Justice System and Everyday Life in Türkiye
⚖️ Istanbul Bar Association Sues to Overturn Ban on International Women’s Day March in Taksim
The Beyoğlu district governorate has banned all demonstrations in Istanbul’s Taksim area on 8 March, closing İstiklal Avenue, Gezi Park, Tünel Square and surrounding streets to both pedestrians and vehicles from 3pm on the grounds that events could disturb public order and social peace — a move that would prevent the traditional Feminist Night March held annually to mark International Women’s Day. The Istanbul Bar Association’s Women’s Rights Centre has responded by filing an urgent legal action seeking the annulment of the ban, arguing that the right to peaceful assembly is guaranteed under Article 34 of the Turkish Constitution and Article 11 of the European Convention on Human Rights, to which Turkey is a signatory, and that invoking public order as a justification in a manner disproportionate to any actual threat is a clear violation of both domestic and international law. The Bar Association described the systematic annual banning of the Feminist Night March and LGBT Pride marches as among the most glaring examples of constitutional rights being arbitrarily curtailed by administrative decree, and pledged to continue challenging such prohibitions through the courts.
🎤 Turkish Pop Star Faces Criminal Investigation for Joining Anti-Erdoğan Chant at Concert
Turkish pop singer Hande Yener is under criminal investigation following a complaint filed via the government’s public grievance portal CİMER, after she allegedly joined audience members in chanting “those who don’t jump are Tayyip supporters” — a well-known anti-government chant — at a concert in Muğla in May 2025, and separately told the crowd at an Istanbul concert three days later “we are going to topple this era beautifully.” The Muğla public prosecutor has summoned Yener to give a statement, with the investigation file noting that the Istanbul public prosecutor’s office reviewed both incidents before referring the case. The phrase “we are going to topple this era” has been cited in the investigation documents as the basis for the inquiry, with the Turkish word “devir” — meaning era or period — appearing to have been interpreted as a potential reference to overthrowing the government rather than a colloquial expression, raising the prospect of serious charges against the singer.
Politics
🌷 Erdoğan Marks International Women’s Day With Message Honouring Mothers of Fallen Soldiers
President Erdoğan marked International Women’s Day with a social media message in which he extended congratulations jointly with his wife Emine and daughter Sümeyye, paying tribute to women in their roles as mothers, wives, sisters, companions, and daughters. He drew particular attention to the suffering of women in conflict zones from Gaza and Syria to Yemen and Sudan, and singled out the mothers, wives, and daughters of soldiers killed in service, describing them as no less heroic than the fallen themselves and saluting them with respect.
📞 Erdoğan Calls Meloni to Coordinate on Iran Crisis and Push for Diplomatic Solution
President Erdoğan spoke by telephone with Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni, covering bilateral trade relations as well as the ongoing regional conflict stemming from the strikes on Iran. Erdoğan said Turkey was closely monitoring developments in Iran and their regional repercussions, and that Ankara had been urging all parties to avoid steps that would further destabilise the situation. He reiterated Turkey’s position that diplomacy must be strengthened and that the international community needed to work together towards that end, warning that the conflict carried risks capable of endangering global security. Erdoğan also noted that the current wave of conflicts demonstrated the importance of NATO allies deepening their cooperation on defence industry matters.
🏛️ Turkish Cabinet Meets Today With Middle East War, Iranian Missile Incident and Economy All on the Agenda
Turkey’s cabinet is convening at Beştepe today, 9 March, with the escalating conflict between the United States, Israel, and Iran at the top of the agenda alongside a series of pressing security and economic concerns. Among the items to be discussed is an incident in which a ballistic missile fired from Iran entered Turkish airspace before being shot down — a development that prompted diplomatic contact between Ankara and Tehran, with Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan stressing that Turkey would not be easily provoked. The cabinet will also assess claims that the United States has been organising certain Kurdish groups against the Iranian regime, a strategy Ankara believes Israel has long been pursuing. On the security front, plans for the protection of the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus are expected to be discussed, including the possible deployment of F-16 fighter jets there. The economic repercussions of the regional conflict will also be examined, with particular attention to risks arising from energy prices and financial markets, and a roadmap of potential measures to protect Turkey’s disinflation process is expected to be considered.
