Author: Daily Sabah

Talks on drafting a new constitution may hit a snag as the main opposition leader hinted that his party might join the efforts only when it wins the next general election. The ruling Justice and Development Party (AK Party) seeks consensus among parties and the public to replace the coup-era Constitution with a civilian one. Main opposition Republican People’s Party (CHP) leader Özgür Özel said on Sunday that a new constitution was indeed necessary, but they would “do it only after the current administration is changed.” President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan has repeatedly called for the new constitution, and Parliament Speaker…

The grim face of terrorism is forever etched into the minds of several families who lost members in a brutal massacre by the PKK on Nov. 24, 1989. The killing of 28 people, from infants to adults, in execution style is still fresh in the memory of the nation that has suffered from terrorism since the mid-1980s. The Ikiyaka village, about 50 kilometers (30 miles) from the Yüksekova district of the southeastern province of Hakkari, paid a hefty price for opposing the terrorist group. Descending on the village, terrorists rounded up members of families who refused to aid terrorists who…

Foreign Ministry Spokesman Öncü Keçeli said Türkiye supports and prioritizes the Iraqi Turkmen’s rights and interests, as he called on Iraqi authorities to preserve the demographic structure of the province amid population movements of the Kurds toward Kirkuk as the country held a census for the first time after almost four decades. “In this framework, the peace and security of our Turkmen brothers and sisters, who constitute a significant portion of Kirkuk’s population and serve as a bridge of friendship between Türkiye and Iraq, are among our main priorities in bilateral relations with this country,” Keçeli said, in response to…

The Interior Ministry announced that it has replaced Tunceli Mayor Cevdet Konak and Ovacık District Mayor Mustafa Sarıgül with trustees over links to the PKK terrorist group. In a statement, the ministry said the two mayors had been convicted of membership in the PKK terrorist group by a court in the province and received six years and three months of prison term. There is also an ongoing investigation regarding Konak’s involvement in spreading PKK terrorist propaganda. The mayor was suspended in line with the 127th article of the Constitution and the 47th article of Municipal Law No. 5393. Tunceli Governor…

Members of the main opposition’s divided Republican People’s Party (CHP) are “closing ranks” following a call from the party’s ex-leader, Kemal Kılıçdaroğlu, who on Friday stood trial for his “slanderous” allegations against the Turkish government. The CHP’s current chair, Özgür Özel, as well as Istanbul and Ankara Mayors Ekrem Imamoğlu and Mansur Yavaş, were among the prominent figures showing up for the hearing at the Ankara courthouse in solidarity with their former leader. Kılıçdaroğlu, who is facing a prison sentence of up to 11 years and eight months, as well as a political ban, announced in a video message on…

Turkish police late Thursday arrested two officials of the Peoples’ Equality and Democracy Party (DEM Party) for holding a so-called memorial service for a PKK terrorist at a DEM Party office in Istanbul. Abdullah Arınan and Rojda Yılmaz, district chairs of DEM Party’s Esenyurt branch, were arrested on charges of “being a member of an armed terrorist organization” and “spreading terrorist propaganda.” The Chief Public Prosecutor’s Office in Istanbul is still investigating the so-called commemoration ceremony held for PKK terrorist Gülşen Atalmış, who was eliminated in 1995. Esenyurt, one of the country’s biggest, with some 1 million residents, was the…

The Republican People’s Party (CHP) has asked Türkiye’s National Intelligence Organization (MIT) for help against the infiltration of terrorist groups into the party, according to its chief Özgür Özel. The CHP has asked the intelligence agency for support in combing out applications for memberships in overseas branches, Özel told a Turkish broadcaster on Thursday, a day after MIT chief Ibrahim Kalın briefed the party about Türkiye’s ongoing counterterrorism operations. At a meeting with Özel and his delegation at the CHP headquarters in the capital Ankara, Kalın shared information about the ongoing efforts against the PKK, the Gülenist Terror Group (FETÖ)…

Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan hailed the recent decision by the International Criminal Court (ICC) to issue arrest warrants for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and former Defense Minister Yoav Gallant for their genocidal war crimes and crimes against humanity tied to the war in Gaza. Fidan said the warrant is “an extremely important step” toward holding perpetrators of genocide accountable for their crimes. Many countries and organizations welcomed the decision, calling on all countries to implement it. “The arrest warrant for Netanyahu and Gallant announced by the International Criminal Court is hope-inspiring for the execution of justice,” Fidan said. The…

Turkish Parliament Speaker Numan Kurtulmuş and Justice Minister Yılmaz Tunç welcomed the International Criminal Court’s (ICC) decision to issue an arrest warrant for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and former Defense Minister Yoav Gallant, as they hailed the U.N. court for siding with justice despite pressure. ICC announced its decision, issued over war crimes and crimes against humanity tied to Israel’s attacks in Gaza and the October 2023 incursion that spurred the country’s genocidal offensive. In a statement he posted on X, Kurtulmuş called the arrest warrant a “historic step” that challenged Israel’s immunity. “This decision is a result of…

The First International Strategic Negotiations Forum opened in southern Türkiye’s Gaziantep on Thursday, under the theme of “The Search for Communication and Trust in the Islamic World.” The event is attended by Islamic scholars from Türkiye, the United States, Qatar, Malaysia, Algeria, Pakistan, India, Iran and Mauritania. Organized by Gaziantep Islam Science and Technology University (GİBTÜ), the Presidency of Religious Affairs and the municipality of Şahinbey district where the venue is located, the two-day forum tackles various topics, from “unity of opinion in the Islamic world,” to the history of Muslim communities, as well as communication and trust challenges in…