Refugees
Turkish parliamentary committee backs reforms for peace with PKK
ANKARA, Turkey (AP) — A Turkish parliamentary committee on Wednesday recommended a series of reforms to advance a new peace initiative with the militant Kurdistan Workers’ Party, or PKK, while stressing that legal steps should be tied to state security institutions verifying that the group has surrendered its weapons.
The recommendations, which were overwhelmingly approved by the National Solidarity, Brotherhood and Democracy Commission, call for a temporary legal measure to reintegrate PKK members who renounce violence, according to the final draft of a report made available to journalists.
The commission also calls for measures to expand freedom of expression, release older or sick prisoners and ensure that nonviolent acts are not prosecuted under anti‑terror laws. It proposes an end to the practice of appointing government trustees to replace elected mayors from the country’s pro‑Kurdish party.
Designated a terrorist organization by Turkey, the United States and the European Union, the PKK has waged an armed insurgency since 1984 that has claimed tens of thousands of lives and spilled into neighboring Iraq and Syria.
The group initially sought an independent Kurdish state but later shifted to demands for autonomy and expanded rights in Turkey.
The commission report says state verification that the PKK has laid down its arms and dissolved itself is “the most critical threshold in the process.”
The recommendations stop short of proposing parole for the PKK’s imprisoned leader Abdullah Ocalan, instead urge compliance with rulings by the European Court of Human Rights and Turkish Constitutional Court on improving detention conditions. Reflecting strong public opposition to leniency toward the PKK, the draft report avoids calling for a blanket amnesty, suggesting instead that fighters’ cases be reviewed individually.
“The report is not an amnesty arrangement,” Parliamentary Speaker Numan Kurtulmuş stressed ahead of the vote, describing the commission’s work as “a clear expression of the determination to build the future together without denying our suffering.”
The report says that “legal regulations must not create a perception of impunity or amnesty in society.”
The recommendations were approved by 47 votes in favor, with two opposing votes and one abstention, Haberturk broadcaster reported.
It was not clear what the next step in the process would be.
The commission was formed in August to oversee the peace effort after the PKK, following an appeal by Ocalan, announced in May that it would disarm and disband, ending more than four decades of hostilities. The group later held a symbolic disarmament ceremony in northern Iraq and began withdrawing its remaining fighters from Turkey.
There was no immediate statement from the PKK, which has pressed for formal legal guarantees from the government for the process to move forward.
In a televised address, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan welcomed the commission’s report, saying it has “put forward a perspective that will give momentum” to the reconciliation efforts.
The draft report also recommends broader democratization steps, including a review of media laws to ensure that freedom of expression and the right to legitimate criticism are protected. It proposes that if a mayor is removed from office, the successor be chosen through an internal election by the municipal council instead of being appointed by the government.
ISTANBUL (AP) — Turkish authorities have detained nine people as part of an investigation into an attack on police outside a building housing the Israeli Consulate in Istanbul that left one assailant dead, Turkey’s state-run news agency reported Wednesday.
Two other assailants were wounded and captured during Tuesday’s shootout in the city’s financial and business district, while two police officers sustained slight injuries, officials said.
Israel had withdrawn its diplomats from Turkey over security concerns and deteriorating relations with Ankara shortly after the start of the war in Gaza, and officials said the consulate was closed at the time of the attack.
Interior Minister Mustafa Ciftci said one of the assailants had links to a group that he said “exploits religion,” without naming the organization.
The Islamic State group has carried out deadly attacks in Turkey in the past.
Anadolu Agency reported that security forces detained nine suspects in operations conducted in Istanbul as well as in the provinces of Konya and Kocaeli. They were being questioned along with the two injured assailants, the agency reported, without providing further details.
Cifti said the attackers had traveled from the city of Izmit, in Kocaeli province, in a rented car. The two wounded assailants are brothers, identified as Onur C. and Enes C. The first has a criminal record related to drugs.
