Türkiye’s main opposition Republican People’s Party (CHP) will hold a congress once a court-issued injunction is lifted, the party’s newly reinstated leader Kemal Kılıçdaroğlu said Wednesday.

“We will hold a congress, friends. Can there be a party without a congress? A congress will be held,” Kılıçdaroğlu told reporters in response to questions about demands for a party congress.

“Of course, for this to happen, the congress must be held on legal grounds. There is an injunction decision. Once the injunction decision is lifted, the convention will be held, so there is no problem,” he added.

The CHP has descended into chaos after a May 21 court ruling that overturned a 2023 party primary which elected Özgür Özel as leader and reinstated Kılıçdaroğlu, setting off competing leadership claims between the rival camps. Three days later, riot police evicted Özel’s administration from the CHP’s Ankara headquarters after the ousted leader refused to leave. Authorities launched a probe into the violence that unfolded during the eviction. Özel has since been named the party’s parliamentary group chair.

Asked whether the party would have to wait until the Supreme Court of Appeals issues a final and binding ruling after reviewing the case, Kılıçdaroğlu said the issue would be discussed with legal experts within the party.

“We will meet with our lawyer friends, sit down and talk. What is the situation? How can we hold the convention as soon as possible? How can we organize it? We will work on these issues,” he said.

Responding to a question about Özel’s proposal to elect a party chair through the votes of 2 million members, Kılıçdaroğlu said the procedures were clear.

“It is already clear how the chairman is elected. You cannot bypass the convention. The party’s chairmen are elected by congress,” he said.

Özel and his allies are pushing for an early extraordinary congress to settle crisis, Turkish media reported earlier this week.

Despite the crisis, Özel moved quickly to scotch rumors he might leave the CHP to form a new political faction and urges his fellow party members to stay put.

“We have no intention of forming a new party,” he told journalists after attending prayers in Manisa, his hometown near the western resort of Izmir, on the first day of Eid al-Adha, also known as Qurban Bayram.

“”There are those who say ‘we should resign’, but no one should leave the party or resign. We will resolve this issue,” he said, repeating calls for a leadership primary “as soon as possible”.

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Türkiye is preparing to expand its e-Hearing system to broader areas of the judiciary as part of an ongoing digital transformation drive aimed at making legal proceedings faster, more accessible and more efficient.

Justice Minister Akın Gürlek said Friday the new phase of the initiative would widen the use of remote hearings beyond first-instance courts and extend them to regional courts of appeal, allowing a wider range of participants to join proceedings online.

Under the planned expansion, lawyers, defendants, expert witnesses, specialists and witnesses will be able to take part in hearings through digital platforms. The reform is also expected to cover procedural steps such as preliminary hearings, interrogations, witness testimony, oaths and letters rogatory.

The Justice Ministry said work on the expanded system accelerated after Gürlek pledged to continue technological reforms designed to reduce lawyers’ workload and speed judicial processes.

“We will continue to develop digital capabilities so that our lawyers can dedicate their energy to their professional activities instead of going back and forth to the courthouse,” Gürlek said.

The initiative forms part of a broader judicial modernization effort centered on digital services and technology-assisted legal procedures. Recent reforms have emphasized shortening trial times, improving access to justice and strengthening institutional efficiency.

The e-Hearing system operates through the National Judiciary Informatics System, or UYAP, Türkiye’s long-running digital judicial network designed to manage court files, legal correspondence and case proceedings electronically. UYAP has been developed over the past two decades to reduce bureaucracy, accelerate proceedings and support paperless judicial administration.

The latest expansion follows several technology-focused initiatives introduced by the ministry in recent months. Authorities recently announced the rollout of the “e-Avukat” application enabling secure video meetings between lawyers and inmates, while Gürlek also unveiled plans for a domestic artificial intelligence-supported UYAP decision support system capable of rapidly analyzing precedent rulings and complex case files.

Ministry officials said judges may also be granted authority to order e-Hearings on their own initiative when deemed necessary, a step intended to further streamline proceedings and improve courtroom efficiency.

Lawyers have generally welcomed the expanded use of digital hearings, particularly for reducing travel burdens and easing scheduling pressures.

The ministry says the reforms are part of a longer-term effort to build a faster and more accessible justice system through technological innovation and digital legal services.

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A parliamentary commission established after deadly school attacks in southeastern Türkiye has intensified its work, examining the role of family neglect, peer bullying and digital platforms in violent incidents involving children.

