Politics
Türkiye to launch natural gas exports to Syria soon
DAMASCUS
Türkiye will soon initiate an annual gas export of approximately 2 billion cubic meters and aims to triple electricity export to Syria, Turkish Energy and Natural Resources Minister Alparslan Bayraktar said on May 22.
“We will shortly start a gas export of about 2 billion cubic meters annually, which can reach as far as Aleppo and Homs, providing an additional 1200-1300 megawatts to electricity production here,” Bayraktar said at a joint press conference following his meeting with his Syrian counterpart, Mohammad al-Bashir in Damascus.
Particularly in the short term, Türkiye plans to increase its current electricity exports to Syria by at least threefold in order to meet the country’s electricity needs, Bayraktar said.
Türkiye aims to export approximately 1000 megawatts of electricity in the upcoming months, the minister stated.
Bayraktar also noted that these projects aim to extend Syria’s current electricity supply, which lasts only a few hours, to cover up to half of the day.
Syria suffers from severe power shortages, with state-supplied electricity available for only two or three hours a day in most areas.
Syrian Minister Bashir also said that the natural gas pipeline coming from the Turkish southern city of Kilis is expected to become operational by June.
Following the meeting, a MoU in the fields of energy, mining and hydrocarbon was signed between the two countries.
The Turkish minister also held talks with Syrian President Ahmad al-Sharaa. During the meeting, ongoing activities and new projects in the areas of energy and mining between the two countries were discussed.
Following the suspension of Gaziosmanpaşa Mayor Hakan Bahçetepe amid a corruption probe, the municipal council has elected the ruling Justice and Development Party’s (AK Party) Eray Karadeniz as acting mayor in a decisive third-round vote.
The council convened under the leadership of First Deputy Chair Erdoğan Yıldırım Özçelik after Bahçetepe, detained as part of an investigation into the Aziz Ihsan Aktaş criminal network, was formally removed from office by the Interior Ministry. The AK Party nominated Karadeniz, the party’s current group deputy chair on the council, while the main opposition Republican People’s Party (CHP) put forward Murat Topaloğlu as its candidate.
Neither candidate secured an absolute majority in the first two rounds. In the third and final round, Karadeniz was elected with 21 votes, defeating Topaloğlu, who received 16. Following the result, CHP council members left the hall in protest, chanting slogans and striking desks.
In his first remarks as acting mayor, Karadeniz emphasized his deep ties to the district: “Serving Gaziosmanpaşa, whose 16 neighborhoods I know intimately, is a profound responsibility and an immense honor,” he said. He pledged to fulfill his role with dedication, stating, “No one should doubt that I will live up to this responsibility in line with our belief that ‘those who serve earn honor.’”
Karadeniz also extended his condolences to the family of Manisa Mayor Ferdi Zeyrek, who died recently after a tragic electrical accident at his home.
The council meeting drew high-level observers, including AK Party Istanbul Provincial Chair Abdullah Özdemir and CHP Istanbul Chair Özgür Çelik. Security forces were deployed around the municipal building throughout the session.
Moreover, elections took place for the Avcılar and Büyükçekmece districts.
Born in Istanbul in 1986, Karadeniz holds degrees from Istanbul Commerce University’s Faculty of Law and Anadolu University’s Business Administration Department. He has held numerous leadership roles within AK Party’s youth branches, including as head of Gaziosmanpaşa’s youth wing between 2009 and 2018.
He also served as a political adviser in the 2019 local elections and was program director at the Gaziosmanpaşa Election Coordination Center in the 2023 general elections. In addition, he led several EU-funded youth initiatives.
Karadeniz now assumes interim leadership in a district at the center of one of Istanbul’s most high-profile corruption investigations.
In the first wave of 2025 operations against municipalities, Istanbul Mayor Ekrem Imamoğlu and 105 others were detained on March 19 and remain incarcerated in pretrial detention. The CHP has nominated Imamoğlu as its candidate in presidential elections due in 2028, but whether he can run depends on the fate of numerous trials and probes.
Türkiye on Tuesday hit back at allegations that a Liberian-flagged container ship that docked at its southern Mersin Port, was carrying steel for Israel’s military industry.
“The loading manifest and customs records of the ship that arrived from Spain, docked at Mersin Port at 2 pm (1100 GMT) on June 9, 2025, and the unloading procedures of which began at 3:25 pm (1225 GMT), have been meticulously examined.
“No steel or military-purpose items registered under the name of Israel Military Industries (IMI) or any similar institution were detected on the ship,” Türkiye’s Center for Combating Disinformation said on X.
A total of 461 containers were unloaded at Mersin Port from the ship, the center said, adding it was reported that 220 of these containers were empty, while 241 were loaded.
It has been confirmed that the loaded containers do not contain any steel or materials that could be used for military purposes, it added.
Besides, it was determined that 1,570 of the containers on board were transit cargo destined for other countries, while 33 loaded containers-whose inspections had been completed-originated from Türkiye and were bound for Palestine, primarily containing food supplies, the center noted.
