Turkish authorities detained 324 suspects in operations targeting the Daesh terrorist group across 47 provinces, the Interior Ministry said Wednesday.

According to a ministry statement, the raids were carried out in coordination with the National Intelligence Organization (MIT), police units and public prosecutors. Operations took place in several major cities, including Ankara, Istanbul and Izmir.

Authorities said the suspects included individuals wanted by security forces, people accused of providing financial support to the terrorist group and others alleged to have previously operated within group networks.

Security forces also seized one handgun, four rifles, 122 rounds of ammunition, digital materials and financial assets worth TL 9.67 million (approximately $214,000).

Türkiye considers the Daesh terrorist group one of the biggest threats to the country’s security and peace, as the group faces nationwide raids, and was one of the first countries to declare it a terrorist group in 2013.

Officials said counterterrorism operations targeting Daesh networks and financing structures will continue across the country.

On April 7, suspected Daesh members fired at police officers near a building housing the Israeli Consulate. One assailant was killed, and two others were injured in the ensuing shootout, while two police officers were slightly injured. Although Daesh was not officially named as behind the attack, following the incident, authorities launched a nationwide sweep against the terrorist group and detained dozens of suspects. Last December, Daesh members killed three Turkish police officers during an operation targeting a house where suspects resided in the northwestern city of Yalova.

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The U.N. is likely to launch a fresh push to resolve the ​decades-old Cyprus issue before the term of Secretary-General Antonio Guterres expires at ⁠the end of ⁠the year, Greek Cypriot leader Nikos Christodoulides said.

Christodoulides, who represents the Greek Cypriots in talks with ​Turkish Cypriots, made the comments ​in an ⁠interview on Tuesday night with a local station, Alpha TV.

He told the channel that he had been informed that Guterres was encouraged by discussions he had had with Turkish President Tayyip Erdoğan in March.

“We might be close to developments, which may lead to a peace plan,” Christodoulides said.

Cyprus has remained divided since 1974 ⁠when Türkiye intervened to safeguard the rights of Turkish Cypriots in parts of the island’s north following a Greek-backed coup and Greek Cypriot violence.

Greek Cypriots run the south, while Turkish Cypriots administer the north and a U.N.-patrolled buffer zone between them.

The last meaningful negotiations collapsed ​in 2017 amid disagreements over Türkiye’s role in a future federated island with two self-governing regions linked by a strong central government.

In 2004, Greek Cypriots rejected a ⁠United Nations peace plan, saying ‌it did not address security concerns and the long-term viability ​of the proposed ⁠reunified state, or the property rights ⁠of tens of thousands of internally displaced people.

Turkish ⁠Cypriots, however, had accepted the proposal.

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Vice President Cevdet Yılmaz said Wednesday that Türkiye and Belgium are aiming to expand cooperation across trade, defense, energy and digital transformation following talks in Ankara with Belgian Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Maxime Prévot.

Yılmaz said on Turkish social media platform NSosyal that he met Prevot and his delegation at the Presidential Complex in the Turkish capital as part of the Belgian Economic Mission to Türkiye led by Queen Mathilde.

“We are pleased that our relations with Belgium, our NATO ally and partner, are gaining new momentum in areas such as trade, energy, connectivity, defense industry and digital transformation,” Yılmaz stated.

He noted that bilateral trade volume reached $9.2 billion in 2025 and said both countries aim to increase the figure further in the coming years.

He said both countries are determined to strengthen defense cooperation within the NATO framework while deepening joint work on “strategic issues such as the Middle Corridor and energy security.”

He also emphasized the importance of “a constructive, inclusive and strategic approach” in Türkiye-EU relations.

Yılmaz further expressed hope that meetings held during the Belgian Economic Mission, described as the largest Belgian delegation visit to Türkiye under Queen Mathilde’s leadership, would open the door to new partnerships and mark “a new turning point” in relations with both Belgium and the EU.

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Speaking at a joint news conference in Doha with Qatari Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman bin Jassim bin Jaber Al Thani on Tuesday, Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan said the U.S.-Israel-Iran war should not resume and pledged Türkiye’s commitment to ensuring a cease-fire.

Fidan stated that Ankara supports all efforts for the reopening of the Strait of Hormuz, adding that Hormuz should not be used as “a weapon,” as it was “highly essential for regional stability, security, as well as the global economy.”

“We support all efforts for safe passage through Hormuz,” he underlined.

Fidan also warned against “Israeli expansionism,” which “remains the number one challenge to stability, security in our region.” What the Gulf is going through should not lead to losing focus on Gaza,” he added.

“Expansionism in Gaza, Beirut, the West Bank and Syria has cost many lives and forced many more to flee home. Regional countries and the international community should be more sensitive about this issue,” he said, while emphasizing “peaking violations of the cease-fire in Gaza by Israel.”

