Analysis
Smart, independent reporting on Turkey's politics, economy and foreign affairs.
As the crackdown on CHP municipalities deepened with the detention of even private drivers, the party has remained defiant—pressing forward with rallies, contesting disinformation, visiting imprisoned members, and calling for early elections, which it frames as a fight against a “civilian coup.”
Saudi oil giant Saudi Aramco is in talks with OYAK Group, the country’s largest private pension fund, over a possible partnership involving one of Turkey’s biggest fuel distribution networks, according to journalist Olcay Aydilek.
A private company near Çorum with a history of only six years, ARCA Defense, has become the hidden leader of the sector.
A sweeping operation targeting illegal online gambling and money laundering networks led to the detention of 128 people across 21 provinces on May 14, including polarizing media figure Rasim Ozan Kütahyalı and two senior executives from İş Bank, one of Turkey's largest private banks.
Ankara is often described by those who do not know it well as a grey city. This is unfair, though not entirely mysterious. A city that must constantly perform seriousness is rarely forgiven for having charm. Yet Ankara’s charm is real. It is private, reveals itself slowly, and almost always just outside the official frame. It is a city of dry light, hard hills, old stones, republican geometry, Ottoman shadows, Roman fragments, Seljuk craft and streets that remember more than they are prepared to explain. This is why Ankara deserves a cultural diplomacy route, a way of showing visitors not only what the city proudly displays, but also what it half-remembers, neglects, misnames, hides or leaves to survive behind other buildings.
A Mother’s Day-themed TV commercial by the German appliance brand Bosch was taken off the air after an outcry from the government, conservative circles and pro-government media outlets over family values.
A Turkish government delegation has been in talks across Europe with international investors for the privatization of Istanbul bridges and highways.
The CEO of Turkey’s largest private lender, İşbank, called for an immediate departure from the government’s economic program, saying that global conditions have made the fight against inflation impossible.
Turkey has reintroduced the “sliding scale mechanism” to prevent dramatic pump hikes from feeding inflation after the Iranian War pushed global oil prices higher.
Last week, Berlin experienced what felt like a Turkish procession. At the Berlinale — the Berlin International Film Festival, the home of the Golden Bear — two films from Turkey won the major prizes. The Golden Bear went to İlker Çatak with “Yellow Letters,” while Emin Alper got the Jury Grand Prize for “Salvation.”
A report regarding the privatization of the bridges on the Bosphorus and public highways has revived a debate in Turkey. The plan reportedly involves the sale of operating rights for the two Bosphorus bridges and at least nine major highways.
Fahrettin Altun, who was removed in July from the Directorate of Communications he founded and from his role at the Center for Combating Disinformation, is expected to be appointed Turkey’s ambassador to the Vatican, according to several diplomatic sources.