iran-aligned Houthis since a U.N.-brokered truce largely halted cross-border attacks in 2022. Hostilities resumed this year after the Houthis declared a naval blockade on Saudi Arabia in July and began attacking Saudi territory and shipping, while Houthi forces also made major territorial gains along Yemen’s Red Sea coast.
Saudi Arabia has responded with airstrikes in Yemen and backed government forces fighting to push back the Houthis.
Turkish authorities detained Eyüpsultan Mayor Mithat Bülent Özmen and 27 other suspects earlier Friday as part of a corruption investigation involving the Istanbul district municipality, prosecutors said.
The Ankara Chief Public Prosecutor’s Office said detention orders were issued for 28 suspects over allegations including membership in a criminal organization, receiving and giving bribes and bid rigging.
All 28 suspects were detained in simultaneous operations carried out by financial crimes police, according to the prosecutor’s office. Authorities also conducted searches and seizures at addresses linked to the suspects and searched the Republican People’s Party (CHP)-run Eyüpsultan Municipality building.
Prosecutors said the investigation was being conducted in coordination with the Ankara Police Department’s Financial Crimes Investigation Branch.
“The investigation continues in a comprehensive and meticulous manner,” the prosecutor’s office said.
Özmen, who serves as mayor of Istanbul’s Eyüpsultan district, was among those taken into custody.
The detentions are part of an ongoing investigation, and no court has ruled on the allegations against the suspects.
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