Muslim-majority countries, including regional powers Türkiye and Saudi Arabia, on Thursday criticized Israel for arson attacks on two mosques in the occupied West Bank, after Palestinian officials said illegal Israeli settlers set the sites ablaze in the latest escalation of violence in the territory.

The foreign ministers of Türkiye, Saudi Arabia, Jordan, the UAE, Qatar, Indonesia, Pakistan and Egypt lambasted “the continued and escalating settler violence against Palestinians in the occupied West Bank,” pointing to the mosques that were set on fire a day earlier.

“The Ministers hold Israel – as the occupying power – responsible for these attacks,” they said in a joint statement.

On Wednesday, Israeli settlers set fire to mosques in the West Bank villages of Jiljiliya, north of Ramallah, and neighboring Mazari an-Nubani, their mayors said, with AFP journalists at one site seeing scorched walls and graffiti.

Israel’s military confirmed the arson and graffiti on the mosques, but did not identify the perpetrators.

AFP journalists who visited one torched mosque saw graffiti daubed on the walls in Hebrew. Some read “vengeance” and: “Hi, from the Hilltop Youth.”

The Hilltop Youth is a terrorist group that consists of radical Israelis in the West Bank who commit violence toward Palestinians, whom they seek to evict from areas they want to take over.

The incidents came during a period of increased attacks against Palestinian communities by settlers in the Israeli-occupied West Bank since October 2023.

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Turkish authorities on Friday detained dozens of suspects, including the mayors of two opposition-run municipalities, as part of separate investigations into alleged bribery, corruption and abuse of office.

In Istanbul, prosecutors ordered the detention of 41 suspects, including Adalar Mayor Ali Ercan Akpolat, following an investigation into allegations that municipal officials accepted bribes in exchange for issuing permits to unauthorized businesses and construction projects in protected historical areas.

The Anadolu Chief Public Prosecutor’s Office said the investigation focused on claims that officials in the Adalar district, a protected natural and archaeological site off Istanbul’s coast, allowed extensive renovations and construction activities to proceed under the guise of “minor repairs” in return for bribes.

According to prosecutors, complaints and witness statements prompted an inquiry into alleged offenses including bribery, extortion, forgery of official documents, abuse of office and violations of cultural heritage protection laws.

Investigators examined financial records, phone data and witness testimonies and concluded that some business owners and property developers were allegedly allowed to operate without proper licenses or continue unauthorized construction activities after reaching illicit agreements with municipal officials.

Authorities also alleged that large administrative fines imposed on some unlicensed businesses and illegal structures were later reduced through fraudulent paperwork after bribe negotiations. Prosecutors said evidence in the case points to at least 40 separate incidents involving 47 suspects.

Police carried out simultaneous raids at 90 addresses across Istanbul and the provinces of Kocaeli, Rize and Sivas. Officials said 41 suspects were taken into custody during the operation.

Separately, authorities seized $258,000 in cash and 13 gold bracelets during a search of the residence of a contractor identified only by the initials M.Ö., a former member of the Adalar Municipal Council, according to local media reports.

In a separate operation on the same day, gendarmerie forces detained Silifke Mayor Mustafa Turgut and several municipal employees in the southern province of Mersin.

Security forces raided Silifke Municipality headquarters early Friday and conducted searches inside the building as part of an ongoing investigation. Authorities have not yet disclosed the full scope of the allegations or the number of people detained.

The operations are the latest in a series of investigations targeting local administrations across Türkiye, where corruption allegations involving municipal officials have increasingly drawn public and political scrutiny.

Turkish authorities emphasized that the investigations remain ongoing and that all suspects are presumed innocent until proven guilty by a court of law.

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Turkish and Central Asian officials on Wednesday highlighted growing strategic cooperation in trade, energy, connectivity and technology as the Central Asia-Türkiye Forum opened in Ankara amid shifting geopolitical and economic dynamics.

The forum, organized by the Foundation for Political, Economic and Social Research (SETA), the International Institute for Central Asia and Hasan Kalyoncu University under the theme “A Shared Future in a Changing World,” brought together policymakers, diplomats and academics from Türkiye and Central Asia.

Speaking at the opening session, SETA Foreign Policy Research Director Murat Yeşiltaş said the international system is undergoing a period of profound transformation, making dialogue among reliable partners increasingly important.

“Relations between Türkiye and Central Asia are not merely the result of geopolitical calculations,” Yeşiltaş said, emphasizing the role of shared history, culture and heritage in shaping cooperation.

He noted that the region has become increasingly central to global connectivity, energy security, transportation corridors, supply chains and regional stability.

SETA Coordinator General Nebi Miş said strong political will and regular dialogue among leaders had helped transform a common identity into political cooperation. He argued that partnerships based on trust and shared values are becoming a strategic advantage as global supply chains, energy routes and transportation networks are reconfigured.

