Analysis
Smart, independent reporting on Turkey's politics, economy and foreign affairs.
Can Atalay, stripped of his parliamentary seat and held in prison since 2022, began a hunger strike as parliament reconvened on Oct. 1, while the main opposition Yeni Party walked out when President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan took the floor during the opening speech.
The court released four defendants, while informants who testified under effective remorse provisions refused to answer most questions from defense lawyers during cross-examination, claiming their previous testimonies were based on hearsay.
An Istanbul court ordered the continued detention of Istanbul Mayor Ekrem İmamoğlu, campaign director Necati Özkan, journalist Merdan Yanardağ, and businessperson Hüseyin Gün during the latest hearing in their political espionage trial.
A judicial investigation has spread to top-tier football referees, leading to the detention of Central Referee Committee (MHK) Chair Ferhat Gündoğdu and six other officials.
MHP Chair Devlet Bahçeli brought together Sedat Şahin and Burhanettin Saral at the party's Ankara headquarters on Sept. 26, ending a feud of more than 20 years.
Ali Şekeroğlu, 60, took his own life outside the Constitutional Court while demanding a pay raise for retirees on Sept. 25. Şekeroğlu died by suicide with his own weapon.
The Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe (PACE) adopted a resolution on Oct. 1 condemning what it called a coordinated campaign against LGBTQ+ people and rights defenders in Turkey.
OSCE Secretary General Feridun Sinirlioğlu is testing the waters with the Security Council's permanent members for the post of UN secretary-general, although the regional rotation favors a candidate from the Latin American and Caribbean Group (GRULAC).
The global umbrella of social democratic parties, Socialist International, suspended the CHP under its court-appointed leadership and admitted Özgür Özel's Yeni Party as a full member.
“The European Union will open its vast economy to countries waiting to join its ranks, provided they agree to stand with the bloc against hostile states and industrial rivals, according to a draft European Commission proposal obtained by POLITICO.”
In December of last year, the Chinese carmaker SWM Motors began production in Eskişehir, with ambitious plans. Annual production of 20,000 to 25,000 vehicles was to grow substantially and the factory was eventually to serve as a base for exports to the Balkans and neighboring markets.
The Borsa Istanbul’s benchmark BIST 100 index entered a technical bear market at the end of September, marking its worst monthly performance since the 2008 global financial crisis.