He stated that the region has faced serious challenges for years and that Ankara has coordinated with Qatar to resolve the issues. He noted that Israel was the “elephant in the room.”

“Everyone wants peace, but Israel responds to it through violence and expansionism. It is now a global problem,” he emphasized.

The minister said extraordinary developments pushed them to hold more consultations with Qatar. He stressed that Türkiye supported Pakistan’s role in mediating the cease-fire. “The war is not a solution. It brings about global instability, economic deprivation and potential devastation. The world will feel the pressure as long as Hormuz is closed,” he stated.

He acknowledged that the U.S.-Iran talks face challenges. “However, both sides want the war to end and the reopening of Hormuz. The problem is how it will be prioritized and how it will be put on paper. Returning to the war means nothing but devastation,” he said.

For his part, Sheikh Mohammed said Qatar and Türkiye supported Pakistan’s mediation to end the war and reopen the Strait of Hormuz. He also warned Iran not to “blackmail the Gulf countries,” through Hormuz. He mentioned his recent visit to Washington to help mediation efforts to end the war. He stated that his visit focused mainly on supporting Pakistan’s efforts and “ensuring a positive response to these efforts to reach a solution as quickly as possible.”

Iran’s chief negotiator on Tuesday issued an ultimatum to the U.S. to accept the conditions in Tehran’s 14-point proposal for peace in the Middle East war or face “failure.” The defiant message came after U.S. President Donald Trump rejected the latest counteroffer from Iran and said that a fragile cease-fire in place since April 8 was on “life support.”

Iranian Parliament Speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf said Washington had to accept Tehran’s “rights” if it wanted to end the more than two months of conflict, as peace talks remain deadlocked after an initial round failed to produce a breakthrough last month.

“There is no alternative but to accept the rights of the Iranian people as laid out in the 14-point proposal. Any other approach will be completely inconclusive; nothing but one failure after another,” said Ghalibaf in a post on X. “The longer they drag their feet, the more American taxpayers will pay for it.”

Iran has refused to back down in its war with Washington, with military officials warning they are prepared to respond to any renewed U.S. attack. It has choked traffic through the key Strait of Hormuz trade route, rattling global markets and giving it vital leverage, while the U.S. has imposed its own naval blockade on Iranian ports. Details of the latest U.S. proposal remain limited, though media reports say it involves a one-page memorandum of understanding aimed at ending the fighting and establishing a framework for negotiations on Iran’s nuclear program. Iran’s Foreign Ministry said its response called for ending the war on all fronts, including Lebanon, halting the U.S. naval blockade on Iranian ports and securing the release of Iranian assets frozen abroad under longstanding sanctions. It did not elaborate on what Iran would offer in return.

On Tuesday, Ebrahim Rezaei, the spokesperson for Iran’s parliamentary national security commission, said lawmakers would consider the possibility of enriching uranium to weapons-grade levels if conflict resumed.

“One of Iran’s options in the event of another attack could be 90 percent enrichment. We will examine it in parliament,” Rezaei wrote in a post on X.

Tehran possesses a significant stockpile of uranium enriched to 60% purity, with roughly 90% required for a nuclear weapon. Iran’s stockpile of highly enriched uranium remains a key sticking point in negotiations with the U.S., which insists the material must be transferred out of the country. Iran has so far refused to move its enriched uranium stockpile abroad and insists on its right to the peaceful use of nuclear energy, though it has said the level of enrichment remains “negotiable.”

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Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan said Tuesday that both the United States and Iran appear willing to prevent a return to war and pursue a lasting settlement, warning that renewed escalation would threaten regional stability, global energy security and the world economy.

Speaking to Al Jazeera’s Resul Serdar, Fidan said Türkiye’s immediate priority is preserving the cease-fire between Washington and Tehran.

“Our most urgent concern is to see that the cease-fire is holding,” Fidan said, adding that he believes there is currently “enough will” on both sides to stop the conflict.

He warned that renewed fighting could spiral into broader instability across the region.

“It is prone to escalation, it is prone to further tragedy and drama, and negative effects for both the world’s economy and regional stability,” Fidan said.

The top Turkish diplomat also stressed the importance of restoring maritime traffic in the Strait of Hormuz to prewar conditions, saying the free passage of ships is essential for global trade and energy markets.

“We want to see a free passage of all the ships, just like was happening before the war,” he said, warning that attempts to impose a new regional arrangement without broad international acceptance could become “a new source of a new conflict.”

Fidan said negotiations between the U.S. and Iran continue despite periodic disagreements, describing such setbacks as a natural part of diplomacy. He also noted that existing proposals could still be revised to produce “acceptable wording” for both sides.

Türkiye, alongside Qatar and other regional countries, is supporting mediation efforts led by Pakistan, Fidan said, adding that trusted outside partners are sometimes necessary when negotiations reach a deadlock.

