Graduation excitement was experienced in the Village University Project, which was implemented by Burdur Mehmet Akif Ersoy University (MAKÜ) to increase access to education and information in rural areas. Village residents who completed their education within the scope of the project, which started in March 2025, wore robes at the university’s graduation ceremony. Meaningful images emerged at MAKÜ’s 2025-2026 Academic Year Graduation Ceremony. Village University students, accompanied by Refreshment University students, participated in the cortege march with university graduates. The participants took their places in the ceremony area with their robes and celebrated this special day by throwing their caps together with other graduates.

THERE IS EDUCATION IN 25 VILLAGES
Within the scope of the project, which aims to support lifelong learning in rural areas, training and field studies have been carried out in 25 villages so far. While a total of 2 thousand 871 people participated in the training programs, 13 events and 43 different training activities were organized during the project. 26 academics who took part in the studies met directly with citizens in the villages and shared information in various fields. The Village University model aims to bring the knowledge produced at the university to rural areas, as well as to bring together local experience and knowledge with academic studies. Thanks to the project carried out with a participatory approach, it is aimed to strengthen social learning environments in villages and contribute to sustainable development. The project, which produced its first graduates, draws attention as one of the exemplary practices that strengthens the bond between the university and the society.

Ankara Police Chief Maksut Yüksek inspected the increased security measures throughout the city before the NATO Summit to be held in the capital on July 7-8, 2026. Yüksek, who examined the police practices carried out in areas where citizens are densely populated, visited the checkpoints and received information from the personnel on duty.
Yüksek, who closely follows the practices carried out in the busy points of the capital, also met with the citizens and listened to their opinions and demands. Stating that security measures will be maintained with the same sensitivity and determination throughout the summit, Yüksek stated that the priority goal is to protect public order and ensure the peace of citizens.
Extensive security planning is being carried out throughout the province by the Ankara Police Department within the scope of the NATO Summit. While many units, especially public order, traffic and riot police, will work in a coordinated manner, security measures will be implemented at the highest level in the capital throughout the summit.
On the other hand, it was reported that tens of thousands of personnel will work within the scope of security preparations for the 36th NATO Summit to be held in Ankara, and additional measures will be taken at airports, accommodation areas and critical routes.

Numan Kurtulmuş, Speaker of the Grand National Assembly of Türkiye (TBMM), attended the ‘MTTB Politics School Closing and Certificate Program’ held at the National Turkish Student Union (MTTB) Headquarters. In the program held at MTTB Headquarters, certificates were presented to the participants who successfully completed the politics school. In addition to the Speaker of the Grand National Assembly of Turkey, Numan Kurtulmuş, former Speaker of the Grand National Assembly of Turkey İsmail Kahraman, Chairman of MTTB Tahsin Basari, Rector of Istanbul University Prof. Dr. Osman Bülent Zülfikar, academicians, students and many guests attended. Speaking at the program, Speaker of the Grand National Assembly of Turkey Numan Kurtulmuş said, “We have never been, and will never be, in an attitude that denies tomorrow what we said yesterday. We trusted our young people, who are the future of this country, yesterday, we trust today, and we will trust tomorrow too.

Because we know that every nation can only rise on its own roots. We know that just as every tree rises on its own trunk, all societies rise on their own trunk. That’s why we will never give up on this ideal at home. Yesterday, perhaps a very concrete version of this ideal of ours, which I will express later, was to realize the heavy industry move in Türkiye. It was to establish factories in every city of Türkiye. Great struggles were fought for this. Successes have been achieved in many areas, from Revolutionary automobiles to Türkiye’s public investments. We are now in a new era. In this period, being ahead and being a followed country in many new fields, especially high technologies, information technologies, transportation and communication technologies, artificial intelligence, is an indispensable element of the ideal of a strong and great Turkey again. It is the ideal to make Türkiye a country that has achieved social unity internally, is strong in every respect, and is followed in every field, without needing help, in short, to become a strong and great Turkey again. The second leg of this is our attitude towards the outside world, especially our immediate environment. “Our goal here is to fight for the establishment of a new global system that is fair and equitable,” he said.

WE WILL MAKE EFFORT
NUMAN Kurtulmuş said, “One of our important characteristics as a nation, one of the most important elements of our state tradition, is the goal of order in the world. With this leadership put forward by our President, we strive to be an example and a pioneer to the nations of the world. We have to completely end the terrorism issue, for which we wasted nearly 50 years of Türkiye’s first year, the first year of our Republic, and establish complete peace and brotherhood in this country. No one in this country can be treated differently because of their race, ethnic structure, family structure and social life.” “We must reach a point where there is no differentiation. I hope we will continue on our way to establish a period in which no one can deceive the children of this country into giving them weapons. I see the work of our National Solidarity, Fraternity and Democracy Commission as important for Turkey’s democracy. In my international contacts, I see that our counterparts on the other side admire Türkiye for the work of this commission,” he said.

