The court on Tuesday ordered the arrest of 35 suspects, including Adalar Mayor Ali Ercan Akpolat of the Republican People’s Party (CHP), as part of an investigation into allegations that permits were issued in exchange for bribes in protected areas of Istanbul’s Adalar district.

The investigation, led by the Istanbul Anadolu Chief Public Prosecutor’s Office, focuses on claims that municipal officials granted licenses for unauthorized constructions in areas designated as natural and archaeological protected sites.

According to judicial authorities, 39 suspects were referred to court following questioning by prosecutors. The court ordered the detention of 35 individuals, including Akpolat, while four others were released under judicial supervision measures.

Prosecutors allege that municipal officials, including senior administrators and employees, were involved in a scheme in which permits were issued in return for bribes. Evidence collected during the investigation reportedly indicated that negotiations over payments took place between municipal officials and business owners and that cash was delivered either directly to officials or to individuals linked to them.

Authorities said investigators identified 47 suspects allegedly connected to 40 separate incidents uncovered during the probe.

The investigation culminated in coordinated raids carried out on June 19 across Istanbul and three other provinces. Police searched 90 addresses and detained 42 suspects, including the mayor.

During one of the searches, authorities seized $258,000 in cash and 13 gold bracelets from the residence of a contractor identified by the initials M.Ö., a former member of the Adalar Municipal Council.

Following police questioning and medical examinations, the suspects were transferred to the Istanbul Anadolu Courthouse. Three individuals were released after giving statements to prosecutors, while the remaining suspects were referred to court.

The investigation remains ongoing.

The Daily Sabah Newsletter

Keep up to date with what’s happening in Turkey,
it’s region and the world.

SIGN ME UP

You can unsubscribe at any time. By signing up you are agreeing to our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy.
This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply.

Provincial chairs of the Turkish main opposition Republican People’s Party (CHP) in Antalya and Kayseri were expelled from office on Tuesday. They are the latest casualties of the new administration at the party led by Kemal Kılıçdaroğlu. Kılıçdaroğlu, reinstated to the office by a court verdict last month, has pledged to cleanse the party of corruption and shady dealings. Along with those reportedly involved in scandals, Kılıçdaroğlu also moved to fire top figures supporting his predecessor, Özgür Özel.

The party announced a reshuffle after an administrative board meeting at the headquarters, around the same time Özgür Özel, now as parliamentary group chair of the party, addressed a parliamentary meeting and called Kılıçdaroğlu to hold an intra-party election.

Almost a dozen provincial chairs were removed from office or stepped down on their own after Kılıçdaroğlu took office. Among them was Çağatay Güç, chair for the branch in Izmir, a CHP stronghold. His predecessor, Utku Gümrükçü, had to confront supporters of Güç on Monday to take office as the protests against the new administration mounted.

The Daily Sabah Newsletter

Keep up to date with what’s happening in Turkey,
it’s region and the world.

SIGN ME UP

You can unsubscribe at any time. By signing up you are agreeing to our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy.
This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply.

Mor Ignatius Aphrem II, the Patriach of the Syriac Orthodox Church, was received by President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan on Tuesday at the presidential complex in Ankara. The patriarch was accompanied by a delegation of clerics from the community. No statements were made about the meeting.

Erdoğan has also received Fener Greek Orthodox Patriarch Bartholomew last Tuesday.

The Syriac community had their first church in Republic era built under Erdoğan’s governments. The church was opened in 2023 in Istanbul’s Yeşilköy neighborhood in a ceremony attended by Erdoğan. It is estimated that about 17,000 Syriac residents live in the city. Assyrian Christianity traces its history to communities that lived in the A.D. first century in a region stretching from southeastern Türkiye to Syria and Iraq.

The Daily Sabah Newsletter

Keep up to date with what’s happening in Turkey,
it’s region and the world.

SIGN ME UP

You can unsubscribe at any time. By signing up you are agreeing to our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy.
This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply.

Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus (TRNC) Foreign Minister Tahsin Ertuğruloğlu on Tuesday rejected the unrealistic proposals regarding the future of the island, reaffirming that Türkiye’s effective and active guarantorship remains indispensable for the Turkish Cypriot people.

In a written statement addressing recent discussions over possible settlement models and renewed negotiations on the divided island, Ertuğruloğlu accused the Greek Cypriot side of promoting what he called “unrealistic scenarios” aimed at shaping public perception.

He argued that claims of a new formula for resolving the Cyprus issue reflected the failure of alternative approaches and warned against expectations built around proposals that, in his view, lack a realistic political foundation.

Ertuğruloğlu also criticized suggestions that territorial concessions by the Turkish Cypriot side could lead to partial international recognition, saying such proposals would undermine the constitutional and territorial integrity of the TRNC.