Miş stressed that infrastructure projects and trade alone are insufficient to sustain long-term cooperation, calling for shared analyses, coordinated regulatory frameworks and joint assessments of global risks.

Javlon Vakhabov, director of the International Institute for Central Asia and deputy foreign policy adviser to the Uzbek president, noted Türkiye has consistently supported the independence, sovereignty and territorial integrity of Central Asian states since they gained independence.

Describing Türkiye as a close friend and strategic partner, Vakhabov said Ankara plays an important role in promoting regional connectivity and dialogue across the Middle East, Central Asia and the broader Eurasian region.

He also highlighted the growing importance of the Middle Corridor, describing it as a backbone of cooperation between Türkiye and Central Asia.

Vakhabov said future collaboration should increasingly focus on technology and digital transformation, including artificial intelligence, cybersecurity, digital public services, agricultural technologies and water-saving solutions.

Uzbek Ambassador Ilham Haydarov pointed to significant progress in bilateral relations over the past 18 months, while Türkiye’s Ambassador to Tashkent Ufuk Ulutaş, speaking virtually, said political dialogue and cooperation between the two countries have expanded rapidly in recent years.

Participants said the forum offers an opportunity to deepen cooperation in trade, investment, energy, logistics and digital connectivity at a time of growing uncertainty in the international system.

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Vice President Cevdet Yılmaz criticized the European Union at an event in Ankara where projects jointly financed by the bloc and Türkiye were touted, in the wake of a report calling for sanctions for Türkiye’s justice minister, which was voted on by the European Parliament on Wednesday.

Unlike the tone of the report, the remarks of Yılmaz were kinder but not without pointed barbs. He highlighted Europe had two faces. “One is a European Union guaranteeing lasting peace and the second is a bloc where narrow-minded interests are prioritized, cultural isolationism, xenophobia and far-right are on the rise. The second one is not the Europe we want to be a member of,” Yılmaz said.

Türkiye has sought accession to the 27-nation bloc for decades, only to see its bid stalled time after time for a wide variety of reasons. For every stage of progress in the membership process, Ankara faced a major obstacle, often the result of antagonism by some members of the bloc towards Türkiye.

The European Parliament report suggested sanctions against Türkiye, particularly Justice Minister Akın Gürlek, former chief prosecutor of Istanbul who tackled major corruption cases against the main opposition Republican People’s Party (CHP) before he was appointed as minister in February. The report adopts the exact narrative of the CHP, which claims the cases are politically motivated. Since the widespread corruption allegations emerged in 2024 and later at the municipalities, particularly the Istanbul Metropolitan Municipality (IBB), the CHP has sought support from Europe, with its former leader Özgür Özel contacting EU lawmakers and penning articles implying a request for assistance to support the CHP in future elections.

After the report was approved, the Turkish Foreign Ministry issued a statement and accused the assembly of relying on misinformation, ideological bias and unfounded allegations while attempting to undermine the improving momentum in Türkiye-European Union relations.

Yılmaz said Türkiye-European Union relations should be developed on the basis of the EU acquis and unbiased assessment, “rather than perception, debate, populist discourse.”

“The European Union should apply the same criteria for other candidate countries. However, due to narrow-minded viewpoints of some countries, membership chapters have not been opened for years. The reports on the accession process contain criticism, but what the EU should do is clear. They should advance in membership stages and check whether Türkiye complied with the criteria. If there are differences, they can be resolved through joint work,” he said.

“Unfortunately, from time to time, we witness an environment where the political atmosphere in Europe will not allow advances in the membership process no matter how much Türkiye fulfills criteria. We should end this together,” he added. Yılmaz noted that since 2002, Türkiye has worked on more than 3,000 regulations for compliance with EU rules and regardless of membership, it would continue to do so for the benefit “of our own nation.”

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Özgür Özel insists on staying involved in the main opposition Republican People’s Party (CHP) while Kemal Kılıçdaroğlu appears determined to continue his purge of Özel loyalists from Türkiye’s oldest party.

The ousted chair’s supporters managed to collect the signatures of 833 delegates for a petition on a new intra-party election. The petition was delivered on Wednesday to the office of Kılıçdaroğlu, who took back his seat as the main opposition leader last May after a court verdict reinstated him.

Some 170 more delegates also sent their signatures informally for the petition, though they are barred by a court from formally joining the petition due to a trial on vote-buying in the CHP. The same vote-buying case cost Özel his seat, while Kılıçdaroğlu vowed to cleanse the CHP of “corruption” both in reference to the alleged vote-buying and corruption cases plaguing CHP-run municipalities.

Kılıçdaroğlu, who helmed the CHP from 2010 to 2023, lost both the presidential race in which he was the candidate of a six-party alliance and an intra-party election that year. During his campaign for the presidency, he was touted as the last hope of the opposition to end the reign of the wildly successful Justice and Development Party (AK Party) and President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan. Nowadays, he is branded as a traitor by supporters of the CHP for accepting the court ruling reinstating him to office.