🔒 Turkish Parliament to Hold Closed-Door Briefing on US-Iran War and Regional Developments
Turkey’s foreign minister Hakan Fidan and defence minister Yaşar Güler will brief members of parliament in a closed session tomorrow (10 March) on the war between the United States, Israel, and Iran and the broader regional situation, with ministers expected to take questions from MPs. The session is part of a busy parliamentary week that also includes continued debate on a 36-article National Parks and related legislation bill, of which 21 articles have already been discussed in the General Assembly. Separately, parliamentary speaker Numan Kurtulmuş will host an iftar dinner tomorrow evening for members of the National Solidarity, Brotherhood and Democracy Commission.
🕌 Turkey’s Family Ministry Has Paid 162 Million Lira to Fund Quran Classes for Toddlers — Despite Ongoing Court Challenge
Turkey’s Ministry of Family and Social Services has transferred a cumulative 162.6 million lira to the Directorate of Religious Affairs (Diyanet) between 2023 and 2025 under a protocol that covers the enrolment fees of children from low-income families in Quran courses for four-to-six-year-olds, it has emerged. The payments — 50.8 million lira in 2023, 41.4 million in 2024, and 70.5 million in 2025 — were made despite the protocol being challenged in court by numerous civil society organisations on the grounds that it violates the constitution by directing public funds towards a specific religious faith, which they argue constitutes discrimination. The protocol, signed in January 2023 under social solidarity legislation, covered 80,653 children in 2025 alone. Both ministries have continued operating the scheme throughout the legal proceedings, which remain unresolved.
✈️ Turkey to Deploy Six F-16 Fighter Jets to Northern Cyprus Tomorrow
Turkey will send six F-16 fighter jets to the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus tomorrow morning, according to the acting director of the TRNC’s Civil Aviation Authority, Aşkın Meşeli, who said the deployment was for security purposes and would not affect civilian flights. The announcement follows a statement from Turkey’s Ministry of National Defence the previous day confirming that the deployment of F-16s to the island was under consideration in light of recent regional developments. No further details were given regarding the specific security concerns driving the decision.
💣 US Bypasses Congress to Approve $660 Million Bomb Sale to Israel — and a Turkish Firm Denies Being the Supplier
The US State Department has invoked emergency powers under the Arms Export Control Act to approve a weapons package for Israel worth $660 million without congressional authorisation, marking the first such bypass of Congress under President Trump’s second term and comprising more than 20,000 bombs including roughly 12,000 half-tonne BLU-110 munitions, 10,000 250-kilogramme bombs, and 5,000 small-diameter bombs, to be funded from Israel’s existing annual $3.8 billion US military aid allocation. Israeli news outlet Ynet subsequently reported, citing official documents, that the primary contractor for the deal is Texas-based Repkon USA, alleged to be the American subsidiary of Turkish defence manufacturer Repkon, which it claimed had purchased a General Dynamics production facility in Garland, Texas in March 2025 — described as the only plant in the United States capable of manufacturing the MK-80 series bomb casings used in JDAM precision guidance systems. Repkon Group issued a swift denial, saying it had no request, decision, or sales transaction connected to the procurement process, describing the coverage as a coordinated smear campaign targeting the company across multiple countries, and reserving the right to take legal action against outlets publishing what it called unverified and damaging claims.
