Politics
Turkish authorities dig deeper into causes of juvenile crime
A parliamentary commission established to examine the causes behind children being drawn into crime will continue its work for an additional month, Ankara announced on Friday.
The decision to extend the mandate of the commission was approved during a parliamentary session on March 4 and published in the Official Gazette, allowing the body to continue its research from March 10 for another month.
The commission was formed to investigate the root causes that lead children into criminal activity and to propose preventive and protective policies aimed at improving their participation in social life.
Steps against juvenile crime
On the other hand, Justice Minister Akın Gürlek said the government is preparing additional legal measures to protect children from criminal environments and strengthen penalties for those who exploit minors in illegal activities, according to the ministry statement published on Friday.
Gürlek noted that authorities aim to prevent children from being drawn into crime while also ensuring rehabilitation for those who have already committed offenses, emphasizing that the ultimate goal is to reintegrate them into society.
“We must keep children away from environments that lead them to commit crimes,” Gürlek said. “If they do commit an offense, we must rehabilitate them and ensure they can return to society.”
He also remarked that the government introduced several provisions in the 11th Judicial Reform Package targeting criminal groups that use minors in illegal activities. The reforms increased penalties for organized crime leaders and members who involve children in crimes.
He added that the government is considering further increases to those penalties under the upcoming 12th Judicial Reform Package, which is currently being prepared.
“In cases where organized crime groups, their leaders or members use children in criminal activities, we have already raised the penalties,” Gürlek said. “We are now considering increasing those penalties again in the 12th Judicial Reform Package.”
The minister emphasized that protecting children and safeguarding their future is a fundamental responsibility of the state.
“Children are entrusted to us,” Gürlek said. “We have a duty to protect their future.”
He also stressed that the role of the state extends beyond preventing crime, noting that authorities must also help create social opportunities that allow young people to build stable futures.
“The state not only prevents crime,” Gürlek said. “It must also offer individuals a social future.”
According to Gürlek, the planned measures aim both to deter criminal groups from exploiting minors and to ensure that children who become involved in crime receive support and rehabilitation so they can return to society as productive individuals.
The proposed changes are expected to be included in the next judicial reform package that the government plans to present to Parliament.
Gürlek previously announced that the Justice Ministry has launched a joint platform with the Ministry of Family and Social Services and the Ministry of National Education to study the issue.
The platform will examine social, educational and family-related factors that may lead children toward criminal activity or violent behavior, he said.
“We aim to conduct a comprehensive study on the circumstances that lead children toward violence, starting from family structures and education,” Gürlek stressed. “We are also considering measures to ensure that children who are driven into crime serve the full duration of their sentences.”
He added that the government intends to introduce policies that respond to public concerns over crimes involving minors and perceptions that offenders are not sufficiently punished.
“We will take steps to address crimes involving children and to break the perception of impunity in society,” Gürlek said. “Our goal is to produce regulations that deliver concrete improvements in practice.”
The minister also highlighted ongoing efforts to combat violence against women, noting that recent legislation had established stronger legal tools to address such crimes. Gürlek said additional provisions related to the protection of victims could be included in the upcoming judicial reform package.
“We closely monitor the problems experienced by women who are victims of violence,” he said. “We plan to introduce further regulations on this issue in the 12th Judicial Reform Package and present them to Parliament.”
A series of fatal stabbing incidents involving teenagers has intensified public debate in Türkiye over youth violence and the factors driving minors toward crime. One of the most widely reported cases occurred on Jan. 24, 2025, when 14-year-old Mattia Ahmet Minguzzi was stabbed by a 15-year-old attacker at a street market in Istanbul. Minguzzi died on Feb. 9 after spending 16 days in intensive care.
Just two months later, another fatal stabbing shocked the public in the northern province of Tokat, where 17-year-old national athlete Berkay Melikoğlu was killed.
In one of the most recent incidents, 17-year-old Atlas Çağlayan died after being stabbed during an argument in Istanbul on Jan. 14, with initial findings indicating that the suspect is a 15-year-old.
