FUEL PRICES SURGE AS GOVERNMENT PHASES OUT TAX RELIEF
The government has officially ended its sliding scale tax mechanism on fuel, triggering an immediate price hike at the pump.
Analysis
In-Depth Analysis
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A SLOW-MOTION FINANCIAL CRASH AND WARNINGS TURKEY IGNORED FUELS SPECULATIONS ABOUT ŞİMŞEK
For over a week, a single issue was on Turkey’s agenda: What happened to the money in the funds? Finance Minister Mehmet Şimşek, who had stayed silent on the crisis since it began and faced growing speculation that he would be fired, broke his silence on Sept. 24 to deny that he was leaving.
SAUDI ARAMCO INSPECTS OYAK’S FUEL NETWORK TO ENTER TURKISH MARKET
Saudi Aramco executives have inspected fuel facilities across Turkey owned by military pension fund OYAK, signaling advanced partnership talks to enter the retail fuel market.
NO MORE TAX BREAKS
The government will discontinue its 'sliding scale' fuel tax offset mechanism at the end of 2026, shifting focus toward boosting budget revenues ahead of potential elections in 2027 or early 2028.
PRO-GOVERNMENT YENİ ŞAFAK DEVOTES FULL FRONT PAGE TO BLASTING MEHMET ŞİMŞEK
The pro-government newspaper Yeni Şafak devoted its entire front page on Sept. 9 to a scathing critique of Finance Minister Mehmet Şimşek and his policies, urging immediate shifts including tax overhauls and fuel subsidies.
MEDIUM-TERM PROGRAM DROPS STRONG LIRA POLICY, FUELS ELECTION TALK
The government revealed its new Medium-Term Program (OVP) covering 2027–2029, outlining macroeconomic targets that analysts view as unusually realistic while hinting at election preparations for 2027.
GOVERNMENT CUTS DIESEL TAXES TO LOWER FUEL PRICES AND COMBAT INFLATION
The Turkish government has temporarily eliminated the special consumption tax on diesel fuel for the remainder of August in an effort to curb inflation. Pump prices fell by more than 13 percent a day after the government’s decision on Aug. 12.
AKKUYU NUCLEAR PLANT CLOSER TO LAUNCH AFTER CRITICAL TEST
Engineers at Turkey's first nuclear power plant have finished a critical test as part of preparations for the launch planned by the end of 2026, the Energy Ministry said. Technicians successfully loaded 163 simulated fuel assemblies into the reactor pressure vessel of the first unit at the Akkuyu Nuclear Power Plant. The operation is a major milestone in the launch of the country’s first nuclear power facility.
ERDOĞAN FUELS HOPE ON PEACE PROCESS BUT STALEMATE CONTINUES WITHOUT ANY PROGRESS
President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan has fueled hope for progress in the Kurdish process but his stance doesn’t amount to real movement, according to the DEM Party. Soon after dismissing claims of a deadlock in the "Terror-Free Turkey" process as "noise" at the April 23 reception, Erdoğan reiterated that the process is advancing as intended and urged all actors to act responsibly during a turbulent regional period.
THE CHP'S MONTHS-LONG NIGHTMARE: THE "SPECTER OF ABSOLUTE NULLITY"
As the CHP’s criminal court case on its 2023 party congress nears, speculation that the former administration under Kemal Kılıçdaroğlu will replace the chairmanship of Özgür Özel has resurfaced. President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan’s remarks fueled the flames, as did Kılıçdaroğlu’s snub of Özel at a funeral.
ALEPPO CLASHES DEEPEN FAULT LINES IN ANKARA
An operation by the Syrian army targeting Kurdish neighborhoods in Aleppo has fueled tensions in Ankara between the two main actors of Turkey’s peace process, even as President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan says he remains optimistic for a resolution in the southern neighbor.
DETENTIONS IN MEDIA AND PUBLIC LIFE FUEL POST-ERDOĞAN SUCCESSION TALK
The recent shifts in the Turkish media landscape, driven by security operations and detentions, have begun to reshape discourse over who might replace President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan in the future.