Making wolf signs and hurling flowers on his car, a group of youth welcomed Nationalist Movement Party (MHP) leader Devlet Bahçeli to a massive gathering in the capital Ankara on Tuesday. Organized by Idealists’ Clubs Education and Culture Foundation, an affiliate of the party, the Great Congress of Turkish Youth brought together youngsters from across the country on the national holiday Commemoration of Atatürk, Youth and Sports Day.

Addressing a packed, enthusiastic sports hall filled with thousands, Bahçeli expressed his immense pride and deep emotion at the spectacle.

“I feel immense pride from this magnificent sight, from the enthusiasm that surrounds this hall from end to end, and from the love for our ideal,” Bahçeli declared. “I am overjoyed to witness the future of our sublime nation and the young members of the Turkish-Islamic cause.”

The MHP leader emphasized that the youth standing before him carry the ancient strength of Ergenekon, the determination of Malazgirt, and the independence torch of Samsun. He noted that exactly 109 years after May 19, 1919, the sun of freedom continues to shine brightly in the eyes of the Turkish youth, proving the enduring strength and resilience of the nationalist movement shaping the Republic of Türkiye. He was referring to the campaign by Mustafa Kemal Atatürk, founder of the republic, which started on May 19, 1919, when he set foot in Samsun in northern Türkiye. He arrived from Istanbul. Atatürk’s tour of Anatolia and participation in several congresses paved the way for a future struggle for an independent Türkiye that rose from the ashes of the Ottoman Empire.

In his speech, Bahçeli drew powerful historical parallels between the challenges of the past and the unwavering strength of today’s leadership. He described May 19, 1919, as the blessed beginning where the Turkish nation shattered the chains of captivity and rejected the games plotted by imperialist powers.

Bahçeli highlighted how Gazi Mustafa Kemal Atatürk’s first step in Samsun served as the ultimate answer to the nation’s cries for liberation. “That first step transformed into a national consciousness in Havza, a decree of liberation in Amasya, national unity in Erzurum, and a national will that became a state in Ankara with the resolve of ‘Either independence or death,'” Bahçeli stated.

Reaffirming the absolute alignment of the state’s vision with the historical mandate of the nation, Bahçeli made it clear that Türkiye’s current path is one of unstoppable progress, leaving no room for hesitation, division or fatigue.

“Today, I want you to know very well that we are marching upon this very foundation. There is no room for fatigue in this march. There is no room for despair, hesitation, submission, exhaustion, or division,” the MHP leader firmly asserted.

Concluding his historic address, Bahçeli urged the youth to be the vanguard of Türkiye’s ongoing journey toward global prominence. He reminded them of their duty to sustain this great struggle through hard work, faith, integrity, and intellectual excellence.

“Your duty today is to be soldiers in the foremost ranks of this campaign,” Bahçeli concluded, invoking Atatürk’s advice to never look for outside saviors, but to find the strength within themselves.

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Germany will deploy a Patriot air defense unit and around 150 soldiers to Türkiye in the coming weeks under a NATO mission aimed at strengthening the alliance’s southeastern flank, officials said Monday.

Germany’s Defense Ministry said the Bundeswehr would establish a Patriot “Air and Missile Defense Task Force” that will operate in close coordination with the Turkish Armed Forces under NATO’s Integrated Air and Missile Defense framework.

The deployment, expected to begin at the end of next month and continue through September 2026, will replace a U.S. unit currently stationed in Türkiye.

German Defense Minister Boris Pistorius said the mission reflects Berlin’s growing role within NATO and highlights the close cooperation between Germany, Türkiye and the United States.

“Our air force is doing great, internationally respected work,” Pistorius said, adding that German forces would make an important contribution to protecting NATO airspace.

The Patriot deployment comes as NATO continues efforts to reinforce regional air and missile defense capabilities amid growing security concerns along Europe’s southeastern flank.

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President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan warned that in an increasingly interconnected world, no country can remain isolated from crises unfolding elsewhere, saying the economic and political aftershocks of the Iran war are being felt across continents through inflation, supply chain disruptions and energy market instability.

Speaking at a news conference after a Cabinet meeting in the capital Ankara, Erdoğan said globalization and deep economic interdependence mean regional conflicts now carry worldwide consequences.

“When a country in the Middle East sneezes today, a country in Latin America or Asia can easily catch a cold,” Erdoğan said, describing the ongoing uncertainty following attacks against Iran on Feb. 28 as a multilayered crisis affecting global stability.

He pointed to continued volatility in fuel prices, rising inflation, unresolved supply chain disruptions and persistent bottlenecks in the Strait of Hormuz as signs of widening global fragility.

Erdoğan warned that the full scale of destruction caused by the economic shock wave remains impossible to predict, while criticizing what he described as a profiteering system driven by speculation and market manipulation.

“A handful of wild capitalists controlling hot money are enriching themselves by effectively taking away the livelihoods of billions of people from Africa to Asia and from America to Latin America,” Erdoğan said.

He added that while middle-and lower-income families face shrinking purchasing power and rising living costs, global financial actors continue expanding their wealth through instability and conflict.

“Every war creates its own economy. Every war has its winners and losers. But with the Iran war, this has exceeded the limits of tolerance and reached destructive levels for global economic prosperity,” Erdoğan said.

