Politics
Türkiye sends condolence message to Canada over school shooting
Türkiye extended condolences to Canada Wednesday after a shooting in the British Columbia town of Tumbler Ridge killed 10 people, including the suspected gunman.
“We are deeply saddened by the loss of life resulting from the shooting that took place yesterday (Feb. 10) at a school in the province of British Columbia, Canada,” the Turkish Foreign Ministry said in a statement.
“We extend our condolences to the families of those who lost their lives in this heinous attack and to the people of Canada, and we wish a speedy recovery to the injured,” it added.
Earlier, the Royal Canadian Mounted Police said nine victims and one suspect died in the shooting, according to the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation (CBC).
Six people were found dead inside Tumbler Ridge Secondary School, one person died while being transported to the hospital, and two others were found dead at a residence in the community believed to be connected to the shooting, it reported.
Police said the suspect was found dead inside the school from “a self-inflicted injury.”
The attack is the second-deadliest school shooting in Canada’s history, after a December 1989 shooting at Ecole Polytechnique in Montreal that left 14 people dead.
Tumbler Ridge, a town of about 2,400 people in western Canada, is located in the foothills of the Rocky Mountains, roughly 680 kilometers (422 miles) from the U.S. border.
An investigation into the incident is ongoing.
President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan appointed new justice and interior ministers under a decree published in the Official Gazette, with the incoming officials formally taking office during separate handover ceremonies on Wednesday in Ankara.
Akın Gürlek assumed the post of justice minister from Yılmaz Tunç at a ceremony attended by senior ministry officials and bureaucrats.
Tunç said reforms to the Constitution and legislation over the past two decades had aimed to reinforce Türkiye’s democratic legal framework.
Calling public office “a trust from the nation,” Tunç wished Gürlek success in his new role. He noted that he had previously worked alongside Gürlek during his tenure as deputy minister.
In his remarks, Gürlek thanked Erdoğan for appointing him and expressed appreciation to Tunç for his efforts. He said judicial reform strategies, human rights action plans and investments in digital justice infrastructure had contributed to strengthening the justice system.
Gürlek pledged to continue reforms in line with what he described as a “strong state, strong justice” vision. He said efforts would focus on accelerating judicial processes, reinforcing legal certainty and maintaining a firm stance against crime. Gürlek added that he would work in consultation with members of the judiciary, academia, bar associations and civil society organizations.
In a separate ceremony at the Interior Ministry, Mustafa Çiftçi took over as interior minister from Ali Yerlikaya following his appointment by presidential decree.
Yerlikaya congratulated Çiftçi and said he believed the new minister would continue efforts to safeguard public security and order. He thanked ministry staff for their service during his tenure.
Çiftçi, who previously served as governor of Erzurum, said he was aware of the challenges of the position and pledged to carry out his duties with dedication. He thanked Yerlikaya for his work and said he would seek to build on ongoing efforts in areas including combating crime and addressing irregular migration.
The appointments mark the latest changes in Erdoğan’s Cabinet as Türkiye continues to pursue judicial reforms and security policies under his administration.
Kyrgyzstan’s parliament speaker on Tuesday praised Türkiye’s political, military and economic influence, describing the country as a close strategic partner, during talks with the speaker of Türkiye’s Parliament in Ankara.
Nurlanbek Turgunbek uulu, speaker of Kyrgyzstan’s parliament, made the remarks at a joint news conference with Parliament Speaker Numan Kurtulmuş at the Turkish Grand National Assembly (TBMM).
Turgunbek uulu said his visit marked the first official foreign trip of Kyrgyzstan’s newly elected eighth parliament, adding that Türkiye was chosen because of its status as what he called the country’s “closest strategic partner.”
“Türkiye is today one of the most important countries in the world,” Turgunbek uulu said. “With its military and economic strength, it is a country we are proud of in every respect.”
He highlighted the growing role of the Turkic world in an era of globalization and pointed to organizations such as the Organization of Turkic States and the Turkic Parliamentary Assembly as increasingly influential platforms in international affairs.
Turgunbek uulu said his talks with Kurtulmuş focused on strengthening bilateral cooperation and parliamentary ties. He also underlined the close relationship between Kyrgyz President Sadyr Zhaparov and President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, saying their engagement had elevated relations between the two countries to a new level.
