20.03.2026 15:47
Interior Minister Mustafa Çiftçi stated that the Police Organization Law does not meet today's needs and announced that they are preparing for a comprehensive change. Çiftçi said, "The current law is now too restrictive for our Police Organization, and we believe it needs to be updated. There has been a preparation and work that started in the past before me regarding this. We also plan to continue this work with our colleagues."
Interior Minister Mustafa Çiftçi answered questions from representatives of news agencies regarding the agenda at the Security and Emergency Situations Coordination Center (GAMER) of the ministry.
In response to a question about the Ministry of Interior's security policy and vision for the new term, Çiftçi stated that they act with the understanding that continuity in the state is essential.
Çiftçi expressed that the AK Party governments have taken significant steps and developed policies in security strategy, just as in every other area, stating, "Our fundamental vision regarding security policy is to protect Turkey's peace, unity, togetherness, and stability, to build a security architecture that is capable of making quick decisions, effective in the field, highly coordinated, and citizen-focused. In line with the goals of the Century of Turkey put forth by our esteemed President, we will strive to institutionalize a preventive, holistic, and sustainable system that not only reacts to emerging threats but also anticipates risks and calculates potential risks in advance." he said.
Çiftçi explained that they do not only consider increasing the physical capacity of security units, and continued:
"We are focusing on strengthening the coordination of our institutions from every aspect, digitalization, the use of domestic and national technologies, and fundamentally, strengthening the trust relationship with our citizens. Establishing a permanent system that will dry up the source of crime is our non-negotiable priority. Turkey's new security architecture will be built on strong state, strong technology, and strong society cooperation. Our goal is to establish a security system that ensures our citizens feel safe everywhere, where public order is maintained at the highest level, and where Turkey's stability is further reinforced. In this direction, we will continue our efforts resolutely."
FIGHTING CYBER CRIMES
In response to the question, "What strategy will you follow in the new term to combat cyber crimes as a ministry?" Çiftçi stated that criminal organizations no longer operate with known, classical methods.
Stating that the variety of crime types has increased with the widespread digitalization in every area of life, Minister Çiftçi said, "Especially online fraud, virtual betting, data theft, and criminal activities organized through social media have become significant topics on our security agenda. They (the fraudsters) are increasingly trapping our citizens through social media and the internet, causing them harm."
Çiftçi noted that as the Ministry of Interior, they have diversified their efforts against new types of crimes in parallel with the strategies of fraudsters, striving to combat them more effectively, and recorded the following:
"In this context, we are making significant efforts to increase both the human resources and technical capacity of our cyber crime units within both the General Directorate of Security and the Gendarmerie General Command. For example, we are trying to create a structure that can detect and intervene in digital crime networks much faster with artificial intelligence-supported analysis systems, advanced data tracking infrastructures, and international collaborations. With the operations we conduct against organized fraud networks, we capture and hand over thousands of suspects to judicial authorities every year."
Emphasizing the importance of citizens being aware of digital security, Çiftçi stated, "Our citizens need to act consciously in this regard. Therefore, in the upcoming periods, we will focus on educational activities and awareness-raising efforts to further educate our citizens and increase their awareness. This group of fraudsters particularly targets our elderly citizens, those who may not be very familiar with information systems, and the youth."
Interior Minister Çiftçi expressed that they will increase activities aimed at informing and raising awareness among these groups, stating, "We want there to be no area in the digital world where those who commit crimes feel safe. We will not leave any gaps in this area."
CHILDREN DRAWN INTO CRIME
In response to the question, "What roadmap do you have to protect children drawn into crime from crime and from dangers on the street?" Çiftçi answered with the following words:
"The issue of children drawn into crime is not just a security problem; it is a shared responsibility for all of us as a society. We believe that every child can be reintegrated into society with the right guidance and support. Six months ago, the points emphasized by the President of the Nationalist Movement Party, Dr. Devlet Bahçeli, regarding children drawn into crime are of great importance. Therefore, in our understanding, which we refer to as the new security architecture we have implemented in the new term, the safety of our children is a priority issue."
