Politics
Türkiye captures irregular migrants in inland, coastal operations
Turkish security forces captured a total of 50 irregular migrants during inspections in the provinces of Edirne, Kırklareli, Erzincan and Izmir, authorities said.
In Edirne, police identified 10 foreign nationals who had entered the country illegally during routine checks across the city, officials said. The migrants were taken to the Provincial Directorate of Migration Management after initial procedures.
Security forces also captured four irregular migrants in Kırklareli. After processing, the migrants were transferred to the Pehlivanköy Removal Center.
Separately, police in Erzincan apprehended 19 foreign nationals who had entered Türkiye illegally and three suspected migrant smugglers were arrested, officials announced on Tuesday.
Teams from the provincial police department’s anti-smuggling and border units stopped two vehicles on different days during operations aimed at combating migrant smuggling.
The suspects were later arrested by the court, while the migrants were handed over to migration authorities following identity checks and medical examinations.
Turkish coast guard teams also rescued 33 irregular migrants and detained 17 others during operations off the coast of Izmir, authorities also announced on Monday.
The Coast Guard Command said it received a distress call early Saturday after a rubber boat carrying irregular migrants suffered engine failure and began drifting off the coast of Seferihisar. Coast guard vessels were dispatched to the area, rescuing 33 migrants, including 13 children.
Later the same day, coast guard mobile radar units detected a group of irregular migrants on land in the Çeşme district. A follow-up operation by coast guard law enforcement support teams led to the detention of 17 migrants, authorities said.
All migrants were taken to the Provincial Directorate of Migration Management after identification procedures were completed, according to officials.
Türkiye is a key transit route for migrants attempting to reach Europe, and its coast guard regularly carries out rescue and interception operations along the Aegean coastline.
Recently, Interior Minister Ali Yerlikaya announced that 478 irregular migrants and 19 migrant smugglers were captured in nationwide inspections.
Police, gendarmerie, coast guard and border patrols joined forces for inspections in 81 provinces under the coordination of the General Directorate of Migration. Authorities checked the IDs of 372,409 people and detected 478 irregular migrants among them.
In a social media post, the minister said more than 27,000 personnel took part in inspections in more than 14,000 locations. “Our migration management is based on an approach complying with human rights, our civic values and laws, and prioritizes public order and security. We are pursuing a policy setting an example for the world, in all fields from fight against irregular migration and migrant smuggling, integrated border management, international protection and voluntary, safe, dignified and regular returns,” he added.
Yerlikaya said legal proceedings to send migrants back to their countries began, and their fight against migrant smuggling would continue in a determined manner, “without concessions on public order and security.”
Türkiye has intensified nationwide operations in recent years amid rising regional migration pressures.
Turkish authorities have found no signs of external interference or explosives on the military C-130 cargo plane that crashed on the Georgia-Azerbaijan border last November, prosecutors in Ankara said Friday.
The Military Crimes Investigation Bureau continues its probe into the C-130 aircraft, which crashed in Georgia’s Kakheti region on Nov. 11, 2025. The crash resulted in the deaths of 20 soldiers, marking the NATO member’s highest military death toll since 2020. The plane had departed from Azerbaijan en route to Türkiye.
C-130 aircraft are widely used by Türkiye’s armed forces for transporting personnel and logistics. Following the crash, Ankara suspended flights by its C-130 fleet.
“No shrapnel traces or damage from ammunition detonations were found,” the Gendarmerie General Command’s criminal report said. “No traces of explosions from handmade devices, or any explosives and their components, were found. No fire-starting petroleum derivatives or fire-accelerating substances were detected, and no suspicious chemicals were identified in elemental analysis.”
Meanwhile, the Air Force Command continues its investigation, with full cooperation from Georgian authorities. Forensic examinations of the 20 soldiers’ remains have been completed, and investigators are reviewing digital materials as a preliminary report is prepared ahead of the final report.
Months after the incident, a Turkish F-16 jet crashed shortly after takeoff in western Balıkesir province in late February, killing the pilot. The Defense Ministry said the jet had been dispatched on a rapid response mission to investigate an unidentified radar contact near the Bulgarian border.
