DEMIRTAŞ'S FREEDOM WOULD INCREASE CREDIBILITY OF THE PROCESS
DEM Party MP Cengiz Çandar said that despite public support for the ongoing peace process in Turkey being at 70 %, the trust rate is lower due to a lack of information.
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BAHÇELİ WARNS OF NEW “PARALLEL STRUCTURE” IN STATE
MHP Chair Devlet Bahçeli called for a probe into whether a new “parallel” structure has infiltrated the bureaucracy, ahead of criticisms of the judiciary. In comments about juvenile offenders, he recalled how the Gülen Terrorist Organization had established parallel networks within the government to cause chaos.
PEACE TALKS ROCKED BY CONTROVERSIAL SPEECH
The 11th session of Turkey’s parliamentary commission on the Kurdish peace process saw its first major confrontation, as comments made by a representative of the İslami Tebliğ Tedris İlim Hareketi Adamları Association (İTTİHAD) prompted a dramatic walkout by members of the DEM Party. The controversy began when Mehmet Beşir Şimşek, a senior figure in İTTİHAD, addressed the commission on Sept. 18. The group is widely known for its ideological ties to Turkish Hizbullah, which was linked to a series of extrajudicial killings in the 1990s, many involving victims bound and executed using the notorious “pig-tie” method.
ERDOĞAN HOSTS MAHMOUD ABBAS
Soon after Israel launched a major ground offensive in Gaza City, President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan is hosting Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas for an unofficial visit in the Turkish capital.
THREE-YEAR ECONOMIC ROAD MAP UNVEILED; 2025 INFLATION TARGET RAISED 11 POINTS
Vice President Cevdet Yılmaz unveiled the Medium-Term Program for 2026–28, raising the end-2025 inflation target by 11 points from the previous plan. Yılmaz said real GDP growth targets are 3.8% in 2026, 4.3% in 202, and 5.0% in 2028. The inflation path is 28.5% for end-2025, 16% for end-2026, 9% for 2027, and 8% for 2028.
SMALL BUSINESSES WILL PAY MORE TAXES
The tax burden for many small businesses will rise after changes announced in the Official Gazette.
HÜRJET PASSES CRITICAL TEST
Turkish Aerospace Industries’ (TAI) jet trainer aircraft Hürjet has passed another milestone in the certification process by obtaining the Design Organization Approval (DOA) and Production Organization Approval (POA) certificates, Haluk Görgün, head of Defense Industries, announced on Sept. 10.
ÖZDAĞ TRIAL FOR INSULTING PRESIDENT POSTPONED
Zafer Party Chair Ümit Özdağ's trial on charges of insulting the president has been postponed until Dec. 24.
WAR OF WORDS BETWEEN ÖZEL AND BAHÇELİ ON PROTESTS
CHP Chair Özgür Özel vowed to continue resisting court rulings against his party, accusing the government of trying to criminalize peaceful protest.
ERDOĞAN: NO TOLERANCE FOR STREET VIOLENCE
President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan said that refusing to recognize court rulings amounts to openly defying the rule of law.
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 FACES NEW SETBACK AS COURT HALTS ISTANBUL CONGRESS PROCESS
Turkey’s main opposition CHP suffered a fresh blow as a court dissolved its largest provincial board in Istanbul over cash payment claims. The party now awaits either a Sept. 5 ruling by the Supreme Election Board (YSK) or a Sept.15 court hearing that could unseat Chair Özgür Özel’s administration. The CHP, which came to power at a November 2023 congress with the slogan “Change,” now risks being replaced by the team of former chair Kemal Kılıçdaroğlu. The 45th Civil Court of First Instance ruled that irregularities in the October 2023 Istanbul provincial congress were “approximately proven.” The court suspended provincial chair Özgür Çelik, the executive and disciplinary boards, and 196 delegates. Attention has now turned to another court set to review the CHP’s 2023 congress in Ankara. “The Istanbul decision is null and void. We do not recognize it,” said Özel, vowing not to hand over CHP’s Istanbul building to the appointed administration. The Istanbul administration also started a stage-in protest in front of the building for 24 hours.