Cabinet set to convene in Ahlat to mark historic battle

ANKARA

The next cabinet meeting scheduled for Aug. 25 will be held in the eastern city of Bitlis' Ahlat district, rather than in the capital Ankara, to commemorate the anniversary of the Battle of Manzikert.

The battle fought in 1071 between the Byzantine and Seljuk empires was a pivotal event that led to the Turkification of Anatolia.

The anniversary of the conflict near Manzikert, what is now Malazgirt in Türkiye's Muş province, will be observed with a two-day celebration, featuring traditional games and concerts.

In addition to ministers, members of President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan's ruling Justice and Development Party (AKP) and its alliance partner the Nationalist Movement Party (MHP) will participate in the events.

Political leaders will visit specially set-up marquees as part of the cultural festivities. The battle is estimated to have occurred in the rugged terrain between Malazgirt and Ahlat.

Erdoğan last year appeared at the anniversary celebrations in Ahlat, joined by several ministers.

The decision to hold the cabinet meeting outside of Ankara is a rare occurrence. The last such meeting was held in the central city of Sivas to mark the 105th anniversary of a pivotal 1919 congress during Türkiye's War of Independence.

The Ahlat meeting is expected to focus on several key issues, including Türkiye's recent battle against severe wildfires in the country's west, where blazes since Aug. 15 have wreaked havoc.

İzmir has been hit hardest, with fires in Karşıyaka, Ödemiş, Menderes and Urla districts.

Most blazes were contained by Aug. 18, although emergency teams continued to battle two additional wildfires in the region, extinguishing them the following day.

Authorities confirmed that the largest fire in Karşıyaka was caused by three individuals in a picnic area, and a fire in Ödemiş was started by two children smoking in a wooded area.

Other fires were attributed to downed power lines.

Relations with the broader Turkish world are also on the agenda, along with discussions on the latest ceasefire talks during the Gaza war.

Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan, who recently spoke with his U.S. counterpart, Antony Blinken, is expected to present the current status of these negotiations.

The U.S. secretary of state closed his ninth wartime trip to the region in which he warned that the U.S.-backed truce proposal maybe the "last chance" to broker an end to the conflict, after stops in key Arab mediators Qatar and Egypt as well as Israel.

The United States last week presented ideas to bridge gaps and, through Qatar and Egypt, has pressed heavily on Hamas to accept and return to talks this week in Cairo.

The cabinet will also review recent economic developments and ongoing counterterrorism operations.