Politics
Türkiye targets alleged Kuriş crime network with $2.4B money flows
Turkish authorities detained 30 suspects, including alleged crime group leader Alihan Kuriş, in a large-scale financial crime operation spanning 17 provinces, the Ankara Chief Public Prosecutor’s Office said Thursday.
The raids were carried out simultaneously at 123 addresses, primarily in Istanbul, Ankara and Antalya, as part of an investigation into allegations including establishing and leading a criminal organization, membership in a criminal organization, laundering proceeds of crime, fraud causing losses to public institutions and violations of tax law.
Prosecutors issued detention warrants for 49 suspects and authorized searches and seizures at 43 addresses linked to individuals and 80 addresses belonging to 33 companies. Thirty suspects were detained, nine were found to be abroad, while efforts were underway to apprehend the remaining 10.
Türkiye’s Financial Crimes Investigation Board (MASAK) prepared a report examining the suspects and companies allegedly linked to the organization.
According to the report, several companies associated with the group recorded sharp increases in financial transaction volumes after 2020. Investigators identified company divisions and transfers in which new firms were established with unusually high capital, sometimes in different provinces and operating in sectors unrelated to the original companies.
MASAK also found that some companies had no apparent financial resources other than their registered capital and showed little evidence of active commercial operations, while funds were used to finance affiliated companies.
Investigators suspect the corporate structure was designed to make company records and financial transactions more difficult to trace.
The report also flagged large cash flows, transfers through payment institutions and significant cash injections from company shareholders whose sources require further explanation. Some of those funds were subsequently used in capital increases.
Investigators also identified high-value transactions between companies that raised suspicions of potential fraudulent invoicing, as well as foreign-currency transfers from overseas companies that appeared inconsistent with corporate records.
The financial investigation is being expanded to examine allegations that more than TL 100 billion ($2.4 billion) in transactions involving individuals and companies allegedly linked to the group may have been transferred abroad.
Authorities stressed that the amount, the nature of the transfers and any connection to proceeds of crime have yet to be conclusively established and remain subject to financial and judicial examination.
Investigators are also examining allegations of financial transactions with links to Israel as part of their review of overseas money flows.
Authorities have imposed seizure and other protective measures on certain companies and assets suspected of being connected to criminal proceeds. The full scope of the measures and investigation is expected to become clearer following further examination of MASAK reports, corporate records, bank transactions and other evidence.
Furthermore, Interior Minister Mustafa Çiftçi provided details Thursday during a live broadcast on the operation targeting the alleged criminal organization, saying authorities believe the group was building a major headquarters in Cologne, Germany, as part of plans to shift its operations abroad.
“We know that they are building a large center in Cologne, Germany. Once completed, the headquarters will represent a massive $70 million investment. We assess that, once the building is finished, all activities will be transferred there and conducted from that location,” Çiftçi said.
Çiftçi noted that authorities had been conducting a detailed investigation into the organization’s structure and financial operations for an extended period.
Providing details about the group’s alleged overseas organization, Çiftçi said Kuriş took over the organization in 2016 and that its activities subsequently began to be conducted with greater secrecy.
“Alihan Kuriş took over this organization in 2016. After he assumed control, its activities began to be conducted with much greater secrecy,” Çiftçi said.
He added that the results and details of the operation will become much clearer in the coming days.
Iran called on six major Muslim nations Wednesday to take a leading role in strengthening unity across the Islamic world, placing Türkiye among the countries Tehran says bear particular responsibility for advancing cooperation.
During a meeting in Tehran with Pakistani Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi, Rezaei described Pakistan’s government, armed forces and people as among the Islamic world’s greatest assets. He also welcomed what he described as the growing role of Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif and Army Chief Field Marshal Asim Munir in regional developments, according to Mehr News Agency.
Rezaei said Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian attaches special importance to relations with Pakistan and believes bilateral trade between the two countries should increase severalfold.
He described Iran-Pakistan ties as rooted in genuine affection and shared beliefs, saying leaders of both countries have long regarded the other as strategic depth.
According to the official IRNA news agency, Naqvi thanked Pezeshkian, as well as Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi and Interior Minister Eskandar Momeni, for their efforts to strengthen bilateral relations.
Naqvi also praised what he described as exceptional solidarity between Iranian and Pakistani people, saying the close bond between the two nations should translate into deeper cooperation and more tangible results.
He said the two countries need greater engagement and sustained efforts to achieve shared objectives, expressing confidence that the determination of their leaders and officials would help realize those goals.
