On Thursday, in the Turkish capital, Ankara, the work of a summit of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Economic Cooperation Organization of the Black Sea Rim countries kicked off.

At the opening, the Secretary-General of the Assembly, Assaf Hajiyev, expressed his thanks to the Speaker of the Turkish Parliament, Mustafa Şentop, for hosting the summit.

Hajiyev said that the Black Sea region is important to world politics as “a bridge and intersection point between the continents of Asia and Europe.”

He pointed out that the region has great wealth in terms of energy, and that it has been attracting attention worldwide in recent years.

The Black Sea Economic Cooperation Organization was established in 1992 at the suggestion of Turkey and includes 13 countries, including Russia, Azerbaijan and Ukraine.

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On Thursday evening, the Turkish authorities began pumping the natural gas discovered off the coast of the country in the Black Sea to the mainland.

The announcement of the start of pumping came through a torch lit by President Recep Tayyip Erdogan during a ceremony held in the port of “Vilios” in Zonguldak state, northern Turkey.

Erdogan said during the lighting of the torch that the Turkish people will start using the gas extracted from their country after today.

He expressed his congratulations to all Turkish citizens on the occasion of pumping natural gas into the national grid.

The ceremony was attended by Fuad Oktay, Erdogan’s deputy, Parliament Speaker Mustafa Şentop, Minister of Energy and Human Resources Fatih Donmez, Labor and Social Security, Wadad Bilgin, Head of the Communication Department in the Turkish Presidency Fahrettin Altun, as well as leaders of parties allied with the ruling Justice and Development Party in the upcoming elections.

Turkey plans to produce 10 million cubic meters of natural gas per day from 10 wells in the Black Sea in the first phase and 40 million cubic meters per day from 40 wells in the second phase.

According to a statement by the Minister of Energy during the ceremony, the project will meet about 30 percent of Turkey’s current natural gas needs on its own when it reaches full capacity.

“Our discovery (gas volume) has the potential to meet the natural gas needs of all dwellings (in Turkey) for 35 years,” said Minister Dönmez.

Turkey discovered the largest natural gas reserves in the country’s history in the Black Sea in August 2020.

Natural gas reserves discovered in the Black Sea amounted to 710 billion cubic meters during the period between 2020 and 2022.

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The Speaker of the Turkish Parliament, Mustafa Şentop, called on the Union of Councils of Member States of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation to take a common position regarding the Israeli attacks against Al-Aqsa Mosque and the Palestinian people.

This came in a phone call on Saturday with Ibrahim Bougali, head of the Algerian National People’s Assembly, whose country holds the rotating presidency of the Union of Councils of Member States of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation.

Şentop stressed the need for the union to take a common position regarding Israel’s attacks on Al-Aqsa Mosque and the Palestinian people.

He stressed that the international community must take concrete steps and put this issue on its agenda urgently.

He also stressed that the Union of Councils of Member States of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation must move quickly in the face of the attacks on Al-Aqsa Mosque.

At the suggestion of Şentop, it was decided to hold an online meeting on Monday between the speakers of the parliaments of Turkey, the president of the previous session of the union, Algeria, the current president, and the Republic of Côte d’Ivoire, the president of the next session.

Over the past three days, there have been renewed incursions and attacks on Al-Aqsa Mosque, forcing worshipers out of it, in a dangerous Israeli escalation that was met with a wide wave of regional and international condemnations and denunciations.

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Turkish Parliament Speaker Mustafa Şentop said Thursday that his country will continue its efforts to enhance global cooperation through parliamentary diplomacy.

This came in a speech during the eighth conference of the heads of parliaments of the Intercontinental Informal Consultation and Coordination Group “MIKTA” in Istanbul.

Micta International was formed on September 25, 2013 and currently includes Turkey, Mexico, Indonesia, South Korea and Australia.

Şentop pointed to the great importance of parliamentary diplomacy in order to overcome the difficulties of the new world, such as the establishment of justice, migrations and climate change.

He stressed that parliamentary diplomacy provides unique opportunities thanks to its flexibility and wide scope of work, and that the “MIKTA” initiative is based on coordination and cooperation.

He explained that partnerships based on coordination and cooperation such as MIKTA can contribute to addressing problems around the world from a more comprehensive perspective.

Şentop stated that parliamentary diplomacy is of great importance to the future of the “MIKTA” group and the role it will play in international politics.

The Speaker of the Turkish Parliament affirmed that his country will continue its efforts and measures to enhance global cooperation through parliamentary diplomacy.

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On Thursday, the Turkish parliament hosted the eighth conference of the heads of parliaments of the Intercontinental Informal Consultation and Coordination Group “MIKTA”.

In the opening speech of the conference held in the “Spcilar” Palace in Istanbul, Turkish Parliament Speaker Mustafa Şentop confirmed that his country suffered great losses as a result of the double earthquake that struck the south of the country.

Şentop expressed his thanks to the countries and peoples of the group for their solidarity with Turkey and for sending search and rescue teams and humanitarian aid.

MIKTA is a group of countries that includes Turkey, Mexico, Indonesia, South Korea and Australia. It was established in 2013 as a partnership between G20 member states with the aim of bridging the gaps between developed and developing countries.

He said, “Issues such as epidemics, wars, natural disasters, and drought that we have experienced in recent years clearly showed how short and complex the relations between every country and even every individual in the world are.”

He added, “Global interdependence requires increased cooperation between countries and joint efforts to solve international problems.”

