Politics
Türkiye’s New Party launches one-man intra-party race
The main opposition New Party (YP) is set to welcome a new leader through an election process ahead of its Nov. 14-15 congress. Party members went to the polls on Sunday to vote for a single candidate: founder and current chair Özgür Özel. Özel himself cast his ballot at the party’s Ankara branch, presumably voting for himself, as nobody challenged the man who led the former main opposition Republican People’s Party (CHP) for about three years before his ouster last May.
The election bears similarities to the rule of the CHP following the death of its original founder, Mustafa Kemal Atatürk. War hero Ismet Inönü, dubbed the “National Chief,” remained at the helm of the CHP for decades and only left office one year before his death, with no one challenging his leadership for years.
The vote comes amid a turbulent period for the YP, which is struggling to shed its image as a movement composed of CHP members who simply founded a new party with a new logo after a court ordered the reinstatement of former CHP chair Kemal Kılıçdaroğlu over allegations that Özel had bought his way into power in the CHP’s November 2023 leadership election.
Some 800,000 eligible party members are expected to cast their votes across 81 provinces for Özel, who faces mounting legal troubles amid accusations made by former mayors. Testimonies by two former mayors and the son of a YP lawmaker, who has since been expelled from the party, indicate that Özel received cash in exchange for offering candidacy to the three men.
Sunday’s election will be followed by another vote during the congress, where delegates will elect the party chairperson. Once again, Özel will be the sole name on the ballot.
During the congress process, the spotlight will also be on figures whose names have appeared in indictments in connection with corruption and bribery allegations. Among them are Burhanettin Bulut, Özgür Karabat, Turan Taşkın Özer and Veli Ağbaba. It remains unclear whether Özel will include them in the powerful Party Assembly, while media outlets have reported that the YP plans to expand the number of assembly members from 80 to more than 100.
Bulut and Karabat were accused of receiving bribes in an indictment filed by prosecutors investigating the alleged crimes of Aziz Ihsan Aktaş, a businessman who secured lucrative tenders from municipalities run by the CHP, allegedly in exchange for bribes. Özer, meanwhile, is among the suspects in a corruption case against Ekrem Imamoğlu, the former Istanbul mayor who was selected as the CHP’s prospective presidential candidate during Özel’s tenure. Ağbaba, meanwhile, faces numerous allegations, including soliciting bribes from party members in exchange for mayoral nominations and organizing rigged tenders in several provinces.
Özel initially excluded the four lawmakers from the Party Assembly when announcing the establishment of the YP, while the lawmakers claimed that they themselves had suggested staying out of the body to prevent Özel from facing any legal challenges.
Speaking after casting his ballot on Sunday, Özel said the public had instructed him to establish the party and had also chosen its name.
Stating that the YP had introduced a primary election system at the levels of party chairperson, provincial chairperson and district chairperson, Özel said: “Today, voting is taking place in nearly 900 districts and 3,000 centers across Türkiye. We worked very hard and made tremendous efforts to reach this point. Now, after starting with district chairpersons and moving on to provincial chairpersons, we are holding an election in which the party chairperson is directly elected by members. This shows that it can be done if you want it, believe in it and fight for it.”
Özel said they would continue introducing major reforms in line with the party charter, adding that they would establish neighborhood councils, district councils and provincial councils.
“We are starting out with an election campaign army of 250,000 people. Because New Party members are not people who simply hand over their ID cards, sign up for membership and are then forgotten for years. Each of our nearly 800,000 members across Türkiye pays monthly membership dues to support their party. In other words, people in this country who are struggling to make ends meet pay their dues through monthly installments charged to their credit cards and keep the party afloat. We have a New Party made up of people who show up when called, run when asked and work when needed. We have an army of 250,000 campaign volunteers. Both New Party members and those who are not members or are unable to become members can join this effort.”
