TELE1 TO FACE FIVE-DAY BLACKOUT
A higher court has upheld a Radio and Television Supreme Council (RTÜK) penalty that will take TELE1 off the air for five days starting the night of Aug. 31, unless the broadcaster’s latest appeal succeeds.
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ARBITRATION BOARD IMPOSES BELOW-INFLATION RAISES ON 6.5 MILLION PUBLIC SERVANTS
The Public Servants Arbitration Board has finalized wage hikes for 6.5 million civil servants and retirees, setting raises far below inflation and poverty thresholds after collective bargaining collapsed.
TURKEY’S MEDIATION EFFORTS: DIPLOMACY OR DOMESTIC PR?
As soon as talk emerged about a possible meeting between U.S. President Donald Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin, the Turkish press began speculating about the potential venue—expressing wishful hopes that Turkey might serve as the host for the highly anticipated summit.
BAYKAR’S TB2T-AI UCAV BREAKS 40,000-FOOT ALTITUDE RECORD
Baykar Aviation announced that its new-generation Bayraktar TB2T-AI unmanned combat aerial vehicle (UCAV), equipped with a turbo engine and artificial intelligence, reached an altitude of 40,023 feet (12,200 m) during a performance test on Aug. 23. The milestone marked a new altitude record in its class.
TEKNOFEST OPENS WITH “BLUE HOMELAND” THEME
Teknofest, Turkey’s flagship defense and technology festival organized by the T3 Foundation — whose board is chaired by Selçuk Bayraktar, son-in-law of President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan and head of Baykar — kicked off this year with a maritime focus under the theme “Blue Homeland.”
ŞİMŞEK DRONE GAINS KAMIKAZE CAPABILITY
The high-speed target drone Şimşek, developed by Turkish Aerospace Industries (TAI), has been transformed into a kamikaze platform, Defense Industry Presidency chief Haluk Görgün announced on Aug. 22.
ASELSAN DELIVERS 47 VEHICLES FOR STEEL DOME
Aselsan delivered 47 vehicles for the Steel Dome air defense system at a ceremony attended by President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan.
PARLIAMENT TO HOLD EXTRAORDINARY SESSION ON GAZA
Turkey’s parliament will convene on Aug. 29 for an extraordinary session to address Israel’s offensive in Gaza and possible humanitarian aid steps.
RUSSIAN STRIKE HITS TURKISH BAYRAKTAR DRONE FACTORY IN KYIV
President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan spoke by phone with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy after Russian strikes on Kyiv killed at least 19 people and damaged infrastructure, including a Turkish-owned Bayraktar drone factory.
DETENTION OF TWO LAWYERS IN ISTANBUL MUNICIPALITY PROBE HIGHLIGHTS DIFFERENT JUDICIAL TREATMENT
The detention of two lawyers in the same Istanbul Municipality corruption file has highlighted different approaches within the judiciary.
DEM PARTY DELEGATION VISITS ÖCALAN AFTER COMMISSION LAUNCH
A DEM Party delegation traveled to İmralı Island on Aug. 28 to meet with jailed PKK leader Abdullah Öcalan, the first visit since Parliament formed the National Solidarity, Brotherhood and Democracy Commission.
COMMISSION SPLIT OVER RULE OF LAW
The parliamentary National Solidarity, Brotherhood and Democracy Commission held two tense meetings this week, first hearing from Turkey’s bar associations and then from former parliamentary speakers.The MPs on the commission, who had so far avoided direct confrontation, engaged in their first open war of words after bar leaders gave long speeches stressing constitutional rights and the rule of law.