Türkiye’s Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan held separate phone calls with Iranian, Egyptian and U.S. officials to discuss the course of the war and efforts to bring it to an end, diplomatic sources said Friday.
According to sources from the Foreign Ministry, Fidan spoke with Iran’s Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi, Egypt’s Foreign Minister Badr Abdelatty and U.S. officials.
The discussions focused on the latest developments in the conflict and ongoing diplomatic efforts aimed at halting the war.
Fidan emphasized the importance of intensifying efforts to stop the fighting and prevent further escalation, the sources added.
Fidan’s talks came as Iran downed a U.S. fighter jet and rejected a 48-hour cease-fire proposal.
Last month, Türkiye, Pakistan and Egypt passed messages between Washington and Tehran to facilitate talks.
Türkiye has sought to avoid aligning itself with any side in the conflict, maintaining a careful diplomatic balance as tensions escalate. Ankara has worked to strengthen ties with the United States in recent years, particularly during President Donald Trump’s administration, while also sustaining relatively stable political relations with Iran.
Positioned at the intersection of Europe and Asia and at the heart of a volatile Middle East, Türkiye faces significant challenges in preserving neutrality. Despite this, the government continues to pursue what it describes as a “peace diplomacy” approach, aiming to engage all parties and promote de-escalation without becoming directly involved in the conflict.
President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan and Russian President Vladimir Putin on Friday called for an immediate cease-fire in the Middle East, with Erdoğan stressing that Türkiye does not approve of attacks on Iran or Tehran’s retaliatory actions, as the war continues to threaten broader regional and global stability, the Presidential Communications Directorate said in a statement.
During the phone call, Erdoğan emphasized that Ankara rejects both the initial strikes targeting Iran and Tehran’s responses against regional countries, underscoring that Türkiye is maintaining intensive diplomatic contacts with all parties to prevent the conflict from spiraling further out of control.
He also warned that the Israeli government’s aggressive policies across the region must be restrained, stressing that any attempts to erode the status of Jerusalem would be unacceptable.
The Turkish president further highlighted the importance of preserving stability in Syria, noting that developments there are being closely monitored and that strengthening stability serves the common interests of both Türkiye and Russia. He cautioned against jeopardizing the fragile gains achieved in the country.
On the Russia-Ukraine war, Erdoğan reiterated that Türkiye’s efforts to facilitate peace must not be undermined. He urged all sides to avoid steps that could escalate tensions, warning that attacks on civilian vessels in the Black Sea harm regional stability.
He also stressed that the ongoing Iran-centered conflict should not create new fronts in the Russia-Ukraine war.
The Kremlin, for its part, said both leaders shared a common position on the need for an immediate cease-fire and the pursuit of compromise-based peace agreements that take into account the legitimate interests of all regional states.
“It was noted that intense military action is leading to serious negative consequences not only regionally but also globally, including in the areas of energy, trade, and logistics,” the Kremlin said in a statement.
The two leaders also discussed the importance of coordinated efforts to ensure security in the Black Sea, with Moscow accusing Ukraine of attempting to target gas infrastructure linking Russia and Türkiye.
Russian energy giant Gazprom said Thursday that its forces repelled a drone attack on part of the TurkStream pipeline, which connects southern Russia to Türkiye and supplies gas to several European countries, including Hungary, Slovakia and Serbia.
The developments come as Ukraine continues to target Russian energy infrastructure in an effort to weaken Moscow’s war financing capabilities, while Russian strikes have left millions of Ukrainians without electricity and heating since the start of the full-scale invasion in 2022.
The Middle East war, triggered over a month ago by U.S.-Israeli strikes on Iran, has since expanded across the region, rattling global markets and affecting millions worldwide.
Turkish political parties, including the ruling Justice and Development Party (AK Party) and its ally Nationalist Movement Party (MHP), have dismissed the main opposition Republican People’s Party’s (CHP) attempt to push for interim parliamentary elections.
“Can Mr. Özgür Özel persuade 22 CHP lawmakers to resign? The CHP has far bigger problems right now,” MHP Deputy Group Chair Filiz Kılıç told reporters Friday.