Yusuf Beyazıt, chair of the Turkish Parliament’s Commission on Investigating Violence and Peer Bullying in Schools, said the panel is pursuing a broad inquiry aimed at identifying the causes of school attacks and preventing similar tragedies.

The 22-member commission, established in April with support from all political parties represented in Parliament, began formal work in May following attacks in Şanlıurfa and Kahramanmaraş that shocked the country and renewed debate over school safety and youth violence.

“These incidents have a school dimension, a family dimension, an environmental dimension, and a social media and digital platform dimension,” Beyazıt, a Justice and Development Party (AK Party) lawmaker from Tokat, told Ihlas News Agency.

“It is not possible to solve these events by looking at only one point. A holistic approach is necessary.”

The commission includes lawmakers with backgrounds in medicine, psychiatry, education and labor organizations and is expected to produce recommendations for Parliament after a three-month investigation. Its mandate includes examining school violence, peer bullying and the risks children face in digital environments.

Beyazıt said lawmakers have already visited Kahramanmaraş, where they met grieving families and school officials.

“One family told us, ‘You cannot bear the pain we are experiencing,’” he said, describing the emotional impact of the visit.

The commission plans further field visits to Şanlıurfa and Kahramanmaraş between June 12 and June 15 while continuing consultations with academics, psychologists, ministries and public institutions.

Parliamentary meetings are expected to be held twice weekly, with one session devoted to expert testimony and another focused on coordination with ministries including education, justice and family services.

The investigation comes as policymakers and educators increasingly examine the influence of online content on youth behavior.

Beyazıt warned that children’s digital activity requires closer supervision by families.

“Don’t give your children phones and then leave them on their own,” he said. “You must monitor where they go and who they communicate with. These digital platforms have become a very dark abyss.”

His remarks reflect concerns raised during recent parliamentary hearings, where experts pointed to online radicalization and violent digital subcultures as emerging risks. Academics appearing before the commission argued that some perpetrators may imitate attackers abroad or seek validation through violent online communities that normalize aggression and notoriety.

According to Beyazıt, investigators are reviewing digital traces linked to the recent attacks, including indications that suspects may have viewed or modeled themselves after violent actors overseas. He cautioned, however, that the commission’s findings remain preliminary.

The panel is also examining broader social and psychological factors, including family relations, emotional neglect and access to counseling services.

“The judicial process is continuing, but we must also understand the social causes behind these tragedies,” Beyazıt said.

Parliament moved quickly to establish the commission following the incidents, with lawmakers across party lines describing school violence as a national concern that transcends politics. During the commission’s first meeting, Beyazıt stressed that protecting children should remain the central focus of the inquiry.

“This issue has no ruling party or opposition,” he said at the time. “What is at stake is our children and our future.”

Beyazıt said the commission’s work would focus not only on mourning those lost but also on preventing future attacks.

“We will not only pray,” he said. “It is our duty to do the necessary work so these tragedies do not happen again.”

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President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan told Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian on Monday that Türkiye would continue supporting efforts aimed at restoring peace and stability in the region, stressing that Ankara stands ready to contribute to positive outcomes in ongoing negotiations amid escalating tensions.

Erdoğan made the remarks during a phone call with Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian, according to a statement from Türkiye’s Presidential Communications Directorate.

The Turkish president stressed that Ankara is working together with “brotherly countries” to help de-escalate tensions and support negotiations toward a positive outcome, reiterating Türkiye’s longstanding position favoring diplomacy over further confrontation in the region.

Erdoğan also said the ongoing conflict in the region had cast a shadow over the Eid al-Adha holiday, adding that he believes the Iranian people will overcome the current difficulties and emerge safely from the crisis.

Erdoğan also conveyed his Eid al-Adha greetings to Pezeshkian during the call.

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President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan on Tuesday used his Eid al-Adha, also known as Qurban Bayram, message to emphasize Türkiye’s economic growth, institutional resilience and defense industry expansion, saying the country is positioned to become “one of the shining stars of the new era” once regional instability eases.

Erdoğan said Türkiye had strengthened its domestic front through years of policy continuity, pointing to advances in infrastructure, governance and defense production.

“Despite criticisms and obstacles, we are reaping the rewards of the policies we have pursued for 23 years,” he said, referring to the ruling Justice and Development Party’s (AK Party) time in power.