He described Erdoğan’s official visit to Kyrgyzstan in 2024 as historic, noting that it helped deepen high-level cooperation and led to the signing of multiple agreements. Kyrgyz lawmakers, he said, are now working on how those agreements will be addressed and implemented by parliament.
Erdoğan presented a locally made Togg electric vehicle to his Kyrgyz host Zhaparov during this visit in Bishkek, as the latter gifted the Turkish leader a horse.
Turgunbek uulu emphasized that Türkiye and Kazakhstan are Kyrgyzstan’s two closest partners within the Turkic world. He referred to a shared goal set by the two countries’ leaders to raise bilateral trade volume to $5 billion, acknowledging that the target has not yet been reached but expressing confidence that it would be achieved.
“We believe we will reach this goal with the strength of brotherhood,” he said, adding that activating parliamentary friendship groups and exchanges among lawmakers would be essential.
The Kyrgyz speaker also voiced strong support for the Parliamentary Assembly of Turkic States (TURKPA), describing it as a body built on solidarity rather than temporary or limited interests. He said Uzbekistan is expected to become a full member of the assembly, while Hungary is nearing full membership, with a decision on Uzbekistan anticipated at a summit in Bishkek in October.
Turgunbek uulu also noted that Kyrgyzstan will host the 6th World Nomad Games later this year, saying Turkic states have shown strong interest in the event.
Turkic world ties
Over the recent months, Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan pointed out that lasting peace and long-term stability across the Turkic world can only be achieved through constant coordination and strengthened partnership among members of the Organization of Turkic States (OTS).
The minister noted that the Turkic world’s growing role in shaping regional balances requires greater solidarity and institutional alignment. Fidan reiterated that mutual trust, political dialogue and practical cooperation are the key drivers of the OTS’s increasing influence, calling for collective steps to address regional and global challenges.
“The greatest strength of our organization lies in the deepening mutual trust and cooperation among its members,” he said.
Member nations highlighted the group’s growing weight in Eurasian politics, positioning it as not only a cultural community but also a strategic actor. That ambition is anchored in the bloc’s “Turkic World – 2040 Vision Document,” which sets long-term goals for political solidarity, economic expansion, and greater international influence.
Kürşad Zorlu, deputy chair of Türkiye’s ruling Justice and Development Party (AK Party) and head of relations with Turkic states, emphasized the bloc’s growing economic and strategic importance.
He noted that initiatives within the Organization of Turkic States have strengthened economic and strategic ties, with the total share of Turkic states in global trade rising to 2.43%. “Our foreign trade volume, which was $540 billion in 2009, reached $1.2 trillion in 2024, and trade among Turkic states is expected to reach $70 billion by the end of this year,” he said.
Originally launched as the Cooperation Council of Turkic-Speaking States by Türkiye, Azerbaijan, Kazakhstan and Kyrgyzstan, the group evolved into the Organization of Turkic States (OTS) at its landmark Istanbul summit in November 2021. The rebranding was widely interpreted as the start of a new era for the Turkic integration process, signaling an ambition to translate cultural bonds into geopolitical clout.
On Oct. 3, 2025, Türkiye’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs celebrated the 16th anniversary as “Turkic States Cooperation Day,” calling the bloc a manifestation of shared values, and vowed it “will continue to serve peace, prosperity and stability in its region and beyond.”
The TURKPA also launched two major digital initiatives, “Qanun” and “Qamus,” to strengthen parliamentary diplomacy and promote linguistic unity across the Turkic world.
Developed to enrich linguistic harmony among the Turkic states, the projects are expected to support coordination among member Parliaments, facilitate translation of official documents and legislation and boost linguistic consistency in academic and administrative texts.
Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan and U.N. Secretary-General Antonio Guterres discussed ongoing global developments over the phone, diplomatic sources said Tuesday.
During the call, developments related to the West Bank and Gaza and the ongoing talks between Iran and the U.S., as well as the latest situation regarding the Cyprus issue, were discussed, the sources said.
Blending diplomacy, humanitarian action and culture, Türkiye is positioning itself as a key global actor amid rising conflicts and uncertainty. Türkiye has intensified its use of humanitarian diplomacy to position itself as a global peace broker, delivering not only humanitarian and development assistance but also acting on moral and ethical principles across the world during crises, including Syria, Palestine and more.