Israel’s Foreign Ministry on Tuesday condemned the attack and praised the Turkish authorities for preventing further violence.
BUCHAREST, Romania (AP) — Mircea Lucescu, the Romanian soccer great who was a serial trophy winner as a player and a coach, has died. He was 80.
Lucescu’s death was confirmed by Bucharest University Emergency Hospital on Tuesday. He had been hospitalized after reportedly suffering a heart attack on Friday morning.
“Mr. Mircea Lucescu was one of the most successful Romanian football coaches and players, the first to qualify the Romanian national team for a European Championship, in 1984,” the hospital said in a statement. “Entire generations of Romanians grew up with his image in their hearts, as a national symbol.”
Lucescu had a lengthy coaching career and was in his second spell with the Romanian national team until stepping down last Thursday after falling ill during training. Three days earlier, Romania had missed out on qualification to the World Cup after losing to Turkey in a playoff.
As a player, Lucescu captained his country at the 1970 World Cup.
Lucescu’s coaching career spanned almost half a century, from late-1970s Romania to 2026 World Cup qualifying, as Eastern European soccer was transformed by political and economic changes after the fall of communism, and later by the effects of Russia’s actions in Ukraine.
Lucescu spent 12 years as coach of Shakhtar Donetsk, where billionaire Rinat Akhmetov’s backing assembled a squad filled with up-and-coming Brazilian talents. Lucescu forged a team that became a Champions League regular and won the UEFA Cup in 2009.
By the time Lucescu left in 2016, Shakhtar had left its home city of Donetsk in eastern Ukraine after a takeover by Russia-backed separatists.
His later moves to Russia’s Zenit St. Petersburg and to Shakhtar’s bitter Ukrainian rival Dynamo Kyiv were less well-received by Shakhtar fans.
Internationally, Lucescu coached Turkey as well as Romania. His second spell with Romania started in 2024, 38 years after he’d left the national team the first time. His last game was the loss to Turkey.
Lucescu coached Pisa, Brescia, Reggiana and Inter Milan in Italy and is remembered fondly in the north of the country, especially at Brescia — despite his tenure being marked by several ups and downs.
His team there was dubbed Brescia Romeno after Lucescu signed four of his compatriots, including one of Romania’s greatest ever players Gheorghe Hagi — between stints at Barcelona and Real Madrid.
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AP soccer: https://apnews.com/hub/soccer
ISTANBUL (AP) — Turkish lawmakers kicked off a debate Tuesday on a draft law package that includes restricting access to social media platforms for children under 15, making Turkey the latest country to seek measures to protect young people from dangerous online activity.
If it becomes law, the bill would force social media platforms to install age‑verification systems, provide parental control tools and require companies to rapidly respond to content deemed harmful. It’s unclear how long the parliament debate will last.
Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan ’s government says the proposal aims to mitigate the online risks to children’s safety and privacy.
“Protecting our children from all kinds of risks, threats and harmful content is our top priority,” Mahinur Ozdemir Goktas, Turkey’s minister for family and social services, said earlier this year.
The main opposition party — Republican People’s Party or CHP — has criticized the proposal, saying children should be protected “not with bans but with rights-based policies.”
Under the draft proposal, digital platforms — such as YouTube, TikTok, Facebook, Instagram and others — would have to block children under 15 from opening accounts and introduce parental controls that would manage children’s access.
Online game companies will also be required to appoint a representative in Turkey to ensure they abide by the new regulations. Potential penalties include internet bandwidth reductions and fines imposed by Turkey’s communications watchdog.
The Turkish government has a recent record of restricting online platforms as they have grown as a means of expressing dissent. Online communications were widely restricted during last year’s protests in support of Istanbul’s jailed opposition mayor, Ekrem Imamoglu.
Restrictions on social media access for children under 16 first began in December in Australia, where social media companies revoked access to about 4.7 million accounts identified as belonging to children.