Naqvi arrived in Tehran on Tuesday for an official visit. He has held talks with Momeni and Araghchi on bilateral ties and regional developments.
Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan’s trip to Libya in a new era of relations took him to a Turkish military barracks in Tripoli and a warm meeting with Saddam Haftar, the son of Khalifa Haftar, who was once Türkiye’s chief opponent in the North African country.
Fidan, who arrived in Libya on Tuesday, first visited Tripoli and met with Abdul Hamid Dbeibah, prime minister of the Government of National Unity. After talks with other high-ranking officials there, Fidan visited the Libya Mission Group Command of the Turkish Armed Forces (TSK).
On Wednesday, he flew to Benghazi, where he was welcomed at the airport by Saddam Haftar, who serves as deputy general commander of the Libyan National Army.
The top diplomat’s trip comes one day after the suspected assassination of a senior Libyan intelligence officer serving with the eastern-based forces led by Khalifa Haftar, and amid Türkiye’s efforts to promote unity in Libya.
Libya remains divided between two rival governments: the internationally recognized Government of National Unity, headed by Dbeibah and based in Tripoli, which administers western Libya, and a government appointed by the House of Representatives in early 2022, currently headed by Osama Hammad and based in Benghazi, which administers the east and most of the south.
For years, the United Nations Support Mission in Libya (UNSMIL) has sought to broker a political settlement leading to elections, which many Libyans hope will end the political divisions and armed conflict that have persisted since the 2011 ouster of Muammar Gaddafi.
Turkish diplomatic sources said ahead of Fidan’s visit that the desire to further develop Türkiye’s existing cooperation with Libya in the energy sector on the basis of mutual benefit and to implement new projects was expected to be expressed during Fidan’s talks.
Fidan was also expected to highlight that the safe and sustainable continuation of the activities of Turkish companies, which have a significant presence in Libya, particularly in the construction sector, would contribute to taking economic and commercial cooperation to a higher level and further deepening it.
An exchange of views was also expected on regional and global developments, particularly the Palestinian issue and the situation in the Gulf and the Strait of Hormuz.
Türkiye and Libya share longstanding historical, cultural and people-to-people ties. Relations between the two countries are being developed in all possible areas on the basis of mutual benefit, with the objective of contributing to the establishment of lasting peace, stability and security in Libya.
In this context, reciprocal high-level visits continue to gain momentum. Most recently, Libya’s Prime Minister of the Government of National Unity, Abdul Hamid Dbeibeh, was received by President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan on the margins of the Antalya Diplomacy Forum on April 18, 2026.
Within the framework of its “One Libya” policy, Türkiye gives priority to preserving Libya’s unity, territorial integrity and cohesion and continues its active efforts to establish lasting stability and preserve calm in Libya.
Based on this approach, Türkiye maintains dialogue with all sides in Libya, without distinction between the West, East and South, and works together with Libyans to advance relations in all fields.
Türkiye supports U.N. efforts aimed at holding credible, fair and transparent elections in Libya and cooperates with all Libyan stakeholders and the international community.
Türkiye emphasizes the importance of ensuring that steps taken as part of political efforts toward the goal of a prosperous and united Libya, to which the Libyan people aspire, are carried out under Libyan ownership and leadership.
As part of its “One Libya” policy, Türkiye also continues its efforts toward the unification of Libya’s military institutions. The active participation of forces from both western and eastern Libya in the EFES 2026 exercise, held from April 11 to May 21, 2026, constituted a significant step in this direction.
Bilateral trade between Türkiye and Libya reached approximately $3.5 billion in 2025.
Despite the prevailing fragile conditions, Libya remains an important market for the Turkish private sector. Bilateral economic relations continue to develop across various fields, particularly in the construction sector.
In this context, the 22nd Türkiye-Libya Joint Economic Commission (JEC) meeting was held in Tripoli on Jan. 24, 2026.
The Turkish contracting sector undertook its first overseas project in Libya in 1972. To date, Turkish companies have undertaken 633 projects in Libya with a total value of $31 billion. In this regard, Libya ranks as the fourth country where Turkish companies have undertaken the largest number of projects.
More than 40 projects undertaken by Turkish companies are currently ongoing in Libya, with a total value exceeding $2.3 billion.
The steadily developing relations between Türkiye and Libya are also creating new opportunities in the energy sector. In February 2026, TPAO was awarded the right to jointly operate two oil fields in Libya in the country’s first licensing round in 17 years. The agreement concerning these fields was signed in Tripoli on June 15, 2026.