Özel said they would visit neighborhoods, discuss solutions to the country’s problems and go door to door to explain how they intended to govern Türkiye if they won the next general election.
“We will look citizens in the eye and explain how we will address their problems, get Türkiye back on its feet and give it the strength to catch up with and surpass developed countries, as was envisioned when the republic was founded. We have very strong teams, and we continue to grow stronger with new members joining us. Next week, on Saturday and Sunday, we will hold our official congress in Ankara. I wholeheartedly embrace all our members who have devoted their efforts and hard work to this party from the very first day of its establishment. I thank all our executives who have taken on responsibilities,” he said.
European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen on Monday called for the rapid operationalization of the Black Sea Maritime Security Hub, welcoming growing cooperation between Türkiye, Romania and Bulgaria to strengthen security in the strategic region.
“We need to operationalize the Black Sea Maritime Security Hub,” von der Leyen said during a joint news briefing with Romanian President Nicusor Dan in Bucharest.
She welcomed the “closer maritime cooperation” among the three countries, stressing that the EU must adopt an “urgency mindset” in addressing defense and security challenges.
“The skies over the Black Sea have darkened, particularly in recent weeks, with drone attacks targeting commercial ships off your coasts, innocent sailors having lost their lives, others are still missing at sea,” she said.
Von der Leyen called for restoring and preserving freedom of navigation in the Black Sea, highlighting its importance for Europe, Ukraine’s economy and global food security.
She also stressed the need to strengthen maritime surveillance and the bloc’s security in the information space.
“Hostile actors are weaponizing the information space, and drone incidents are often doubled by foreign information manipulation and interference,” she warned.
“They target relentlessly our citizens and democracies, sowing fear, spreading uncertainty,” she added.
Von der Leyen said Europe must strengthen its capacity to respond to crises along its borders.
“I am pleased to announce an additional €10 million ($11.2 million) in funding to Romanian authorities for search and rescue operations,” she said.
“This will support your capacity to respond to such incidents rapidly and effectively,” she added.
Turning to the upcoming U.S.-mediated peace negotiations between Russia and Ukraine in Abu Dhabi, von der Leyen reaffirmed European support for Kyiv.
She said Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy had requested support from European partners for the negotiations and that the bloc was providing it.
“The focus of these peace talks is ending Russia’s war in Ukraine. That must be the goal,” she stressed.
Von der Leyen said the EU was also working on a post-war prosperity plan to support Ukraine’s stability and reconstruction.
“Any meaningful discussions about Europe’s security architecture can only be undertaken once a ceasefire in Ukraine has been achieved,” she said.
Such discussions must take place in an appropriate forum, particularly with NATO allies and EU members, she added.
Moscow has maintained that the U.S.-mediated negotiations should remain strictly trilateral, involving Russia, Ukraine and the U.S., without direct European participation.
The Abu Dhabi talks, scheduled for Tuesday and Wednesday, will mark the fourth round of U.S.-mediated negotiations between Russia and Ukraine under the Trump administration.
They will also be the first such meetings since the previous round in Geneva in February.
At 9:05 a.m., the time of his death, the nation stood still to observe a minute of silence in memory of Mustafa Kemal Atatürk, the great statesman and commander who led Türkiye’s liberation from the post-World War I invasion and established the Republic.
President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, top officials, commanders of the Turkish Armed Forces (TSK) and politicians across the political spectrum gathered at Anıtkabir, Atatürk’s mausoleum in the capital, Ankara, where crowds flocked to pay tribute to Atatürk on the 88th anniversary of his death. In Istanbul, similar scenes unfolded at Dolmabahçe Palace, the Ottoman-era building where Atatürk spent his final days as he battled terminal illness.
