Justice System and Everyday Life in Türkiye
🚨💸 Police ‘Sold Europol Barons List to Drug Gangs’ as Corruption Scandal Deepens
A sweeping investigation by the Bakırköy Chief Public Prosecutor’s Office has laid bare what prosecutors describe as a vast web of corruption linking police officers, court officials and customs staff to the so-called “Casperlar” crime syndicate, including the alleged sale of a confidential European law enforcement “barons list” to organised crime figures. The list, containing 496 Turkish nationals identified through the SKY ECC encrypted messaging probe, was reportedly leaked by a serving Ankara police officer, who is accused of passing on names and sensitive intelligence in exchange for money. Investigators say officers across several provinces accessed the closed Polnet police database to check arrest warrants, obtain addresses, identity numbers and other classified data for suspected traffickers — information later sold on to criminal groups. The inquiry further alleges that certain officials not only traded intelligence but actively assisted in drug trafficking operations, facilitated threats and intimidation, manipulated official records and laundered illicit proceeds. The case, triggered in part by information shared from Germany following the arrest of a gang leader, is being described as one of the starkest revelations yet of institutional decay within elements of the state apparatus.
⚖️🔫 Prosecutor Accused of Shooting Female Judge to Stand Trial
The first hearing date has been set for prosecutor Muhammed Çağatay Kılıçarslan, who is accused of shooting and seriously injuring judge Aslı Kahraman at the Istanbul Regional Court of Justice. According to the indictment prepared by the Istanbul Chief Public Prosecutor’s Office, the pair had previously been in a relationship that ended, after which the defendant allegedly began pressuring the judge to seek reassignment to another city, fearing the impact of the situation on his career and family life. Prosecutors claim he repeatedly threatened her in person and via phone, including sending images of firearms, and continued contact through concealed numbers and bank transfer descriptions despite being blocked. On 13 January, he allegedly went to her chambers at the courthouse, refused to leave during an argument, drew a gun and ultimately fired, seriously wounding her, with a second shot reportedly prevented by the intervention of a witness. Kılıçarslan faces charges including attempted murder against a woman, aggravated threats, violation of workplace immunity, unlawful acquisition of personal data and stalking, and could face between 20 years and over 42 years in prison if convicted.
⚖️✈️ Up to 10 Years Sought for Eylem Tok and Bülent Cihantimur Over Alleged Evidence Tampering and Aiding Escape
Prosecutors in Istanbul are seeking prison sentences of up to ten years for Eylem Tok, Bülent Cihantimur and three other suspects on charges of destroying or concealing evidence and harbouring an offender following the fatal traffic collision in Kemerburgaz that claimed the life of Oğuz Murat Aci. The indictment alleges that after the crash, in which Timur Cihantimur was driving, a coordinated effort was made to facilitate his departure from Turkey, including the transfer of luggage, failure to conduct an alcohol test, and the removal and concealment of a victim’s mobile phone from the scene. Surveillance footage is said to contradict Bülent Cihantimur’s claim that he was unaware of any escape plan. Eylem Tok is subject to an arrest warrant and Interpol red notice, while Timur Cihantimur and Tok were previously detained in the United States, with extradition proceedings resulting in a decision for Cihantimur’s return to Turkey.
🕯️⚖️ Lawyers for Slain Journalist Hakan Tosun: ‘This Indictment Is a Licence to Kill for Gangs’
The lawyers of journalist and activist Hakan Tosun, who was beaten to death in the street in Esenyurt on 10 October, have fiercely criticised the bill of indictment prepared by prosecutors, arguing that it effectively shields the perpetrators rather than pursuing justice. Speaking at a press conference at the Istanbul branch of the Human Rights Association, solicitor Cemal Yücel said the document seeks to punish the two detained suspects not for intentional murder but for aggravated assault resulting in death, while also requesting sentence reductions on the grounds of alleged provocation. He described the text as one written “not like an обвинator but almost like defence counsel”, warning that if accepted by the court it could see the assailants released after as little as two and a half years. Tosun’s family reject claims that he provoked the attack and point to forensic reports confirming he died from severe head trauma consistent with repeated kicks and blows. His sister, Öznur Tosun, said the family would pursue the case relentlessly, adding that the trial would test whether the judiciary stands with criminal gangs or with the fundamental right to life.