Türkiye has entered a historic new phase in its decadeslong fight against the PKK terrorist group, following nearly 40 years of conflict.
After the PKK laid down its arms and dissolved itself, attention has shifted to establishing the legal framework for the process. A new law adopted by Parliament at the beginning of this week sets out the legal basis for overseeing the group’s disarmament and dissolution.
“The conflict is estimated to have cost Türkiye approximately $2.5 trillion (TL 119.39 trillion) in economic terms alone,” Ali Fuat Gökçe, a professor and military strategist, told Daily Sabah.
“But the toll cannot be measured solely in economic terms. In a society where nearly every extended family has lost someone or has a veteran, bringing this conflict to an end had become a necessity for Türkiye,” he added.
In Türkiye’s 600-seat Parliament, the legislation was approved with 468 votes in favor, 88 against and seven abstentions. The measure allows investigations and prison sentences for some PKK members to be deferred under certain conditions, provided that the group lays down its arms. Those involved in serious crimes, including murder, are excluded from the legislation.
Gökçe stated that as a former soldier who experienced this firsthand, both in the field during operations and in having to inform families that their loved ones had been killed, “I can say that it was devastating. Those of us who lived through these experiences know perhaps better than anyone why this conflict needed to end.”
“For decades, Türkiye has had to devote a significant share of its energy and resources to fighting terrorism at home,” he stressed, offering that overcoming this challenge would allow the country to redirect those resources toward improving the welfare of its people and advancing economic and social development.
The measure allows investigations and prison sentences for some PKK members to be deferred under certain conditions, provided that the group lays down its arms. Those involved in serious crimes, including murder, are excluded from the legislation.
“No terrorist group would be receptive to such an offer if it believed it was operating from a position of strength,” he noted, arguing that the fact that the PKK has engaged with the process indicates it has lost much of its operational capacity. It had become largely unable to carry out attacks inside Türkiye, while its activities abroad were increasingly constrained.
Since the 1980s, the PKK terrorist group has waged a violent campaign that has killed tens of thousands of people. The group’s campaign, aimed at establishing a so-called Kurdish state in southeastern Türkiye, posed the country’s greatest security threat for decades.
Once it became clear that the group could no longer achieve its objectives through armed means, the conditions emerged for it to respond to the state’s initiative, according to Gökçe.
“A certain amount of progress has been made so far, but from this point onward, much of the responsibility lies with the group.”
Türkiye has significantly weakened the PKK’s influence across the region through cross-border operations in Iraq and Syria, while strict counterterrorism measures, particularly in the southeast where PKK members operated from mountainous terrain, have substantially reduced the group’s presence.
The country has established the necessary legal framework, and PKK members now have six months to surrender under the process.
Reiterating that the government is conducting the process itself with no third-party mediator involved, “The fact that the state has set a six-month deadline is itself an indication that it is acting from a position of strength,” he added.
Divisions in opposition
The Law on Strengthening National Solidarity and Social Integration was approved with 468 votes in favor and 88 against. A total of 562 lawmakers took part in the vote, with six abstentions.
Looking at the parliamentary vote, we saw divisions within several opposition parties and with some lawmakers in favor of the legislation, Gökçe pointed out.
He argued that the divisions also raised questions over whether opposition to the legislation was driven primarily by objections to the substance of the process or by broader political opposition to President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan and the governing Justice and Development Party (AK Party).
“It is difficult to determine whether their opposition stems from genuine concerns about the process of ending terrorism or simply from political opposition to the government,” he underlined.
The legislation cleared the General Assembly after lawmakers completed deliberations on all 12 articles. It had previously been approved by Parliament’s Justice Committee following a marathon session lasting over 17 hours.
He said the differing votes within opposition parties reflected what he viewed as a distinction between lawmakers assessing the legislation on its merits and those approaching it primarily through a partisan lens.
“Some may oppose even measures that could produce positive results simply for political reasons, while others take a more pragmatic approach and are willing to support the government when they believe a measure serves the country’s interests,” he said.
Türkiye is stepping up its climate diplomacy ahead of COP31, with Environment, Urbanization and Climate Change Minister Murat Kurum holding 36 international engagements as the country prepares to host the U.N. climate conference for the first time, ministry officials said.
Kurum, who serves as COP31 president, has participated in 14 international summits, forums and ministerial meetings, as well as 10 technical and institutional events linked to the U.N. Framework Convention on Climate Change. He has also held 12 visits and special meetings to promote Türkiye’s priorities for the conference.
COP31 is scheduled for Nov. 9-20 at the EXPO site in the Mediterranean resort city of Antalya, where Türkiye is preparing to welcome representatives from more than 190 countries.
