⚖️ Justice System and Everyday Life in Türkiye
Arrest warrant issued for Tamar Tanrıyar after she leaves Türkiye
The Istanbul Chief Public Prosecutor’s Office has announced that Tamar Tanrıyar, who had been placed under investigation on its own initiative and ordered detained, was found to have left the country through the Marmaris Sea Border Gate on 23 June, prompting instructions to issue an arrest warrant. According to the office, Tanrıyar, who has drawn attention for allegations directed at several figures from the CHP and most recently for a social media post concerning Turkuvaz Media, is being investigated on suspicion of “insulting the President” and “publicly disseminating misleading information”, after she was found to have made publicly accessible posts deemed to constitute a criminal offence. The prosecutor’s office stated that, following its enquiries, she was determined to have departed via the Marmaris border gate on 23 June 2026, and that paperwork was ordered to be brought to the courthouse on 28 June so that an arrest warrant could be issued. The report notes that Tanrıyar had previously targeted CHP figures including Özgür Özel, Veli Ağbaba, Ekrem İmamoğlu and Murat Emir, and that in her latest broadcast she turned to Serhat Albayrak of Turkuvaz Media, saying the company distributed the Sözcü newspaper and warning, “You have until 1 July. You’re finished, finished, otherwise you can’t silence me.” CHP figures had also previously filed criminal complaints against her.
Passenger record broken at Istanbul Sabiha Gökçen Airport
Istanbul Sabiha Gökçen International Airport (ISG) reached the highest passenger figure in its history on Sunday 28 June, handling 165,473 travellers. The summer holiday surge, which began when schools closed on 26 June, brought historic levels of congestion to the airport, as strong seasonal travel demand combined with Istanbul’s powerful tourism appeal and increased passenger movement to set a new record. One of the busiest aviation hubs in Türkiye and Europe, Sabiha Gökçen recorded its highest-ever daily performance in passenger traffic that Sunday, with a total of 889 flights carried out over the course of the day.
Deniz Göktaş responds to claims he fled the country: those who shared it like an intelligence report will also see I paid a hefty exemption fee, I’ll be in the country for years
Stand-up comedian Deniz Göktaş, targeted by pro-government circles over his “Ölü Deniz” show staged at the Harbiye Open Air Theatre on 1 June, has responded to claims that he had fled the country. Known for his stand-up performances and podcast work, Göktaş hit back on the social media platform X against posts portraying him as a fugitive on the basis of his travels, saying that, contrary to the allegations, he had gone on holiday after a demanding period of work. He said he had set off to join his friends with “three T-shirts and three pairs of boxers” as soon as his tour and editing finished, questioning whether travelling was shameful and noting that those sharing the news as though it were an intelligence report would also see that on 22 June he paid a substantial paid-military-service exemption fee, adding that he would be in the country for many years to come. Closing his statement with a humorous tone, Göktaş said that if anything required his presence in Türkiye he would return on the first flight, joking that the number of T-shirts was a problem.
TTB elections: an opinion piece arguing the win was for a vision of medicine, not just a list
In a column for Gazete Pencere, Prof. Dr. Cem Terzi reflects on the recently concluded Turkish Medical Association (TTB) elections, in which the Effective Democratic TTB group won eight of the eleven seats on the Central Council. Terzi argues that the result should be read not merely as an electoral success but as a verdict on which historical path the TTB will follow, contending that the real question on the ballot was whether the association would focus narrowly on doctors’ economic and professional rights or continue its democratic tradition of carrying medical ethics to society as a whole. He maintains that the TTB’s standing derives from its history of opposing torture, defending peace over war, upholding human rights and the rule of law, and supporting a democratic resolution to the Kurdish issue — stances that, in his view, made it a target, particularly in the period following the 1980 coup. According to Terzi, under authoritarian regimes staying away from politics means accepting the limits drawn by those in power, and the struggle for medicine cannot be separated from the struggle for democracy, since health rights cannot be protected where there is no democracy. He frames the outcome as a victory for the trust born of solidarity over the distance produced by fear, casting the result as a new responsibility to build a stronger common struggle that remains open to differing views while not compromising on the association’s historical line, and concluding that doctors chose solidarity and that it is now time to prove worthy of that trust.
