Author: Daily Sabah

Two years since its foundation, a landmark government institution has strived to reach out to the long-neglected Alevi community of Türkiye. Alirıza Özdemir, head of Alevi-Bektashi Culture and Cemevi Presidency, said they endorsed 176 civic society organizations and responded to requests from Alevi and Bektashi organizations, as well as cemevis or houses of gathering for the community. “We supported social and cultural activities and responded to more daily requests. So far, we have acted upon requests of 355 cemevis and this number may increase to 500 by next year,” he told Anadolu Agency (AA) on Monday. The presidency, launched with…

Türkiye will soon announce an accessibility declaration for the disabled community to have easier access to digital-based services through websites and mobile apps, President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan said Monday. Speaking at an event to mark the International Day of Persons with Disabilities in the capital of Ankara, Erdoğan praised the event’s significance in raising awareness of disability issues and reiterated the need to lend “genuine” support to the community. The Turkish president touted a long history of disability care in Turkish history, starting with the Seljuks and the Ottomans, who he said provided education “beyond the modern age” and high-level…

Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan discussed anti-regime groups’ offensive in Syria and the Palestine-Israel conflict at a meeting in the capital, Ankara, on Monday with his Iranian counterpart Abbas Araghchi. Fidan said at a joint news conference that Ankara has repeatedly warned all parties of the conflict to avoid escalation of tensions. He noted that problems have not been resolved for the past 13 years since the start of the unrest in Syria, which has led to the current situation. He added that it would be false to explain away the developments due to foreign intervention. He underlined that Türkiye…

Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan discussed anti-regime groups’ offensive in Syria and Palestine-Israel conflict at a meeting in the capital Ankara on Monday with his Iranian counterpart Abbas Araghchi. Fidan said at a joint news conference that Ankara has repeatedly issued warnings to all parties of the conflict to avoid escalation of tensions. He said problems unresolved for the past 13 years since the start of unrest in Syria led to the current situation. He added that it would be false to explain away the developments as a result of foreign intervention. He underlined that Türkiye always supported territorial integrity…

Turkish gendarmerie forces captured a total of 115 migrant smugglers in two-week-long countrywide operations, Interior Minister Ali Yerlikaya announced Monday. “49 of these suspects were arrested while 15 were released on probation and processing is underway for others,” Yerlikaya said in a statement on X. Raids also seized unlicensed weapons and 78 vehicles, according to the minister. The minister vowed to continue the fight against migrant smuggling and irregular migration for the peace and security of the country. Türkiye has caught over 1.1 million irregular migrants within its borders since 2020, according to official figures from the Interior Ministry. The…

The National Intelligence Organization (MIT) has eliminated a red-category wanted PKK/YPG terrorists in a precision strike in northern Syria’s Tal Rifaat region, Turkish security sources said Monday. Yaşar Çekik, code-named “Yaşar Hakkari,” was the so-called head of PKK/YPG’s Shahba region, sources said. In addition to being wanted by Interpol, Çekik had been in the red category of Türkiye’s wanted terrorist list due to the terrorist attacks he carried out against Turkish security forces in Türkiye, Syria and Iraq. The terrorist, a top priority target for MIT, had been under surveillance for a long time. MIT discovered that Çekik, originally the…

The seventh round of Greek-Turkish discussions on Positive Agenda will kick off on Monday in Athens. Deputy Foreign Ministers Kostas Fragkogiannis and Mehmet Kemal Bozay will represent Greece and Türkiye, respectively, at the meeting. On Tuesday, Greek and Turkish diplomats will attend the third meeting of the Political Dialogue. The meetings aim to navigate two neighbors through a complex process of friendship after years of hostilities. They will be followed by a High-Level Strategic Cooperation Council meeting scheduled in January or February during Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis’ visit to Türkiye. Last month, delegations from the defense ministries of Türkiye…

Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan had phone calls with his counterparts and is set to meet visiting Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi as a conflict next door is brewing. Fidan last held talks with Iraqi Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Fuad Hussein on Sunday, during which the two diplomats discussed developments in Syria. On Saturday, he had a phone call with Qatari Foreign Minister Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al Sani to discuss the situation in Syria and efforts to achieve a cease-fire in Gaza, according to diplomatic sources. Also, on Saturday, he discussed the issue with Lebanese Prime Minister Najib Mikati…

Turkish security sources said on Sunday that the Syrian opposition’s Syrian National Army blocked a bid by the terrorist group PKK/YPG to create a “terror corridor” amid a lightning offensive by Syrian anti-regime forces toward Aleppo. Türkiye has been a supporter of the Syrian opposition in its efforts to drive away terrorist groups PKK/YPG and Daesh in Syria’s north. Ankara’s cross-border offensives helped the Syrian National Army to take control of areas near the Turkish border, which were plagued with terror attacks. Earlier this week, Syrian anti-regime forces started an unprecedented advance toward Aleppo to take control of the province…

Maintaining calm in Idlib and the adjacent region, which is at the zero point of Türkiye’s border, is a priority for Ankara, Foreign Ministry spokesman Öncü Keçeli said Friday, as he said ongoing attacks in the region must come to an end. Keçeli’s remarks came as anti-regime forces and their allies reached the city center of Syria’s Aleppo. Noting that Türkiye fulfills the requirements of all agreements, Keçeli said Ankara issued warnings about the recent attacks on Idlib, which have reached a level that undermines the implementation of the Astana agreements. “We have emphasized that these attacks must come to…