Politics
Turkish minister vows fight against drugs, ‘fight for future’
Mustafa Çiftçi, who was appointed as Interior Minister in February, underlined that they were working for the “Century of Peace” as the Republic of Türkiye is now in its second century. “Our security paradigm is centered on prevention,” he told journalists at a panel in Ankara on Tuesday about the media’s role in the fight against drugs.
Çiftçi said drugs were “a cluster of problems” and expanded organized crime networks, adding that they were also a source of revenue for financing terrorism. “It is a dark swamp feeding many crimes. It is our responsibility as the state to drain it,” he said.
Türkiye has long been a critical transit hub for illicit drug trafficking due to its location bridging Europe and Asia. It is on the so-called Balkan Route where heroin from Asia is trafficked to Europe, while synthetic drugs manufactured in Europe are trafficked to Asian countries.
The minister said Türkiye’s strategic location meant great opportunities in other fields, but it also meant a greater responsibility for the fight against crimes across borders. He noted that Türkiye’s struggle was not only a security matter confined to its own borders, citing the drug trafficking routes, international crime rings and regional instability, adding that it contributed to regional and global security. “Under the leadership of President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, we are building upon a vision for peace, security, stability and a strong social structure. We center our vision on family, youth, the future,” he said.
Çiftçi noted that the fight against drugs was not limited to counternarcotics operations, capturing suspects and legal procedures. “We are operating on a holistic approach, diagnosing the risk at its source, closing the paths to crimes, protecting the youth, raising awareness among families,” he said. The minister stated that one of the most important tools of this approach is the Project Support System (PRODES), carried out within the ministry’s Directorate General for Relations with Civil Society. “Our ministry provides grant support to associations in exchange for projects, the institutional capacities of our NGOs are strengthened, public-NGO cooperation is improved, and solutions to social problems are produced through voluntary organizations.”
Referring to the prevention projects carried out by the Ministry of Interior, Çiftçi reported that 9,798,000 citizens have been reached through these efforts.
“Between Jan. 1 and April 25, 2026, we carried out 17,188 operations against drug manufacturing and trafficking. In these operations, 16.8 tons of narcotics, 51.2 million drug pills, and 49,000 cannabis and skunk drugs (a cheap hybrid drug) were seized. The fact that 46 of the 298 organized crime groups we targeted were focused on narcotic crimes clearly shows how intertwined the drug threat is with organized crime, street violence, illegal money networks and the financing of terrorism.”
Expressing that the role of the media in the fight against drugs is a matter of utmost importance, Çiftçi said: “We see the media as one of our most strategic stakeholders that raises social awareness, warns families, protects youth, brings the public together with accurate information, and carries the will to fight to the broad masses. I would especially like to state that every media representative here undertakes a very valuable responsibility that appeals to the common conscience of society. This is because, in this struggle, words are at least as important as operations. News language, visual choices, headlines, repeated expressions and broadcast flow directly affect social perception. Any narrative that encourages, normalizes, sensationalizes or arouses curiosity about drugs causes great harm to the struggle.”
Çiftçi stated that any expression that portrays drugs as attractive, pleasurable, or easily accessible creates a risk for young people. He emphasized the need to avoid news language that marginalizes, hurts or portrays addicted individuals as helpless or dangerous. Since last year, a string of high-profile drug busts targeted celebrities, from singers and actors to social media influencers. Dozens of suspects were detained and tested for drugs.
Talip Güler, codenamed “Abdüsselam Türki,” was captured in Syria and brought to the country by the National Intelligence Organization (MIT), security sources said on Monday.
Güler was the brother of Kasım Güler, another top Daesh figure and was part of the group’s network in Türkiye known as “Farouk Office” or Maktab Al-Faruq.” He was on the Interior Ministry’s most wanted list. Kasım Güler himself was captured in another MIT operation in 2021 and brought to Türkiye.
Security sources said Güler illegally crossed into Syria in January 2014, at the height of the civil war in the country where Daesh thrived. He coordinated the activities of the group alongside his elder brother. After apprehending elder Güler, MIT closed in on Talip Güler, running surveillance on his every step, sources said.
Güler was cooperative with authorities after he was taken to Türkiye and elaborated on how he was “radicalized,” how he sneaked into Syria and joined the terrorist group and his actions for Daesh in cooperation with his brother.
Last month, MIT also apprehended Ahmet Kazancı, another top Daesh figure, as he was planning to infiltrate Türkiye.
Daesh remains a threat to Türkiye, which lost dozens of citizens in attacks by the group that thrived in its southern neighbors, Iraq and Syria.
Since the 2019 collapse of the self-proclaimed “caliphate,” some suspected Daesh members have settled in Türkiye, operating the so-called Khorasan Province (Daesh-K) network, which looks for “new methods” and recruits more foreign nationals for its activities after constant counterterrorism operations became a “challenge,” according to Turkish security sources.