The investigation into the alleged Alihan Kuriş organized crime group targets criminal acts rather than religious beliefs or communities, Justice Minister Akın Gürlek said on Monday, as Turkish authorities have uncovered tens of billions of liras in financial transactions linked to the case, including several companies.
Gürlek underlined that Türkiye would continue its fight against organized crime regardless of the identity of those involved or the guise under which they operate.
“The fundamental criterion here is not the identity of any belief, religious structure or community, but criminal acts and structures connected to those acts,” Gürlek said in a social media statement. “Faith and religious values can in no way be turned into an instrument or shield for criminal activities.”
He stated that authorities were taking action against groups accused of exploiting citizens’ religious beliefs and sentiments to commit crimes and obtain illicit financial gains, citing the Alihan Kuriş investigation as an example.
The remarks came as details emerged from a 168-page report by Türkiye’s Financial Crimes Investigation Board (MASAK), which identified extensive domestic and international financial activity involving companies allegedly linked to suspects in the investigation.
According to the report, investigators identified large overseas transactions involving Istanbul Hisar Turizm ve Ticaret AŞ. Transfers to accounts linked to Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates alone totaled about TL 8 billion ($167 million), according to the report.
Financial transactions were also recorded with accounts in the United States, Israel, Uzbekistan, India, Kazakhstan, Morocco, Spain, Britain, Jordan, Bosnia-Herzegovina, Sri Lanka, Indonesia, Germany and Albania.
MASAK also highlighted Istanbul Hisar Health Investment and Tourism Trade company, established in November 2025 with capital of more than TL 1.35 billion, despite banking records showing a transaction volume of just TL 34,176 and no recorded gross or net sales.
The report separately detailed millions of dollars transferred from overseas to Akdeniz Toros Et, some of which investigators said were withdrawn in cash shortly after arriving or transferred to other companies.
Authorities said the investigation covers allegations including establishing and leading a criminal organization, membership in a criminal organization, laundering proceeds of crime, fraud against public institutions and violations of tax law.
Thirty-two suspects, including Alihan Kuriş, the de facto leader of a group known publicly as “Süleymancılar,” were remanded in custody on Sunday, along with 31 others.
Authorities searching an address as part of efforts to locate Kuriş’s fugitive brother, Hilmi Tuna Kuriş, also discovered 200 kilograms of gold bars of unexplained origin.
Gürlek said the state would remain equally committed to combating criminal activity and protecting citizens’ freedom of religion and worship.
“Süleymancılar,” a religious community founded by Süleyman Hilmi Tunahan, who was born in Silistra in present-day Bulgaria, traces its roots to the Naqshbandi Sufi tradition.
Initially operating through informal religious instruction in homes and mosques, the group later expanded across Türkiye through Quran courses and student dormitories, largely financed by membership contributions and donations. Over time, its activities expanded into commercial sectors including food, health care, tourism, textiles, construction and real estate.
A report by Türkiye’s Presidency of Religious Affairs (Diyanet) described the group as emerging from the Naqshbandi tradition while not identifying itself as a religious order. The report characterized the community as highly insular, making its views and internal structure difficult to assess.
The community also developed an international presence, particularly after Turkish labor migration to Germany accelerated in the 1960s. It became one of the first Türkiye-based religious groups to establish Quran courses in Europe.
Parliament Speaker Numan Kurtulmuş, who devoted a substantial amount of his time this legislative term to the “terror-free Türkiye” initiative, hailed the stage it has reached and vowed that Türkiye would not allow further separatist agendas.
Kurtulmuş chaired a parliamentary committee on the initiative aimed at the disarmament of the PKK terrorist group. The committee’s work and Kurtulmuş’s meetings with various political parties eventually led to a draft bill that was passed by Parliament earlier this month.
In a speech at an event in Istanbul on Saturday, Kurtulmuş said Türkiye had no room for separatism and discrimination, referring both to the agenda of the PKK, which long sought to set up a so-called “Kurdistan” in the southeast and to far-right groups equating the Kurdish community with the PKK.
