Analysis
Smart, independent reporting on Turkey's politics, economy and foreign affairs.
No agreement was reached in pay talks between the government and civil servant unions. Memur-Sen, which is known for its closeness to the government and was expected to take the government’s pay rise proposal to the Public Officials Arbitration Board, announced that no application would be made.
For the past decade, Turkey’s Africa policy has favored partnership — co-designed projects, capacity building, and trade — over extractive habits associated with colonial legacies. Two countries once written off as “failed states,” Somalia and Burkina Faso, illustrate this shift. Both are edging back toward firmer state capacity under locally led agendas, with Turkey positioned as a security and development partner rather than a patron.
Japanese Defense Minister Gen. Nakatani toured the facilities of Turkish Aerospace Industries (TAI) and Baykar to examine Turkish-made aircraft and unmanned aerial vehicles. His visit followed a meeting with his Turkish counterpart, Defense Minister Yaşar Güler.
President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan and French President Emmanuel Macron held a phone call on Aug. 21, their first direct contact since the NATO summit in June. The two leaders discussed Russia’s war in Ukraine, the crisis in Gaza, and bilateral cooperation, with Erdoğan again stressing Ankara’s interest in deepening defense ties with France. Both later shared posts on X, tagging each other in messages that underlined common concerns but also revealed different priorities. On bilateral ties, Erdoğan said Turkey valued closer cooperation with France, particularly in the defense industry, and wanted to keep advancing relations across multiple fields. Ankara has long sought approval from Paris to procure European air-defense systems. A green light for the sale of Eurosam GIE’s SAMP/T could accelerate Turkey’s plan to build its own missile shield, described as a “steel dome,” within two to three years.
Özlem Çerçioğlu has been elected mayor of Aydın from the CHP for four consecutive terms. She also previously served two terms as a CHP lawmaker. Before delving into the political dimension, it’s worth examining the nickname she’s been given—“Topuklu Efe” (Efe in High Heels).
Hakan Aran, head of İş Bank, the country’s largest private lender, said they expect Turkey’s annual inflation to drop to 29% by the end of 2025, with interest rates falling to 35%. Aran shared his predictions regarding the economic normalization process at a press conference. According to Aran, “we may see monthly inflation rates drop below 1% as the normalization process begins in May 2026.”
Central Bank Governor Fatih Karahan said inflation is expected to stand between 25% and 29% at the end of 2025, and between 13% and 19% in 2026.
“Turkish newspapers should do more than the Washington Post,” wrote Fatih Selek in pro-government daily Türkiye, recalling that the American newspaper published the names of nearly 20,000 children murdered in Gaza.
Baykar, the unmanned aerial vehicle manufacturer owned by the Bayraktar family, announced plans to build a factory on 400 acres in Tekkeköy, Samsun. The facility is expected to boost high-tech production and create high-quality jobs in the Black Sea region, the company said Aug. 8.
ASSAN, one of Turkey’s top private-sector ammunition producers and an exporter to more than 60 countries, is under scrutiny following allegations of illegal staffing, supply delays, fraud, and improper transfer of state-developed defense technologies, according to Cumhuriyet daily.
Police detained five people, including three women, outside the Presidential Complex as they attempted to deliver a letter to President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan outlining demands related to Palestine. All were reported to be members of the Rainbow Association and the March for Palestine Platform.
The detention of notorious media-savvy lawyer Rezan Epözdemir has exposed faultlines between the Presidency and sidelined AKP members over how the party relates to the judiciary.