TURKEY IN “CLOSE” NUCLEAR TALKS WITH SOUTH KOREA FOR NEW REACTORS
Energy Minister Alparslan Bayraktar said that they are in 'close and intensive' talks with the Korea Electric Power Corporation (KEPCO) for the construction of new nuclear reactors.
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A RAMADAN CLASSIC FOR TURKEY: SECULAR-RELIGIOUS DEBATES NEVER END
The secularism-versus-religion debate continues in full force, with the ruling alliance fueling tensions after a father who objected to the use of a religious hymn as a school bell at his child’s school in Kocaeli’s Derince district was detained.
TURKEY AND ARMENIA ON EDGE OF NORMALIZATION
Turkey and Armenia appear closer to normalization, with the launch of direct flights by Turkish Airlines and plans to open border gates. Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan said he expects tangible progress “within a short period” on reopening long-closed land borders and increasing flights between Istanbul and Yerevan.
CHP MOVES TO A NEW PHASE: POSITIVE PROPAGANDA
The main opposition, the CHP, has had a tough year of operations targeting its municipalities and lawsuits against its party congress. According to party officials, the appointment of Akın Gürlek — who oversaw the municipal investigations — as justice minister signals that the road to elections may become even more challenging.
EMİN ALPER: GOOD NEWS FROM BERLIN FOR TURKEY
Last week, Berlin experienced what felt like a Turkish procession. At the Berlinale — the Berlin International Film Festival, the home of the Golden Bear — two films from Turkey won the major prizes. The Golden Bear went to İlker Çatak with “Yellow Letters,” while Emin Alper got the Jury Grand Prize for “Salvation.”
SANCAR ARMED USV ENTERS SERVICE
The armed unmanned naval vehicle Sancar, jointly developed by Havelsan and Yonca Shipyard, was commissioned into the Navy at a ceremony attended by President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan on Feb. 24.
ONLY 233 F-16S LEFT IN TURKISH ARMY
The Air Force, which has been unable to procure new fighter jets for over 20 years because of foreign policy obstacles, lost another fighter jet on Feb. 25, reducing the number of F-16s in its inventory to 233. Thus, the number of fighter jets in active service fell from approximately 450 to 252 over the same period.
REPORT IS COMPLETE, ALL EYES NOW ON LEGISLATIVE CALENDAR
The parliamentary commission established to prepare a roadmap for resolving the Kurdish issue, in line with the PKK’s decision to dissolve, has completed its six-and-a-half months of work. Attention has now shifted to how the ruling parties will time the legislative steps. The report falls short of defining the Kurdish issue or calling for education in Kurdish, but instead stresses the brotherhood between Turks and Kurds. Now questions remain about the timing of the legislative process. The first legislative steps are expected toward the summer rather than Newroz, and it is unclear whether all the legislative steps addressed in the report will be completed this year.
ERDOĞAN SKIPS TRUMP’S BOARD OF PEACE MEETING BUT STOPS SHORT OF WITHDRAWING TURKEY
President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan opted not to attend the inaugural meeting of the U.S.-led Board of Peace in Washington — much like he previously declined to travel to Davos for the initiative’s launch — signaling a calibrated diplomatic balancing act. While Erdoğan is among the few leaders known to have a personal rapport with U.S. President Donald Trump, he refrained from participating in both events hosted by Trump. Instead, Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan represented Turkey on both occasions.
SECULARISM DEBATE HEATS UP AHEAD OF RAMADAN
Turkey has once again been drawn into a debate over secularism after Education Minister Yusuf Tekin issued a circular instructing schools to organize Ramadan-themed activities, including the preparation of a “Ramadan checklist” for students.
CHP URGES RELEASES, NOT POSTPONEMENT AS HEARING APPROACHES FOR İMAMOĞLU
As the first hearing in the main “corruption and bribery” case against Istanbul Mayor Ekrem İmamoğlu and his colleagues approaches — along with the anniversary of his detention — CHP Chair Özgür Özel said there are preparations to delay the proceedings by another three months.
RESHUFFLE IN JUDICIARY GAINS MOMENTUM AFTER GÜRLEK’S APPOINTMENT AS JUSTICE MINISTER
A sweeping reshuffle in Turkey’s judiciary and security bureaucracy accelerated following the appointment of Akın Gürlek as justice minister.