Pointing out that terrorism inflicted a heavy toll on Türkiye, both in terms of casualties and economic losses, Kurtulmuş recalled how numerous politicians strove to solve it in the past with little success. Kurtulmuş said former prime ministers and presidents Necmettin Erbakan, Turgut Özal, Süleyman Demirel, and Bülent Ecevit were among them.
“Unfortunately, whenever a step was taken to solve this problem, someone intervened, and this process was ruined through certain assassinations and provocations. Similarly, during our president’s tenure as prime minister in 2013-2014, when a process was carried out that came almost to the point of completion and was etched into collective memory as the ‘Dolmabahçe Accord,’ right at a point where things were going extremely well, that process was disrupted by certain traitors, namely servants of FETÖ,” he said, referring to the Gülenist Terror Group (FETÖ), which tried to seize power in 2016.
Expressing that the process restarted under President Erdoğan’s instructions and leadership, Kurtulmuş said: “The process went through an exceptionally long phase, and this month, the Bill on Strengthening National Solidarity and Social Cohesion was accepted in Parliament with 467 votes.” The law, temporary in nature, offers deferrals in sentencing and prosecution for PKK members not involved in violent crimes and acts of terrorism.
Referring to the vote, he stated that the emergence of such a massive social alliance in Türkiye is a great achievement in itself, noting that it is very rare for people from such different parties to come together and meet at a common point.
Highlighting that the PKK’s will to lay down arms played an important role in reaching this stage, Kurtulmuş said, “The thing found most in the Middle East is weapons. We know that for decades, weapons were sold and supplied in the Middle East like selling bread and cheese in the market. The main issue is creating an environment that will no longer make it possible for any Kurdish youth in this country to pick up a weapon and go to the mountains for whatever reason. Allah willing, we will achieve this.”
“This has never been an issue of a single party or the government; this is Türkiye’s issue, the issue of all parties. If there is to be success, it will be the success of everyone who gives strength, power, and support to it,” Kurtulmuş added.
Regarding the details of the law, Kurtulmuş stated: “Presumably in no conflict resolution in the world has a state so thoroughly protected itself while doing its job. There are three safeguards. It is impossible to skip any of them. That is, as long as the PKK does not lay down its arms while pretending to do so, it is impossible to benefit from the scope of this law.”
U.S. President Donald Trump welcomed the fresh security agreement forged by Türkiye, Saudi Arabia and Pakistan, framing the regional trilateral deal as a positive step toward broader security cooperation.
“Very happy to see that Saudi Arabia, Turkey, and Pakistan have recently, and finally, signed the Mecca Joint Defence Agreement,” he wrote on his Truth Social platform in a statement late Sunday.
“It shows how the Middle East is coming together, and how Countries will finally be able to defend themselves in a more meaningful way,” he wrote, calling it “a big, bold, and important first step.”
The three-way agreement, signed Aug. 7, comes amid a U.S.-Iran war that has extended violence to the region, including Iran-backed Houthi rebel attacks.
The three countries will also share a commitment to participating in efforts to resolve the conflict between Iran and the United States.
Under the pact, the three countries plan to establish strategic political and military mechanisms involving their defense and foreign ministers as well as chiefs of general staff or armed forces commanders.
On the other hand, Pakistan’s Prime Minister Shahbaz Sharif on Monday praised U.S. President Donald Trump for his “kind words of support” following the signing of the trilateral defense pact between Türkiye, Pakistan and Saudi Arabia.
“Deeply appreciate” Trump’s statement on the signing of the defense agreement in Mecca, Sharif said in a statement on the U.S. social media platform X.
Sharif said the pact, signed on Aug. 7, “will continue to play a constructive role in ensuring the defense of our own countries as well as the entire region.”
Military cooperation is expected to expand gradually, beginning with command-post and field exercises before progressing to joint drills involving land, naval and air forces, air defense assets and unmanned systems.