Addressing security arrangements, the foreign minister strongly rejected reports suggesting that Türkiye’s guarantor role could be replaced by a NATO-backed security mechanism.

“Türkiye’s guarantorship is indispensable for the Turkish Cypriot people and remains a red line,” Ertuğruloğlu said, adding that alternative guarantees would not provide the same level of security or legitimacy.

The minister questioned why new negotiation scenarios were being discussed despite the conclusion of recent informal meetings on Cyprus. He noted that meetings held in the 5+1 format in 2021 and 2025 produced a shared assessment that there was currently no common ground for launching formal negotiations.

Ertuğruloğlu further argued that key issues remain unresolved, including the Turkish Cypriots’ political and economic isolation, the status of sovereign equality between the two sides, and the Greek Cypriot administration’s claim to represent the entire island internationally.

Reiterating the Turkish Cypriot leadership’s long-standing position, Ertuğruloğlu stressed that the future of Cyprus should be based on cooperation between two sovereign and equal states rather than the creation of a new partnership structure.

“The only realistic solution to the Cyprus issue is a relationship built on sovereign equality and good-neighborly relations between two states,” he said.

The Daily Sabah Newsletter

Keep up to date with what’s happening in Turkey,
it’s region and the world.

SIGN ME UP

You can unsubscribe at any time. By signing up you are agreeing to our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy.
This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply.

President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan welcomed the agreement reached between Iran and the United States during a phone call with Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian, reaffirming Türkiye’s support for efforts aimed at securing a peaceful outcome and urging vigilance against attempts to undermine the negotiation process, the Communications Directorate said.

During the call, Erdoğan said the agreement reached between Iran and the United States was a positive development and reiterated that Türkiye was ready to provide any support necessary to help ensure the process concludes peacefully.

The president also stressed the importance of remaining alert to actors seeking to sabotage the negotiations, emphasizing the need to preserve the momentum toward a lasting resolution.

In a separate phone call, President Erdoğan spoke with Iraqi Prime Minister Ali Faleh al-Zaidi to discuss bilateral ties, as well as regional and global developments.

Erdoğan expressed Türkiye’s desire to further strengthen relations with Iraq in the coming period, highlighting significant opportunities for cooperation in energy, the defense industry and transportation. He also invited al-Zaidi to visit Türkiye for comprehensive consultations on advancing the strategic partnership between the two countries.

Türkiye has consistently advocated diplomacy and dialogue as the preferred means of addressing regional disputes and has expressed support for efforts aimed at reducing tensions in the Middle East.

The U.S. and Iran shared cautious optimism Monday following the first round of peace talks in Switzerland, with Vice President JD Vance calling the discussions a “good foundation” for ending the war and the Iranian president praising the degree of consensus reached.

The negotiators aim to tackle some of the most intractable issues that have dogged U.S.-Iranian relations for decades, including Tehran’s nuclear program and enriched uranium.

Under the terms of last week’s preliminary deal, released by U.S. officials, Iran will dilute its enriched uranium stocks, possibly by “down-blending on site under the supervision of the IAEA”, the U.N.’s nuclear watchdog.

The Daily Sabah Newsletter

Keep up to date with what’s happening in Turkey,
it’s region and the world.

SIGN ME UP

You can unsubscribe at any time. By signing up you are agreeing to our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy.
This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply.

Two Turkish citizens were injured in a drone attack targeting a Turkish-owned, Panama-flagged vessel off the coast of Ukraine’s Chornomorsk port on Monday, according to a statement by Türkiye’s Foreign Ministry.

The ministry said the injured crew members are being closely monitored by Türkiye’s Embassy in Kyiv and its Consulate General in Odesa.

In its statement, the ministry expressed concern over attacks in the Black Sea that threaten Türkiye’s interests and regional security as a result of the escalation of the Russia-Ukraine war.

“Türkiye has conveyed its discomfort regarding attacks that threaten our interests and regional security in the Black Sea to the authorities of both countries,” the ministry said.

The ministry stressed that ensuring the safety of civilian maritime navigation in the Black Sea remains one of Türkiye’s key priorities and called on all parties to take steps to reduce tensions in the region.

The incident comes amid continued security risks to commercial shipping routes in the Black Sea, where attacks linked to the ongoing conflict between Russia and Ukraine have periodically disrupted maritime traffic and raised concerns over the safety of civilian vessels.

The Daily Sabah Newsletter

Keep up to date with what’s happening in Turkey,
it’s region and the world.

SIGN ME UP

You can unsubscribe at any time. By signing up you are agreeing to our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy.
This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply.