F-35 RETURN COULD COME AT KAAN'S EXPENSE
While Trump signals to lift the arms embargo on Turkey, experts are discussing whether it will come at the expense of the Kaan project.
Analysis
In-Depth Analysis
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TURKEY EXPLORES NEW MINIMUM WAGE MODEL AMID WARNINGS OF CHAOS
Turkey is weighing the most radical overhaul of its wage-setting system in decades — and experts say it could unleash chaos.
ECONOMISTS DEBATE INTEREST RATE AS CENTRAL BANK PREPARES FOR JULY DECISION
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.
TURKEY’S HYDROPOWER OUTPUT PLUNGES 25% AS DAMS RUN DRY
Turkey’s once-mighty dams are losing their power — literally. Electricity generation from the country’s largest hydro plants has fallen by a quarter in the past three decades, a drop experts link to worsening drought and years of poor planning.
FROM MOBSTERS TO A HITMAN: NEW TWIST IN ISTANBUL MUNICIPALITY CASE
The corruption probe into Istanbul and other CHP-run municipalities has taken a new turn, extending beyond politicians, lawyers, mobsters, and journalists to include a hitman. The alleged hitman is said to have acted on the instructions of Selahattin Yılmaz, a figure backed by MHP Chair Devlet Bahçeli. The latest detentions targeted several lawyers and legal experts, whose ultra-luxurious offices and lavish lifestyles raised questions, with images suggesting close links to the government.
SYRIA’S NEW LEADER PAYS LOW-KEY VISIT TO TURKEY
When Syria’s new foreign minister chose to go to Saudi Arabia and Qatar for his first international visits before coming to Turkey, the main opposition party criticized the government, asking why Asaad al-Shaibani did not choose to reciprocate the visits of the Turkish foreign minister who went to Damascus two weeks after the fall of the Assad regime. For experts, this was only natural since Syria is first and foremost an Arab country and prioritizing relations with Turkey would have caused irritation among Arab capitals. In addition, while Turkey is struggling with its own economic hardships, Syria’s new rulers need Gulf money to get the country on its feet.
YET ANOTHER LOST OPPORTUNITY FOR PEACE IN CAUCASUS
Azerbaijan has lost an important opportunity to promote its image on the international stage by delaying a peace deal with Armenia ahead of the COP29 summit in Baku. While experts familiar with the negotiations believe important progress has been made, Baku’s request for changes to the Armenian constitution has become a new obstacle before a final deal.
JOINING BRICS IS EASIER SAID THAN DONE
Only some people, apart from the experts and those involved with the energy sector, are aware that Turkey has quietly joined the Minerals Security Partnership (MSP), a Western cooperation platform on essential minerals. Critical minerals have become the new frontline of the rivalry between China and the US. China has a global monopoly on the production (70%) and processing (90%) of rare-earth elements (REEs).