Saudi Arabia, whose critical infrastructure and oil facilities have come under attack as part of the war in Iran, has been looking to diversify its defense partnerships. In September, Pakistan and Saudi Arabia signed a mutual defense pact that also defines any attack on either nation as an attack on both. The agreement also comes amid rising tensions between Türkiye and Israel over Gaza and other regional conflicts, including the war in Iran and Lebanon.
Two presidential decrees published in the Official Gazette on Sunday have reaffirmed Türkiye’s maritime rights in the Aegean Sea.
One decree designated an area between the Fethiye district of Muğla and the Kaş district of Antalya in the south of the Aegean as a “national marine park,” while another applied the same designation to an area in the North Aegean Sea, near the coasts of Tekirdağ and Çanakkale.
For Türkiye, it is merely a move to protect marine biodiversity, but marine parks have been a source of contention with neighboring Greece for some time. Greek media outlets reported earlier this month that the Greek government was also moving forward with plans to declare a new national marine park in the southern Aegean Sea. The decree on the matter is now before a top court in the country and, according to the To Vima website, will be finalized in October.
Greece last year announced two marine parks, or areas designated for the protection of marine species, in the Ionian Sea and around the southern Cyclades islands, to the chagrin of Ankara. Türkiye argued that the declaration of marine parks, particularly near the islands, was political rather than aimed at protecting biodiversity and was an attempt to change the status quo in the disputed sea. Greek media outlets reported that new marine parks could be declared near the Dodecanese islands, or “On İki Ada” (Twelve Islands), as they are known in Türkiye. The islands were Ottoman domains until the early 20th century, before they were ceded to Italy. Italy, in turn, ceded them to Greece following World War II.
Ankara and Athens seek to improve relations after years of hostilities, but maritime jurisdictions remain a thorny issue. The countries, which came close to an all-out war in the 1990s over the Aegean Sea, remain vigilant, with Türkiye concentrating on developing its domestic defense industry. Greece relies on foreign partners to bolster its defenses. Embracing the doctrine of being effective and powerful at sea, as its predecessor, the Ottoman Empire, once was, Türkiye has over the past two decades developed an independent defense industry capable of operating in open waters, thereby shifting geopolitical balances in its favor. The navy plays a critical role in ensuring the security of maritime trade routes in the Eastern Mediterranean, the Black Sea and the Aegean Sea, promoting regional stability.
Ankara’s proactive stance on marine spatial planning is part of a broader strategy to assert its maritime rights and uphold international legal norms in the face of what it sees as encroaching initiatives by Greece. Turkish officials maintain that marine protection efforts must be transparent, equitable and cooperative, particularly in semi-enclosed seas like the Aegean, where maritime boundaries remain unsettled.
As Türkiye moves to institutionalize its marine planning within international frameworks, it seeks to preempt efforts that may attempt to redefine maritime jurisdiction through environmental discourse. The broader message from Ankara is clear: Marine conservation is vital, but not at the cost of geopolitical stability or sovereign rights.
Safeguarding its rights in its “Blue Homeland” (areas of Türkiye’s maritime jurisdiction) is essential for Ankara, especially at a time of growing international cooperation, particularly involving Israel, Greece and the Greek Cypriot administration, whose maritime claims contradict those of Türkiye and other countries. In May, Türkiye unveiled plans for a “Blue Homeland law,” which is expected to be debated in Parliament when the next legislative term starts in October. Aiming to cover all legal aspects of maritime areas over which the country has sovereignty, it will cement and clarify Türkiye’s rights across the Black Sea, Aegean Sea, Mediterranean and Marmara Sea.
Alihan Kuriş, the de facto leader of a group known publicly as “Süleymancılar,” was remanded in custody on Sunday, along with 31 others, in an investigation into a criminal gang he is accused of leading.
An investigation by the Ankara Chief Public Prosecutor’s Office has culminated in the detention of Kuriş and other senior figures of the group, which originated as a religious movement named after 20th-century Islamic scholar Süleyman Hilmi Tunahan, Kuriş’ great-grandfather. Authorities say the investigation is not directed against the religious movement and instead focuses on alleged financial wrongdoing by Kuriş and other figures in the group, which prosecutors have named the “Alihan Kuriş criminal syndicate.”