Türkiye secured the COP31 presidency and hosting rights following negotiations at COP30 in Brazil last year in a deal with Australia, where it will lead discussions, with the decision backed by 196 countries.
Ankara has framed its presidency around the concept of an “implementation COP,” seeking to shift the focus from climate pledges toward concrete and measurable action.
One of Kurum’s first major diplomatic stops was the 17th Petersberg Climate Dialogue in Berlin on April 21. During meetings there, he stressed the need for countries to translate their climate commitments into tangible and measurable steps.
Kurum later attended the Copenhagen Ministerial Consultations on May 20, where he met Australian Climate Change and Energy Minister Chris Bowen to discuss cooperation and preparations for COP31.
Türkiye presented its “COP31 Action Agenda” at the Bonn Climate Change Conference in Germany on June 8, outlining the priorities that will shape its presidency months before the Antalya summit.
The agenda identifies 10 priority areas, including zero waste, clean energy transition and electrification, food security, climate-resilient cities, oceans and seas, youth and education, resilient health systems and green industrialization.
Among its goals are raising the global electrification rate to 35% by 2035, halving the growth in waste generation and reducing energy-use intensity in buildings by at least 25%.
Türkiye plans to continue its diplomatic outreach in the months leading up to COP31, including at Baku Climate Week, the Istanbul Finance Summit, the Trabzon Ocean Conference and high-level meetings during the U.N. General Assembly and New York Climate Week in September.
A key preparatory Pre-COP meeting will be held in Fiji from Oct. 5-8.
Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan will visit Egypt on Aug. 13-14 for high-level talks aimed at deepening bilateral cooperation and coordinating positions on regional crises, including Gaza, Syria, Libya and Sudan, Foreign Ministry sources said Wednesday.
During the visit, Fidan and Egyptian Foreign Minister Badr Abdelatty are expected to co-chair the second meeting of the Türkiye-Egypt Joint Planning Group, which oversees preparations for meetings of the countries’ High-Level Strategic Cooperation Council.
The two sides are also expected to discuss preparations for the council’s third meeting, planned to be held in Türkiye in 2028.
Fidan is expected to be received by Egyptian President Abdel-Fattah el-Sissi and hold separate talks with other senior Egyptian officials, the sources said.
The discussions are expected to cover political, economic, commercial and military relations as Ankara and Cairo seek to build on a rapprochement that has accelerated in recent years.
Fidan is expected to discuss steps to encourage further investment and business contacts, as well as cooperation in transportation, connectivity and energy. Potential projects involving hydrocarbons, electricity-grid integration, energy infrastructure and mining are also expected to be considered.
The two sides will also assess ways to expand military and defense industry cooperation.
Regional developments are expected to feature prominently in the talks. Fidan is set to underline the importance of addressing regional disputes through dialogue and diplomacy and of strengthening cooperation through bilateral and multilateral mechanisms, including the R4 initiative bringing together Türkiye, Egypt, Pakistan and Saudi Arabia.
The talks are expected to address diplomatic efforts aimed at restoring a cease-fire between the U.S. and Iran and reopening the Strait of Hormuz, while Ankara is also expected to express support for Egypt’s diplomatic initiatives to end regional conflicts.
Gaza will be another major item on the agenda. Fidan is expected to call for an end to continuing attacks, full implementation of the cease-fire and uninterrupted delivery of humanitarian assistance. The ministers will also exchange views on the implementation of the second phase of the Gaza peace plan.
The Turkish and Egyptian officials are also expected to discuss Israeli actions involving Lebanon and Syria and their implications for regional stability, as well as efforts to establish lasting security in Syria while preserving the country’s territorial integrity and unity.
Libya, the Eastern Mediterranean and Sudan will also be on the agenda. Fidan is expected to emphasize Ankara’s support for Libya’s territorial integrity and political unity and discuss continued coordination with Cairo on efforts to achieve lasting stability there.
On Sudan, the minister is expected to reiterate Türkiye’s support for the country’s sovereignty, unity and territorial integrity and stress the importance of dialogue and diplomacy in efforts to end the conflict.
Türkiye-Egypt ties
Relations between Türkiye and Egypt have gained momentum amid increasingly frequent high-level contacts and reciprocal visits, with Fidan and Abdelatty maintaining regular consultations and close coordination on bilateral and regional issues.
Abdelatty visited Türkiye on Nov. 12, 2025, for the first meeting of the Türkiye-Egypt Joint Planning Group and later attended the Antalya Diplomacy Forum on April 17-19, 2026.
