NO MORE TAX BREAKS
The government will discontinue its 'sliding scale' fuel tax offset mechanism at the end of 2026, shifting focus toward boosting budget revenues ahead of potential elections in 2027 or early 2028.
Analysis
Smart, independent reporting on Turkey's politics, economy and foreign affairs.
The government will discontinue its 'sliding scale' fuel tax offset mechanism at the end of 2026, shifting focus toward boosting budget revenues ahead of potential elections in 2027 or early 2028.
In Stanley Kubrick’s Dr Strangelove, the American president interrupts a scuffle between General Buck Turgidson and the Soviet ambassador with an appeal to institutional dignity. “Gentlemen, you can’t fight in here! This is the War Room.”
International outrage erupted following the state-supported funeral ceremony for convicted Serb war criminal Ratko Mladic in Serbia. Critics worldwide denounced the honors as an attempt to glorify a perpetrator of genocide. Turkey joined the global backlash on Sept. 8, a day after the ceremony.
Kurdish politics is preparing for a major structural overhaul as Turkey is expected to move forward with its peace initiative, referred to by the government as the 'Terror-Free Turkey' process.
With the framework law in force and mechanisms in place to allow the return of PKK militants, the peace process has moved into a new phase — not without controversy.
An investigation touching several pro-government media figures is widening, with new detention warrants issued for additional suspects even as one high-profile figure has been released.
The Finance Ministry has finalized preliminary work to redirect short-term capital inflows toward long-term, productive investments, according to a report by Bloomberg HT.
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.
Former Treasury Undersecretary and prominent economist Mahfi Eğilmez calculated that the fair value of the US dollar should be 65 liras based on the Big Mac Index, far above the market exchange rate of 47.50 liras and warned that the holding the exchange rate below its fair value inflates the country's GDP and per capita income figures on paper without making Turks any richer.
Turkey urged Russia and Ukraine to safeguard civilian navigation in the Black Sea after Turkish-owned cargo ships were hit by drones. Ankara refrained from blaming either side for the attack, instead calling on both warring parties to immediately ensure maritime security, on Aug. 4.
Turkish industrialists criticized a new United States’ decision to impose a 12.5% tariff on Turkish products under Section 301, warning that the move places key export sectors, especially textiles and apparel, at a severe disadvantage.
Turkey is weighing the most radical overhaul of its wage-setting system in decades — and experts say it could unleash chaos.