CHP leader Özgür Özel earlier this week hinted at a new move for rescheduling the 2028 general elections. Though he did not elaborate, pro-CHP media outlets said the party may have several lawmakers resign to force Parliament to have an early election.
Kılıç said the MHP is “closely monitoring” the corruption allegations facing the CHP and added, “We wish for a strong opposition for Türkiye’s democracy to develop and therefore do not consider a by-election likely.”
Under the Turkish Constitution, local elections are held every five years, and adjusting this schedule requires a constitutional amendment. So far, no party in Parliament, except the minor opposition Good Party (IP), has backed Özel’s push, and the CHP’s former ally, Peoples’ Equality and Democracy Party (DEM Party), has also refrained.
The DEM Party, which has been cooperating with the parliamentary commission to dissolve the PKK terrorist group it is affiliated with, said it prioritizes the terror-free Türkiye process and ruled out a snap election as ”the right course of action.”
The disagreement over the by-elections has raised questions about whether it will create a new rift between the DEM Party and the CHP, which previously clashed over the “Imralı visit” controversy when the CHP refused to join a Parliament-wide delegation that met with the PKK’s jailed ringleader at his prison island Imralı last November as part of the terror-free Türkiye initiative.
DEM Party officials have said that an election-focused agenda pushed by the CHP could overshadow efforts to end PKK terrorism, which has claimed over 40,000 lives and sown deep discord in Türkiye since the 1980s.
Meanwhile, the AK Party accused the CHP of using early election rhetoric to distract from corruption in its municipalities. Spokesperson Ömer Çelik said Wednesday that Özel was “detached from the realities of Türkiye and the world,” and party leadership considers the move politically ineffective.
MHP Chair Devlet Bahçeli too has previously rejected the possibility of early elections in no uncertain terms.
Bahçeli has also firmly rejected the possibility of early elections. Yet Özel remains determined, insisting, “We will do everything to bring out the ballot box for a general election.” He plans to meet Parliament Speaker Numan Kurtulmuş and opposition leaders to seek support in the coming days.
Eight seats are currently vacant in Parliament for various reasons. If the number of lawmakers falls by 5%, or 30 deputies, Parliament is obliged to call elections for those constituencies within three months.
The CHP may propose the resignation of 22 of its parliament members, but such resignations can only be accepted by a decision of the General Assembly. The AK Party, which holds a majority in Parliament, will be decisive as well.
Özel has been vocal about his calls for an early vote as a court in Ankara handles a trial questioning the legitimacy of Özel’s leadership at Türkiye’s oldest party. On Wednesday, a new hearing was held in the trial over the CHP’s 38th Congress, which brought Özel to power in November 2023. Özel and his associates are accused of buying votes of delegates to oust then-Chair Kemal Kılıçdaroğlu. The trial was postponed to May 6 amid media reports that the verdict will likely be an “absolute nullification” of the Özel administration.
The views and opinions expressed in this article are solely those of the author. They do not necessarily reflect the editorial stance, values or position of Daily Sabah. The newspaper provides space for diverse perspectives as part of its commitment to open and informed public discussion.
Turkish officials are urging Muslims living abroad to report incidents of Islamophobia to relevant authorities, including the European Court of Human Rights (ECtHR), as many have become desensitized to daily discrimination.
Fatih Mehmet Karaca, the deputy head of Türkiye’s Directorate of Religious Affairs, told the Sub-Committee on Turks Abroad and Related Communities at an event on Thursday that Muslims often refrain from filing complaints because they see Islamophobic acts as routine.
“We must bring Islamophobic incidents to the attention of the relevant authorities at every level, both individually and institutionally, including the ECtHR,” he said, adding that the directorate provides guidance to citizens on reporting procedures.
The committee, chaired by Justice and Development Party (AK Party) Istanbul Deputy Seda Gören, also heard from Ensari Yentürk, director general of foreign relations of the Presidency of Religious Affairs. Yentürk noted that a significant portion of Islamophobic incidents go unrecorded due to fears of retaliation, but confirmed that verified data collected by the directorate is submitted to authorities to ensure appropriate action.