MIT thwarted the terrorist group’s efforts for recruitment, obtaining funds and logistics support after its latest operation in the aftermath of a church shooting in Istanbul in January 2024.
Türkiye was one of the first countries to declare Daesh a terrorist group in 2013 and carried out a steady stream of operations to thwart the group, rounding up hundreds of suspects over the past few years. Operations prevented plots by Daesh to attack places of worship in Türkiye. Terrorists from Daesh and other groups, such as the PKK and its Syrian wing, the YPG, rely on a network of members and supporters in Türkiye. Turkish authorities have ordered the freezing of millions of lira worth of assets since 2013 to crack down on terrorism financiers in line with U.N. sanctions.
Addressing a symposium in Ankara on Monday, Turkish Vice President Cevdet Yılmaz said the state’s institutions learned their lessons from the “painful experience” that was the July 15, 2016 coup attempt by military infiltrators of the Gülenist Terror Group (FETÖ).
The symposium organized by Turkish think-tank, the Foundation for Political, Economic and Social Research (SETA), brought together academics, researchers, jurists and journalists. The two-session symposium focused on legal, political and social dimensions of the coup attempt, how it is remembered in collective memory and the transformation of Türkiye during and after the coup attempt.
Yılmaz was deputy chair of the Justice and Development Party (AK Party) at the time of the coup attempt. He told the symposium that 10 years that followed the coup attempt have been an era of comprehensive restructuring. “Our institutions achieved a stronger capacity that can respond to a shifting security environment and new threats (after the coup attempt),” Yılmaz stated.
He emphasized the importance of “assessing major incidents correctly” that could be translated into a social conscience. “It is as important to explain it correctly as remembering July 15,” he said.
Yılmaz stated that although FETÖ was “gone,” it was essential to remain alert against similar networks and Türkiye still had a responsibility to fight the terrorist group internationally.
He noted how Türkiye transformed, especially in terms of security, after the attempt.
“In my opinion, the execution of cross-border operations (against terrorist groups) immediately after the coup attempt is one of the best examples of this. Some Western circles back then were putting forward arguments like ‘FETÖ members are being purged, the institutions have weakened.’ On the contrary, with the purge of FETÖ members, many of our institutions, particularly our army, began to fulfill their true duties in a much more effective manner,” Yılmaz said.
“With the reforms implemented under the leadership of our President, important steps have been taken in many areas, from security to public administration, and from intelligence to the judiciary. Coordination among our institutions has strengthened, decision-making processes have accelerated, and our state’s maneuverability during moments of crisis has significantly increased. The institutional resilience we possess today is the product not only of the steps taken in the wake of July 15 but also of a strong vision that shapes our state experience in line with future needs,” he added.
A delegation from the Peoples’ Equality and Democracy Party (DEM Party) is scheduled to meet Parliament Speaker Numan Kurtulmuş and senior ruling Justice and Development Party (AK Party) official Efkan Ala on Wednesday as part of ongoing efforts surrounding Türkiye’s “terror-free Türkiye” initiative.
The delegation, consisting of DEM Party lawmakers Pervin Buldan and Mithat Sancar, is expected to discuss legal steps that could support the initiative, including a framework law that lawmakers say may be submitted to parliament later this month.
The meetings will focus on the legal basis for the process and possible legislative measures aimed at facilitating the disarmament of members of the PKK, which Türkiye, the United States and the European Union classify as a terrorist group.
Kurtulmuş has previously said the planned legislation would be a temporary and narrowly tailored law applying only to members of the dissolved terrorist group who surrender their weapons and publicly renounce organizational activities within a specified period.
“The law will be exclusive and temporary. It will not remain in force indefinitely,” Kurtulmuş said in earlier remarks, adding that parliament could begin considering the legislation in July.
President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan has also expressed support for the initiative, saying its success would open “a new chapter” for Türkiye both domestically and internationally.
DEM Party Co-Chair Tülay Hatimoğulları has called for swift progress on the legislation, urging parliament to use July effectively to finalize the framework law and respond to public expectations.
The planned meetings come as Ankara continues consultations with political parties over the legal framework of the initiative. Turkish officials have presented the process as part of broader efforts to permanently end terrorism and strengthen domestic stability.
Türkiye criticized the European Union on Monday following the European Commission’s appointment of a new special representative for the island of Cyprus, accusing the bloc of maintaining a biased approach to the decades-old dispute.
Foreign Ministry spokesperson Öncü Keçeli said Ankara views the appointment as an internal matter of the European Union, as it has with previous appointments.
However, Keçeli argued that the EU lost its neutrality on the Cyprus issue when it admitted the Greek Cypriot administration as a member in 2004 despite its rejection of the U.N.-backed Annan Plan.