Last month, Indonesia began implementing a new government regulation banning children younger than 16 from access to digital platforms that could expose them to pornography, cyberbullying, online scams and addiction.
Some other countries — including Spain, France and the United Kingdom — are also taking or considering measures to restrict children’s access to social media amid growing concern that they are being harmed by exposure to unregulated social media content.
ISTANBUL (AP) — Three assailants opened fire at police outside a building housing the Israeli Consulate in Istanbul on Tuesday, sparking a gunfight that left one attacker dead, Turkish officials said. The two other assailants were wounded and captured.
Two police officers sustained slight injuries in the clash, Istanbul Gov. Davut Gul told reporters. The assailants were carrying long-barreled weapons.
Interior Minister Mustafa Cifti wrote on X that the attackers had traveled from the city of Izmit, some 100 kilometers (60 miles) east of Istanbul, in a rented car. One of the assailants was linked to a group he described as “exploiting religion,” without naming the organization.
The Islamic State group has carried out deadly attacks in Turkey in the past.
AP AUDIO: Gunmen attack building housing Israeli Consulate in Istanbul
AP correspondent Charles de Ledesma reports clashes have occurred outside Istanbul’s Israeli Consulate.
The two wounded assailants are brothers, identified as Onur C. and Enes C. The first has a criminal record related to drugs. Both are being interrogated, according to the Interior Ministry.
Video from the attack showed one assailant carrying what appeared to be an assault rifle, wearing a brown backpack and hiding behind a bus when exchanging fire with police. A police officer falls to the ground, apparently having been shot, and then rolls away to get behind a tree for cover.
One of the police officers was wounded in the leg and the other in the ear, the Interior Ministry said.
The consulate is located in a high-rise building in Levent, one of the city’s main business districts. Officials said there are no Israeli diplomats present in Israeli missions in Turkey. Israel withdrew its diplomats amid security concerns and deteriorating relations with Turkey during the war in Gaza.
Turkish Justice Minister Akin Gurlek said three prosecutors, including a deputy chief prosecutor, have been assigned to lead an investigation.
Police sealed off the building and blocked several roads, while forensic experts in white protective suits combed the area for evidence.
Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan denounced what he said was a “treacherous” attack.
“We will resolutely continue our fight against all forms of terrorism, and we will not allow the climate of security in Turkey to be harmed by vile and timed provocations like today’s,” he said.
The U.S. ambassador to Turkey, Tom Barrack, condemned the assault, praising Turkish authorities for “their swift and decisive response.”
Israel’s Foreign Ministry similarly condemned the attack and commended Turkish security forces for their rapid action in thwarting it.
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A previous version of this article, relying on Turkey’s Haberturk news, incorrectly reported that two attackers had been killed. Only one of the three assailants was killed, while the other two were wounded and captured, according to Turkish officials.
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Fraser reported from Ankara, Turkey.
MONTERREY, Mexico (AP) — The 48-team field for FIFA ’s biggest ever World Cup is complete after a qualifying process that spanned more than two and a half years.
Iraq edged Bolivia 2-1 in an intercontinental playoff at Monterrey in northern Mexico on Tuesday to secure the 48th spot, hours after Bosnia and Herzegovina upset four-time champion Italy on penalties in European playoffs.
Eight teams from Europe were competing for four places on the last day of qualifying. The new intercontinental tournament staged in Mexico determined the other two remaining places. The next-to-last nation to advance was Congo, which edged Jamaica 1-0 in extra time at Guadalajara, Mexico.
Sweden, Turkey and the Czech Republic each qualified in European playoff finals.
Sweden beat Poland 3-2; Turkey edged Kosovo 1-0; and the Czech Republic beat Denmark in a penalty shootout.
The World Cup kicks off June 11 and will be co-hosted by the United States, Mexico and Canada.
With its big upset victory of Italy, Bosnia and Herzegovina qualified to join Canada, Qatar and Switzerland in Group B.