✈️ Turkish Airlines Pulls Iran Flights Until 20 March as Middle East Airspace Chaos Deepens
Turkey’s Transport Minister Abdulkadir Uraloğlu has confirmed that Turkish carriers have made sweeping cancellations across the Middle East in response to ongoing airspace closures, with Turkish Airlines, AJet, Pegasus, and SunExpress all suspending flights to Iraq, Syria, Lebanon, and Jordan until the end of 13 March, whilst Pegasus has removed Iran from its schedule until 12 March and Turkish Airlines until 20 March. Flights to Doha, Dubai, Kuwait, Bahrain, Abu Dhabi, and Dammam have also been cancelled until 13 March. The minister noted that airspace closure NOTAMs remain in force over Iran, Israel, Iraq, Qatar, Bahrain, Kuwait, and Syria (excluding Aleppo), with only partial civil aviation continuing in Oman, Jordan, and Saudi Arabia, and limited controlled operations in the UAE. Two Turkish Airlines and Pegasus aircraft are currently stranded at Tehran’s Imam Khomeini International Airport, and a Tailwind Airlines aircraft leased to an Iraqi operator remains grounded in Iraq.
📝 MHP Working on Reform to Make Teacher Appointment Interviews More Objective
Turkey’s nationalist MHP party is reportedly preparing a legislative reform to overhaul the interview system used in teacher appointments, a process that has been a source of persistent controversy among candidates who argue that opaque and subjective scoring has allowed high-performing written exam candidates to be eliminated unfairly at interview stage. According to Nefes newspaper, the draft proposals under consideration include binding interview scores to more objective criteria, making the evaluation process auditable, and increasing the weighting of written exam results in final appointment decisions. The reform is also said to aim at addressing past injustices suffered by candidates who lost out under the current system. The AKP had promised to abolish the interview system during the last general election campaign, and it remains to be seen whether the eventual proposal will reach parliament and what form it will take.
İstanbul
🏛️ Man Sets Fire to One of Istanbul’s Oldest Fountains, Scorching 18th-Century Marble
A 61-year-old man has been charged with criminal damage and deliberately endangering public safety after setting a fire beside the Tophane Fountain in Istanbul, one of the city’s three largest Ottoman fountains, built in 1732 during the reign of Sultan Mahmud I. The blaze blackened sections of the fountain’s marble surfaces, prompting cleaning crews to begin restoration work and drawing angry reactions from bystanders and tourists. The suspect, identified only by his initials O.G.Y., was detained at the scene and sent to court following police processing; it emerged he has five prior criminal records including damaging places of worship and cemeteries, assault, and negligent homicide. The imam of the neighbouring Kılıç Ali Paşa Mosque told reporters the same individual had previously destroyed bookshelves inside the mosque on three consecutive days, and that police had been unable to act on that occasion on the grounds that he was assessed as mentally impaired — a gap in the law, the imam suggested, that was allowing vulnerable historic structures to remain at risk.
🏘️ Erdoğan Orders Privatisation of 11 Historic Properties in Istanbul’s Galata Conservation Zone
President Erdoğan has authorised the Privatisation Administration to prepare eleven historic houses and shops in Istanbul’s Beyoğlu district for sale, despite the properties lying within a designated urban conservation area. The buildings, each roughly 60 to 70 square metres in size, are concentrated around the Galata Tower and Karaköy neighbourhood in the Müeyyetzade quarter, on and around Galip Dede, Kemeraltı, and Tersane streets — a registered historic urban conservation zone. According to the decision published in the Official Gazette, the properties may be disposed of through sale, lease, revenue sharing, the establishment of non-possessory rights, or operating rights, with all transactions to be completed by the end of 2028. The properties are subject to construction restrictions due to their conservation status, and had been undergoing revision and registration procedures for some time prior to the privatisation order.