Turkish ports handle tens of thousands of international cargo ships each year, processing about 8 million containers in full compliance with international rules and with complete transparency, the center said, adding: “Türkiye completely suspended all trade relations with Israel as of May 2, 2024.
“Since that date, Türkiye’s customs system has been closed to all foreign trade transactions involving Israel. No commercial activity linked to Israel is permitted in free zones or ports.”
Türkiye is among the first countries to take the clearest and most principled stance against Israel’s unlawful attacks in Gaza,” it highlighted.
The center also called for not giving credence to “the unfounded allegations.”
On May 2, 2024, Türkiye suspended all export and import operations with Israel due to its “aggression against Palestine in violation of international law and human rights,” according to the Trade Ministry.
Justice Minister Yılmaz Tunç has disclosed the findings of an expert report on the tragic death of Manisa Metropolitan Municipality Mayor Ferdi Zeyrek, who was electrocuted at his residence. The report, prepared by a panel of electrical and mechanical engineers, reveals serious safety lapses that led to the incident.
In a statement on social media, Tunç confirmed that the Manisa Chief Public Prosecutor’s Office is conducting a thorough investigation into the fatal accident. He said that one deputy chief prosecutor and two prosecutors have been assigned to the case, 12 individuals have been questioned and two remain in custody.
“The report prepared by the team of electrical and mechanical engineers revealed that the pool pump motor was faulty; the building lacked a residual-current device (RCD) at its main entrance; all metal equipment showed signs of corrosion; there was moisture and water at cable connections; and the RCD in the pool’s power room was itself corroded and malfunctioning. Additionally, the distance between the pool energy room and the pool did not meet international safety standards.”
The incident has sparked concerns over residential safety standards and oversight, particularly in facilities with electrical installations near water sources.
He added that the investigation is being carried out comprehensively based on these technical findings.
Tunç extended his condolences to Zeyrek’s family and loved ones, saying, “May Allah have mercy on him.”
Zeyrek’s funeral was held in Manisa on Tuesday with a broad participation of the political circle.
Zeyrek, a member of the main opposition Republican People’s Party (CHP), had earned wide support from Manisa residents in the March 31 local elections, in which he became the first CHP mayor of the city in decades.
President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan issued a message of condolence following the news of Zeyrek’s death. In a post on social media, Erdoğan said: “I am deeply saddened by the passing of Manisa Metropolitan Municipality Mayor Mr. Ferdi Zeyrek as a result of a tragic accident. I extend my condolences to his family, colleagues, the citizens of Manisa and the entire CHP organization.”
The ruling Justice and Development Party (AK Party) is set to turn introspective and tackle problems in the field across Türkiye in an annual camp scheduled for later this month, party sources said Monday.
From June 23 to 25, AK Party lawmakers and provincial chairs will convene at the party headquarters in the capital Ankara, and discuss solutions to various problems encountered by AK Party officials at district levels. The camp will also draw up a roadmap and other suggestions to better convey the party’s operations and achievements directly to the public.
A second camp is slated from July 11 to 13, which will assemble lawmakers and headquarter executives of the AK Party, as well as the party chair, President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan.
The July meeting is mainly focused on the recent developments in the terror-free Türkiye initiative, sources said, as well as citizens’ expectations about the process.
The initiative, launched last year by Erdoğan’s ally Devlet Bahçeli, aims to end four decades of PKK terrorism in Türkiye after the organization declared in a landmark decision last month to disarm and disband itself.
The PKK’s bloody terror campaign, which exploited the Kurdish community under the pretext of fighting for their rights, a self-styled Kurdish state in southeast Türkiye, has claimed at least 40,000 lives since the 1980s.
After years of military operations to eradicate the group, Türkiye initiated a “reconciliation process” previously in 2013 in a bid to prevent the PKK from justifying its actions.
The process saw the reinstatement of the rights of the Kurdish community, but it ultimately collapsed when the PKK resumed its terrorist attacks after a brief lull.
The PKK’s disarmament process is expected to be completed in the coming months, with the group handing over all of its weapons and some 3,500 members leaving their hideouts in Iraq’s north.
The AK Party cadres are also expected to discuss the constitutional overhaul efforts at the July camp.
Erdoğan’s government has been pushing to overhaul the Constitution for over a decade now, which was enforced in 1982 following a military coup that led to the detention of hundreds of thousands of people along with mass trials, torture and executions, which still represents a dark period in Turkish political history.
The AK Party has a comprehensive draft prepared by a scientific council during the pandemic, which it’s hoping to submit to Parliament.
The party has held several workshops with academicians and legal experts on a new constitution in the past year and is currently preparing to convene an exclusive commission tasked with outlining a method to produce a draft.
Manisa Metropolitan Municipality Mayor Ferdi Zeyrek died after suffering an electric shock while inspecting a malfunction in his home swimming pool, Türkiye’s health minister announced Monday.