The Turkish president also criticized excessive price increases in domestic markets, saying some pricing behavior in Türkiye could not be explained solely by production or transportation costs despite the country having some of Europe’s lowest input costs, particularly in energy.

Erdoğan said authorities would continue inspections and measures against opportunistic pricing practices and called on businesses to support efforts aimed at protecting market stability and consumers.

Erdoğan also said Israel’s attacks would never prevent the international community’s pursuit of justice and solidarity with the Palestinian people, as he strongly condemned Israel’s attack on the Global Sumud Flotilla as “piracy” and “banditry” against the “voyagers of hope” aboard the aid flotilla, which included citizens from 40 different countries.

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Polish Deputy Foreign Minister Marcin Bosacki on Monday described Türkiye as a “key and strategic partner” for Poland, underscoring the importance of closer cooperation between the two NATO allies on regional security and shared interests.

“Türkiye is a key and strategic partner for us,” Bosacki said in a news conference at the Polish Foreign Ministry in Warsaw.

He said Ankara was helping Poland in areas including growth, development and defense.

Bosacki recalled the target set during Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk’s visit to Türkiye in March 2025 to raise bilateral trade volume to $15 billion.

Noting that both countries are NATO allies, he underlined Türkiye’s importance for NATO’s eastern flank and the Black Sea region.

Bosacki also said Istanbul could again host talks between Russia and Ukraine.

In response to Anadolu’s question on Türkiye’s role in European security, Bosacki said Poland continues to rely on NATO, which it sees as a fundamental defense system.

He noted changes in the U.S. approach to NATO and stressed the importance of strengthening national armed forces.

Bosacki described Türkiye as an “important partner” in military terms, referring to a 2025 security cooperation agreement between Warsaw and Ankara.

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The foreign ministers of Türkiye, Bangladesh, Brazil, Indonesia, Spain, Colombia, Libya, Maldives, Pakistan and Jordan on Monday strongly condemned Israel’s repeated attacks on the Global Sumud Flotilla, describing the mission as a peaceful civilian humanitarian initiative aimed at drawing international attention to the humanitarian catastrophe in Gaza.

The statement said the ministers noted with deep concern Israel’s previous interventions against aid missions in international waters and condemned the continuation of hostile acts targeting civilian vessels and humanitarian aid activists.

“These attacks, including assaults on vessels and the arbitrary detention of activists, constitute a clear violation of international law and international humanitarian law,” it said.

The ministers expressed serious concern regarding the safety and security of the civilians on board the flotilla, and called for the immediate release of all detained activists and for full respect for their rights and dignity.

The ministers underlined that repeated attacks on peaceful humanitarian initiatives reflect an ongoing disregard for international law and freedom of navigation.

The statement urged the global community to fulfill its legal and moral responsibilities, ensure the protection of civilians and humanitarian missions, and take concrete steps to end impunity and ensure accountability for these violations.

The Israeli army on Monday attacked and intercepted the Gaza-bound Global Sumud humanitarian flotilla in international waters and detained around 100 activists as the mission sought to break Israel’s blockade on the Palestinian enclave.

Israeli forces also attacked the aid flotilla off the coast of the Greek island of Crete on April 29 and deported the activists on board.

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Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan on Monday said the European Union would remain incomplete without Türkiye, while condemning Israel’s interception of the Global Sumud aid flotilla as “piracy” and stressing Ankara’s growing diplomatic role in regional crises from Gaza to Iran and Ukraine.

Speaking at a joint news conference in Berlin with German Foreign Minister Johann Wadephul, Fidan said Türkiye expects its European Union accession process and relations with the bloc to be handled independently of political motives.

“Excluding Türkiye from the European Union’s defense and security initiatives contradicts Europe’s stated security objectives,” Fidan said, adding that deeper cooperation between Ankara and the bloc was essential.

Wadephul echoed the importance of stronger strategic ties with Türkiye, saying Ankara should be included in the development of the European Union’s defense and industrial policies due to shared interests and common goals.

“If Türkiye wishes to join the European Union, it will find a friendly and reliable partner in Germany,” Wadephul said, adding that Ankara has the potential to exert significant influence over the wars in Ukraine and Iran because of its geopolitical position and political and economic weight.

Fidan also strongly condemned Israel’s intervention against the Gaza-bound Global Sumud Flotilla in international waters, describing the operation as “piracy.”

“It is estimated that 25 ships have been intercepted. The term for this in international literature is piracy,” Fidan said, stressing that the safety of activists aboard the vessels remained Ankara’s top concern.

He said Türkiye was coordinating with all countries whose citizens were on the flotilla and continuing efforts with relevant institutions to ensure the safe return of Turkish nationals.

Fidan added that improving conditions for more than 2 million people in Gaza remained Türkiye’s top priority and described the interception of the aid flotilla as a clear violation of international law and maritime security.

Addressing tensions between the United States and Iran, Fidan said there was currently no immediate threat in practice but stressed that the sustainability of calm depended on continued nuclear negotiations between the two sides.

“I do not think the Iranian side has a principled problem with accepting the necessary conditions in nuclear negotiations,” Fidan said, adding that Türkiye would continue supporting ongoing diplomatic efforts.

Fidan said maintaining the cease-fire in the Iran war remains the top priority, warning that renewed conflict would bring serious economic and political consequences for the region and beyond, while expressing hope that both the United States and Iran recognize the risks of restarting the war.

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