🏛️ Politics
Erdoğan: we have written a success story unparalleled in the history of the Republic
President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan has said that during his party’s 25 years in power a new page has been turned in Turkish politics, declaring that the AK Party has produced “a great success story granted to no other government in the history of the Republic”. Speaking at the AK Party’s 33rd Consultation and Evaluation Meeting held in the Sapanca district of Sakarya, Erdoğan touched on the political outlook the party has pursued since its founding, saying it had ushered in a new era, brought a fresh breath to politics and given it an original perspective, and that for 25 years it had not closed its doors to differing views, having set out with a sense of “shared destiny” rather than “shared interest”. Emphasising the importance of intra-party consultation mechanisms, he said the consultation and evaluation meetings had become one of the fundamental elements of the AK Party’s institutional structure, noting that feedback from the ground had been assessed over the two-day camp, extensive exchanges of ideas had taken place and the necessary instructions had been given. Reviewing the party’s quarter-century in office, Erdoğan said Türkiye’s international influence had grown, adding that 25 years ago they had set out as the hope of the nation and had today become a source of hope for millions of people living beyond the country’s borders as well.
Vice President Yılmaz: we must increase Islamic countries’ share of world trade
Speaking at a gala dinner held at the Union of Chambers and Commodity Exchanges of Türkiye (TOBB) reception hall, attended by chamber representatives from 20 Islamic countries as part of the Islamic Chamber of Commerce and Development meetings, Vice President Cevdet Yılmaz said Islamic countries must raise their share of the world economy and trade, something he argued could be achieved not through individual efforts alone but through joint work, requiring more production partnerships, greater cooperation in investment, and stronger logistics, connectivity and integration. He noted that the 57-member Organisation of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) accounts for roughly a fifth of the world’s population yet only 10 to 11 per cent of global merchandise trade, which he said pointed to significant untapped economic potential. Highlighting Türkiye’s own record, Yılmaz said the economy had grown from $238bn when the AK Party took office in 2002 to over $1.6tn by 2025, with exports of goods and services reaching $396bn last year and expected to exceed $400bn this year, while trade with OIC member states had reached $118bn. He set out figures on mutual investment since 2003 — $27.3bn flowing into Türkiye from OIC members and $15.2bn going the other way — and pointed to long-running work under the Standing Committee for Economic and Commercial Cooperation (COMCEC), including 38 projects successfully carried out in Palestine and a forthcoming COMCEC Syria Programme. Stressing that the bloc had yet to reach its 25 per cent intra-OIC trade target, which he said was itself too low, Yılmaz pointed to instruments such as the Preferential Trade System and the OIC Arbitration Centre, and welcomed a cooperation memorandum signed between TOBB and the Federation of Saudi Chambers, describing economic and political relations between Türkiye and Saudi Arabia as highly positive.
Parliament Speaker Kurtulmuş meets Bulgarian counterpart Mihaela Dotsova in Istanbul
Grand National Assembly of Türkiye (TBMM) Speaker Numan Kurtulmuş has met Bulgarian National Assembly Speaker Mihaela Dotsova, who was in Istanbul for the NATO Parliamentary Summit. At the meeting, held at the TBMM Speaker’s Office in Istanbul, Kurtulmuş expressed his good wishes for the elections held in Bulgaria on 19 April and for the new government, and wished Dotsova success in her role, saying that forming a Türkiye friendship group in the Bulgarian parliament as soon as possible and beginning mutual work and visits would benefit bilateral relations. Underlining that Türkiye attaches great importance to the stability of the Balkans at a time when Europe and the Middle East are so troubled, he stressed that stability in Bulgaria, in Türkiye and in the relationship between the two countries would provide grounds for hope for the future, and noted the deep-rooted historical ties between the two nations, describing the Turkish community in Bulgaria and the 20 members of parliament of Turkish origin in the Bulgarian parliament as a strong bridge for developing relations. Kurtulmuş also said NATO membership had brought important gains to ties between the two countries, and, recalling that the third NATO Parliamentary Summit would be held in Istanbul, expressed a wish for the summit to become a permanent fixture like the NATO Leaders’ Summit. NATO PA Turkish Group Chair and AK Party Antalya MP Mevlüt Çavuşoğlu also attended the meeting.
