TURKEY EYES SPOT AMONG WORLD’S LEADING DEFENSE EXPORTERS
Turkey is set to become one of the world’s top 10 defense exporters this year, according to Treasury and Finance Minister Mehmet Şimşek.
Analysis
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MARKETS RECOVER AFTER CHP DECISION
The postponement of the decision in the lawsuit to cancel the CHP's 38th regular congress brought short-term relief to the markets. The BIST 100 index gained 5% following the decision. The banking index also gained over 6%. The risk premium reached 261 basis points, the lowest in about six months.
MKE TO EXPORT 20MM AMMUNITION TO POLAND
Turkey’s state-owned Mechanical and Chemical Industry Corporation (MKE) has signed an agreement to supply 20mm ammunition to Poland for use with KAI FA-50GF Block 10 light combat aircraft.
HÜRJET PASSES CRITICAL TEST
Turkish Aerospace Industries’ (TAI) jet trainer aircraft Hürjet has passed another milestone in the certification process by obtaining the Design Organization Approval (DOA) and Production Organization Approval (POA) certificates, Haluk Görgün, head of Defense Industries, announced on Sept. 10.
MOON MISSION POSTPONED TO 2027
Turkey has postponed its moon landing project, which it had aimed to carry out in 2023 to mark the 100th anniversary of the Republic but later delayed to 2026, this time to 2027. The government established the Turkish Space Agency in 2018 to coordinate space activities.
ERDOĞAN AND BAHÇELİ MEET AS SECOND CLOSE ASSOCIATE OF BAHÇELİ ARRESTED
İsmet Sayhan, the former head of the state-owned Mechanical and Chemical Industry Corporation (MKE) and a close associate of MHP Chair Devlet Bahçeli, was arrested in Ankara. Amid speculation that the detention was a sign of cracks in the ruling alliance, Bahçeli and President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan met in Bitlis’s Ahlat and Malazgirt on Aug. 25–26, posing for cameras to signal the strength of their alliance in their first meeting since July 10. They even listened to folk songs together.
GOVERNMENT PAY RISE PROPOSAL SPARKS UNION OUTRAGE
The government’s first pay offer in collective bargaining—10% for the first half of 2026, 6% for the second half, and 4% for each half of 2027—was rejected by public sector unions representing about four million civil servants and more than two million retirees.
TURKEY, SYRIA AIM $5 BILLION TRADE WITH 10 NEW AGREEMENTS
Turkey and Syria have reached consensus on 10 new agreements with a target of $5 billion in trade.
PARLIAMENT IN FLUX AS PARTY SHIFTS ACCELERATE
The arithmetic in the Turkish Parliament is shifting rapidly, as party defections mount. Since the May 2023 elections, 35 lawmakers have resigned from their parties, significantly altering the composition of parliament. The İYİ Party has shrunk from 43 to 29 MPs; DEVA has dropped from 15 to 9; and Gelecek from 10 to 4. Of the defectors, 11 joined the AKP and 10 moved to the CHP. Fourteen now sit as independents.
BLACKOUT SHOWDOWN: HALK TV WINS STAY, SÖZCÜ TV GOES DARK
An Ankara court has suspended a 10-day broadcasting blackout imposed on Halk TV, but SZC TV, which received the same penalty, has gone off air after a separate court upheld the sanction.
MÜSİAD: EXPORTERS NEED DOLLAR AT MINIMUM 45 LIRA BY YEAR-END
Independent Industrialists' and Businessmen's Association (MÜSİAD) President Burhan Özdemir said exporters want the lira to weaken by more than 10% against the dollar.
10-DAY BROADCAST BLACKOUT AGAINST OPPOSITION CHANNELS
Turkey’s media regulator has imposed 10-day broadcast blackouts on opposition channels Halk TV and Sözcü TV, accusing them of “inciting hatred and hostility.” The decision has sparked widespread criticism and renewed concerns over press freedom in the country.