Sweden will play in Group F with the Netherlands, Japan and Tunisia. Turkey will be in Group D with the United States, Paraguay and Australia.
After reaching its first World Cup since 2006, the Czech team will play in Group A with Mexico, South Africa and South Korea.
The World Cup qualifiers for the 2026 tournament started Sept. 7, 2023 with matches in South America.
World Cup groups
Group A
Czechia, Mexico, South Africa and South Korea
Group B
Canada, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Qatar and Switzerland
Group C
Brazil, Haiti, Morocco, Scotland
Group D
Australia, Paraguay, Türkiye and United States
Group E
Curacao, Ecuador, Germany and Ivory Coast
Group F
Netherlands, Japan, Sweden and Tunisia
Group G
Belgium, Egypt, Iran and New Zealand
Group H
Cape Verde, Saudi Arabia, Spain and Uruguay
Group I
France, Norway, Senegal and Iraq
Group J
Algeria, Argentina, Austria and Jordan
Group K
Colombia, Jamaica, Portugal and Uzbekistan
Group L
Croatia, England, Ghana and Panama
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AP soccer: https://apnews.com/hub/soccer
It’s a decisive day for one of soccer’s historic powers.
Struggling Italy is visiting Bosnia and Herzegovina in the European qualifying playoffs on Tuesday with the four-time champion desperate not to miss out on a third straight World Cup.
The match was headed to extra time with the score 1-1 and Italy down to 10 men.
Moise Kean scored early on for Italy but then Azzurri center back Alessandro Bastoni was sent off with a direct red card before the break and Bosnia substitute Haris Tabakovic equalized in the 79th.
Italy was eliminated by Sweden and North Macedonia in qualifying playoffs for the last two World Cups and has not appeared at soccer’s biggest event since 2014.
In last week’s European playoff semifinals, Italy beat Northern Ireland 2-0. Bosnia eliminated Wales in a penalty shootout.
Italy’s World Cup struggles began soon after its last title in 2006: The Azzurri were eliminated from the 2010 and 2014 finals at the group stage.
In Tuesday’s other European playoff finals, Sweden and Turkey each qualified. Sweden beat Poland 3-2 and Turkey beat Kosovo 1-0. The Czech Republic vs. Denmark game was also locked at 1-1 and heading to extra time.
Gyokeres the savior for Sweden
Viktor Gyokeres has sent Sweden back to the World Cup.
The Arsenal striker scored in the 88th minute to earn the Swedes a 3-2 win over Poland, five days after netting a hat trick in the playoff semifinal victory over Ukraine.
Poland great Robert Lewandowski, at age 37, was hoping to qualify for what would likely have been his final World Cup.
Former Chelsea and West Ham coach Graham Potter was hired by Sweden last year — initially on a short-term deal — with one goal: to get the team to the World Cup. He has succeeded.
Sweden reached the quarterfinals in its last World Cup appearance, in 2018.
No dream debut for Kosovo
Turkey will be in the United States’ group at the World Cup after winning 1-0 at Kosovo to reach soccer’s biggest stage for the first time since 2002.
The hosts were hoping to qualify for the World Cup for the first time, fewer than 10 years since the national team was out of the international soccer family.
It was in May 2016 that Kosovo and Gibraltar were voted into FIFA as its 210th and 211th member federations. That was eight years after Kosovo declared independence from Serbia.
Kosovo had the best chance of an entertaining first half but Turkey goalkeeper Uğurcan Çakır pulled off a superb one-handed save to push Fisnik Asllani’s strike onto the crossbar.
Turkey got the breakthrough eight minutes into the second half. Kerem Aktürkoğlu got finest of touches to ensure Orkun Kökçü’s cross-shot went into the far bottom corner.
Turkey joins the U.S. in Group D, along with Paraguay and Australia.
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AP Sports Writers Daniella Matar and Steve Douglas contributed to this report.
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AP soccer: https://apnews.com/hub/soccer
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