Zeyrek had been receiving intensive care at Manisa Celal Bayar University Hafsa Sultan Hospital since the June 6 incident at his home in the Yunusemre district. Despite all medical efforts, he succumbed to his injuries.
Health Minister Kemal Memişoğlu confirmed the news in a statement on social media, offering condolences to Zeyrek’s family and loved ones. “Mayor Ferdi Zeyrek, who had been undergoing treatment at the hospital following an accident at his home, has passed away despite all intervention,” Memişoğlu said. “May he rest in peace. Our condolences to his family, friends, and all who loved him.”
Zeyrek, a member of the main opposition Republican People’s Party (CHP), had earned wide support from Manisa residents in the March 31 local elections, in which he became the first CHP mayor of the city in decades.
His passing prompted an outpouring of condolences from across the political spectrum.
President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan issued a message of condolence following the news of Zeyrek’s death. In a post on social media, Erdoğan said: “I am deeply saddened by the passing of Manisa Metropolitan Municipality Mayor Mr. Ferdi Zeyrek as a result of a tragic accident. I extend my condolences to his family, colleagues, the citizens of Manisa, and the entire CHP organization. May Allah have mercy on him.”
Nationalist Movement Party (MHP) Chairman Devlet Bahçeli expressed sadness over the loss, saying: “It is with deep sorrow that I learned of the passing of Manisa Metropolitan Municipality Mayor Mr. Ferdi Zeyrek following the unfortunate accident he suffered at his home. I offer my condolences to his family, loved ones, and the CHP community.”
Parliament Speaker Numan Kurtulmuş also extended condolences, saying: “May Allah have mercy on Manisa Metropolitan Mayor Ferdi Zeyrek, who lost his life after a tragic accident. My sympathies to his family and loved ones.”
The ruling Justice and Development Party (AK Party) spokesman Ömer Çelik shared similar sentiments, noting Zeyrek’s contributions to public life: “We are deeply saddened by the loss of Mayor Ferdi Zeyrek. We offer our condolences to his family, loved ones, the CHP community, and the people of Manisa.”
Ankara Metropolitan Mayor Mansur Yavaş said he was “deeply pained” by the loss of his fellow mayor and friend. “He was one of the honorable sons of this country, devoted to the Republic and known for his honesty,” Yavaş said. “May his soul rest in peace.”
Former CHP Chairman Kemal Kılıçdaroğlu also paid tribute to Zeyrek, saying: “I am profoundly saddened by the passing of our beloved Mayor Ferdi Zeyrek, who had won the affection and trust of the people of Manisa. I offer my heartfelt condolences to his family, supporters, and all Manisa residents.”
Zeyrek’s funeral arrangements are expected to be announced by municipal officials.
A widening corruption probe into the Istanbul Metropolitan Municipality (IBB) has taken a dramatic turn as prominent businessperson Ahmet Sari, owner of Sarılar Inşaat, confessed to paying over TL 232 million in bribes to collect nearly TL 3 billion in unpaid municipal debts.
Sari, who was previously detained, was released after becoming a key informant in the investigation.
According to his May 27 testimony to the prosecutor’s office, Sari detailed how a bribery network allegedly functioned within the municipality from 2019 to 2024. He said his company faced significant difficulties securing payments for completed infrastructure projects under the administration of Istanbul Mayor Ekrem Imamoğlu. Sari emphasized that despite legal efforts, some receivables could not be recovered through formal channels, prompting illicit payments.
The businessperson named two central figures in the scheme: Ertan Yıldız, who served as deputy secretary general of IBB and Fatih Keleş, the former head of the CHP Istanbul provincial organization. Sari alleged that the two demanded bribes in exchange for facilitating payments owed to his company.
Sari said he was first invited to the municipality’s auxiliary building in Bakırköy in late 2022, where he was informed by Yıldız and Keleş that he would not receive any money unless he paid them first. He claimed to have delivered portions of the money to Bakırköy and the majority to the former mayoral residence in Florya. The cash was received by individuals identified as Zafer Keleş (Fatih Keleş’s brother) and a man named Murat, reportedly a relative of Keleş.
Payments to Ertan Yıldız were allegedly collected via company visits by drivers whose identities were communicated by a municipal affiliate, Ziya Gökmen Togay.
In his sworn statement, Sari provided a detailed account of the payments, stating he paid Yıldız TL 63 million across various dates from 2022 to 2024. He also listed payments totaling TL 169.5 million to Fatih Keleş during the same period. Sari said he would submit receipts to support his claims.
Notably, Sari said he was instructed never to involve municipal department heads in these dealings. In early 2024, he was told that no more payments should be made to Yıldız, suggesting a shift within the alleged network.
The Istanbul Chief Public Prosecutor’s Office continues its investigation as public scrutiny over municipal finances intensifies ahead of further legal proceedings. Meanwhile, Imamoğlu, currently in detention on separate charges, has not been directly implicated in the bribery claims made by Sari but remains a central figure in the broader investigation.
This latest testimony underscores growing concerns over governance and transparency within Türkiye’s largest municipality, once considered a stronghold of opposition leadership.
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