Analysis
Smart, independent reporting on Turkey's politics, economy and foreign affairs.
Sucuk (noun- pronounced suˈdʒuk): semi-dried beef-based sausage mixed with salt, pepper, garlic, sumac, and other spices made by a dry-curing process. In Turkey, the cities of Kayseri and Afyon battle over which has the better sucuk. It is known as sudzhuk in Bulgaria and Russia, suxhuk in Albania, and soutzouki in Greece.
Turkey is hit by fallout from inflation-fighting monetary policy. From textiles to automobiles, there are thousands of layoffs in several sectors. The high cost of living is a major source of complaint while the health sector is in crisis too as even patients in need of urgent operations can only get an appointment in six months from state hospitals. Even hard-core AKP voters complain about the quality of education.
When Hakan Fidan met the new recruits who passed the Foreign Ministry’s examinations in February, he told them not to marry foreigners. He has made his objections known since the first day he came to office in June 2023, complaining that the rate of Turkish diplomats married to a foreign national had reached 20 percent. He also made clear that while those already married to foreigners would not be discriminated against, from now on those who would marry foreigners would not be appointed to critical positions.
The AKP’s efforts to normalize diplomatic policy have made it harder to attack the government, according to a member of the opposition.