BROAD UNEMPLOYMENT IN TURKEY NEARS 12 MILLION
Broadly defined unemployment in Turkey has climbed close to 12 million, according to a December 2025 report by DİSK-AR, the research branch of the Confederation of Progressive Trade Unions of Turkey.
Analysis
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$10.7 BILLION FIGHTER DEAL WITHOUT CONCRETE DETAILS
Following lengthy negotiations, an agreement for Turkey to procure 20 Eurofighter Typhoon Tranche 4 fighter jets from the UK was signed in Ankara on Oct. 27. Turkey will increase the number of aircraft in its Eurofighter fleet to 44 by procuring 12 second-hand Typhoons each from Qatar and Oman. The $10.7 billion (£8 billion) payment to the U.K. under the agreement has become a subject of debate in Turkish domestic politics, as the details of the package were not announced.
TURKEY PURCHASES SECOND-HAND TRANSPORT AIRCRAFT FROM THE UK
Turkey purchased 12 second-hand C-130J Super Hercules aircraft from the U.K. to expand its fleet of 19 C-130 transport aircraft and delivered them to Marshall Aerospace for maintenance and repair prior to delivery to Turkey.
PRESIDENCY SPENDING SOARED TO 12.5 BILLION LIRA IN 2024
The Turkish Presidency spent more than 32 million lira per day in 2024, according to financial records shared by the Court of Accounts. The annual total reached 12.57 billion lira, a significant increase over the previous year, BirGün reported.
TURKEY AND ITALY AGREE LANDING GEAR MAINTENANCE DEAL
Turkey and Italy signed a joint venture agreement for landing-gear maintenance, starting with T129 attack helicopters produced by Turkish Aerospace Industries, and aiming to expand capacity for military and civilian aircraft.The Military Factory and Shipyard Management Corporation of Turkey and Italy’s Magnaghi Aerospace will establish a joint maintenance center in Turkey. The Turkish side plans to extend services to civilian platforms, aiming to make Turkey a regional hub for landing gear maintenance and exports. The deal was signed during the technology and defense festival Teknofest Istanbul, on Sept. 19.
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.
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.
BAYKAR’S TB2T-AI UCAV BREAKS 40,000-FOOT ALTITUDE RECORD
Baykar Aviation announced that its new-generation Bayraktar TB2T-AI unmanned combat aerial vehicle (UCAV), equipped with a turbo engine and artificial intelligence, reached an altitude of 40,023 feet (12,200 m) during a performance test on Aug. 23. The milestone marked a new altitude record in its class.
AFTER ERDOĞAN–KAVELASHVILI TALKS, GEORGIA DETAINS 14 SUSPECTS
Hours after Georgian President Mikheil Kavelashvili’s visit to Ankara for talks with President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, Georgian police detained 12 people wanted on Interpol red notices and two sought at the national level in a joint operation with Turkish authorities.
MINISTRY DENIES RESPONSIBILITY FOR SOLDIERS WHO DIED IN CAVE
The Defense Ministry has completed its investigation into the deaths of 12 soldiers who were exposed to methane gas in a cave in northern Iraq during a search operation on July 6, concluding that there was no evidence of negligence or misconduct on the part of the commanders involved in the incident.
AFTER THE GUNS: CAN PARLIAMENT DELIVER PEACE?
The PKK’s disarmament is set to begin, two months after the group announced its dissolution on May 12—marking the symbolic end of nearly half a century of armed conflict. Attention is now turning to Turkey’s Parliament, which political parties across the spectrum have identified as the proper venue to address the Kurdish issue.
TUG OF WAR ON STREETS
President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan has filed a lawsuit against CHP Chair Özgür Özel, seeking 500,000 lira (12,500 USD) in damages for alleged defamation and moral harm stemming from accusations that Erdoğan both enabled and continues to support governmental misconduct.