The detentions last week prompted followers of Kuriş, who is accused by his critics of hijacking the top position in the Süleymancılar community following the allegedly suspicious death of his uncle, to convene in Ankara in his support. The Gülenist Terror Group (FETÖ) was also quick to support Kuriş and his followers on social media, with fugitive FETÖ members claiming that another “religious movement” was being targeted by the government. FETÖ posed as a religious movement for decades, operating schools and infiltrating key institutions in the country before attempting to seize power in 2016 through a coup attempt.
Following the detentions, police launched raids on buildings owned or occupied by Kuriş and people close to Süleymancılar and discovered a large amount of cash and jewelry at one of Kuriş’ residences. He also faces charges of money laundering, defrauding public institutions and violating tax laws. While searching a location in Istanbul’s Ümraniye district, police discovered documents that were about to be destroyed as a group of Kuriş’ followers attempted to disrupt the proceedings. On Sunday, media outlets reported that 200 kilograms of gold nuggets of unknown origin had been discovered at a location owned by Hilmi Tuna Kuriş, the brother of Alihan Kuriş, who remains on the run.
The ruling Justice and Development Party (AK Party) marked its 25th anniversary on Friday. In power for more than two decades, the party looks forward to more feats under the leadership of President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan.
During the celebrations marking the anniversary, the party also rolled out a “vision paper.” The paper summarizes a strategy for growth and development across 10 chapters.
Comprehensive goals were laid out under headings covering a leading country in the global system, a high-tech and high value-added economy, national technology and digital sovereignty, a predictable legal system, a human-centric state, a strong family and prosperous society, women’s role in the “Century of Türkiye,” youth as architects of the future, green transformation, and Türkiye on the threshold of its second quarter-century. Erdoğan had earlier announced similar goals for what he called the “Century of Türkiye” vision, in reference to the centenary of the Republic of Türkiye in 2023.
In the first chapter, the document aims for Türkiye to transcend being merely a regional actor and become a global leader that inspires trust, builds partnerships, and shapes the international order. Key elements include an order-building foreign policy, a resilient security ecosystem, energy security, strategic production and a terror-free region.
Regarding economic growth, the focus centers on high-value-added production across industry, agriculture, and energy. Domestic production in the defense industry has expanded significantly, while agriculture emphasizes food security and farmer welfare. In health care, the target moves toward manufacturing health technologies, pharmaceuticals, and vaccines. For energy, goals include expanding renewables, diversifying through nuclear power and small modular reactors, and manufacturing solar, wind, and battery assets domestically.
Digital sovereignty initiatives emphasize artificial intelligence, cybersecurity and technological independence, ensuring technology serves the public good while addressing data protection, digital addiction, and cyberbullying under the Cyber Homeland framework.
In the legal realm, the vision targets the protection of fundamental rights, an independent judiciary, and a libertarian, inclusive constitution that balances individual freedoms with public order.
For governance and urban development, the document details plans for human-centric smart cities, data-driven local administration and expanded social housing, including building 500,000 social units and transforming 150,000 independent units annually across all 81 provinces.
To strengthen society, the 2026–2035 period is designated as the “Decade of Family and Population,” providing economic support for young families, housing access, and work-life balance. Policies for women focus on STEM education, AI literacy, entrepreneurship, flexible work options, and zero tolerance for violence. For youth, the strategy prioritizes support in science, arts, sports, and decision-making roles while combating addiction.
Environmental targets include advancing toward the 2053 net-zero emission goal, treating water security as a component of national security, adapting agriculture to climate change, and expanding public green spaces.
Finally, the strategy integrates a strong economy, robust democracy, inclusive constitution, effective public administration, qualified human resources, green transformation, defense capability, and active diplomacy as mutually reinforcing pillars for the next 25 years.
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