“Sometimes during the mediation, the most difficult thing is when you get stuck, you are in search of creative ideas,” he said. “So you need some outside partners, trusted partners.”

Earlier on Tuesday, Fidan reiterated Türkiye’s commitment to cease-fire efforts between the U.S. and Iran and warned that the Strait of Hormuz should not be used as a “weapon.”

Iran has refused to back down in its war with Washington, with military officials warning they are prepared to respond to any renewed U.S. attack. It has choked traffic through the key Strait of Hormuz trade route, rattling global markets and giving it vital leverage, while the U.S. has imposed its own naval blockade on Iranian ports. Details of the latest U.S. proposal remain limited, though media reports say it involves a one-page memorandum of understanding aimed at ending the fighting and establishing a framework for negotiations on Iran’s nuclear program.

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The main opposition Republican People’s Party (CHP) is entangled in member corruption. Özkan Yalım, formerly the mayor of the western city of Uşak for the party, told investigators he paid a hefty sum to the party’s chair, Özgür Özel, secretly and bribed delegates to vote for Özel.

Yalım’s statements made public on Tuesday follow a similar testimony by Muhittin Böcek, the former mayor of Antalya, who acknowledged paying the party’s administration to secure candidacy in a past election.

Yalım was expelled from his party, almost two months after his arrest in Ankara on charges of corruption. Although the CHP rallied for other mayors accused of and detained for corruption, Yalım was singled out for disciplinary proceedings. The party administration has cited “ethical” reasons for his expulsion, in a veiled reference to the police raid where the mayor was caught semi-naked in a hotel room with his mistress.

The mayor spoke to investigators for about five hours at an Istanbul courthouse and admitted that he used the municipality’s vehicles for his private business and that municipal staff were employed for his private business. He also admitted that he paid TL 1.2 million ($26,000) to Özel before a November 2023 election, where Özel was elected to the top office of the party. He elaborated how he campaigned for Özel before the election and funded him, in one case, by leaving a bag full of cash outside Özel’s residence.

“He asked me to hand him as much cash as I could, and then, I handed Demirhan Gözaçan (an associate of Özel) another TL 1 million in (the western city of) Denizli,” Yalım said.

He said he also oversaw the recruitment of adult children of some delegates to gather votes for Özel. He claimed the delegates sent him CVs, and those people were recruited at CHP-run municipalities both before and after the November 2023 election.

On corruption in the Uşak municipality, Yalım said they created fictitious job positions at the municipality for the players of the sports club Uşakspor, as well as the spouses of some players. He confessed that he used donations to the municipality for his private expenses on several occasions, expressing regret and offering to pay them back.

Yalım further claimed that the cost of the conversion of a Mercedes vehicle used by Özel had been paid by the Uşak Municipality. He alleged that this payment had been concealed within the conversion invoice of another municipal vehicle. Yalım asserted that the payment, amounting to approximately 170,000 euros ($199,215), had been made from the municipality’s account, and argued that CHP officials were covering up the truth on the matter.

In his statement, Yalım also referred to his relationship with municipality employee Ebru Yurtuluğ, saying that the relationship had been influential in her being hired by the municipality. He stated that they had purchased a shared house with the intention of living together, and admitted that special woven carpets belonging to the municipality had been taken to this house without payment being made.

Regarding a municipal computer allegedly found at Yurtuluğ’s home, Yalım said he did not clearly remember the matter, but stated that he wanted to compensate for the damage incurred.

In his testimony, Yalım also recounted an incident that he said took place in a hotel in an eastern province during the work of the commission established by the CHP in 2018 against the privatization of sugar factories. Yalım stated that CHP lawmaker Veli Ağbaba had asked him for whisky, and that after obtaining it, he went to the room reserved for Veli Ağbaba together with Bursa Party Assembly member Gamze Pamuk Ateşli and Muğla Party Assembly member Gizem Özcan. He added that Veli Ağbaba later told him “good evening” and asked him to leave. Ağbaba’s name has also come up in another investigation regarding Böcek. Böcek’s son, Gökhan Böcek, confessed earlier that he was asked to deliver TL 30 million to Ağbaba by Özel, for approval of his father’s nomination in the 2024 municipal elections.

The main opposition CHP is under mounting scrutiny as a wave of corruption, bribery and terrorism-related investigations sweeps across its municipalities.

The most extensive probe targets the Istanbul Metropolitan Municipality, led by ousted Mayor Ekrem Imamoğlu, over claims of systematic corruption, fictitious tenders and abuse of public resources.

The CHP claims the charges are politically motivated. Speaking at an event on Tuesday, Özel claimed his party was “under attack” after Yalım invoked a law that offers lenient sentences for cooperating in an investigation. He said Yalım “cheated” them when the mayor told them that he would furnish Özel’s vehicle “out of his own pocket,” while he used the municipal funds instead. He did not respond to other allegations.

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