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Lawmaker resigns from Turkey’s AK Party at Erdogan’s request

Mustafa Yeneroglu, a rare critical voice within the party, is the first parliamentarian to resign from the AK Party since it secured a narrow majority with a nationalist movement in an election last year.
He announced his move several weeks after former Prime Minister Ahmet Davutoglu and former Deputy Prime Minister Ali Babacan, both AK Party founders, broke with the party, raising the prospect of potential parliamentary defections.
It was not immediately clear whether Yeneroglu would join either of the breakaway movements, but his comments echoed some of their criticisms of the party.
“I have shared my opinion with the public, inside and outside of the party, that I was uncomfortable about my party’s policies, especially in terms of human rights violations and damages to democratic institutions,” Yeneroglu said.
He said he had met the party’s general secretary and told him of his concerns and that the general told him that Erdogan wanted his resignation.
The AK Party and its Nationalist Movement Party (MHP) ally won a narrow majority in the June 2018 parliamentary election.
Following Yeneroglu’s resignation, the AK Party holds 290 seats in the 600-seat parliament, and the MHP holds 49.
Erdogan’s government has been criticized for a crackdown following a failed coup in 2016.
More than 77,000 people were jailed pending trial after the coup and arrests are still routine. Authorities have suspended or sacked 150,000 civil servants and military personnel.
The AK Party says the measures were necessary to address Ankara’s security concerns.
SOURCE : Reuters, Istanbul
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BENEFIT Sponsors BuildHer...
- April 23, 2025
BENEFIT, the Kingdom’s innovator and leading company in Fintech and electronic financial transactions service, has sponsored the BuildHer CityHack 2025 Hackathon, a two-day event spearheaded by the College of Engineering and Technology at the Royal University for Women (RUW).
Aimed at secondary school students, the event brought together a distinguished group of academic professionals and technology experts to mentor and inspire young participants.
More than 100 high school students from across the Kingdom of Bahrain took part in the hackathon, which featured an intensive programme of training workshops and hands-on sessions. These activities were tailored to enhance participants’ critical thinking, collaborative problem-solving, and team-building capabilities, while also encouraging the development of practical and sustainable solutions to contemporary challenges using modern technological tools.
BENEFIT’s Chief Executive Mr. Abdulwahed AlJanahi, commented: “Our support for this educational hackathon reflects our long-term strategic vision to nurture the talents of emerging national youth and empower the next generation of accomplished female leaders in technology. By fostering creativity and innovation, we aim to contribute meaningfully to Bahrain’s comprehensive development goals and align with the aspirations outlined in the Kingdom’s Vision 2030—an ambition in which BENEFIT plays a central role.”
Professor Riyadh Yousif Hamzah, President of the Royal University for Women, commented: “This initiative reflects our commitment to advancing women in STEM fields. We're cultivating a generation of creative, solution-driven female leaders who will drive national development. Our partnership with BENEFIT exemplifies the powerful synergy between academia and private sector in supporting educational innovation.”
Hanan Abdulla Hasan, Senior Manager, PR & Communication at BENEFIT, said: “We are honoured to collaborate with RUW in supporting this remarkable technology-focused event. It highlights our commitment to social responsibility, and our ongoing efforts to enhance the digital and innovation capabilities of young Bahraini women and foster their ability to harness technological tools in the service of a smarter, more sustainable future.”
For his part, Dr. Humam ElAgha, Acting Dean of the College of Engineering and Technology at the University, said: “BuildHer CityHack 2025 embodies our hands-on approach to education. By tackling real-world problems through creative thinking and sustainable solutions, we're preparing women to thrive in the knowledge economy – a cornerstone of the University's vision.”
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