The “Muharram Month Fasting Breaking and Sharing of Lokma” program, organized in cooperation with Cihannüma Association and Türkiye Reconciliation and Social Development Foundation, was held in Istanbul Yenikapı Mevlevi Lodge. Speaking at the program, Necmeddin Bilal Erdoğan, Chairman of the Board of Trustees of the Science Dissemination Foundation, said that the meanings of the month of Muharram and the Karbala incident are important. Stating that the Karbala incident was a great test for Muslims, Erdoğan said, “The seeds of discord sown since then continue to maintain their effect. It constitutes the beginning of many problems that prevent us from knowing each other, greeting each other, and building bridges that we can naturally build with each other.”

WE MUST LIVE OUR VALUES
Erdoğan stated that in order to restore unity, there is a need to strengthen communication and start spending time together, so that they can convey some values ​​to children without difficulty. Explaining that they are in a period when evil and trouble are rampant in the world, Erdoğan said, “At this time, we need to keep the values that will give hope to the world alive in these lands. Because there is no other place in the world with such a clean, so beautiful and so peaceful. I think that the Anatolian society and the Anatolian people have a responsibility to live and keep alive the values that make this place Anatolia and make these lands our homeland. Considering that this unity contributes to this, our meeting is in the abundance of Muharram.” “I hope it will be beneficial,” he said.

EMPHASIS ON BROTHERHOOD
Cihannüma Association Chairman Selim Cerrah stated that Muharram is the month of sadness, pain, resistance and hope. Haydar Şahin, Chairman of the Board of Trustees of the Turkish Reconciliation and Social Development Foundation, stated that Hazrat Hussein’s stance in Karbala still carries important messages today. Şahin noted that there are lessons to be learned from Karbala. Rector of Türkiye International Islamic, Science and Technology University Prof. Dr. Mehmet Görmez said that Karbala has a common meaning for all Muslims.

The investigation carried out under the coordination of Izmir Seferihisar Chief Public Prosecutor’s Office revealed a huge corruption and bribery network within Seferihisar Municipality. Journalist Evrim Ataman, who benefited from the “effective regret” provisions within the scope of the investigation, exposed in full detail the system called “Bribery Pool” established under the management of Deputy Mayor İbrahim Gökhan Pehlivan. Özlem Akyılmaz, his consultant of 15 years, who sent the tender bribes he received from two municipalities to Veli Ağbaba from his account, was arrested. According to Ataman’s statements; Bribe deals are carried out in a real estate office right across from the courthouse.

Mayor İsmail Adult gets a 10 percent share from this pool. It is recorded that part of the 2.5 million TL extortion requested for the opening of a workplace that was sealed for blackmail purposes was delivered in a plastic bag in the middle of the street, and 10 thousand euros was personally given to the vice president İbrahim Gökhan Pehlivan at a dinner table. Using a similar method, it was determined that 12 million TL was initially requested from the contractor for the housing problem, and 6 million TL was negotiated. 500 thousand TL was transferred directly to the account of Özlem Akyılmaz, the arrested black box of Veli Ağbaba. One day later, it was revealed that the money was transferred to Veli Ağbaba’s personal bank account.

SCHOLARSHIP LIE CRASHED
It was determined that GÜZELBAHÇE Mayor Mustafa Günay’s wife, Nermin Günay, sent 500 thousand TL to Akyılmaz. While Akyılmaz called this money “scholarship”, Nermin Günay denied the “scholarship” defense in her statement, saying that she sent the money for “election office expenses and car rental”. Özlem Akyılmaz also refused to give the password of her phone to the police for digital examination.

Erhan Karaal, Deputy General Manager of Kültür A.Ş. affiliated with Istanbul Metropolitan Municipality, who is on trial without arrest in the “İmamoğlu Criminal Organization for Self-Purpose” case, was kidnapped with a vehicle from in front of his house in the Maltepe district of Istanbul. While Erhan Karaal, the then Financial Affairs Manager of Kültür A.Ş., which caused a public loss of 6.2 billion liras with the advertising tenders given to pro-government companies in the Istanbul Metropolitan Municipality, was being tried as a member of the organization in the Istanbul Metropolitan Municipality indictment, his kidnapping a month before he was to make his defense drew attention to the tender files in the Istanbul Metropolitan Municipality.

İBB Kültür A.Ş., which was rescued as a result of the meticulous work of the Public Security Branch Directorate Extortion Bureau teams. There have been new developments in the investigation of Deputy General Manager Erhan Karaal. In the operation carried out last evening, two pirate taxi drivers who were determined to have helped the suspects escape were detained. Thus, the number of detainees in the investigation increased to 10.

İsmail A.

During the studies, it was determined that the suspects who kidnapped Karaal changed 4 addresses in order to cover their tracks. It was determined that the taxi drivers took the suspects first to Fatih and then to different addresses. During the investigations, it was determined that the person waiting with a gun in front of Karaal was assigned as a hitman and that the person with many criminal records, especially drug crimes, was İsmail A. (27) from Balıkesir.

‘Shot in the head’ INSTRUCTION
It was learned that the suspects said to İsmail A., “We will ask the family for ransom again. If they do not give it, we will inform you. You can shoot him in the head. This is an empty place, they will hardly find the body after 45 days. We will lose our trace.”