MONTENEGRO ENDS VISA-FREE TRAVEL FOR TURKISH CITIZENS
Montenegro announced that citizens of Turkey, China, Russia, Saudi Arabia and Belarus will be subject to a new visa requirement as part of the country's accession with the European Union (EU).
Analysis
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LIVE SIGNING GLITCH DISRUPTS ERDOĞAN’S IRAQI SUMMIT
A live signing ceremony crowning Iraqi Prime Minister Ali Al Zaidi's visit to Ankara was disrupted when a Development Road agreement went unsigned, prompting President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan to intervene on camera and Al Zaidi to confront his own transport minister.
TURKEY WEIGHS ENDING TEMPORARY PROTECTION FOR SYRIANS IN FAVOR OF EASIER VISAS
Interior Minister Mustafa Çiftçi signaled a new way to accelerate the voluntary return of Syrians from Turkey, saying the government is considering lifting their temporary protection status and easing visa rules instead.
UN CHIEF'S CYPRUS TRIP ENDS WITHOUT DATE
UN Secretary-General António Guterres' July 27-29 visit to Cyprus produced no concrete resolution plan or new timetable. Ankara welcomed efforts with caution and Deputy Foreign Minister Mehmet Kemal Bozay headed to Northern Cyprus after the talks.
PROBE INTO ROCK STAR’S CHARITY EXPANDS AS CELEBRITIES QUESTIONED
The corruption investigation into the Ahbap Association, founded by Turkish rock star Haluk Levent, has expanded with numerous celebrities summoned to testify.
NATIONALIST PARTIES DENOUNCE FRAMEWORK LAW
Turkey's nationalist opposition parties escalated their criticism of the framework law that is expected to regulate the return of PKK members, rebuking the government for showing the draft to jailed PKK leader Abdullah Öcalan before parliament or the public.
AUSTRALIA JOINS CLIMATE DISINFORMATION PACT AS TURKEY'S STANCE AWAITED AHEAD OF COP31
Australia has joined the Global Initiative on Information Integrity on Climate Change (GIIICC), a landmark effort to combat climate disinformation now backed by 27 countries and the European Union, while Turkey — which will host the COP31 climate summit in November — has yet to declare its position. Turkey in Depth has learned that Turkey is expected to appoint Professor Mehmet Emin Birpınar as spokesperson for COP31.
ANKARA LINKS CYPRUS TALKS TO CUSTOMS UNION MODERNIZATION
Turkey wants the modernization of its Customs Union with the European Union — off the agenda for years — to be part of the equation as diplomatic traffic on the Cyprus issue accelerates, more than three European diplomats confirmed to Turkey in Depth.
THE FRAMEWORK OF ABDULLAH ÖCALAN
Amid the noise and turmoil within the CHP, it did not attract much public attention, but traffic around the Kurdish Peace Process has intensified in recent days. A DEM delegation traveled to İmralı and returned with a message from Abdullah Öcalan.
ÖCALAN UNTIES THE KNOT
The “framework law” that will provide the legal basis for the PKK’s disarmament process appears set to be enacted after nearly five months of waiting. Öcalan’s view that “even if it is incomplete and inadequate, a step needs to be taken” proved instrumental in overcoming the disputes surrounding the law. In a sense, it was Öcalan who untied the knot.
TURKEY'S DEFENSE EXPORT SUCCESS NEEDS A RESPONSIBILITY CHECK
The NATO summit in Ankara provided an important opportunity for Turkey to showcase the progress of its defense industry. By now, few can have missed the fact that Turkey has become the world's 11th-largest arms exporter.
CENTRAL BANK HOLDS RATE AT 37% AS BUSINESS SECTOR DEMANDS CREDIT RELIEF
The central bank kept its benchmark policy rate unchanged at 37% during its Monetary Policy Committee meeting on July 23, matching market expectations. However, business leaders are increasingly complaining about high borrowing costs, tight credit restrictions, and falling industrial output.