Politics
Turkish justice minister vows to end violence against women
Justice Minister Akın Gürlek on Tuesday reaffirmed Türkiye’s commitment to combating violence against women, saying that legal measures alone are not sufficient and that effective coordination among institutions and greater public awareness are essential to addressing the issue.
Speaking at the 19th Meeting of the Coordination Board for Combating Violence Against Women in Ankara, Gürlek said the government maintains a zero-tolerance policy toward violence against women and continues to strengthen legal and institutional mechanisms to protect victims.
“We can never accept even a single woman being subjected to violence,” Gürlek said during the meeting, which was also attended by Interior Minister Mustafa Çiftçi, Family and Social Services Minister Mahinur Özdemir Göktaş and Religious Affairs President Safi Arpaguş.
The justice minister highlighted a series of reforms introduced in recent years, including constitutional amendments guaranteeing women’s rights and legal changes that increased penalties for crimes committed against women.
Gürlek noted that intentional injury against women is now considered grounds for detention, while persistent stalking has been established as a separate criminal offense. He also said provisions allowing sentence reductions for so-called “good conduct” in crimes against women had been removed.
To improve access to justice, victims of offenses such as stalking, intentional injury and torture can request free legal representation through local bar associations, Gürlek said. He added that courts designated to implement protective measures under Law No. 6284 on the Protection of the Family and Prevention of Violence Against Women have been established in courthouses across the country.
According to Gürlek, specialized prosecution offices handling domestic violence and violence against women cases now operate in 303 courthouses across all 81 provinces.
He also highlighted the expansion of judicial interview rooms designed to prevent victims from being retraumatized during legal proceedings. Türkiye currently has 176 such rooms in 167 courthouses, where more than 173,000 statements have been recorded since their establishment.
Gürlek said judicial support and victim services directorates have provided psychosocial assistance to more than 2.5 million people to date.
“Success in combating violence against women can only be achieved through strong institutional cooperation, effective implementation, swift intervention and public awareness,” Gürlek said, pledging continued coordination among government agencies to strengthen protections for women and improve access to justice.
Türkiye’s ruling Justice and Development Party (AK Party) Deputy Chairperson Kürşad Zorlu said Tuesday that the Turkish people remain closely connected to their compatriots in North Macedonia, emphasizing Ankara’s commitment to strengthening bilateral ties and supporting Turkish communities in the Balkans.
Speaking during a visit to the village of Dolno Količani near Skopje, Zorlu conveyed greetings from President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan and highlighted the deep historical and cultural bonds between Türkiye and North Macedonia.
“Under the leadership of our president, the hearts of 86 million citizens are always here with you. Never forget that,” Zorlu told members of the local Turkish community.
The senior AK Party official expressed confidence that relations between Türkiye and North Macedonia would continue to deepen in the coming years through expanded cooperation and stronger people-to-people ties.
Earlier in the day, Zorlu began his visit with a meeting at the Turkish Embassy in Skopje, where he was received by Ambassador Fatih Ulusoy. He also held talks with rectors of universities in North Macedonia and met with Zülfikar Zeynula, leader of the Turkish Democratic Party (TDP).
Zorlu said Türkiye closely follows developments in North Macedonia and shares the excitement of its people whenever news emerges from the country.
“If you feel excited when you hear a Turkish word or watch a television channel from Türkiye, believe me, we feel the same when we hear news from Macedonia, from the descendants of the Ottoman legacy in the Balkans,” he said.
Accompanying Zorlu during the visit were Ahmet Kılıç, head of the Türkiye-North Macedonia Parliamentary Friendship Group and AK Party lawmaker from Bursa, along with AK Party Central Decision and Executive Board members Ahmet Bilal Kıymaz and Mehmet Ali Kurt, and Deputy Head of Relations with Turkic States Temel Akyürek.
The first edition of National Security Conferences, organized by the National Security Council chaired by President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, was held in Ankara on Tuesday.
Addressing the event at the Presidential Complex, Erdoğan outlined the progress Türkiye made in security and other fields despite multiple challenges and how they envisioned the future for the country as an influential power.
The conferences are organized upon the instructions of Erdoğan, and the Office of the Secretary-General of the National Security Council said they aim to deepen knowledge on national security matters and enhance viewpoints on those matters for harmony on the knowledge for administrators or relevant institutions.
In his speech, Erdoğan hailed the transformation of the National Security Council, which was once tasked with other issues such as “inspection of work of cinema and music.”
“This is one of the silent revolutions in the state administration now oriented on national will and civilian politics,” Erdoğan said.
“This is valuable both for Turkish democracy and national security,” Erdoğan said.
The council was once dominated by military brass, which employed it to deliver ultimatums to the governments in the dark times of military tutelage in the country, preceding the governments of Erdoğan’s Justice and Development Party (AK Party).
Erdoğan stated that Türkiye has acquired power and is set to gain more thanks to the advantages of the executive presidency system inaugurated in 2018. The system streamlined Türkiye’s governance and sped up decision-making mechanisms, especially in matters of urgency like national security.