“Beloved Atatürk, we remember you on the 88th anniversary of your passing, along with your comrades in arms, members of our parliament who led the War of Independence, our martyrs and veterans who paid a heavy price for our nation. In this challenging period, where our region and the world struggle with crises, we mobilized all our resources to carry the Republic of Türkiye and its 86 million members to a more prosperous future. We will continue resolutely to develop this paradise-like land entrusted to us by our martyrs and veterans, in unity with our nation. May your soul be blessed,” Erdoğan wrote in the memorial book at Anıtkabir.
Erdoğan later spoke at an event on the occasion held by the Atatürk Supreme Council for Culture, Language and History, the only high-level state institution specifically bearing the name of Atatürk. He delved into Atatürk’s past as leader of the independence movement. “At a time when enemies’ boots stained Izmir, he left Istanbul (then the capital of the Ottoman Empire) for Anatolia and sparked the torch of independence,” he said. He recited Atatürk’s remarks about those days when he saw what he defined as “a tendency among the nation for achieving independence that would put those hesitating fighting for it to shame.”
“These words are the crystal-clear indication that the liberation of the country was sought through resilience of the nation, not through submitting to the mandate of other countries, at a time where our independence and the future were threatened,” Erdoğan stated. “This was also a fight for the oppressed nation. As he told Azerbaijan’s representative Ibrahim Abilov when he hosted him in Ankara at the height of the War of Independence, Türkiye’s fight was not just about its own future and its cause was the cause of all oppressed nations, the entire East.”
Compared with subsequent presidents of the country, Atatürk had a relatively short life. He passed away at the age of 57 after suffering from cirrhosis of the liver, something attributed to his lifelong habit of smoking and drinking. The condition ultimately confined him to bed, a man who had survived an assassination attempt, multiple encounters with death on the World War I battlefronts and numerous other challenges throughout his life.
Born in 1881 in then-Ottoman Salonica (Thessaloniki), now in Greece, Mustafa Kemal, as he was known before he was given the unique surname that translates as “Father of Turks,” started a brilliant military career in the early 20th century and served on multiple fronts during the Ottoman Empire’s eventful last years, from Libya to the Balkans. While serving in Sofia as a military attache after years on the battlefield, he sought reassignment to the field. In 1915, he was appointed a division commander and proved his military mettle as a commander during World War I. He was nicknamed the “Hero of Anafartalar” after a decisive battle on the western front in Gallipoli. This feat later brought him wider recognition as a skilled commander and a trusted figure as he sought to rally the nation for independence in the aftermath of World War I. It was also his first brush with death, when a piece of shrapnel hit him in the chest but was stopped by a pocket watch he was carrying.
His next mission was on the eastern front in 1916, where he managed to stop the Russian incursion and reclaimed the eastern provinces of Bitlis and Muş from invading forces, a feat that helped secure his promotion to the rank of general. In the next two years, he served in Palestine and Syria as commander of the Seventh Army. After the war ended, he returned to Istanbul, the then capital of the Ottoman Empire, during a time when invading forces occupied the city, and secretly worked to organize a nationwide resistance. He found an opportunity to serve this purpose when he left the city as an “army inspector” under the guise of inspecting Ottoman troops scattered across the country. His arrival in the northern province of Samsun on May 19, 1919, is today viewed as the first step toward independence in postwar Türkiye. Once he drummed up the support of fellow commanders and the public during his travels across Anatolia, Atatürk started organizing a formal opposition to invading Allied forces through conventions in eastern and central Turkish cities. The conventions and congresses paved the way for the establishment of a temporary government independent of the Ottoman seat of power, which was then in its death throes, and a new Parliament firmly opposed to any foreign mandate. In 1920, he spearheaded the establishment of the Turkish Grand National Assembly (TBMM) and was elected as its president, as well as head of the interim government.
