STATE ENERGY FIRMS HEADED FOR PARTIAL IPOs
The government aims to sell shares in five major state-owned energy and mining companies while keeping majority public ownership, Energy Minister Alparslan Bayraktar said on Nov. 5.
Analysis
In-Depth Analysis
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WEALTH FUND AND TURKCELL TAKE CONTROL OF TOGG
The state has a larger share of TOGG, the domestic electric vehicle manufacturer, after founding partners AG Anadolu Grubu Holding and Vestel Elektronik sold their combined 46% stake for 368 million euros.
ERDOĞAN CONTINUES TO WALK SOFT TOWARD ALIYEV
President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan said he will travel to Azerbaijan on Nov. 8, seeking to repair an alliance with Baku long defined by the motto "One nation, two states."
SİNİRLİOĞLU FACES UN MEMBER STATES AFTER A DISAPPOINTING STRAW POLL DEBUT
Feridun Sinirlioğlu, Turkey’s candidate for UN secretary-general, will take questions from member states in a webcast General Assembly dialogue on Nov. 6, a day after drawing more negative than positive votes in his first Security Council straw poll.
SECRET WITNESSES IN ISTANBUL MUNICIPALITY TRIAL SAY THEY DID NOT SEE BRIBERY FIRSTHAND
Two secret witnesses whose statements support bribery allegations in the Istanbul Municipality corruption case told the court Nov. 4 that they had not witnessed the events they described, yet the pro-government media presented their testimony as an exposé.
FUND PAYOUTS BEGIN AS ERDOĞAN AWAITS AUDIT REPORT
Sweeping reforms to capital markets institutions will hinge on a State Audit Council (DDK) report on the multi-billion-dollar investment fund scandal, with President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan awaiting its findings before taking action.
THE WEIGHT OF SOVEREIGNTY
On Jan. 20, 1921, as the War of Independence was still being fought, the Grand National Assembly adopted a Constitution whose first article began: Sovereignty belongs unconditionally to the nation (Hâkimiyet bilâ kaydü şart milletindir). On Oct. 29, 1923, the assembly added another sentence to that same article: The form of government of the Turkish state is the Republic (Türkiye Devletinin şekl-i hükûmeti Cumhuriyettir).
ALIYEV DOUBLES DOWN AS ANKARA REMAINS OVERLY CONCILIATORY
Azerbaijan’s President Ilham Aliyev, declined President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan’s invitation to attend the summit of the Organization of Turkic States, scheduled for the day after Turkey’s Republic Day, marking one of the biggest crises in the two countries' close relationship. Despite Ankara’s visible steps to defuse the recent tension, his refusal to come on a date carrying symbolic importance for Turkey attests to the changing dynamics in the relationship since the military victory over Nagorno-Karabakh in 2020.
BAKU WELCOMES UAE’S UN CANDIDATE AS ANKARA READIES CANDIDATE
Azerbaijan has welcomed the United Arab Emirates’ candidate for UN secretary-general just as Ankara prepares to put forward its own. Then, President Ilham Aliyev decided to skip the Organization of Turkic States summit in Ankara on Oct. 30.
ÖZEL FINED OVER PROPERTY STATEMENT THAT MAY OR MAY NOT BE TRUE
A court has ordered the main opposition Chair Özgür Özel to pay damages to Justice Minister Akın Gürlek in a ruling that did little to clarify how many properties the minister actually owns.
ONE NATION, TWO STATES, GROWING DISTANCE
For decades, Turkish foreign policy in the Caucasus rested on a single, unshakeable motto set by former Azerbaijani President Heydar Aliyev: 'One nation, two states.'
CONTROVERSY SURROUNDS CENTRAL BANK FX STRATEGY
Statements attributed to Central Bank Governor Fatih Karahan during IMF and World Bank meetings in Bangkok sparked debate over foreign exchange policy, prompting a direct denial from a top market economist who attended the session.