Analysis
Smart, independent reporting on Turkey's politics, economy and foreign affairs.
President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan warned that whoever tries to sabotage the Terror-Free Turkey process will face the consequences. Erdoğan emphasized that recent events have shown that Turkey has been most affected by the unrest in Syria.
Anna Kviloriya, the TV anchor wife of Belarusian Ambassador to Ankara Anatoliy Glaz, said that her husband warned her not to wear a low-cut dress for their credentials ceremony at the presidential complex.
The parliamentary National Solidarity, Brotherhood and Democracy Commission held two tense meetings this week, first hearing from Turkey’s bar associations and then from former parliamentary speakers.The MPs on the commission, who had so far avoided direct confrontation, engaged in their first open war of words after bar leaders gave long speeches stressing constitutional rights and the rule of law.
Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan said that Turkey does not act with hostility unless it faces hostility, stressing that Ankara will not step back if targeted. Commenting on President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan’s recent statement that “if the sword leaves the sheath, there is no need for words,” Fidan said Turkey will not wait for a threat to materialize across its borders. “We do not threaten unless threatened. If we are faced with hostility, we will not retreat,” he said.
For the past decade, Turkey’s Africa policy has favored partnership — co-designed projects, capacity building, and trade — over extractive habits associated with colonial legacies. Two countries once written off as “failed states,” Somalia and Burkina Faso, illustrate this shift. Both are edging back toward firmer state capacity under locally led agendas, with Turkey positioned as a security and development partner rather than a patron.
President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan and French President Emmanuel Macron held a phone call on Aug. 21, their first direct contact since the NATO summit in June. The two leaders discussed Russia’s war in Ukraine, the crisis in Gaza, and bilateral cooperation, with Erdoğan again stressing Ankara’s interest in deepening defense ties with France. Both later shared posts on X, tagging each other in messages that underlined common concerns but also revealed different priorities. On bilateral ties, Erdoğan said Turkey valued closer cooperation with France, particularly in the defense industry, and wanted to keep advancing relations across multiple fields. Ankara has long sought approval from Paris to procure European air-defense systems. A green light for the sale of Eurosam GIE’s SAMP/T could accelerate Turkey’s plan to build its own missile shield, described as a “steel dome,” within two to three years.
Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan warned Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) that Turkey would not stand idly by when its security is threatened, as Ankara and Damascus signed a new defense cooperation deal.
The Turkish Parliament Speaker has moved forward to form a long-anticipated commission as part of the government’s “Terror-Free Turkey” initiative, setting the number of members at 51 and requesting party nominations by July 31, following days of delay and political back-and-forth.
In the most dramatic leadership overhaul at the armed forces pension fund since the 2016 coup attempt, retired Lt. Gen. Zekai Aksakallı—a key figure in thwarting the coup—has been named chairman of the giant fund.
The Central Bank lowered its one-week repo rate from 46% to 43% on July 24, despite warning signs that inflation pressures persist. This was the first cut following the April rate hike. The Monetary Policy Committee also reduced the overnight lending rate from 49% to 46% and the overnight borrowing rate from 44.5% to 41.5%. While June’s core inflation trend remained unchanged, preliminary indicators pointed to a temporary rise in July inflation due to month-specific factors.
In the most dramatic leadership overhaul at OYAK since the 2016 coup attempt, retired Lt. Gen. Zekai Aksakallı—once a key figure in thwarting the coup—has been named chairman of the Turkish Armed Forces' influential pension fund and commercial powerhouse. OYAK announced the surprise changes just two months after its general assembly on May 17.
President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan has filed a lawsuit against CHP Chair Özgür Özel, seeking 500,000 lira (12,500 USD) in damages for alleged defamation and moral harm stemming from accusations that Erdoğan both enabled and continues to support governmental misconduct.