He noted Türkiye’s location beset with challenges and how its ancestors established states spanning from Europe to Central Asia.
“We have faced countless challenges (throughout history), but we always rose from the ashes like a phoenix after every fall. Today, we have nothing to rely on to maintain our state’s security other than our own power,” he said, adding that this was the understanding that led to the creation of the Republic of Türkiye and guided more than 40 years of counterterrorism efforts against the terrorist group PKK.
“We paid a heavy price, but we gained much more. Especially through our strategy to eradicate the terrorism in its source we adapted after the betrayal called July 15, we made great achievements both in the country and abroad,” he said, referring to the 2016 coup attempt by military infiltrators of Gülenist Terror Group (FETÖ),” he said.
Erdoğan underlined that Turkish cross-border operations in Iraq and Syria “shattered the glass ceiling” (of acting upon instructions of other countries or relying on them for weaponry) and “launched a new era in our security paradigm.”
“Türkiye is no longer a country delivered a role in scenarios of others. It is now a country writing its own stories, a playmaker in its region,” Erdoğan emphasized. “They don’t let us live in these lands if they catch us off guard. We have no option but to stay strong (to survive),” he added.
He referred to the terror-free Türkiye initiative to end the PKK’s campaign of terrorism and said it was part of the strategic vision of the state in the new century and was beyond a mere security policy. “When the process is fully accomplished, it will strengthen our home front and open new doors for our nation,” Erdoğan stated.
“In our age’s understanding of security, attacks on energy lines as well as cyberthreats that render the banking system inoperable directly fall within the scope of national security. On battlefields, software plays as decisive a role as tanks and missiles. We attach great importance to data security. When used correctly, artificial intelligence accelerates the decision-making process. Artificial intelligence also harbors serious risks. Handling artificial intelligence as a security issue with ethical, legal and social dimensions is a necessity rather than a choice,” Erdoğan also said.
Türkiye has been one of the countries that best reads battlefields, first notices the changing security paradigm and prepares itself for this early on. We have strived to continuously improve ourselves. By strengthening our defense industry, we have minimized our foreign dependency. We see the value of our capacity very clearly when we look at the crises surrounding us. We will build the big and powerful Türkiye, which finds its meaning in the phrase “The Century of Türkiye,” step by step. Our source of inspiration is our nation,” he added.
Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan will pay an official visit to neighboring Bulgaria on June 11 for talks expected to focus on expanding cooperation in strategic sectors, regional security and Türkiye’s relations with the European Union, Foreign Ministry sources said.
The visit comes as Ankara and Sofia continue to strengthen ties based on good neighborly relations and their shared status as NATO allies. Fidan last visited Bulgaria in January 2024.
According to the sources, Fidan is expected to discuss ways to deepen bilateral cooperation in energy, transportation, connectivity and the defense industry, while exploring new opportunities for collaboration between the two countries during his meetings.
The Turkish minister is also expected to underline the importance of close coordination between Türkiye and Bulgaria in promoting stability and prosperity across the Balkans through a regional ownership approach.
Bulgaria plays a key role in Türkiye’s land transportation links with Europe, serving as a major transit route for trade and passenger traffic. Turkish officials are expected to raise expectations for the smooth movement of goods and travelers across the border, an issue of growing importance as bilateral trade continues to expand.
According to official figures, the trade volume between the two countries exceeded 8.4 billion euros ($9.70 billion) in 2025, making Türkiye one of Bulgaria’s largest trading partners.
Fidan is also expected to reiterate Türkiye’s priorities regarding relations with the European Union, including its long-standing goal of full EU membership, and emphasize the importance Ankara places on Bulgaria’s support within that framework.
Regional and international security issues are likely to feature prominently in the discussions. The Turkish minister is expected to stress that Russia’s war in Ukraine continues to have significant consequences for European security and stability in the Black Sea region, while reaffirming Türkiye’s support for diplomatic efforts aimed at achieving a just and lasting peace.
Fidan is also expected to highlight the role of the Black Sea Mine Countermeasures Task Group, established by Türkiye, Bulgaria and Romania, in enhancing maritime safety and freedom of navigation in the region.
The talks are also expected to address developments in the Middle East, including the ongoing humanitarian crisis in Gaza, tensions involving Iran, and efforts to maintain dialogue between Tehran and Washington.
More than 1 million people of Turkish descent live in Bulgaria, making it the Balkan country with the largest Turkish minority population. The two countries also cooperate closely in regional organizations, including the Southeast European Cooperation Process and the Black Sea Economic Cooperation Organization.
The Turkish minister was scheduled to represent President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan at the Southeast European Cooperation Process (SEECP) Summit in Sofia on Wednesday, where regional leaders are expected to discuss cooperation, security and economic development across the Balkans.
The summit, hosted by Bulgaria under the theme “Strengthening Regional Unity for a Stable, Secure and Sustainable Future: Reflections on 30 Years of Partnership and Progress,” brings together heads of state and government, foreign ministers from 13 participating countries and the secretary-general of the Regional Cooperation Council (RCC), the operational arm of the SEECP.
Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan on Tuesday notified a new round of diplomatic appointments, assigning ambassadors and senior diplomats to key overseas missions, including Türkiye’s embassies in Iran, Ukraine and Iceland, diplomatic sources said.
According to the sources, Ambassador Ahmet Aydın Doğan, currently head of foreign relations and protocol at the Turkish Parliament, was appointed ambassador to Iran, while Türkiye’s ambassador to Ukraine, Mustafa Levent Bilgen, was assigned as the country’s first ambassador to Iceland, where Ankara is establishing an embassy in Reykjavik.
Among other appointments, Ambassador Alper Aktaş was named ambassador to North Macedonia, while Ambassador Fatih Yıldız was appointed ambassador to South Korea. Ambassador Burak Akçapar, Türkiye’s permanent representative to the United Nations Office in Geneva, was assigned as ambassador to the Netherlands.
The diplomatic reshuffle also included appointments to several Middle Eastern, African and European capitals. Hakan Karaçay was named ambassador to Jordan, Hüseyin Ergani to Oman and Can Oğuz to Kuwait.
Ayşe Sözen Usluer, currently the Foreign Ministry’s representative in Istanbul, was appointed permanent representative to the U.N. Office in Geneva. Raziye Bilge Koçyiğit was assigned as Türkiye’s permanent representative to the Council of Europe.
Additional appointments included Fatma Ceren Yazgan as ambassador to Ukraine, Senem Güzel to the Democratic Republic of Congo, Nazmiye Başaran to Moldova and Necati Sancaktutan to Bahrain.
In Africa, Ferhat Alkan was appointed ambassador to Somalia, Ayça Oşafoğlu Inam to Mozambique, Selin Özaydın to Kenya, Fahri Türker Oba to Sudan and Özgür Gökmen to Gambia.
Further appointments included Havva Yonca Gündüz Özçeri as ambassador to Estonia, Kaan Esener to the Philippines and Fikriye Aslı Güven to Namibia.
The appointments are part of Türkiye’s regular diplomatic rotation process and come as Ankara continues efforts to expand its diplomatic presence and engagement across Europe, Africa, Asia and the Middle East.
The ruling Justice and Development Party (AK Party) joins the growing trend of reshuffles like its ally, the Nationalist Movement Party (MHP). As the MHP replaced several heads of its provincial branches, the AK Party plans a similar move. The party’s chairs for the provinces of Adana, Diyarbakır, Giresun and Siirt left office in recent weeks and more reshuffles are expected in the coming weeks, media outlets report.
The party’s organization directorate, in charge of local branches, pursues a five-stage model for the reshuffle, the Sabah newspaper reported on Tuesday. This week, the Organization will start conducting votes among members in every province to identify candidates for next provincial chair. The party also seeks input from local civic society organizations, the business world, and opinion leaders to pick candidates. Separately, it will discuss the candidates with former local officials of the party, lawmakers, mayors and local politicians. Every candidate’s economic and social reputation will be assessed for the reshuffle before the candidates are presented to the party’s headquarters. Finally, the report will be presented to the party’s chair, President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan. After these stages, three candidates will be interviewed for each province. The reshuffle is expected to be wrapped up this month, according to the Sabah newspaper, two months before the anniversary of the AK Party.
Evolved from a modest gathering of the “Movement of the Virtuous,” the party boasts a streak of successive election victories over two decades. It is credited with transforming Türkiye in the first two decades of the 2000s, from education and health care to the arts, democracy, human rights, defense industry and energy.
Nowadays, the party, under the leadership of Erdoğan, is working toward achieving the ambitious Century of Türkiye vision, a new set of reforms aimed at enhancing Türkiye’s standing in the world and improving the lives of the Turkish nation in all fields.
President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan and Venezuelan Acting President Delcy Rodríguez discussed bilateral relations and global developments during talks in Istanbul on Monday, according to Türkiye’s Communications Directorate.
During the meeting, Erdoğan said Türkiye would continue to stand by the people of Venezuela and underscored Ankara’s commitment to expanding cooperation with Caracas across a range of sectors, particularly trade, energy and mining.
The leaders also reviewed steps aimed at reaching the two countries’ shared goal of increasing bilateral trade volume to $3 billion, while exchanging views on regional and international developments.
Rodriguez, who is visiting Türkiye at Erdoğan’s invitation, was received with an official ceremony before the leaders moved on to one-on-one and delegation-level meetings.
The talks were attended by Vice President Cevdet Yılmaz, Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan, Energy and Natural Resources Minister Alparslan Bayraktar, Industry and Technology Minister Mehmet Fatih Kacır, Trade Minister Ömer Bolat, Communications Director Burhanettin Duran and Chief Foreign Policy and Security Adviser Akif Çağatay Kılıç.
The meeting brought together senior officials from both countries as Türkiye and Venezuela continue efforts to strengthen cooperation and deepen bilateral ties.
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