Under his leadership, an outnumbered army, with broad public support, was assembled and showed the world that a new country was rising from the ashes of the Ottoman Empire. Victories in central and western Türkiye against invading Greek forces in defensive battles in 1921 cemented trust in Atatürk. He was soon promoted to the rank of marshal. In 1922, the army launched the Great Offensive, the first counterattack against invaders. Months after a decisive victory against the Greek army, a cease-fire agreement was signed with the Allied forces, paving the way for their withdrawal from Turkish territories. The Treaty of Lausanne, signed in 1923, officially marked the end of the conflict between invading forces and Türkiye. A few months after it was signed, Atatürk pronounced the formation of the Republic of Türkiye and was elected as its first president. He remained in this post until his death, being elected to four consecutive terms as president.
After the foundation of the Republic, Atatürk devoted his life to the reconstruction of a war-torn country, which was also tested by a global economic crisis, while establishing ties with countries against which Türkiye had once fought. His diplomatic and economic efforts made Türkiye an emerging country with a say in international affairs. On the domestic front, Atatürk is credited with revolutionary changes, including a switch to a new alphabet, a new education system, and vast legal, social and economic reforms.
Every year on Nov. 10, solemn ceremonies are held across the country and in the country’s diplomatic missions abroad to pay respects to Atatürk, who remains a beloved figure for millions and a leader whose name adorns many places in Türkiye. A remembrance tradition involves honking horns and sounding sirens at the exact time of his death, as people observe a minute of silence.
As part of this year’s ceremonies, Savarona, the yacht Atatürk spent about two months on before his death, was anchored off the coast of Istanbul’s Dolmabahçe Palace. The yacht, restored a few years ago and now in service with the Turkish Naval Forces Command, hosted Atatürk for 56 days, during which the ailing leader continued governing the country and attending daily government affairs, from Cabinet meetings to hosting visiting foreign leaders. When his health deteriorated further, Atatürk had to disembark on July 25, 1938, and move to Dolmabahçe Palace. Savarona still houses Atatürk’s personal belongings, including his desk, slippers, towels, glasses and a bed cover stained with blood he spat during his illness, among other things.
President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan reaffirmed Türkiye’s commitment to easing escalating tensions between Iran and the United States and advancing diplomatic efforts to end the Russia-Ukraine war during talks with U.N. Secretary-General Antonio Guterres on the sidelines of the COP31 Leaders Summit in Antalya.
The meeting focused on pressing regional and global challenges, including ongoing conflicts and international efforts to address climate change.
Erdoğan welcomed Türkiye’s role as host and president of COP31, saying preparations for the international climate conference had been completed.
He expressed hope that the gathering in Antalya would mark a turning point in efforts to tackle climate-related challenges and strengthen international cooperation.
Addressing mounting tensions between Tehran and Washington, Erdoğan said Türkiye was working closely with regional countries to prevent further escalation and promote solutions through dialogue and diplomacy.
The Turkish president also reiterated Ankara’s commitment to ending the Russia-Ukraine war, emphasizing Türkiye’s readiness to support a renewed diplomatic process aimed at securing peace.
Erdoğan and Guterres also exchanged views on the latest developments in Gaza, Cyprus and Libya, underscoring the broad range of regional crises on the international agenda.
Turkish and Greek Cypriot leaders agreed to open two new crossing points on the divided island of Cyprus during U.N.-brokered talks in Lefkoşa, marking a step toward improving cooperation between the two communities.
Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus (TRNC) President Tufan Erhürman and Greek Cypriot leader Nikos Christodoulides reached the agreement during a trilateral meeting mediated by Maria Angela Holguin Cuellar, the U.N. secretary-general’s personal envoy for Cyprus.
The meeting, held at the residence of the U.N. chief of mission in the buffer zone in Lefkoşa, began at 11 a.m. and lasted approximately three hours and 15 minutes.
Following the talks, Holguin and U.N. Peacekeeping Force in Cyprus spokesperson Aleem Siddique presented a joint U.N. statement to reporters after the two leaders departed.
According to the statement, the leaders agreed to establish new crossing points connecting Akıncılar with Lympia and Gemikonağı with Kambos-Karavostasi.
