Author: Daily Sabah

The Labor and Social Security Ministry on Monday launched a sequestration process for six city administrations run by Türkiye’s main opposition party, the Republican People’s Party (CHP). The deposit and corporate accounts of the metropolitan municipalities of Istanbul, Ankara, western Izmir, southern Adana and Mersin, and Istanbul’s Şişli district, have been blocked due to unpaid debts to the Social Security Institution (SGK), the ministry said in a statement. The said administrations have the highest debts to the SGK, according to the ministry. Labor and Social Security Minister Vedat Işıkhan last month warned authorities would begin a confiscation process if the…

President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan on Monday convened executives of his ruling Justice and Development Party (AK Party) for two meetings in the capital, Ankara. The Central Decision-Making and Administrative Committee meetings focus on party congresses, local administration operations and Syria. The party launched its district conventions on Oct. 12 and has held congresses in at least 815 districts across the country so far. It plans to hold its national congress in early 2025, while Erdoğan is scheduled to attend 30 congresses, Sabah newspaper reported. Through congresses, the party aims to reshuffle its cadres. Erdoğan, who has spoken at five provincial…

The final conference of the European Union and Council of Europe’s joint program “ROMACTED II: Promoting Good Governance and Roma Empowerment at Local Level” concluded in Istanbul on Dec. 12. The event brought together over 200 participants, including high-level representatives from the Council of Europe, the European Commission, local mayors and officials, Romani community leaders, civil society organizations and program facilitators from the Western Balkans and Türkiye. The gathering served as a platform to reflect on the program’s achievements, share insights and discuss strategies for sustaining its positive impact in the future. The conference began with welcoming remarks from Hallvard…

The Islamic world witnessed a significant event on Dec. 14, as the “Preachers of the Nation: Trustees of Al-Aqsa” conference opened in Istanbul. Organized by the trustees of the Al-Aqsa Foundation, in collaboration with several scholarly institutions, the event brought together over 600 scholars and preachers from 40 countries. The gathering aimed to mobilize the Muslim community through pulpits and public platforms, rallying support in response to the suffering of Gaza’s people and the calls from the Al-Aqsa Mosque. The conference comes at a critical time as the world watches the brutal attacks against Gaza and Islamic sanctities, including Al-Aqsa.…

MMA standout Dagi Arslanaliev is poised to make his highly anticipated return at ONE Championship’s ONE 171: Qatar, scheduled for February at the Lusail Sports Arena. The 30-year-old veteran will clash with Croatian sensation Roberto Soldic in a thrilling welterweight showdown, with both fighters eager to rebound from recent setbacks. This bout headlines a trio of newly announced MMA matchups for the Qatar event. Featherweight contenders Shamil Gasanov and Martin Nguyen will square off in a pivotal clash, while bantamweight rivals Bibiano Fernandes and Kevin Belingon are set to rekindle their storied rivalry in a high-stakes encounter. Arslanaliev’s legacy Arslanaliev,…

ONE Championship is gearing up for an electrifying night of martial arts action in Qatar, with two world title fights headlining the highly anticipated ONE 171 event on Feb. 20 at the Lusail Sports Arena. The marquee event will bring together top-tier athletes, including stars from MENA countries, and promises a thrilling evening of combat sports. Main event: Haggerty vs. Wei Rui In the main event, reigning ONE Bantamweight Kickboxing World Champion Jonathan Haggerty will defend his title against China’s kickboxing icon Wei Rui, marking one of the most anticipated clashes in recent memory. Haggerty claimed the belt last November…

Hasan al-Hamada, the new defense minister of Syria under the anti-regime forces’ interim government, lashed out at the PKK/YPG terrorist group controlling parts of northeastern Syria and pledged their elimination. In a social media post on Saturday and after a visit to Manbij, a key town liberated from terrorist groups by the Syrian National Army (SNA) of the opposition, al-Hamada described the PKK/YPG as a “poisoned dagger in the back of revolution for years.” “Now it is a dagger on the entirety of Syria’s back,” he added. Al-Hamada said they were heeding calls in eastern provinces of Syria for their…

Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan said the PKK terrorist group’s members in the YPG must leave Syria as the country tries to form a new, unified administration, which he said needs to be inclusive and tolerant. “Elimination of YPG is Türkiye’s strategic goal,” Fidan told a live broadcast on NTV channel Friday. He highlighted that the PKK’s Syrian offshoots have no place in the country’s future while noting that the safety of the Kurdish population must be ensured. “Syria now has a national ruling government,” Fidan said, adding that the new administration would not recognize the YPG or others. “They will…

First Lady Emine Erdoğan called for swift global action to reach the 2030 Sustainable Development Goals, as she warned against the environmental consequences of Israel’s genocidal attacks on Gaza. The first lady chaired the third meeting of the United Nations Secretary-General’s Advisory Board on Zero Waste, where she said a fairer world was possible through mutual efforts. “There are only five years left till 2030 goals and we are still far from the pledges previously made with the goal of not leaving anybody behind,” the first lady told the meeting, which took place at the Dolmabahçe Presidential Office in Istanbul.…

Türkiye hopes the rest of Syria will be cleared of terrorists and occupiers following Bashar Assad’s toppling by anti-regime forces, President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan said Friday. Speaking to members and supporters of his ruling Justice and Development Party (AK Party) at an event in northern Sakarya province, Erdoğan warned of persistent problems on the eve of a “new era” amid recent developments in the Middle East. Much of northern Syria is plagued by Daesh and PKK/YPG terror groups that took advantage of the power vacuum and occupied swathes of land early in the civil war. The main opposition Syrian National…