Istanbul Chief Prosecutor Akın Gürlek was announced as Türkiye’s new justice minister and Erzurum Governor Mustafa Çiftçi was appointed to lead the Interior Ministry on Tuesday, following presidential decrees published in the Official Gazette.
Gürlek replaces Yılmaz Tunç, who stepped down after requesting to be relieved of his duties, while Çiftçi succeeds Ali Yerlikaya.
In a statement, Yerlikaya said he was handing the Interior Ministry portfolio to his “dear brother” Mustafa Çiftçi, thanking President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan for the support he received during his tenure.
Outgoing Justice Minister Tunç also issued a statement, vowing to continue working “with the same enthusiasm as on the first day” for the nation’s future. He congratulated Gürlek on his appointment, wishing him “great success” in his new role.
Born in 1982 in Nevşehir, Gürlek graduated from Marmara University’s Faculty of Law in 2005. After serving as a judge in several provinces and districts, he was appointed head of the Istanbul 14th High Criminal Court. While in that post, he became deputy justice minister on June 1, 2022, and was later named Istanbul chief prosecutor on Oct. 2, 2024.
Çiftçi, born in 1970 in Konya, graduated from Ankara University’s Faculty of Political Science in 1995 and joined the Interior Ministry as a district governor candidate the following year. He served as district governor in several provinces, held senior roles within the ministry and later worked at the Turkish Parliament as chief of staff and senior adviser. Çiftçi completed multiple graduate degrees in public administration and theology, and was appointed governor of Çorum in 2018 before becoming governor of Erzurum in August 2023.
Saudi Arabia’s Cabinet said Tuesday that Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan’s official visit to the kingdom last week underscored the strong ties between the two countries, according to the Saudi Arabian government.
The Cabinet, meeting in the capital Riyadh, chaired by King Salman bin Abdulaziz, was briefed on talks held between Erdoğan and Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, according to the Saudi Press Agency (SPA).
The Cabinet said the visit highlighted the solid nature of bilateral ties and reflected the will to strengthen cooperation across various fields, saying this was concretely demonstrated through agreements and memorandums of understanding signed during the visit.
The Cabinet also authorized the energy minister to hold talks and sign framework and cooperation agreements with Türkiye and Jordan on the peaceful use of nuclear energy.
Erdoğan visited Saudi Arabia on Feb. 3 and later traveled to Egypt, during which agreements were signed with the two countries in various fields, particularly energy.
Deputy Foreign Minister Ambassador Musa Kulaklıkaya reaffirmed Ankara’s stance on Syria and its continued commitment to the fight against the Daesh terrorist group during the Global Coalition Against Daesh Political Directors’ Meeting in Riyadh, the Turkish Foreign Ministry said Tuesday.
In his address, Kulaklıkaya highlighted the importance of completing the cease-fire and integration process in Syria on the basis of the country’s territorial integrity and unity.
He emphasized that these steps should proceed in line with Türkiye’s national security priorities.
The official also stressed the need to recognize Syria, as a member of the coalition, as the sole legitimate actor in the fight against Daesh.
He said strengthening Syria’s counterterrorism capabilities remains essential for ensuring long-term stability and effectiveness in combating the terrorist group.
The deputy minister noted that a coordinated and inclusive approach within the framework of the coalition would contribute to lasting security outcomes in the region.
The Global Coalition Against Daesh brings together international partners to coordinate political, military and stabilization efforts aimed at countering the terrorist group.
Daesh remains the second biggest threat of terrorism for Türkiye, which faces security risks from multiple terrorist groups and was one of the first countries to declare it a terrorist group in 2013.
Earlier this month, Turkish security forces carried out operations simultaneously across nine provinces, identifying the suspects who allegedly provided financial support to the militant group, including some believed to be affiliated members.
Searches conducted at multiple locations led to the seizure of assets valued at approximately TL 1.82 million ($42,000), along with a hunting rifle, digital materials and documents, officials said.
Turkish authorities have ordered the freezing of millions of lira worth of assets since 2013 to crack down on terrorism financiers in line with United Nations sanctions.
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