Yesterday I was unwell, which is why I didn’t post our daily bulletin.
Apologies for the interruption — and thank you for your understanding.
🕵️♂️📂 Fethullah Gülen’s Lawyer Named in Epstein Files
Newly released documents from the US Department of Justice’s Epstein archive have revealed that Reid Weingarten, the American lawyer representing Fethullah Gülen, was also among Jeffrey Epstein’s legal advisers. The disclosure adds a fresh layer of controversy to the sprawling Epstein case, which continues to expose links across politics, business and elite legal circles. According to reports, emails included in the files suggest that shortly after the 15 July coup attempt in Turkey, Weingarten contacted Epstein seeking support for Gülen, with senior FETÖ figures copied into the correspondence. The revelations have reignited debate over the international reach of both Epstein’s network and Gülen’s legal and political connections in the United States.
Parliament
On 5 February 2026, each party will be given 20 minutes, with no more than two speakers allowed to use that time, and the speeches must be solely on the 6 February earthquakes.
🚗🏍️ Tougher Traffic Penalties Approved: ₺45,000 Fines for Drifting and Motorcycle Stunts
Turkey’s parliament has approved six more articles of a bill amending the Highway Traffic Law, significantly tightening penalties for dangerous driving. Under the new rules, car drivers who drift and motorcyclists who perform stunt riding outside permitted shows will face fines of around 45,000 TRY alongside licence suspensions and temporary vehicle bans. The legislation also introduces heavy fines for unauthorised transport based on vehicle weight and dimensions, bans unsafe loading practices, and penalises riders who enter pavements with bicycles, scooters or motorcycles. Repeat offenders risk licence cancellation, marking a clear push by lawmakers to curb reckless behaviour and improve road safety nationwide.
🕊️ Critical Turning Point in the Process: MHP Says “We’ve Agreed on the Right to Hope”, CHP Strikes a Cautious Note
Work is nearing completion on the joint report prepared by the parliamentary process commission. Speaking after the meeting, MHP Deputy Chair Feti Yıldız said there was agreement on the so-called “right to hope”, stressing that the report would recommend compliance with European Court of Human Rights and Constitutional Court rulings. CHP’s Murat Emir, however, adopted a more measured tone, saying it was too early to claim full consensus but that the parties were drawing closer to an overall agreement. According to officials, the final report on the “Terror-Free Turkey” process will soon be voted on in the commission and submitted to the Speaker of Parliament, with any subsequent legal steps left to the discretion of the Grand National Assembly.
Ruling Party (JDP)
🏚️⏳ For Thousands of Earthquake Survivors, Containers Are No Longer Temporary
Three years after the 6 February earthquakes, the housing crisis in Turkey’s disaster zone shows no sign of easing, with more than 360,000 people still living in 126,583 containers across 11 provinces. What was meant to be an emergency solution has effectively become permanent, particularly in Hatay, which alone accounts for 43.5% of all container residents. Official data show that nearly 90% of those still in container housing are concentrated in four hardest-hit provinces: Hatay, Malatya, Kahramanmaraş and Adıyaman. Despite trillions of lira spent on reconstruction and hundreds of thousands of homes deemed damaged or uninhabitable, slow key handovers and unresolved infrastructure problems mean that “temporary” living conditions continue to define daily life for hundreds of thousands of earthquake survivors.
📰🌍 Financial Times Profiles Bahçeli: The Power Broker Behind Turkey’s Kurdish Peace Push
The Financial Times has published an in-depth analysis portraying MHP leader Devlet Bahçeli as a pivotal — and unexpected — architect of President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan’s renewed Kurdish peace initiative. The article highlights Bahçeli’s striking political shift, noting how the ultranationalist leader, once a vocal advocate of Abdullah Öcalan’s execution, is now publicly embracing reconciliation rhetoric. As a powerful symbol, the FT recounts Bahçeli displaying a red rug sent by Öcalan, which he reportedly described as a “rug of peace and democracy”, interpreting it as a gesture towards Turkish-Kurdish unity. Framing this as more than tactical politics, the paper argues Bahçeli has emerged as an enthusiastic backer of a historic attempt to end a four-decade conflict that has claimed around 40,000 lives, underscoring his unusual but decisive influence within Erdoğan’s governing alliance.
