Analysis
Smart, independent reporting on Turkey's politics, economy and foreign affairs.
The government's push for austerity in the public sector has failed to deliver results. Despite promises to cut costs—particularly through the disposal of surplus vehicles—public institutions spent 161.2 million lira on new vehicle purchases in the first half of 2024, while generating just 5.1 million lira in sales.
As millions of retirees await a long-promised pension hike, Treasury and Finance Minister Mehmet Şimşek appeared to downplay the pressure caused by rising rents. Speaking at the ruling AKP’s Kızılcahamam retreat, Şimşek said: “72% of the population owns their home, 28% rent, and only 14% of retirees are renters,” according to pro-government columnist Abdulkadir Selvi.
As millions of retirees await a long-promised pension hike, Treasury and Finance Minister Mehmet Şimşek appeared to downplay the pressure caused by rising rents. Speaking at the ruling AKP’s Kızılcahamam retreat, Şimşek said: “72% of the population owns their home, 28% rent, and only 14% of retirees are renters,” according to pro-government columnist Abdulkadir Selvi.
After the arrest of journalist and YouTuber Fatih Altaylı, one of Turkey’s most-watched commentators, millions continued to view his channel as Turkey’s media watchdog RTÜK warned him to apply for a license.
Turkey has risen to become one of the world’s top tourism destinations, welcoming over 56 million international visitors in 2023. Its appeal lies in a rare combination of sun-soaked beaches, rich cultural heritage, world-class cuisine, and warm hospitality—all easily accessible from Europe, Asia, the Middle East, and Africa. But as prices surge and market dynamics shift, industry insiders warn the sector may be heading toward a critical inflection point.
In Turkish, ağır abi, literally “heavy-weight bro”—is not your run-of-the-mill elder sibling. He is a stoic, charismatic figure who commands respect with the mere arch of an eyebrow. He doesn’t talk much; he doesn’t need to. His presence alone does the heavy lifting. And if anyone currently embodies the essence of an ağır abi, it’s Hakan Fidan, Turkey’s inscrutable foreign minister. Fidan, poker-faced and perpetually unruffled, has become the leading man in Turkey’s diplomatic theater, even overshadowing the usual stars, such as President Erdoğan and the minister of defense. He seized center stage after the fall of Bashar al-Assad’s regime in Syria, stepping up to the podium in Doha with all the composure of a man placing bets in a high-stakes poker game. His words called for an inclusive transition in Syria: “The new administration must be established in an orderly manner. There must never be a desire for revenge. It is time to unite and reconstruct the country.”
The Syrian opposition's major advances in the last ten days, especially the capture of Aleppo, the second biggest city in Syria, caught not only the international community off guard but also surprised Syrians themselves. The opposition launched Operation “Deterrence of Aggression” on Nov. 27 to end the regime’s attacks on its strongholds in northwest Syria and facilitate the return of at least one million internally displaced persons (IDPs) to their towns in Aleppo, Idlib, and Hama. These towns had been captured by the regime in 2020 in violation of the Astana Process agreed upon by Turkey, Russia, and Iran. The operation successfully achieved its planned objectives within the first four days. However, everything that has occurred since then has been unplanned and unexpected.
Maarif (Education, noun) is derived from the basal root Arf in Arabic, meaning knowledge. In the Ottoman Empire and early years of the Turkish Republic, the Education Ministry was called “Maarif Vekaleti.” In 1946, Maarif Vekaleti was rebaptized as “Milli Eğitim Bakanlığı,” using the modern Turkish word for both education and ministry and adding the term “national.”