Eighty-one provincial heads of the Republican People’s Party (CHP) on Thursday gathered to voice support for the party’s chairperson, Özgür Özel, and defend the 2023 congress results.

Gathering in front of the party headquarters in the capital Ankara, the provincial heads made a statement, read out by CHP Ankara Chair Ümit Erkol.

Erkol said that Özel was elected as the party leader by the free will of the delegates at the 38th Ordinary Congress of the CHP, then they focused on the local elections in unity and “became the local power,” referring to last year’s local elections where the CHP made significant gains.

He accused the government of politicizing the case and also voiced support for Istanbul’s ousted mayor, Mayor Ekrem Imamoğlu.

Turkish prosecutors are seeking up to three-year prison sentences for a total of 12 suspects, including Imamoğlu, in an ongoing trial against the CHP over alleged vote buying in the 2023 ordinary congress.

The lawsuit seeks to cancel the party’s 38th Ordinary Congress held on Nov. 4-5, 2023, in which Chairperson Özgür Özel allegedly “bought” supporters to oust Kemal Kılıçdaroğlu, his predecessor, in an intraparty election held at the congress.

It also asks to suspend all CHP officials linked to the congress. If the court rules to annul the congress that elected Özel as CHP chair, a trustee would be assigned to administer Türkiye’s oldest political party, who would then call for an extraordinary congress within 45 days.

Several eyewitnesses testified in court about the allegations that delegates were made to vote in exchange for money at the said congress.

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Both the genocide in Gaza and the Israel-Iran conflict are rapidly approaching a point of no return, President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan said on Friday, criticizing Israel’s continued attacks on Gaza and the region.

“It is imperative that hands are taken off triggers in the Israel-Iran conflict before there is more destruction and civilian casualties,” the president said, speaking at the youth forum of the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) in Istanbul.

Türkiye did not change its stance but continued to support the oppressed despite the Zionist lobbies’ attacks against the Turkish government and myself, he added.

“Israel, which complains about damage to its hospitals today, has so far carried out over 700 attacks on health care facilities in Gaza alone,” Erdoğan said, reminding that Gaza has been enduring “one of the most shameful acts of modern-day barbarism for 21 months.”

Erdoğan said: “The Islamic world is going through a difficult period, with war, conflict, instability casting a shadow over its entire geography.”

The Turkish president said the Netanyahu government is primarily responsible for the Gaza genocide, while those who stay silent in the face of these massacres are accomplices to his crimes.

“Those turning Gaza into the world’s largest concentration camp, speaking of war crimes, is not only inconsistent but shows shamelessness and impudence,” Erdoğan continued. “People standing in food distribution lines in Gaza for a piece of bread, a bowl of soup, are being brutally targeted.” He said that powers having influence over Israel “should not fall into Netanyahu’s game,” and should use their influence to establish a cease-fire and calm in the region.

Hostilities broke out last Friday when Israel launched airstrikes on several sites across Iran, including military and nuclear facilities, prompting Tehran to launch retaliatory strikes.

Israeli authorities said at least 25 people have been killed and hundreds injured since then in Iranian missile attacks.

Meanwhile, in Iran, 639 people have been killed and more than 1,300 wounded in the Israeli assault, according to Iranian media reports.

NATO member Türkiye has been a traditional ally to Palestine, but the more brutal Israeli attacks became, the harsher Ankara has made its criticism. It has condemned what it calls genocide, halted all trade with Israel and applied to join a genocide case against Israel at the World Court, which Israel rejects.

In addition to delivering humanitarian aid, the Turkish government has sought to rally international organizations, including the United Nations, NATO and the OIC, to both restrain Israel and encourage cooperation between Palestinian factions, most notably between Hamas and the Fatah movement.

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Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan is scheduled to arrive in Türkiye for a rare visit on Friday, in what Yerevan has described as a “historic” step toward regional peace.

Pashinyan is visiting Türkiye at the invitation of President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, Armenian Parliament Speaker Alen Simonyan told reporters. The two leaders will have their meeting at Dolmabahçe Palace in Istanbul.

“This is a historic visit, as it will be the first time a head of the Republic of Armenia visits Türkiye at this level. All regional issues will be discussed,” he said.

“The risks of war (with Azerbaijan) are currently minimal, and we must work to neutralize them. Pashinyan’s visit to Türkiye is a step in that direction.”

An Armenian Foreign Ministry official told Agence France-Presse (AFP) the two leaders will discuss efforts to sign a comprehensive peace treaty between Armenia and Azerbaijan, as well as the regional fallout from the Iran-Israel conflict.

Pashinyan has actively sought to normalize relations with both Baku and Ankara.

Earlier this year, he announced Armenia would halt its campaign for international recognition of the 1915 events to be termed as “genocide” — a major concession to Türkiye that sparked widespread criticism at home.

The visit by Pashinyan comes amid cautious optimism following a June 5 phone call between the Armenian and Turkish leaders. During the conversation, Erdoğan and Pashinyan reaffirmed their commitment to dialogue, continuing a fragile process toward rapprochement that began in recent years.

Pashinyan last visited Türkiye in June 2023 to attend Erdoğan’s presidential inauguration – marking the first official visit by an Armenian leader to Türkiye since 2009. That year, then-President Serzh Sargsyan of Armenia and President Abdullah Gül exchanged visits, with Gül’s trip to Yerevan remaining the only official visit by a Turkish president to Armenia.

