What you need to know today (July 29, 2025)

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• The verdict has been released in the case of Berkin Elvan, who was injured by a tear gas canister fired by police during the Gezi Park protests and died after a 269-day coma. The Supreme Court of Appeals upheld the 16-year, 8-month prison sentence given to police officer Fatih Dalgalı on April 13. Dalgalı will go to prison.

• The Turkish Journalists Association, Reporters Without Borders, the Turkish Journalists Union, and DİSK Basın İş held a press conference in front of the Israeli Consulate. The organizations condemned the killing of 225 Palestinian journalists since October 7, 2023.

• According to data from the We Will Stop Femicide Platform, 34 women, including one pregnant woman, lost their lives to male violence in July 2025. Most of the perpetrators were the women's closest relatives. We have compiled the stories of the women who lost their lives in July for you.

• As part of its measures against the risk of forest fires, the Istanbul Governor's Office has banned the sale of flammable and explosive items such as fireworks, torches, and signal flares throughout the province until October 28. Law enforcement will monitor the ban.

• TÜRKSAT, affiliated with the Turkey Wealth Fund, is entering the mobile communications sector as the fourth operator. Expected to launch in the first quarter of 2026 following a regulation submitted to Parliament, the company will compete with Turkcell, Vodafone, and Türk Telekom.

• Minister of Agriculture and Forestry İbrahim Yumaklı announced that five forest fires in four provinces have been brought under control. Yumaklı stated that all 55 fires that broke out in the last 24 hours have been brought under control, adding that only the Bursa Harmancık fire is still burning.

• Some pro-government channels in Turkey claimed that Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) Commander Mazlum Abdi had been assassinated. Mazlum Abdi refuted these claims in a video interview with Al-Hadath and Al-Arabiya.
  • Mazlum Abdi emphasized that communication channels with Turkey and the Syrian government are always open, and stated that an agreement was reached between the SDF and Damascus regarding the unity of Syria under one army and one flag.

• Turkey decided to sign the action plan, which was drafted by the Hague Group following a meeting held in Bogota, Colombia, on July 15-16, and includes sanctions against Israel.

• The Israel-based B'Tselem and the Israeli Doctors for Human Rights (PHRI) released comprehensive reports accusing Israel of committing genocide against the Palestinian people in the Gaza Strip. The report listed evidence of genocide across a range of topics, from the collapse of the healthcare system to mass killings.

• Palestinian activist and journalist Awdah Hathaleen, who helped film the Oscar-winning documentary No Other Land, was killed by an Israeli settler in the occupied West Bank.

• A gunman entered an office building in Manhattan, United States, and killed four people, including a police officer, before committing suicide.

July 29, 2025 | Broadcasts we recommend watching on our YouTube channel:

• Numan Kurtulmuş asked the parties represented in Parliament to submit members for the commission by 5:00 PM on Thursday, July 31st. So, what will the CHP's stance be on the commission to be established in Parliament for the new peace process? Ruşen Çakır comments on the commission process with questions from the audience. You can watch it here .
• Following CHP Chairman Özgür Özel’s statement, “The Speaker of the Parliament needs to say that a qualified majority will be required so that we can be in the commission,” CHP Deputy Chairman Gökçe Gökçen, answering Göksel Göksu’s questions, said that if the CHP’s request for proportional representation is not accepted, her party will not be in the commission.
• What happened to truth in politics? Why do people looking at the same event believe in completely different realities? In "Sağduyu," Tarık Çelenk discussed morality, identity, biased information processing, and conspiracy theories with his guest, Assoc. Prof. Uğur Özdemir. The video, titled "Biased Information Processing and Conspiracy Theories," also discussed how the mind bends and distorts the truth.