Busy week in Parliament: armed forces regulation heads to the General Assembly as school attacks come before committee
The General Assembly of the Grand National Assembly of Türkiye (TBMM) is set to begin debating a bill containing regulations on the Turkish Armed Forces (TSK), alongside the proposal popularly known as the “12th Judicial Package”, when it resumes its weekly work on Tuesday 30 June. Under the armed forces bill, officers who leave the military for any reason — other than those performing compulsory service — would not be able to rejoin as regular personnel except in cases set out in the law, while doctors and dentists trained at state expense who are dismissed or resign before completing their obligation period would be barred from practising for a calculated time; contracted privates and NCOs who serve at least seven years with a favourable record could be appointed to various public posts such as prison guards, neighbourhood watchmen, forest rangers, firefighters and drivers, and the rules for promotion to expert NCO status would be tightened to require success in physical and written tests and interviews. The judicial package would extend by four years a deadline, expiring on 23 July 2026, for reducing the number of Council of State chambers to ten, widen the range of cases heard by a single judge in administrative courts, bar deferral of the announcement of verdicts in torture and ill-treatment cases, and adjust default interest calculations under the Code of Obligations and Commercial Code, among other measures, including a provision on the so-called “IBAN victims” that would halve sentences for those whose involvement in fraud is limited to sharing bank or payment account details. Separately, the parliamentary inquiry commission set up to investigate incidents at schools in Şanlıurfa and Kahramanmaraş, along with the risks children face in digital environments, is due to convene, while a joint sub-committee of the Petitions Committee and the Human Rights Inquiry Committee will discuss items on its agenda and political party groups will hold their meetings on Tuesday and Wednesday.
Minister Ersoy: there will not be a second Kadir İnanır
Culture and Tourism Minister Mehmet Nuri Ersoy has said that bidding farewell to actor Kadir İnanır is, in effect, bidding farewell to the unforgettable memories of our lives and to the golden age of Yeşilçam, Türkiye’s classic cinema. Speaking to the press at the Levent Barbaros Hayrettin Paşa Mosque in Istanbul, where the funeral prayer was held after the afternoon prayer and following a commemoration at the Harbiye Muhsin Ertuğrul Stage, Ersoy said the legacy İnanır left to Turkish cinema would continue to inspire future generations. Noting that the actor had earned an exceptional place in Turkish cinema, he said an era was now being left behind, taking with it the memories, excitement and unforgettable recollections of several generations, and that through the characters he portrayed on screen İnanır had touched the lives of millions, with works whose value would not fade over the years. Citing titles such as “Dila Hanım”, “Derviş Bey”, “Bodrum Hâkimi”, “Selvi Boylum Al Yazmalım” and “Tatar Ramazan”, Ersoy said great artists leave behind not only films but marks that live on for generations, adding that there would never be a second Kadir İnanır, though new artists would come up along the path he had opened and his legacy would live on. He closed by offering his condolences to İnanır’s family, loved ones and the arts community.
Communications Director Duran hits back at Israel
Presidential Communications Director Burhanettin Duran has reacted to a decision by the Israeli government regarding Armenian claims about the events of 1915, describing it as hypocrisy. In a post on his social media account, Duran said it was, in a word, hypocritical for the Israeli administration — which he accused of carrying out what he called the most savage massacre of the 21st century by killing tens of thousands of innocent civilians without distinction between babies, women and the elderly — to dare to use historical events as a political weapon. He argued that Israel’s recognition of the 1915 events as so-called “genocide” was a futile attempt to cover up the blood of innocent Palestinians, what he termed state terrorism in the Middle East and crimes against humanity. Duran said it was among the greatest ironies in human history that those speaking of moral and historical obligations were, in his words, relentlessly bombing hospitals, schools, places of worship and refugee camps while trampling international law, and contended that those being tried for the crime of genocide at the International Court of Justice had no right whatsoever to lecture Türkiye on history or to appoint themselves guardians of conscience.
