WITH VOTES SLIPPING, ERDOĞAN TURNS TO PENSIONERS EARLY
Losing votes over the fund scandal and shaken almost daily as new figures with party links are exposed, the AKP government launched its election campaign early.
Analysis
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GREEN SPONSORS, COAL PORTFOLIOS
Authorities launched a tax audit targeting Cengiz Holding, a prominent pro-government conglomerate, but the decision to move the case from Istanbul to Ankara has raised questions. The group is also facing fierce environmental backlash over its partnership in the COP31 climate summit.
CENTRAL BANK CUTS INTEREST RATE IN FIRST EASING SINCE JANUARY
The Central Bank cut its benchmark policy rate by 100 basis points to 36% on Oct. 22, its first monetary easing since January, in line with market expectations.
COP31 AND THE STORY OF TWO INVITATIONS
Next month Antalya hosts COP31, Nov. 9-20. Ankara has sent two invitations to Cyprus: one, through the conference organizers, to the president of the Republic of Cyprus, and one, from President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, to the president of the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus.
EX-AMBASSADOR RETURNS TO AKP
Bursa lawmaker Cemalettin Kani Torun, who left the Yeni Yol Party group of conservative opposition lawmakers in August soon after the Gelecek Party dissolved itself, joined the AKP and will be an adviser to President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan on the Terror-Free Turkey process and on Africa policy.
CHESSBOARD IN THE EASTERN MEDITERRANEAN
Developments in recent weeks underscores just how increasingly complex the picture in the Eastern Mediterranean has become.
BARS BUILT FOR THE GOVERNMENT, LOST BY THE GOVERNMENT
At Ankara Bar Association No. 2, President Gökhan Ağdemir withdrew his candidacy for reelection after boasting that his bar had helped 70 of its members become judges and prosecutors. At Istanbul Bar Association No. 2, the candidate backed by AKP and MHP groups lost the presidency by six votes.
ERDOĞAN’S ADVISER SIGNALS MARCH OR APRIL 2028 FOR ELECTIONS
Presidential Chief Legal Advisor Mehmet Uçum once again said that the next presidential election is set for March or April 2028, coinciding with renewed efforts to draft a new constitution.
ACCESS BAN HITS TİP’S X ACCOUNTS AFTER FUND SCANDAL POSTS
Authorities have ordered an access ban on the X accounts of the left-wing TİP headquarters and its Istanbul branch, the party said on Oct. 14, following thousands of similar bans on the accounts of academics, journalists, websites and associations.
CENTRAL BANK FX SWAP DEPENDENCY FALLS SHARPLY
The central bank’s reliance on foreign exchange swaps has dropped sharply, marking a structural improvement in the quality of the bank’s international reserves.
CONTROVERSY SURROUNDS CENTRAL BANK FX STRATEGY
Statements attributed to Central Bank Governor Fatih Karahan during IMF and World Bank meetings in Bangkok sparked debate over foreign exchange policy, prompting a direct denial from a top market economist who attended the session.
FUND SCANDAL PAYOUTS BEGIN AS MSCI FREEZE DEEPENS MARKET TURMOIL
For nearly half a million retail investors caught in Turkey’s worst financial storm in years, compensation has finally begun to flow. But the first cash distributions came as the fallout spread beyond Turkey’s borders: global index provider MSCI froze index changes for Turkish equities on Oct. 15 and warned of a possible downgrade, while prosecutors broadened their probes and lawmakers scrambled to pass emergency legislation.