Çiftçi stated that this approach encompasses not only the fight against crime but also a preventive, proactive, and holistic security system.
He noted that the police and gendarmerie units can closely monitor risky areas and school surroundings while also being able to detect potential dangers that children may face in advance thanks to technological infrastructure and data-driven management systems, emphasizing that interventions occur not only in a repressive manner after incidents but also through preventive measures.
Minister Çiftçi pointed out that security alone is not sufficient, stating, "We do not think that we can prevent this merely by taking security measures in our schools and other areas. Therefore, by carrying out joint projects between the Ministry of Family and Social Services, the Ministry of National Education, and our Ministry of Interior, preventing children from dropping out of education and ensuring their reintegration into society through social and sports activities are among our primary goals. In our new security architecture, institutional coordination, visible security in the field, and mutual trust with the community work together. All three support each other."
Çiftçi explained that protecting children from dangers on the street and reintegrating them into society is a natural part of this system, stating, "The safety of our children and their reintegration into society constitute both a priority and a concrete aspect of our new security architecture."
He used the expression "
"THERE IS NO ACTIVITY IN OUR BORDER PROVINCES"
Minister Çiftçi stated, "After the tension between the USA, Israel, and Iran, especially claims of a new wave of migration from Iran to our country are being discussed. What measures have been taken against a possible mobility in that region, and what is the current situation regarding physical security conditions, and what is the capacity status of our repatriation centers?" In response to this question, he reported that they have been closely monitoring the border gates in the border provinces since the war began.
Çiftçi mentioned that they are in constant contact with the governors working in the border provinces and that they hold meetings on this issue via video conference system, stating, "At the same time, since the war began, we are also closely monitoring and observing the entries and exits at our border gates."
Çiftçi shared that since the war began, Turkish citizens have been able to cross into Turkey from Iran without any restrictions, and continued as follows:
"Iran has imposed restrictions on its own citizens. They do not allow their citizens to cross to our side. At the same time, they do not permit citizens of third countries to cross to our side either. From our side, Iran accepts its own citizens, but does not allow other crossings."
As a result, we see this: Since the war began, there has been almost a one-third or one-fourth decrease in the crossings of Iranian citizens to our side. There is an increase in crossings to their side for their own citizens. Therefore, I can comfortably say that there is currently no activity at our borders, in our border provinces. Of course, we do not know when the war will end or when this process will conclude. But as the Ministry of Interior, the Migration Administration, AFAD, and the Ministry of National Defense, we are continuously monitoring the region and following developments. We have also taken all necessary measures regarding this. There is currently no problem."
"THE CURRENT LAW IS INSUFFICIENT FOR OUR SECURITY ORGANIZATION"
In response to a question about the restructuring of the General Directorate of Security and the working conditions of law enforcement personnel, Çiftçi stated that law enforcement officers are the unsung heroes who ensure Turkey's security and the peace of its citizens, and that they owe them gratitude.
The Minister of Interior noted that if people can live in peace and sleep securely in Turkey, it is due to the fact that security forces work 24/7.
For this reason, Çiftçi thanked the police, gendarmerie, Coast Guard organizations, security guards, and all personnel, and continued his speech with the following words:
"As the father of a special operations police officer, I am well aware of the problems and expectations of the police. On one hand, I see their selfless work, and on the other hand, I closely follow their expectations. Therefore, we will do our best to make their working conditions, opportunities, and lives easier."
At this point, the Law on the Security Organization was enacted in 1937. A long time has passed since then. The law needs to be updated to meet the needs of the day. Because our Security Organization has now reached a staff of nearly 350,000, it has become a huge army. Of this, 280,000 are our police officers. We have security personnel in the supervisory class, as well as watchmen. Therefore, we believe that the current law is insufficient for our Security Organization and needs to be updated. There has been a preparation and work that started in the past before me regarding this. We also plan to continue this work with our colleagues."