Analysis
Smart, independent reporting on Turkey's politics, economy and foreign affairs.
After the summer break, the parliament opens its new legislative year on Oct. 1 and the General Assembly will convene on Oct. 6 to discuss a nine-article bill on the Turkish Red Crescent.
For over a week, a single issue was on Turkey’s agenda: What happened to the money in the funds? Finance Minister Mehmet Şimşek, who had stayed silent on the crisis since it began and faced growing speculation that he would be fired, broke his silence on Sept. 24 to deny that he was leaving.
Foreign and domestic infrastructure companies are showing interest in the upcoming highway and Bosphorus bridge privatizations. French operator Egis is reportedly emerging as a leading contender for the 30-year operating rights.
Garanti BBVA, the high-street bank majority-owned by Spain’s BBVA, has agreed to pay a fine of 1.55 billion liras ($31.8 million) after settling an antitrust investigation into labor market practices, the lender disclosed on the Public Disclosure Platform (KAP).
The last hearing in the second session of the Istanbul Municipality case regarding corruption accusations closed before 6 p.m. for the first time on Sept. 17, after weeks of hearings that had stretched late into the night.
Turkey’s top appeal court, the Court of Cassation, has elected a new Presidential Council, and the results deal a sharp blow to the court's top leadership.
Armenia will host its 35th Independence Day reception in Istanbul on Oct. 14. The event marks a rare diplomatic event in Turkey as the two neighbors work to normalize long-strained ties.
The government will discontinue its 'sliding scale' fuel tax offset mechanism at the end of 2026, shifting focus toward boosting budget revenues ahead of potential elections in 2027 or early 2028.
Zülfü Livaneli made a clear decision this week. The musician and novelist put an end to the playing of his celebrated composition at opposition rallies protesting the operations that have targeted Ekrem İmamoğlu — and subsequently numerous other mayors and municipal officials — since March 19, 2025.
Binali Yıldırım, Turkey's last prime minister who has long been sidelined by President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, has also entered the agenda alongside the Gökçek case.
Ahmet and Hülya Gökçek, the son and daughter-in-law of former Ankara Mayor Melih Gökçek, were questioned as suspects on Sept. 7 and released under judicial control with a ban on leaving Turkey.
The government has put the lucrative Bosphorus bridges and major state highways back on sale 14 years after cancelling a similar tender. The move comes as medium-term plans include significantly higher privatization revenue in the coming years.