OPERASYON / OPERATION
The word of the week is operasyon, which is hardly surprising. Ahead of the NATO summit, Turkish authorities announced an operation resulting in hundreds of detentions.
Analysis
In-Depth Analysis
Smart, independent reporting on Turkey's politics, economy and foreign affairs.
ÖZEL HAS THE CROWD, KILIÇDAROĞLU HOLDS THE SEAL, THE EXIT IS ANYONE'S GUESS FOR THE CHP
Turkey's oldest and main opposition party, the CHP, is now effectively divided in two after a court annulled the party's November 2023 congress and reinstated former chair Kemal Kılıçdaroğlu in place of Özgür Özel. The split became more visible when both camps held rallies simultaneously at 2 p.m. on May 30. Kılıçdaroğlu returned to party headquarters to chants of 'Kılıçdaroğlu, the people's hope' — a stark reversal from just days earlier, when another crowd had branded him a 'traitor' and 'the AKP's hope' on May 24, reacting to the court-ordered change in the party leadership carried out with police support. The first head-to-head show of strength between the two camps laid bare a simple reality: Özel commands greater grassroots support, but Kılıçdaroğlu holds the formal authority to run the party.
ORHAN PAMUK: THE LINE BETWEEN CRITICISM AND LYNCHING
Adapted from the novel of the same name by Orhan Pamuk. “The Museum of Innocence.” A television series. With its release, months later, the public agenda shifted. Justice, legal troubles, and the deepening, ever more painful economic crisis were suddenly pushed aside. This series — along with the book of the same name and its author, Orhan Pamuk — took center stage, especially on social media.
MAY DAY CLAMPDOWN OVERSHADOWED BY ERDOĞAN’S ITALIAN CHARM OFFENSIVE
Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan paid a one-day official visit to Italy on April 29. He was received in Rome with pomp by his counterpart Sergio Matarella as well as Prime Minister Georgia Meloni. This was a visit of niceties on each side. To Erdoğan’s satisfaction, the Italians did not raise any political issues, especially those pertaining to his iron fist authoritarian rule and Istanbul Mayor Ekrem İmamoglu’s arrest.
DRUG OPERATIONS RESUME, CELEBRITIES AND BUSINESS LEADERS DETAINED
Turkish authorities launched a new anti-drug operation on March 25, detaining high-profile figures from the worlds of sports, business, and entertainment. The raids marked the end of a brief lull in such operations following the appointment of the new interior and justice ministers in February.
ÖZEL STEPS UP STREET RESISTANCE CALLS
CHP Chair Özgür Özel escalated his rhetoric, urging people to take to the streets in response to what he described as a diminishing role for Parliament. Addressing crowds at public rallies and budget debates in Parliament, Özel emphasized the historic weight of legislative authority. “The right to control the budget is humanity’s greatest democratic achievement. Parliament is not born of the budget — the budget is born of Parliament,” he said.
DEATHS OF CHILD LABORERS SPARK PROTESTS
Authorities arrested 16 young leftists who were protesting the deaths of child laborers, many linked to MESEM, Vocational Training Centers run by the Education Ministry.
CROSS-BORDER OPERATION PERMIT EXTENDED FOR THREE YEARS
The term of the presidential motion authorizing the deployment of Turkish Armed Forces in Iraq and Syria to combat terrorist organizations and the acceptance of foreign troops in Turkey has been extended for another three years.
ELECTION BOARD STANDS FIRM, SAYS CONGRESS CANNOT BE HALTED
The High Election Council (YSK) reaffirmed its authority on Sept. 24, rejecting a civil court ruling that sought to halt the CHP’s Istanbul Provincial Congress just minutes before it began.In response to the 45th Civil Court of First Instance's last-minute suspension order, the YSK convened urgently and issued a clear statement: “A congress already in progress cannot be stopped.”
BILLIONAIRE-LED INVESTCO HOLDING SWEPT UP IN TURKISH STOCK MARKET PROBE
Turkish authorities have launched a probe into Investco Holding for allegedly laundering illicit gains obtained in violation of the Capital Markets Law through the stock exchange.
HABERTÜRK AND SHOW TV SEIZED IN FRAUD PROBE
Authorities seized Habertürk, Show TV and Bloomberg HT, along with 121 other companies tied to Can Holding, after the Küçükçekmece Chief Prosecutor’s Office issued arrest warrants for eight people, including owners Mehmet Şakir Can, Kemal Can, and Chairman of the Board Kenan Tekdağ. The suspects face charges of forming a criminal organization, smuggling, fraud, and money laundering.
CHP SHUTTERS ISTANBUL OFFICE AFTER COURT-IMPOSED CHAIR TAKES OVER WITH POLICE
After court-appointed interim chair Gürsel Tekin entered the main opposition CHP’s Istanbul provincial office under police escort, the party announced it would close the building and relocate operations to its Bahçelievler branch, notifying authorities.