Analysis
Smart, independent reporting on Turkey's politics, economy and foreign affairs.
The Mecca Joint defense Agreement signed by Turkey, Saudi Arabia, and Pakistan at the beginning of last month came as a surprise to many, although Turkey was interested in joining the defense agreement signed by the latter two a year ago. The new agreement goes further than defense cooperation due to a collective security pledge modelled on NATO’s famous Article 5.
Maritime trade in the Black Sea has come to a near halt due to Russian and Ukrainian strikes, creating a major economic threat for Turkey, according to a shipping executive.
Turkey is shaken by the misdoings of an Anatolian rock singer Haluk Levent, who once topped the list of Turkey's 'most trusted celebrities' due to his leadership of the respected charity organization Ahbap.
Suffering from a loss of competitiveness due to the weak lira and high inflation, the head of the Istanbul Apparel Exporters Association (IHKIB) has requested a three-year support program to save the ready-to-wear sector.
ANKA News Agency, widely regarded as the voice of the CHP-aligned opposition, and its owner Ali Fırat Atabaş have come under renewed scrutiny over the funding they receive from the CHP following the split in the party due to the absolute nullity ruling.
Millions of retirees in Turkey are waiting for official inflation data due on July 3 to learn how much their pensions could increase in the second half of the year. TurkStat will announce June inflation figures on July 3, revealing the inflation rate for the first six months of 2026. The data will determine the basis for pension adjustments. The parliament previously set the minimum pension for workers and self-employed retirees at 20,000 Turkish lira ($434) as of Jan. 1, 2026. Any increase to that minimum pension level will require a new legal regulation.
Protesting coal miners from Doruk Madencilik have returned to the capital after a government-backed deal to pay their overdue wages failed.
The German government has dropped its veto on the sale of 40 Eurofighter Typhoon jets to Turkey, thanks to the requests of the Turkish opposition, claimed Özgür Özel, the head of the CHP. While Berlin has been dragging its feet on talks for the warplanes, which are built by a consortium of Germany, Britain, Italy, and Spain, a news report suggested in April that the German government had decided to keep blocking the sale due to the arrest of Istanbul Mayor Ekrem İmamoğlu on March 19. While such a decision was never officially confirmed, İmamoğlu tweeted from his prison cell, objecting to the veto and Özel kept the issue on the agenda during talks with his German counterparts.
The European Union will begin implementing a ban on the destruction of unsold clothing as of July 19, 2026, and the Turkish textile sector, due to its geographic proximity and flexible production capabilities, expects the ban could be beneficial.
In response to the reinforcement of defense in Southern Cyprus by Greece and some European countries due to the Iran conflict, Turkey deployed F-16 fighter jets and additional air defense systems to the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus (TRNC) for the first time in 28 years.
The central bank may pause its easing cycle at the March 12 meeting amid growing uncertainty caused by the U.S. attack on Iran.
While the future of the NATO alliance is being debated due to the policies of U.S. President Donald Trump, the alliance is conducting its largest military exercise of the year in Germany, with the Turkish Armed Forces (TAF) participating with more than 2,000 soldiers.