Opposition Parties (CHP and others)
⚖️ ‘We’re Not Going to Silivri to Be Tried — We’re Going to Put Them on Trial’
CHP leader Özgür Özel has delivered a defiant address ahead of the opening tomorrow of the trial of imprisoned Istanbul Mayor and presidential candidate Ekrem İmamoğlu, framing the proceedings as an opportunity to expose what he described as a fabricated case built on lies that have already unravelled one by one — from allegations of 560 billion lira in corruption that produced no evidence, to claims of cash in suitcases that turned out to contain a signal jammer, to luxury cars that proved to belong to an MHP MP. Özel called on the public to come to Silivri to watch “how a lie collapses,” expressed frustration that the court had rejected calls for live broadcasting of proceedings, and alleged that the panel of judges had been manipulated at the last minute to ensure a compliant bench — claiming the original court’s composition was deemed insufficiently reliable and supplemented with loyalist additions. He also issued a pointed warning to supporters attending the courthouse, urging them not to give authorities any pretext for confrontation: “If someone nudges a gendarme’s shoulder, we go from being in the right to being in the wrong.”
🌙 Ankara Mayor Appeals for Public Support as Ramadan Charity Campaigns Reach Thousands of Families
Ankara Mayor Mansur Yavaş has called on residents to contribute to the municipality’s ongoing Ramadan solidarity campaigns, reporting that to date 3,342 food parcels worth 4.46 million lira have been delivered to those in need, whilst approximately 4 million lira in religious alms payments — fitre and fidye — have been transferred directly to the accounts of 15,028 households. A separate campaign covering the water bills of families receiving social support has also been completed in full. Yavaş said the campaigns, which run under the names Koliver, Suver, Fitre Ver, and Fidye Ver, would continue until the end of Ramadan, and urged all Ankara residents to take part, saying that even a small contribution could bring genuine joy to a family’s table.
✊ CHP Istanbul Chair Calls Supporters to Silivri as İmamoğlu Trial Opens Today
CHP Istanbul provincial chair Özgür Çelik has announced that preparations are complete for today’s opening of the Istanbul Metropolitan Municipality trial at Silivri on 9 March, calling on supporters from across Turkey to gather at the party’s designated Silivri Solidarity Centre to demonstrate against what he described as the biggest political stitch-up in the history of the Turkish Republic. Çelik said he had been in contact with relevant authorities and did not expect the gathering to face obstruction, whilst noting that defendants’ families would be present inside the courtroom and lawyers would argue the case within. His statement comes after the Silivri district governorate issued a ban on demonstrations and marches in the vicinity of the prison until the end of the month. Çelik closed with a rallying call, saying the people would defend both their democratically expressed will and their presidential candidate Ekrem İmamoğlu.
💧 Ankara Faces Drought Warning as Usable Reservoir Water Falls Below 20 Per Cent
Water levels at Ankara’s reservoirs remain critically low despite modest rainfall and snowmelt in February, with the city’s water authority ASKİ reporting an overall fill rate of just 27.4 per cent as of 8 March — and, more worryingly, an active usable water rate of under 19 per cent, which represents the supply the capital can actually draw on in the short term. Whilst two smaller reservoirs, Kargalı and Kesikköprü, stand at full capacity, the city’s largest facilities tell a more sobering story, with Çamlıdere at 23 per cent, Peçenek at 21 per cent, and Türkeşrefli at just 5.2 per cent. Experts warn that unless consistent rainfall arrives throughout March, levels could begin falling again, and that as summer approaches with its higher consumption and evaporation rates, careful water management will be essential to avert a serious shortage.
Economy
🥇 Nearly Two Kilograms of Smuggled Gold Seized at Turkish-Iraqi Border Crossing
Customs officers at the Habur border gate in Şırnak have seized almost two kilograms of gold hidden in a lorry attempting to enter Turkey from Iraq, with the contraband valued at approximately 14.6 million lira. The gold, comprising eight pieces totalling 1,998 grams, was found concealed in natural cavities within the cab’s storage compartment and in hidden compartments on the driver’s person during a detailed inspection. A suspect has been detained and the vehicle impounded, with criminal proceedings initiated under Turkey’s Anti-Smuggling Law on the instructions of the Silopi public prosecutor’s office.