Analysis
Smart, independent reporting on Turkey's politics, economy and foreign affairs.
Blue Homeland-26, one of the Turkish Armed Forces’ most extensive exercises this year, was conducted from April 3 to 9 in the Black Sea, the Aegean Sea, and the Eastern Mediterranean, with the participation of 120 ships, 50 aircraft, and 15,000 personnel from the Naval, Land, and Air Force Commands, as well as the Coast Guard Command.
An unmanned surface vessel manufactured in the U.S. was found washed ashore in the Ünye district of Ordu, on the Black Sea coast, on March 21. An unmanned surface vessel (USV) of unknown origin struck the Altura, a Sierra Leone flagged tanker which is owned by a Turkish company, Pergamon Maritime, on March 26 in the Black Sea, 15 miles off the coast of the Bosphorus Strait.
The interim Syrian government and the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) have again agreed to extend a cease-fire in northern Syria by an additional 15 days, postponing the implementation of recent arrangements, as diplomatic engagement involving Turkey has intensified.
The Family and Social Services Ministry has finalized a draft bill that would impose a ban on social media use for children under the age of 15.
An administrative court is expected to issue a ruling within 15 days in the case filed by jailed Istanbul Mayor Ekrem İmamoğlu challenging Istanbul University’s revocation of his university diploma — a decision that will determine his eligibility to run as a presidential candidate.
Those under 15 may be barred from opening social media accounts under legislation that may be discussed in parliamentary commission at the end of January.
Selahattin Demirtaş, former co-chair of the HDP, has been sentenced to one year, five months and 15 days in prison over speeches he delivered in 2015–2016 despite a final and binding European Court of Human Rights (ECHR) ruling calling for his release.
The “new peace process” began with convention-shattering moves such as granting the “right to hope” to PKK leader Abdullah Öcalan and, after 15 months, is now not even back where it started. In fact, it has probably moved backward.
The Turkish Air Force shot down a drone that entered Turkish airspace from the Black Sea on Dec. 15 but Ankara refused to identify it, although all indications point to Russia.
Turkey’s Minimum Wage Determination Commission is preparing for its first major structural overhaul in 50 years after unions said the current system blocks fair representation. The Labor Ministry has proposed an “interim formula” that would cut the government’s seats from five to one, reducing the 15-member body to 11 while keeping five worker and five employer representatives.
The ruling AKP submitted its 11th Judicial Package to Parliament, reviving a pandemic-era execution rule that could lead to the release of up to 115,000 inmates. The clause concerning juvenile offenders was removed from the final draft. Although the bill originally included prison sentences for LGBT+, this was also dismissed.
The 152 soccer referees accused of betting on matches have denied doing so.