The two countries share a complex history. Türkiye recognized Armenia’s independence in 1991, but relations soured amid the First Karabakh War, when Armenia and Azerbaijan clashed over the disputed region. In 1993, Türkiye severed diplomatic and commercial ties with Armenia, and the border between the two countries has remained closed ever since.

The Second Karabakh War, which ended in 2020, reignited hopes for renewed dialogue. In 2021, Ankara and Yerevan appointed special representatives tasked with normalizing relations and negotiating the reopening of their land border. So far, limited agreements have allowed third-country citizens and diplomats to cross, but a full reopening remains elusive.

Despite these hurdles, there have been tentative gestures toward cooperation. The Margara border crossing has been used twice in recent years for humanitarian purposes: in February 2023 to deliver Armenian aid trucks following a devastating earthquake in southeastern Türkiye, and in March 2024 for humanitarian aid shipments to Syria via Türkiye. Armenia has also upgraded the crossing in anticipation of future use.

Still, deep-seated political and historical disagreements persist. Türkiye’s support for Azerbaijan during the 2020 war remains a source of tension, and the legacy of unresolved issues, including those linked to historical grievances, complicates efforts at reconciliation.

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The PKK terrorist group’s Syrian wing, the YPG, forcefully recruited 286 children in Syria last year, a U.N. report said.

Anadolu Agency (AA) compiled the records of terrorist organizations in Syria and Iraq regarding children from the “Children and Armed Conflict” report of U.N. Secretary General Antonio Guterres, which includes data for 2024.

The 40-page report said that 527 children were recruited into armed cadres by various groups, primarily the PKK/YPG, which uses the name “SDF,” and its affiliates, as well as Daesh.

The report noted that the U.N. confirmed that a total of 286 children were forcibly recruited into armed cadres and used in Syria by the PKK/YPG and its affiliates alone.

The PKK/YPG and other organizations were held responsible for the deaths or disabilities of 110 children and the forced abduction of 10 children in 2024, and it was stated that the terrorists used 23 schools and hospitals for their armed activities.

It was stated that as of the end of 2024, approximately 1,000 children, including foreigners, had their freedoms restricted due to their ties to armed groups, especially Daesh.

It was pointed out that approximately 25,000 children, suspected of having ties to the terrorist organization Daesh, have been living deprived of their freedom for years in camps dominated by the PKK/YPG in northeastern Syria.

The report also included Guterres’ assessments regarding the forced recruitment of children into armed forces.

Noting that the high number of serious violations against children in Syria is alarming, Guterres called on all parties to comply with international humanitarian law and international human rights law.

Guterres demanded that all children be released immediately and unconditionally and that authorities implement the necessary programs for their integration in coordination with the U.N.

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President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan on Friday said that the spiral of violence triggered by Israel’s attacks could harm the region and Europe in terms of migration and the possibility of nuclear leakage.

In a phone call with German Chancellor Friedrich Merz, Erdoğan said that nuclear disputes with Iran should be resolved via talks and warned that Israel’s attack has severely heightened threats to regional security, according to the Turkish Presidency’s Directorate of Communications.

“Our President also warned that the spiral of violence triggered by Israel’s attacks could negatively impact both the region and Europe, particularly in terms of potential migration waves and nuclear fallout,” the directorate said on X.

Erdoğan said the conflict, which began with Israel’s attack on Iran, has raised the threat to regional security to the highest level, he said.

The two leaders also discussed bilateral relations as well as regional issues, it added.

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EU High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy Kaja Kallas hailed Türkiye’s role in diplomacy and said the country was a “security player” for the bloc.

“When it comes to the role of Türkiye, Istanbul has been where many meetings take place. Therefore, everybody is grateful that Türkiye is also offering this mediation,” Kaja Kallas told reporters, in response to a question about ongoing tensions in the Middle East.

Kallas said the EU’s recent decisions on security and defense have unlocked significant funding, with over 800 billion euros ($918 billion) available to support joint procurement and defense projects.

She stressed that these instruments, including the SAFE loan mechanism, are not protectionist and can also be used in cooperation with partner countries such as Türkiye.

“Now Türkiye, as a candidate country, also has access to SAFE loans, for example, for joint projects with European countries,” she said, adding that these tools aim to strengthen Europe’s defense industry while fostering collaboration beyond the bloc.

Last month, EU countries adopted a regulation setting up SAFE, a new financial instrument designed to support member states that wish to invest in defense industrial production through common procurement, focusing on priority capabilities.

Under the approved part of the regulation, joint defense procurement of the bloc may include third countries not members of the EU, such as Türkiye.

Europe aims to reinforce its defenses as the U.S. reconsiders its generous support to the continent’s defense since World War II and the perceived threat from the Russia-Ukraine conflict. Türkiye is eager to contribute to Europe’s security architecture, although the bloc stalled its accession for years.

In the Middle East, she expressed concern over rising tensions, particularly attacks on nuclear sites and fears of wider conflict. She said the EU supports diplomatic efforts to prevent escalation and manage risks related to Iran and regional instability.

“This war in the Middle East is extremely concerning. The risks of miscalculation are very high, so we try to bring the tensions down,” she said.

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