Analysis
Smart, independent reporting on Turkey's politics, economy and foreign affairs.
Authorities have launched a judicial operation against major produce distributors, detaining scores of executive-level figures for artificially inflating wholesale fruit and vegetable prices amid high food inflation.
The government has put the lucrative Bosphorus bridges and major state highways back on sale 14 years after cancelling a similar tender. The move comes as medium-term plans include significantly higher privatization revenue in the coming years.
The acquisition of French grocery chain Carrefour's Turkish subsidiary, CarrefourSA, by A101's parent company Yeni Mağazacılık, owned by a religious conservative family, has sparked intense online debate over potential restrictions on alcohol sales.
Most market participants expect the central bank to keep the policy rate unchanged at 37% when it meets on July 23, but pressure is building for a cut and some experts are calling for a wholesale shift in monetary policy.
The German government has dropped its veto on the sale of 40 Eurofighter Typhoon jets to Turkey, thanks to the requests of the Turkish opposition, claimed Özgür Özel, the head of the CHP. While Berlin has been dragging its feet on talks for the warplanes, which are built by a consortium of Germany, Britain, Italy, and Spain, a news report suggested in April that the German government had decided to keep blocking the sale due to the arrest of Istanbul Mayor Ekrem İmamoğlu on March 19. While such a decision was never officially confirmed, İmamoğlu tweeted from his prison cell, objecting to the veto and Özel kept the issue on the agenda during talks with his German counterparts.
Sabancı Holding and Carrefour Nederland BV sold their majority stake in CarrefourSA to Yeni Mağazacılık A.Ş., the parent company of the discount giant A101, reigniting debate over alcohol sales and lifestyles.
The Tele 1, under the administration of a trustee, has been put up for sale by the TMSF before even the first hearing of the case that led to the opposition broadcaster’s seizure.
A Turkish company is the main contractor for a project in which the U.S. will provide bombs to Israel, sparking controversy in Turkey.
A report regarding the privatization of the bridges on the Bosphorus and public highways has revived a debate in Turkey. The plan reportedly involves the sale of operating rights for the two Bosphorus bridges and at least nine major highways.
At the turn of the year, a familiar ritual repeats itself in Turkey. Gyms raise their membership fees. Tradespeople adjust their prices. Real estate agents pocket higher commissions by systematically pushing up sale prices. Hardly anyone objects. Hardly anyone asks what added value is being offered. Price hikes are taken for granted — not because products have improved, but because inflation exists.
All gold will be sold with a tax label under the Precious Metal Tracking System (KMTS) to be launched in April by the Mint, which is affiliated with the Treasury and Finance Ministry.
Ankara wants to sell Japan the ANKA UCAVs produced by TAI and Baykar’s Bayraktar TB2 and TB3 UCAVs.