Opposition Parties (RPP and others)
🗳️📺 Turkey’s Top Court Faults State News Agency, Imamoğlu Responds Sharply
Turkey’s Constitutional Court has ruled that Anadolu Agency violated press and freedom of expression rights by cutting data flows during the most critical hours of the 2019 local election count, describing the 13-hour blackout as a clear fault that disrupted broadcasters’ work. Reacting to the decision, Istanbul Mayor and detained presidential candidate Ekrem İmamoğlu said the ruling formally confirms what the public already knew: that election results were deliberately obscured once defeat became clear. In a strongly worded statement, he argued that state institutions were misused against the will of the people, insisting that “the voice of the public cannot be silenced” and warning that those who defy popular will will “lose again, one way or another.”
🚨 Imamoğlu Espionage Probe Concluded: Prosecutors Seek Up to 20 Years in Prison
Turkish prosecutors have filed a public case accusing Istanbul Mayor and CHP presidential candidate Ekrem İmamoğlu, alongside Necati Özkan, Hüseyin Gün and journalist Merdan Yanardağ, of “political espionage”. According to the indictment prepared by the Istanbul Chief Public Prosecutor’s Office, the four are alleged to have played a role in manipulating the 2019 local elections with the aim of boosting İmamoğlu’s political influence, particularly in Istanbul. Prosecutors are seeking prison sentences of between 15 and 20 years for each defendant, the continuation of pre-trial detention, and the confiscation of assets including a television channel. The case will be heard at Istanbul’s 25th High Criminal Court.
⚖️🔥 Aktaş Case Reaches Pivotal Moment as Prosecutor’s Opinion Due Tomorrow
The sixth hearing in the high-profile “Aziz İhsan Aktaş Criminal Organisation” case has concluded, with the defence of detained Beşiktaş Mayor Rıza Akpolat dominating proceedings. Akpolat, facing up to 415 years in prison, rejected all charges as baseless and politically motivated, describing a process built on coerced informants, hearsay and intimidation, while stressing the human cost of detention on families and colleagues. Other defendants, including Akpolat’s relatives and driver, also denied money-laundering allegations, insisting they acted under instruction or within lawful means. The court announced that the prosecutor will present the interim opinion tomorrow morning, after which lawyers for the detained defendants will respond, marking a critical turning point in a case involving more than 200 defendants, including several CHP mayors.
Economy
📊💼 Inflation Peaks as Layoffs Make Headlines
Seasonally adjusted monthly inflation in Turkey climbed to 2.88%, its highest level since January last year, according to official data. At the same time, global markets are watching a wave of high-profile job cuts in the United States, where companies such as Amazon, UPS and Pinterest have announced significant workforce reductions. Economists caution that these moves do not yet signal a systemic collapse in the labour market, pointing instead to a period of adjustment marked by slower hiring, limited redundancies and a restructuring driven largely by artificial intelligence and post-pandemic normalisation rather than an outright economic downturn.
🤝📈 Turkey–Egypt Set Sights on $15bn Trade Target
Speaking at the closing session of the Turkey–Egypt Business Forum in Cairo, President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan said Ankara and Cairo would work “with determination” to raise bilateral trade to $15 billion, well above the current level of just over $8 billion. Highlighting Egypt as Turkey’s largest trading partner in Africa, Erdoğan stressed the vast untapped potential in investment, tourism, construction, energy and logistics, and welcomed steps such as visa-on-arrival for Turkish visitors. He also underlined cooperation on major projects—from smart cities and infrastructure to the reconstruction of Gaza—arguing that closer economic ties would not only benefit both countries but also contribute to regional stability at a time of growing global protectionism.
💼🇹🇷🇪🇬 Turkish Investment in Egypt Tops $3bn
Speaking at the Turkey–Egypt Business Forum in Cairo, DEİK President Nail Olpak said Turkish investment in Egypt has now exceeded $3 billion, supporting around 100,000 jobs, as business ties between the two countries gather pace. Olpak noted that bilateral trade reached roughly $8 billion in 2025 and stressed a shared ambition to lift this to $15 billion in the near term. Highlighting cooperation in logistics, energy, industry, defence, tourism and high technology, he underlined Egypt’s strategic role via the Suez Canal and Turkey’s position as a bridge between Europe and Asia, arguing that the two economies complement each other and offer strong potential for joint production and expansion into third markets across Africa and the Middle East.
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