DISSENTING VOICES IN THE AKP
After the CHP pushed back against a wave of lawsuits aimed at annulling its 2023 congress, some AKP-affiliated pundits—occasionally critical of their own party’s leadership—called for an end to the judicial crackdown.
Analysis
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COMMISSION DISCUSSES PUBLIC SUPPORT, PREPARES TO DRAFT PROPOSALS
The Parliament’s National Solidarity, Brotherhood and Democracy Commission listened to think-tankers and pollsters to test the ground for public support for the peace process. The 12th meeting of the commission established in the wake of PKK’s decision to disband and lay down arms took it to 50 days of work completed to date. The commission is now preparing to shift to drafting proposals in October.
THE SWORD AND AUDI OF ALİ ERBAŞ
Religious Affairs Directorate head Ali Erbaş’s term has come to an end. He held the post for eight years. In other words, during the last eight years of the ruling party’s 23-year tenure, Turkey’s religious life was under Erbaş’s administration. Heads of the directorate, known as the Diyanet in Turkish, have always been subjects of debate, but Erbaş has been at the very peak of this controversy.
HOUSE ARREST FOR MEDIA EXECUTIVE AMID FRAUD AND LAUNDERING INVESTIGATION
After the seizure of Can Holding Media Group, one of Turkey’s largest conventional media conglomerates, Kenan Tekdağ, chair of the Board of Directors, was detained in hospital, then placed under house arrest and banned from leaving the country.
MARKETS RECOVER AFTER CHP DECISION
The postponement of the decision in the lawsuit to cancel the CHP's 38th regular congress brought short-term relief to the markets. The BIST 100 index gained 5% following the decision. The banking index also gained over 6%. The risk premium reached 261 basis points, the lowest in about six months.
CENTRAL BANK CUTS CREDIT CARD INTEREST RATES
The Central Bank reduced the calculation margins for credit card cash advances and overdraft account interest rates by 25 basis points.
MKE TO EXPORT 20MM AMMUNITION TO POLAND
Turkey’s state-owned Mechanical and Chemical Industry Corporation (MKE) has signed an agreement to supply 20mm ammunition to Poland for use with KAI FA-50GF Block 10 light combat aircraft.
ASELSAN MODERNIZES KORAL ELECTRONIC ATTACK SYSTEM
Aselsan has completed modernization work on its Koral Ground-Based Electronic Support and Electronic Attack system, which has been in service with the Turkish Armed Forces since 2016.
NEW TWIST IN THE TURKEY-U.S. S-400 DEADLOCK
A surprising development could break the six-year impasse between Turkey and the United States over Ankara’s purchase of Russian S-400 air defense systems. According to diplomatic and defense sources, Moscow has proposed to take the systems back.
ERDOĞAN HOSTS MAHMOUD ABBAS
Soon after Israel launched a major ground offensive in Gaza City, President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan hosted Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas for an unofficial visit in the Turkish capital.
NEW HEAD OF RELIGIOUS AFFAIRS APPOINTED
President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan has appointed Istanbul Mufti Professor Safi Arpaguş as the new head of Turkey’s Religious Affairs Directorate (Diyanet), replacing Ali Erbaş, whose term has ended after the completion of his term, according to a decree published in the Official Gazette.
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.