He also accused EU institutions, including the European Parliament, of continuing with a one-sided approach to the issue.
Keçeli said Ankara expects the newly appointed envoy to work toward changing the EU’s position and to recognize that a lasting settlement can only be achieved through negotiations between “two sovereignly equal states” based on the realities on the island.
Türkiye supports a two-state solution for the island, while the United Nations continues to back a federal settlement framework.
Egypt’s Defense Minister Lt. Gen. Ashraf Salem Zaher met his Turkish counterpart Yaşar Güler on Monday in Ankara. The two ministers signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) for defense cooperation, the ministry announced after the meeting.
Ankara and Cairo gradually rebuilt their ties in the past three years after years of chill in their long-standing relationship. As Israel increased its violent campaign of expansion in the region, two countries grew closer. They explored more political, economic and security cooperation.
In his last visit to Egypt, President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan highlighted the need to deepen cooperation, especially in maritime trade and transportation, freedom of navigation and maritime security.
The two countries have also coordinated on humanitarian efforts related to Gaza, which is bordered by Egypt.
Earlier this month, Türkiye and Egypt also signed a memorandum of understanding on cooperation in the use of maritime routes and regional and international transport corridors.
A neocon turned staunch supporter of U.S. President Donald Trump, Lindsey Graham was known for his hawkish stance on relations with Türkiye, his country’s main ally in NATO. This stand changed at times, but the veteran U.S. senator who passed away on Saturday after a brief, sudden illness, according to a statement by his office, will be remembered for his rhetoric opposing Türkiye’s interests at every turn.
Some hardline Turkish media outlets reported his death as the demise of “an enemy of Turks,” while others were more restrained, though they reminded readers of Graham’s checkered past when it came to U.S. foreign policy on Türkiye.
Being on good terms with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu (who described him as the greatest friend of Israel) could be sufficient for Türkiye to doubt his apparently softening stance toward the country in his last days. Netanyahu is among the most unloved figures in Türkiye nowadays due to his genocidal campaign against Palestinians. Still, Graham had multiple opportunities to meet Turkish officials, including President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, during his four tenures in Washington, D.C. Indeed, his last overseas visit was to Ankara for the NATO summit, which also marked Trump’s inaugural presidential visit to the Turkish capital.
The South Carolina senator was an influential political figure, and at one point, Türkiye tried to change his mind about the country, especially after he championed sanctions against Ankara. In 2019, President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan even had Graham seated next to him as they attended a classical music concert in Ankara in January 2019. The two men met again in 2022 when Erdoğan visited New York to attend the U.N. General Assembly. In his remarks to reporters on the sidelines of the NATO summit, where he accompanied Trump, Graham demonstrated that he had changed his mind regarding the sale of F-35 fighter jets to the country and said he hoped the Senate would approve it while he branded Türkiye as an important ally.
Before this apparent U-turn, Graham remained a steadfast opponent of Türkiye in Congress, particularly regarding Türkiye’s cross-border operations in neighboring Syria in the Assad era. Graham’s main concern was protecting “Kurds” in Syria, a definition he broadly used for the terrorist group YPG. When Türkiye launched operations against terrorists who threatened Turkish border towns with attacks, Graham stepped up his anti-Turkish rhetoric. Last January, Graham was also behind the Save the Kurds Act, which he introduced against what he called “attacks” on the YPG by the new Syrian administration. Graham also long stood for his opposition to Türkiye’s acquisition of S-400 air defense systems from Russia and repeatedly warned against the sale of U.S. weapons to Türkiye.
Graham threatened sanctions against Türkiye and, at one point, even called for Ankara’s suspension from NATO if it continues targeting the YPG and co-sponsored legislation for sanctions on Turkish officials.
When Türkiye turned to the acquisition of the S-400 missile defense system from Russia amid a lack of U.S. military support, Graham voiced opposition and in 2019, suggested the White House immediately implement sanctions if the S-400 deployment proceeds. His proposal evolved into the implementation of the Countering America’s Adversaries Through Sanctions Act (CAATSA) and Türkiye’s removal from the multinational F-35 program. It took seven years to undo the damage this left on Türkiye, and even so, this was partial. U.S. President Donald Trump was enthusiastic about relations with Türkiye, as his remarks in Ankara before and after the NATO summit indicated, and pledged to work to reverse the sanctions, as well as to approve the sale of fighter jets. The progress is expected to also facilitate the sale of engines for Türkiye’s locally made Kaan fighter jet. All this happened before the very eyes of Graham at the heart of Ankara as the senator who long stood his ground against Türkiye appeared to finally relent to Trump’s decision to improve ties with Türkiye, which had deteriorated during his first tenure and the entire tenure of Joe Biden.
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