Fidan most recently visited Cairo on June 20-21 to attend the fourth meeting of the foreign ministers of Türkiye, Egypt, Pakistan and Saudi Arabia.
Egypt is one of Türkiye’s leading trade and export partners in Africa. Bilateral trade reached about $8 billion in 2025, with the two countries aiming to increase the figure to $15 billion, a target set by President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan and el-Sissi.
Turkish investments in Egypt have exceeded $4 billion, underscoring the growing economic ties between the two countries. Turkish-owned companies currently contribute to the employment of about 100,000 Egyptians.
The recent momentum in relations has also strengthened coordination between Ankara and Cairo on regional issues. The two countries have increasingly sought to use their expanding bilateral partnership to support diplomatic efforts aimed at promoting peace, stability and cooperation across the region.
Joint Planning Group
The Türkiye-Egypt Joint Planning Group was established under a joint declaration signed on Feb. 14, 2024, on the establishment of the High-Level Strategic Cooperation Council.
Co-chaired by the foreign ministers of Türkiye and Egypt, the group is tasked with preparing meetings of the High-Level Strategic Cooperation Council and strengthening coordination across areas of bilateral cooperation.
The group held its first meeting in Türkiye on Nov. 12, 2025, under the co-chairmanship of Fidan and Abdelatty.
Türkiye’s landmark initiative to end decades of violence by the PKK terrorist group will probably have the greatest impact on Türkiye’s southeastern and eastern regions, both economically and in terms of security.
Residents of the predominantly Kurdish region, which was terrorized by the PKK and saw children lost to the group’s brainwashing tactics for years, can now see a silver lining in a recently adopted law that will advance the terror-free Türkiye initiative.
The Law on Strengthening National Solidarity and Social Cohesion, passed by Parliament earlier this week, will help nonviolent members of the PKK on the path to reintegration by deferring prosecution and sentencing for many.
Residents in Diyarbakır, the region’s main city, expressed hope that the new law will bring peace as well as prosperity to a region that has lagged behind economically due to a security situation that has deteriorated dramatically since the 1980s.
“I was really very happy. I even applauded (the result) in my own home,” 70-year-old retiree Ali Akdoğan told The Associated Press (AP). “The economy will improve, good things will happen, people will start doing business.
“I believe it will bring peace,” he continued.
Mehmet Kaya, head of the Diyarbakır Chamber of Trade and Industry, welcomed the fact that the legislation was passed with an overwhelming majority. “It signals that violence is ending and the doors of politics are opening,” he said. However, the law alone does not solve the Kurdish issue, and further reforms will be needed, he added.
“If the step taken from now brings sustainable democratization, and social and economic policies develop, which is the expectation, then the region will go through an important phase,” Kaya said.
Hacı Çapan, a Diyarbakır resident, said they hoped “no families will cry again,” referring to victims of terrorism.
Proponents of the terror-free Türkiye initiative, including government ally Nationalist Movement Party (MHP) leader Devlet Bahçeli, who first suggested the process in 2024, and President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, tout it as a way to cement Turkish-Kurdish unity in the face of external threats. The PKK retained a rhetoric of fighting for Kurdish rights as it sought to legitimize its campaign, which was concentrated in southeastern Türkiye and killed a large number of security personnel and civilians.
“It all depends on Bahçeli, Erdoğan and the DEM Party. If they are united on this matter, (terror-free Türkiye) will be achieved,” Çapan told Ihlas News Agency (IHA) on Tuesday.
The Peoples’ Equality and Democracy Party (DEM Party), which has intricate links with the PKK, has been a key intermediary in the initiative, relaying messages from the group’s jailed ringleader, Abdullah Öcalan, to the public.
“This country suffered too much, and we hope it won’t have to suffer again. Other countries want us to be like Syria and Iran. If it wasn’t for President Erdoğan and the unity of the Turkish and Kurdish people, it could have been like that,” Çapan said.
Engin Yeşil, chair of Diyarbakır Commerce Exchange, told the Sabah newspaper that the region has been embroiled in conflict for decades and that the new law was very much welcomed by people in the region. “Almost everyone supports the initiative and this law. Its impact will be visible everywhere soon,” he said.
Emine Tuncer, a businessperson based in the eastern province of Batman, told Sabah that the end of the violent campaign was an economic and social turning point for the region.
“A permanent peace environment will provide the security and stability desired by investors. With more investment by the private sector, industry, agriculture, tourism and commerce will rapidly develop,” she said.
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