Özel, who left his office in CHP headquarters after a dramatic confrontation between his supporters and police, was quick to call for a new intra-party election, firmly believing that the party members will restore his rule in the party. Under the party charter, the CHP is required to hold an extraordinary intra-party vote for leadership if more than half of the delegates vote for it. If the Kılıçdaroğlu administration rejects the appeal, the Özel camp is considering taking the matter to court, according to media outlets.

Rumors are circulating that Özel and his supporters may establish a new party, but Özel refuted the claims, though he signaled that he may consider it if other options fail. He told the pro-CHP news outlet Nefes on Wednesday that he was intent not to “hand over” the CHP to “others.” He underlined that they would try all legal means to trigger a new election in the party, adding that the option of establishing a new party or switching to an existing political party with his supporters were “worst-case scenarios.” Özel complained that the Kılıçdaroğlu administration was doing everything to curb the majority he and his supporters retained in the party.

“First, they illegally removed our nine colleagues from the central administrative committee, and in response, we left the party assembly. The CHP currently has no party assembly,” he highlighted.

On Wednesday, Kılıçdaroğlu was scheduled to chair the party’s central administrative committee to discuss potential expulsions and the likelihood of a new intra-party vote. Party sources speaking to media outlets say that his administration has focused on the removal of heads of the party’s provincial branches who expressed loyalty to the Özel camp and those involved in corruption cases.

According to party insiders cited by Turkish media, dozens of lawmakers who previously supported calls for an extraordinary congress remain reluctant to leave the CHP and join a newly established movement. Several reports suggest that a significant number of deputies and municipal mayors continue to favor remaining within the party despite the ongoing leadership dispute.

Supporters of a potential breakaway argue that a new political movement could distance itself from the CHP’s historical baggage and potentially appeal to conservative voters who have traditionally been reluctant to support the party.

However, political observers note that any newly established party would face significant organizational and financial challenges. Unlike the CHP, which receives substantial public funding due to its parliamentary representation, a new party would need to build a nationwide organization and campaign structure without immediate access to state financial support.

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Türkiye on Wednesday strongly rejected the European Parliament’s 2025 Türkiye Report, accusing the assembly of relying on misinformation, ideological bias and unfounded allegations while attempting to undermine the improving momentum in Türkiye-European Union relations.

In a statement, the Foreign Ministry said the report adopted by the European Parliament’s General Assembly contained assessments that were “detached from reality” and based on “baseless claims and misinformation” promoted by circles hostile to Türkiye.

The European Parliament report suggested sanctions against Türkiye, particularly Justice Minister Akın Gürlek, former chief prosecutor of Istanbul who tackled major corruption cases against the main opposition Republican People’s Party (CHP) before he was appointment as minister in February. The report adapts the exact narrative of the CHP which claims the cases are politically-motivated. Since the widespread corruption allegations emerged in 2024 and later at the municipalities, particularly the Istanbul Metropolitan Municipality (IBB), the CHP sought support from Europe, with its former leader Özgür Özel contacting EU lawmakers and penning articles implying request for assistance to support the CHP in future elections.

The ministry argued that the document reflected the ideological prejudices of certain lawmakers and was prepared within the framework of a deliberate political agenda. It said the report sought to overshadow the positive developments in Türkiye-EU ties at a time when the strategic importance of relations between Ankara and Brussels continues to grow.

“Such an approach, which provides ground for terrorist organizations and anti-Türkiye groups, once again demonstrates how far the European Parliament remains from presenting a strategic vision for the future of Türkiye-EU relations,” the ministry said.

The Foreign Ministry also condemned references in the report to ongoing judicial proceedings in Türkiye, saying legal processes conducted by the country’s independent judiciary had been distorted and that the justice minister had been unfairly targeted through “unfounded accusations.”

Emphasizing the independence of the Turkish judiciary, the ministry said the judicial system, as one of the pillars of the country’s sovereignty, is not open to intervention by international institutions, foreign actors or political groups.

The statement added that attempts to politicize judicial proceedings contradicted the principle of judicial independence and were unacceptable.

Türkiye called on the European Parliament to adopt a more constructive approach that would contribute to advancing Türkiye-EU relations on the basis of mutual interests amid growing global challenges.

The head of the Presidential Communications Directorate, Burhanettin Duran, also criticized the report, saying it was based on ideological bias and distorted information rather than the realities of Türkiye.

He rejected what he described as unfounded assessments regarding Türkiye’s Blue Homeland doctrine, support for Greece’s claims in the Aegean and the report’s stance on Cyprus, arguing that the document reflected a partisan approach that amplified narratives promoted by terrorist groups and anti-Türkiye circles.

Duran also dismissed criticism of the Turkish judiciary and allegations targeting Justice Minister Akın Gürlek, stressing that judicial processes in Türkiye are conducted independently and in accordance with the rule of law. He called on European institutions to adopt a more constructive and fact-based approach to advancing Türkiye-EU relations based on mutual interests.

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