Discussions on additional crossings will continue, while Erhürman and Christodoulides are also expected to hold another trilateral meeting with U.N. Secretary-General Antonio Guterres.
The U.N. described the discussions as taking place in a positive atmosphere, with both sides agreeing on further confidence-building measures.
The leaders agreed to relaunch the bicommunal Imagine education program under the supervision of the Technical Committee on Education, which will determine the framework for its implementation.
They also tasked the Technical Committee on Crisis Management with establishing a mechanism to ensure rapid responses to emergencies.
Additionally, the leaders agreed that the Technical Committee on Cultural Heritage would begin restoration work on several Maronite churches and an Armenian monastery.
The agreements signal renewed efforts to strengthen practical cooperation between the island’s two communities amid continuing U.N.-facilitated dialogue.
Jean-Pierre Lacroix, United Nations under-secretary-general for peace operations, says Türkiye plays an important role in training peacekeepers and the U.N. is looking forward to enhancing cooperation with the country in this field.
Lacroix spoke to Anadolu Agency (AA) in Türkiye, where he attended an international forum, months after his visit to Ankara, where he met Turkish officials on peacekeeping operations. He said Türkiye made double contributions to their operations, both as a trainer and by deploying peacekeeping troops.
He said the current conflicts across the world were more connected and had global consequences and to deal with them, the international community needed a collective approach. “Multilateralism is certainly of critical importance but member states need to exhibit a strong will and resolution to actively support the efforts for peace. Türkiye is among those countries demonstrating that will,” he said. Lacroix noted that every crisis also had actors working for peace, “a few countries with special influence,” and noted that Türkiye was among them as it was in the past.
He pointed out that conflicts today have become more complex than in the past, saying, “We also need to adapt our existing peace operations to current conditions and be prepared to establish new peace operations that are quite different from those created 50 to 60 years ago.” However, Lacroix said the most critical factor was not new models but the political will of member states, stressing the importance of providing the necessary financial resources as well. Lacroix said the U.N. system had previously succeeded in developing different types of peace operations and had the capacity to do so in the future.
Addressing questions over the effectiveness of U.N. peace operations, Lacroix said many countries, including Cambodia, East Timor, Angola, Mozambique, Sierra Leone, Ivory Coast, Liberia and El Salvador, had regained stability with the support of peace operations.
Lacroix also addressed attacks targeting U.N. peacekeeping personnel, saying that despite all the challenges, peacekeepers protect hundreds of thousands of civilians every day and help prevent cease-fires from collapsing.
Noting that the safety of peacekeeping personnel was frequently put at risk and that the obligation to protect them was being violated, Lacroix said such incidents required a strong response. “Crimes committed against peacekeeping personnel must be held to account,” Lacroix said.
Lacroix welcomed the adoption by the U.N. Security Council, following an initiative by Pakistan and Denmark, of a resolution calling for accountability for crimes committed against peacekeeping personnel. He added that peacekeepers serve the cause of peace and people, and therefore deserve to be respected.
President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan reaffirmed Türkiye’s support for Niger’s territorial integrity and security during a phone call with Nigerien President Abdourahamane Tchiani, pledging Ankara’s assistance in strengthening regional dialogue and stability.
The two leaders discussed bilateral relations and regional developments, Türkiye’s Communications Directorate said in a statement.
Erdoğan emphasized that Türkiye would continue taking steps to deepen cooperation with Niger across various sectors, underscoring Ankara’s commitment to strengthening ties between the two countries.
He also expressed Türkiye’s readiness to support efforts aimed at establishing and reinforcing regional dialogue mechanisms.
During the conversation, Erdoğan extended his condolences to Tchiani and the people of Niger over the death of the Nigerien leader’s father.
Türkiye increased the number of its embassies across Africa from 12 in 2002 to 44 by 2024, while the number of African embassies in Türkiye rose from 10 in 2008 to 38 in 2024.
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