Türkiye reacts sharply to Israel over 1915 decision
Türkiye’s Foreign Ministry has issued a written statement reacting to a decision by the Israeli government regarding Armenian claims about the events of 1915, saying that an Israeli government which is carrying out systematic persecution of the Palestinian people in full view of the world and is being tried at the International Court of Justice for committing genocide against the people of Gaza is, through this political decision, seeking to cover up its own crimes. Describing the move as a malicious attempt that disregards legal and historical facts, the ministry said it laid bare the predicament of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and his accomplices, who are subject to arrest warrants in connection with the investigation at the International Criminal Court into crimes committed against Palestinians. The statement added that Türkiye would continue to work with determination for an end to Israel’s expansionist and destabilising policies in the region and for the Netanyahu government to be held accountable before the law for the crimes it has committed against civilians, above all the Palestinian people.
🤝Ruling Government (AKP, MHP and DEM coalition aka People’s Alliance)
BirGün columnist Aydın: Akın Gürlek against the son-in-law, but why would the government’s most important minister have a problem with Erdoğan’s family?
In today’s column, BirGün writer Yaşar Aydın assesses the detention order issued against Tamar Tanrıyar, arguing that “internal power” debates within the AKP are running wild, with everyone who gets near a microphone feeling obliged to praise someone other than President Erdoğan — naming figures such as Şamil Tayyar, Cem Küçük, Mücahit Birinci, Tanrıyar and Dilek Güngör — and continuing to discuss a “post-Erdoğan” era even at the cost of open conflict. Aydın writes that what makes Tanrıyar’s threat and subsequent detention all the more intriguing is the question of “who is behind her”, noting it had been widely reported that AKP members were uncomfortable with Tanrıyar but left her untouched, and that she was said to have a wide protection network reaching up to ministers. He points to a social media post by Sabah newspaper columnist Dilek Güngör — known, he says, for her information from within the government — who, as 15 July approached, drew attention to alleged FETÖ propaganda and defended the Turkuvaz Media Group, declaring that those who had a certain video made were not up to the task; Aydın contends Güngör knew, and indeed wanted, the matter to be steered towards Minister Akın Gürlek. He asks why the government’s most important minister would have a problem with Erdoğan’s family, suggesting the answer should be sought while bearing in mind that Tanrıyar had also targeted the son-in-law. Aydın argues the situation is not especially mysterious — it is a “post-Erdoğan” debate, but not as simple as one name replacing another, with the current focus being whether a family member or bureaucrats will govern, which is why corridor talk of unease over Gürlek and of warnings from the palace and from Fidan has become common. He concludes that ministries, media organisations and even party branches are now divided between the bureaucracy and family members, with all sides still needing Erdoğan and continuing to mythologise him while, at the same time, carrying on as if he were not there.
What was discussed at the AKP camp? Pensioners, hobby gardens and daytime TV
Provincial party organisations attending the AKP’s 33rd Consultation and Evaluation Meeting, held this weekend in Sapanca, relayed citizens’ demands to MPs and ministers, with topics ranging from pensions and daytime television programmes to hobby gardens. According to Kısa Dalga, the camp was held outside Ankara for the first time this year, in Sapanca rather than Kızılcahamam, with simultaneous sessions on the economy, parliamentary work and general matters whose findings will be reported and used to shape the party’s institutional road map. Reporting comments carried by the Türkiye newspaper, one issue raised was increasing the salaries of low-income citizens and pensioners and strengthening support for producers, though the economic management did not respond favourably, noting that pay rises could widen the budget deficit. The government’s so-called “Terror-Free Türkiye” resolution process was another important heading, with participants stressing it should be handled carefully and pointing to strong expectations that a bill would be submitted to Parliament before its recess; President Erdoğan was said to have given instructions to that effect, and the AK Party is reported to be working on a draft of some 12 to 13 articles that could mature during July. The meeting also heard intense demands for daytime television programmes to be scrapped, amid what was described as serious public reaction long left unaddressed, as well as calls for tougher sanctions against social media posts inciting hatred. Hobby gardens were another live topic, with reports that buildings continue to be constructed and sold on forest and farmland around major cities, to which the AKP leadership responded that this would not be permitted and that such structures would be demolished.