He highlighted what he described as a sharp rise in Türkiye’s defense and aerospace exports, saying the sector had grown from hundreds of millions of dollars to more than $10 billion, and framed it as evidence of a broader national success story.

“Türkiye is writing a success story rarely seen in the world,” Erdoğan said.

The president said Türkiye was navigating a period of global and regional tension but stood out as a stable actor due to its institutions, economic capacity and security framework.

“In this period when our region is struggling with crises, Türkiye stands out as an island of stability,” he said.

‘Shining star’ vision

Erdoğan said Türkiye’s long-term trajectory would continue upward once instability in surrounding regions subsides, reiterating his belief that the country is entering a more influential phase in global politics.

“After the dust cloud around us clears, God willing, Türkiye will be one of the shining stars of the new era,” he said.

He also referred to the government’s terror-free Türkiye initiative, describing it as a strategic effort aimed at strengthening domestic unity and regional security. He said the process was essential for Türkiye’s future stability and economic development.

The initiative, launched last year, aims to disarm and dissolve the PKK terrorist group to end its four decades of violence that claimed at least 40,000 lives in Türkiye.

“We are doing whatever is necessary for this,” Erdoğan said, adding that counterterrorism efforts would continue with determination.

Erdoğan also urged citizens to use the Eid period to reinforce social ties, emphasizing themes of unity, solidarity and reconciliation.

He said the word “sacrifice” carried spiritual meaning beyond ritual practice and encouraged citizens to strengthen family and community bonds during the holiday.

“I believe that each of our citizens will make the most of this spiritual feast,” he said, calling for increased charity and mutual support.

Regional conflicts

While focusing largely on domestic achievements, Erdoğan also briefly referenced regional conflicts, saying the wider Middle East was experiencing heightened instability and humanitarian strain.

Even as the Muslim world seeks an atmosphere of peace, Israel continues its “occupation, destruction, massacres, and illegal settlement activities” from Gaza to the West Bank, East Jerusalem and Lebanon, flouting cease-fires that are in effect, he said.

Erdoğan concluded his message by extending Eid greetings to citizens performing the Hajj pilgrimage and urging those traveling during the holiday to follow traffic and safety rules.

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Türkiye’s intelligence chief has said Ankara’s “terror-free Türkiye” initiative is being pursued as a state policy, stressing that the country will continue combating all terrorist groups simultaneously while advancing a broader regional security strategy.

Speaking about the evolving regional security challenges, National Intelligence Organization (MIT) chief Ibrahim Kalın noted last week that Türkiye has drawn lessons from ongoing regional crises and continues to strengthen its institutional capabilities to address emerging threats.

Addressing the latest stage of the terror-free Türkiye initiative, Kalın said the country had passed several critical milestones, including the PKK’s decision to dissolve and lay down arms, the withdrawal of its cadres from Türkiye and the start of a dismantling effort in northern Iraq.

“The terror-free Türkiye initiative is being carried out as a state policy,” Kalın stressed. He added that the authorities remain confident that the state’s roadmap will succeed with broad public support, patience and a constructive approach across society.

The initiative was launched by government ally Nationalist Movement Party (MHP) leader Devlet Bahçeli in 2024. PKK leader Abdullah Öcalan later agreed to Bahçeli’s invitation and called on the group to lay down arms.

After Öcalan’s landmark message in February 2025, the PKK consented to start the disarmament process. Since then, Turkish authorities have monitored the full disarmament process and are expected to implement laws to facilitate the initiative, including through possible lenient sentencing of PKK members not involved in acts of terrorism.

Before the initiative, the PKK terrorist group waged a four-decade terror campaign that killed over 40,000 people and sowed discord both at home and across the border in Syria and Iraq.

Kalın said efforts to finalize the process would continue with determination while maintaining caution.

He added that Türkiye’s security doctrine extends beyond border protection and is built around maintaining regional balance, preventing crises at their source and pursuing solutions through what he described as a rational and measured approach in international affairs.

Touching on developments in Syria and Iraq, he said the changing regional environment could create opportunities for preventive measures against terrorist and criminal networks that may pose threats to Türkiye and the wider region.

The intelligence chief also highlighted efforts to strengthen the country’s defense and intelligence capabilities, saying Türkiye continues to expand both human and technical intelligence capacity across areas ranging from counterterrorism and counterespionage to cybersecurity.

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