In addition to Şentop, AKP deputies Rawda Kawakji Kan and Abdullah Guler participated in the conference, in addition to Mexican Deputy Speaker Naomi Luna Ayala, Indonesian House Speaker Puan Maharani, South Korean National Assembly Speaker Kim Jin-pyo, and Australian Senate Vice President Andrew MacLachlan.

It is planned that several sessions will be held within the framework of the conference, dealing with various topics such as reforming the international system, global migration, food security, artificial intelligence, technology and parliamentary diplomacy.

The post The Turkish parliament hosts a conference of the “Mikta” group appeared first on Move 2 Turkey.

Turkish Parliament Speaker Mustafa Şentop offered his condolences for the death of 49 Turkish Cypriots as a result of the earthquake that struck southern Turkey on February 6.

A statement issued by the Presidency of the Turkish Parliament, Thursday, stated that Şentop received the Speaker of the Parliament of the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus, Zorlu Tora, and his accompanying delegation in the capital, Ankara.

Şentop expressed his sorrow over the death of Turkish Cypriot brothers as a result of the earthquake, offering his condolences to his Turkish Cypriot counterpart for the victims.

Şentop stressed that Turkey will take quick steps to heal the wounds caused by the disaster.

He said that permanent housing for earthquake-affected people is scheduled to be built quickly within one year.

For his part, Tora indicated that they had come to Turkey to offer their condolences to the earthquake victims.

Tura said: “We are together in fate, joy and sorrow. Turkey is like a mother to us, and we ask God not to leave anyone without a mother because Turkey is the greatest guarantee for the Turkish Cypriot people.”

He recalled that the Republic of Northern Cyprus is trying to support Turkey with all its might, adding: “Turkey is a leading country in the region, and I hope it will recover in a short time.”

On February 6, two earthquakes of magnitude 7.7 and 7.6 struck southern Turkey and northern Syria, followed by thousands of violent aftershocks, killing tens of thousands of people and leaving huge material damage.

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Turkish Parliament Speaker Mustafa Şentop announced Thursday that he donated three salaries to the victims of the earthquake that struck southern Turkey a few days ago.

In a press statement on Thursday, Şentop called on all Turkish parliamentarians to donate their salaries to those affected by the earthquake.

Following Şentop’s call, deputies from the Justice and Development parties, the Republican People’s Party, the National Movement, and the Democratic Peoples announced that they would donate their salaries to those affected by the earthquake.

Earlier, the head of the Nationalist Movement Party, Devlet Bahceli, announced his donation of one million Turkish liras to those affected by the earthquake.

At dawn on Monday, a 7.7-magnitude earthquake hit southern Turkey and northern Syria, followed by another hours later with a magnitude of 7.6 and hundreds of violent aftershocks, which left huge losses of lives and property in both countries.

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Turkish Parliament Speaker Mustafa Şentop confirmed that there is no legal impediment to President Recep Tayyip Erdogan’s re-candidacy for the presidential elections in accordance with the constitution.

This came in statements he made on Thursday, during which he touched on discussions about the possibility of President Erdogan running for a second term.

Şentop explained that President Erdogan assumes the first presidential term and has the right to run for a second term according to the presidential system that was approved in 2018.

He said, “It is very clear that this presidential term is the first for our president. There is no legal problem related to his candidacy (for a second term) according to the constitution.”

Şentop explained that, according to the law that came into effect in April 2018, all citizens are entitled to run for two presidential terms.

Last week, the opposition, made up of a 6-party alliance, said in a statement that Erdogan could not be a presidential candidate for a new term.

Yesterday, Wednesday, Erdogan confirmed that there was no obstacle to his re-candidacy for the presidential elections.

The elections were scheduled for June 18, but Erdogan recently stated that May 14 is the most suitable day for holding presidential and parliamentary elections in his country.

On June 24, 2018, simultaneous general and presidential elections were held in Turkey, in which President Erdogan obtained 52.59 percent of the vote, making him the first president in the country’s presidential system.

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The Speaker of the Turkish Parliament, Mustafa Şentop, warned of a dangerous trend towards hostility to Islam and Muslims, especially the Turks in Europe.

Şentop believed that European countries prepared the ground for these anti-Turkish, anti-Islam and anti-Muslim tendencies.

In another matter, Şentop indicated that requests were submitted from 11 countries to nominate President Recep Tayyip Erdogan for the Nobel Peace Prize.

He said, “If there is a peace prize to be awarded for the year 2022, President Erdogan is the one who deserves it.”

The post Şentop warns of hostility to the Turks and Islam in Europe appeared first on Move 2 Turkey.

Turkish Parliament Speaker Mustafa Şentop said on Sunday that Western countries ignore their values and customs when it comes to Muslims.

This came in a speech during his meeting with his Algerian counterpart Ibrahim Bougali on the sidelines of the 17th Conference of the Union of Councils of Member States of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation in Algiers.

Şentop praised the importance of the conference, which addresses the common problems of the Islamic world.

He explained that 400 million Muslims living in non-Islamic countries around the world are subjected to systematic or individual violations of human rights.

He pointed to the growing phenomenon of Islamophobia, xenophobia and racial discrimination in recent years, and that this phenomenon has become a policy adopted by some countries.

Şentop also met in Algeria with the Speaker of the Ivorian Parliament, Adama Bektogo, and discussed with him the existing bilateral relations between the two countries and ways to enhance them.

Şentop and Bektogo discussed ways to enhance cooperation between the two sides in the fields of energy, health and education.

He also met with the Chairman of the Shura Council in the Sultanate of Oman, Khalid bin Hilal Al-Ma’awali, and expressed his gratitude for the development of the two countries’ relations in recent years.

Şentop said that Turkey and the Sultanate of Oman share the same vision on many regional and international issues.

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