📰⚖️ Travel Bans Lifted for Journalists Yavuz Oğhan, Ruşen Çakır and Şaban Sevinç
The judicial control measures and overseas travel bans imposed on journalists Yavuz Oğhan, Ruşen Çakır and Şaban Sevinç have been lifted by the Istanbul 40th High Criminal Court, one month after their lawyers formally objected to the restrictions. The three had been summoned to give statements במסגרת the Istanbul Metropolitan Municipality case and were subsequently placed under judicial supervision, including a prohibition on leaving the country. Announcing the decision on social media, their lawyer Hüseyin Ersöz said the measures — which he argued should never have been imposed — had now been revoked, though he added that it was difficult to welcome the development while fellow journalist Alican Uludağ remains in custody.
🚔🛑 Eleven Detained in Istanbul Operation Against ISIS
Eleven suspects have been detained in a large-scale counter-terrorism operation targeting ISIS in Istanbul, carried out by the city’s Counter-Terrorism and Intelligence units under the coordination of the Istanbul Chief Public Prosecutor’s Office. Police conducted simultaneous raids at pre-identified addresses, detaining individuals alleged to have links to the organisation and to have engaged in propaganda activities via social media platforms. Searches were carried out at numerous premises, with officers seizing digital materials for examination. The detainees have been taken to the Counter-Terrorism Branch for questioning, while the investigation remains ongoing.
Politics
🏛️🔄 Erdoğan Announces ‘Minor Cabinet Reshuffle’ as New Justice and Interior Ministers Take Office
President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan has described the appointment of new Justice Minister Akın Gürlek and Interior Minister Mustafa Çiftçi as a “minor reshuffle”, speaking after a Cabinet meeting at the Presidential Complex in Ankara. The session, held after a three-week break and attended for the first time by the newly appointed ministers, addressed security, economic matters and regional developments. Erdoğan thanked their predecessors for their service and expressed confidence that the incoming ministers would carry out their duties with renewed energy. In his remarks, he also defended recent developments at Boğaziçi University, announcing multi-billion-lira investments including a new library, laboratories, conference hall and student accommodation, while insisting that universities “belong to the nation” and would not be allowed to become strongholds of marginal ideologies.
🗳️🔍 AK Party Signals Early Election Move to Clear Path for Erdoğan’s Candidacy
Turkey’s ruling AK Party has openly acknowledged that it is seeking an early parliamentary election in order to enable President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan to stand again, confirming what had long been discussed behind the scenes in Ankara. Senior party figures have stated that a three-fifths majority of 360 MPs would be required to trigger an early poll, with November 2027 — six months ahead of the scheduled May 2028 elections — emerging as the preferred date. As the governing People’s Alliance currently falls short of that threshold, attention has turned to potential cross-party defections and negotiations, including outreach to smaller parties and independents. While alternative routes could involve support from the pro-Kurdish DEM Party or even constitutional bargaining, AK Party officials argue that additional time is needed to consolidate post-earthquake reconstruction efforts and stabilise the economy before going to the country. The debate now centres not only on parliamentary arithmetic but also on whether opposition parties would lend the necessary backing to advance an early vote.
🏛️🗣️ Ankara Municipality Denies Claim That Mansur Yavaş Ruled Out Third Candidacy
Ankara Metropolitan Municipality has firmly rejected claims that Mayor Mansur Yavaş declared he would “never” stand as a third candidate in a future presidential race, stating that the remarks attributed to him on live television do not belong to him. The allegations were raised by journalist Mustafa Balbay, who suggested that Yavaş had said one does not declare candidacy for the presidency but is nominated, and that he would not enter the race as a third contender. In a written statement, the municipality said Yavaş had made no such comments to his inner circle or to any other party, stressing that his position on potential candidacy remains consistent with his previous public statements following the arrest of Ekrem İmamoğlu. The statement added that Yavaş’s priority continues to be serving the people of Ankara and urged the public not to place credence in unofficial claims.