Karaca emphasized that while some European organizations can take even minor cases to the ECtHR and obtain outcomes, Turkish citizens abroad must also actively document and report discrimination.
European Muslims, including people of Turkish background living in the European Union, have faced persistent and in many cases increasing levels of Islamophobic discrimination, harassment and hate crimes over the past decade, according to official surveys and incident data.
Nearly half of Muslims surveyed across 13 EU countries reported experiencing racial discrimination in their daily lives during the five years before 2022, with figures rising to about 47% from 39% in 2016, the European Union Agency for Fundamental Rights (FRA) said in its most recent “Being Muslim in the EU” report.
Discrimination was particularly prevalent in employment, housing and public services, and was reported more frequently by visible Muslims such as women wearing religious clothing. Turks and other Muslims of immigrant background fall within these broader figures, which reflect patterns of exclusion some say have persisted for years.
The FRA update also highlights a notable increase in anti‑Muslim incidents since Israel’s war on Gaza that began in October 2023, with countries such as Austria reporting more than 1,500 reported hate crimes in 2023, the highest total since 2015. Nearly one in four Muslims reported racist harassment in the five years leading up to the survey, and around 4% said they had been subject to physical racist attacks in that period.
Separate monitoring by projects like I‑Report shows high levels of Islamophobic hate crimes in individual countries. In Germany, some 1,926 anti‑Muslim hate crimes were officially recorded in 2023, while Austria logged 1,522 incidents, both representing increases over prior year totals. Experts warn these figures likely underestimate the scale of prejudice because many victims do not file official reports.
An interim ruling in the organized crime case involving former Istanbul Mayor Ekrem Imamoğlu kept the majority of defendants in custody, as the court continued to weigh extensive corruption allegations tied to his municipal operations.
At the 15th session of the trial concluded early Friday, the court ruled to release 18 defendants under judicial control measures, including travel bans, while ordering the continued detention of 89 others.
The decision followed arguments from defense lawyers and a prior request from prosecutors, who had sought the release of a limited number of suspects while maintaining custody for the majority.
The case, which involves 407 defendants, 107 of whom were initially held in pretrial detention, centers on allegations of systematic corruption, bribery, and abuse of public resources within the Istanbul Metropolitan Municipality (IBB). Prosecutors argue that a coordinated network led by senior municipal officials engaged in tender rigging and illicit financial practices, resulting in estimated public losses of TL 160 billion and $24 million across 143 actions.
No release orders were issued for key figures, including Imamoğlu and several other mayors. Imamoğlu continues to face charges as the alleged ringleader of the network, while other municipal officials are also accused of playing central roles in the scheme. All defendants deny the allegations.
The broader investigation reflects mounting scrutiny of municipalities governed by the main opposition Republican People’s Party (CHP), where multiple probes are ongoing. These investigations encompass accusations ranging from large-scale procurement irregularities to alleged links with terrorist financing.
CHP’s ‘secret network’
Separately, testimony linked to the CHP’s internal proceedings has added to the controversy surrounding the party leadership.
Former CHP Bitlis Provincial Chairperson Veysi Uyanık, who testified as a witness in a case concerning alleged irregularities, including bribery, at the party’s 38th Ordinary Congress, claimed he “handed out cash” to delegates.
Speaking to Turkish newspaper Sabah, Uyanık said he received TL 100,000 ($2,250) from party official Özgür Karabat and distributed it in sums of TL 20,000 to delegates at the 2023 congress, alleging financial inducements were used to influence the outcome of the congress.
Uyanık also leveled a series of accusations against senior party figures, particularly CHP Chair Özgür Özel. He claimed that Imamoğlu financed Özel’s political rise and alleged that a $3 million property in New York was purchased for Özel with external backing, calling on him to publicly explain the source of funds and ownership details.
Uyanık further suggested that a small circle within the party exercised disproportionate control over decision-making processes. He named several figures he claimed were part of an internal “system,” asserting that financial resources tied to Imamoğlu played a decisive role in consolidating influence within the party leadership. He argued that without such backing, Özel would have struggled to secure sufficient support during the leadership contest.
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