🗳️ Opposition Parties (CHP and others)
Özel: Erdoğan and the Justice Minister are at the very heart of this; we will either take our party back or find another way
CHP leader Özgür Özel, speaking during a visit to the Bayçikoop Flower and Women’s Cooperative in the Bayındır district of İzmir, said a great injustice had been done to his party, arguing that a team which had won the party’s last four congresses was being ousted on the basis of a six-year-old election result, and that — despite one figure claiming the previous day to have no part in it — President Erdoğan and the Justice Minister he appointed were at the very heart of the matter. Describing his group as the people of the ballot box, who exist only where there are elections, Özel invoked Atatürk’s principle that the nation is sovereign and rules through those it elects, and vowed that, as the team that had beaten Erdoğan for the first time in 23 years and made the CHP the leading party for the first time in 47 years, they would either set the party right and win the next election as every poll suggested, or, if a “judicial coup” tried to block their march to power, find another way to return to government. Insisting “we will spoil this game” — a line he attributed to the late actor Kadir İnanır’s character Tatar Ramazan, recalling a hospital visit to him — Özel said the party would neither be left to its fate in the hands of the unelected nor become part of any plan to keep Erdoğan in power. Turning to agriculture, he praised the cooperative, which he said had grown from 17 founders to 400 members supplying CHP-run municipalities, and argued that Türkiye’s way forward lies in cooperatives that let farmers market their own produce. He set out CHP pledges on subsidising farm credit, writing off interest once, providing fuel without excise duty or VAT, and raising agricultural support to the legally stipulated one per cent, promising that under his administration the president would treat farmers as “the masters of the nation” rather than dismiss them.
İYİ Party leader Dervişoğlu rallies at Tandoğan: I raise the flag against those who want to divide the country with the “Terror-Free Türkiye” lie
İYİ Party leader Müsavat Dervişoğlu addressed a “I Raise the Flag” rally at Ankara’s Tandoğan Square, attended by around 100,000 people, where the venue was filled with Turkish flags and no party flag was used, and which drew figures including Ankara Metropolitan Mayor Mansur Yavaş, Çankaya Mayor Hüseyin Can Güner and two CHP MPs. Dervişoğlu said there was no party, faction or personal interest on display, only Türkiye, and that the nation wanted its flag, its Republic, its rights, freedom and justice restored. He paid tribute to the late actor Kadir İnanır, whom he called a 50-year elder and friend, saying that if mourning him were deemed hypocrisy then it was politics itself that should sink, and echoing the line “we will spoil this game”. Arguing that the country faced a problem far larger than the appointment of trustees to municipalities, he said a “trustee” now sat over the state and the nation alike, and that nothing anyone owned was safe. He attacked the government’s rhetoric of a “state project” and “state reason”, calling it instead the cunning of those in power, and contended that Türkiye is only as terror-free as it is a state of law. Dervişoğlu condemned rallies in Van and Mersin calling for the release of PKK leader Abdullah Öcalan as demonstrations for a “baby killer” enabled by the government’s tolerance, and, in the most striking part of his speech, declared he was “raising the flag” against those who protect terrorism, who he said sought to divide Türkiye under the “Terror-Free Türkiye” lie, against those betraying the nation for political gain, and against a long list of ills from hunger and plunder to a judiciary placed at politics’ command, jailed journalists, femicide, child abuse and what he called turning Türkiye into a refugee camp. He called on the opposition to set aside artificial quarrels for an “integrated opposition” to be built in the squares rather than behind closed doors, and closed by urging people to follow him in defence of the unitary state, the nation’s unity and the Republic.