📊💷 3.6 Million Households in Extreme Poverty as Government Plans New Income Support Scheme
Preparatory work by the Ministry of Family and Social Services and the Treasury for a new Income Supplementary Support System has laid bare the scale of deep poverty in Turkey, with projections indicating that 3.6 million households will qualify for assistance by 2027. According to documents obtained by BirGün, the scheme — set to be piloted in 2026 before a nationwide rollout — will target families with no income or earnings below the minimum wage. Based on official calculations treating each household as comprising four people, this suggests that some 14.4 million citizens could be living in homes surviving on less than the minimum wage next year. Despite government spending of 359.1 billion lira under the banner of “combating poverty”, figures for 2025 show 183,000 children unable to be cared for by their families, 2.5 million households struggling to pay electricity bills and 8.2 million people in debt over general health insurance premiums, underscoring the entrenched nature of economic hardship.
⚖️🌍 Council of Europe Youth Delegate Enes Hocaoğulları Acquitted After 35 Days in Jail
Enes Hocaoğulları, the Council of Europe youth delegate who was arrested over a speech delivered at the Congress of Local and Regional Authorities and spent 35 days in prison on charges of “inciting hatred and enmity among the public”, has been acquitted by Ankara’s 86th Criminal Court of First Instance. The second hearing of his trial was attended by representatives from the European Union Delegation and several European embassies, as well as Amnesty International, bar association officials and civil society groups. In his defence, Hocaoğulları described the impact of his detention on his professional life and recounted his treatment in Sincan Prison, alleging degrading conditions and psychological harm. He told the court that references to him abroad as “the young man arrested for his speech at the Council of Europe” had amplified the human rights concerns he had raised. The court ultimately ruled in his favour, bringing the case to a close.
🌊✈️ Turkish P-72 Takes to the Skies as TCG 1st İnönü Dives Deep in NATO Show of Strength
NATO’s flagship anti-submarine warfare exercise, Dynamic Manta 2026, has commenced off the coast of Italy with the participation of ten allied nations, testing advanced undersea defence tactics in the Mediterranean. Hosted by Italy and organised by NATO Allied Maritime Command, the exercise brings together submarines, frigates, aircraft and helicopters in complex, integrated scenarios. Turkey has contributed the Gür-class submarine TCG 1st İnönü and a P-72 maritime patrol aircraft, both tasked with detecting and tracking underwater threats. Over the coming days, submarines will alternate between acting as both hunter and hunted, while surface vessels and patrol aircraft rehearse the identification, monitoring and simulated neutralisation of hostile elements, underscoring NATO’s continued focus on maritime security in the region.
🕊️📰 Former CIA Official Graham Fuller, Subject of Arrest Warrant in 15 July Probe, Dies Aged 89
Graham E. Fuller, the former Vice-Chair of the National Intelligence Council at the CIA, has died at the age of 89 following heart-related illness, reportedly passing away on 29 January surrounded by his family. His death was announced by Helga Zepp-LaRouche, founder of the German-based Schiller Institute. After leaving the CIA, Fuller became a noted Middle East specialist and author, most recently examining the Arab uprisings and Turkey’s regional role in his book Turkey and the Arab Spring: Leadership in the Middle East. Known for his work on Islamic movements and for advising the RAND Corporation, Fuller came under intense scrutiny in Turkey after the failed coup attempt of 15 July 2016. He was alleged to have provided a reference letter in support of Fethullah Gülen’s US Green Card application, and in 2017 Turkish prosecutors issued an arrest warrant accusing him of attempting to overthrow the constitutional order, seeking to topple the government and obtaining state secrets for political or military espionage.
Economy
💰📊 Ministers Signal Tax Shift and £100bn Lifeline for Industry
Turkey’s Treasury and Finance Minister Mehmet Şimşek has said the government has reduced the share of indirect taxes within total tax revenues from 66 per cent to 62 per cent, insisting that, contrary to public perception, the reform programme has trimmed tax expenditures and improved fairness and efficiency in revenue policy. Meanwhile, Industry and Technology Minister Mehmet Fatih Kacır unveiled a ₺100 billion financing package aimed at safeguarding employment and sustaining production across the manufacturing sector. The scheme will allow SMEs and large-scale firms to access loans of up to ₺50 million with favourable terms, while selected sectors will benefit from interest subsidies and per-employee wage support. Officials argue that the measures, alongside long-term industrial incentives and regional development plans, are designed to preserve competitiveness, ease financing pressures and reinforce Turkey’s industrial base at a time of tighter global trade conditions.