⚖️ Justice System and Everyday Life in Türkiye
Dubai-Based Oasis Prime in Talks to Acquire Controlling Stake in Turkey’s Kervansaray Investment Holding
Kervansaray Investment Holding, a Turkish company founded in 1976 and listed on Borsa Istanbul, has entered a potential change-of-control process after majority shareholder Zeynep Tümer began negotiations to sell her 62.06% stake to Dubai-based Oasis Prime-FZCO. The proposed transaction could transfer management control to the new investor and, based on the company’s latest closing share price, may be valued at approximately TRY 3.5 billion. The development follows a remarkable six-month rally in Kervansaray shares, which have surged about 375%, while Oasis Prime describes itself as a sustainability-focused company operating in the agriculture and energy sectors.
Turkey’s Auto Market Posts First Sharp Contraction of 2026 as July Sales Plunge 25%
Turkey’s passenger car and light commercial vehicle market recorded its first major downturn of 2026, with July sales falling 25% year over year as high interest rates and restricted access to auto financing weighed on demand. According to the Automotive Distributors and Mobility Association (ODMD), total vehicle sales declined 10.7% in the first seven months of the year to 638,965 units, while passenger car sales dropped 12.1%. Despite the slowdown, SUV models continued to dominate demand, accounting for 65.5% of passenger car sales. ODMD Chairman Hakan Tiftik warned that, without improvements in financing conditions and consumer demand, the industry’s target of reaching 1.2 million vehicle sales in 2026 is becoming increasingly difficult to achieve.
🏛️ Politics
Study Finds Low HPV Awareness and Vaccination Rates Among Turkish University Students
A new study of 275 university students in Turkey found significant gaps in knowledge about human papillomavirus (HPV) and low vaccination uptake despite widespread awareness of the vaccine. Nearly one in five respondents said they did not know what HPV is, two-thirds had never received sexual health education, and only 9.5% had been vaccinated against HPV, even though 84.7% had heard of the vaccine. The study also found that 18.2% of students reported their first sexual experience at age 18 or younger, with the internet serving as the primary source of HPV information. Researchers concluded that expanding sexual health education, improving access to reliable HPV information, and increasing vaccine awareness are essential to reducing future risks of HPV-related diseases.
🤝Ruling Government (AKP, MHP, CHP and DEM coalition aka People’s Alliance)
Turkish Parliament Speaker Signs National Unity Framework Bill
Turkish Parliament Speaker Numan Kurtulmuş has signed the Law on Strengthening National Solidarity and Social Cohesion, a framework bill aimed at promoting national unity. The proposal was first signed by Nationalist Movement Party (MHP) leader Devlet Bahçeli, alongside MHP lawmakers Feti Yıldız, Celal Adan, Erkan Akçay, and Filiz Kılıç. Parliament also announced that the ruling AK Party, the New Party, the main opposition CHP, and the New Path parliamentary group will be formally briefed on the legislation as part of an effort to ensure transparency and broad political consensus.
Reported Dispute Over Political Ban in Turkey’s Peace Process Resolved After Öcalan Intervention
According to Turkish media reports citing political sources, negotiations over a proposed legal framework for the government’s “Terror-Free Turkey” initiative encountered a disagreement between the ruling AK Party and the pro-Kurdish DEM Party regarding individuals in Europe alleged to have ties to the now-dissolved PKK. The reports claim DEM Party opposed provisions that could impose political bans on these individuals, arguing many have long been engaged in legal civil society and political activities abroad. The reported impasse was allegedly resolved after imprisoned PKK founder Abdullah Öcalan urged participants not to focus on procedural details, saying remaining issues could be addressed over time. The claims have not been officially confirmed by the parties involved.
🗳️ Opposition Parties (New Party and others)
Turkey’s New Party Pledges to Voluntarily Follow GRECO Anti-Corruption Standards
Turkey’s newly established New Party has pledged to voluntarily comply with the anti-corruption standards of the Council of Europe’s Group of States Against Corruption (GRECO), even though many of those rules have not been fully implemented in Turkish law. Party leader Özgür Özel said the commitment would apply to the party’s lawmakers, mayors, and local officials, covering areas such as transparency, asset declarations, conflicts of interest, lobbying, and political ethics. He also criticized successive governments for failing to enact reforms recommended by GRECO, arguing that stronger anti-corruption measures and judicial independence are essential for improving governance and advancing Turkey’s alignment with European standards.
Turkish Prosecutors Seek to Lift Immunity of New Party Leader Özgür Özel and MP Veli Ağbaba
The Ankara Chief Public Prosecutor’s Office has prepared parliamentary immunity dossiers (fezlekes) seeking the removal of the legislative immunity of New Party leader and MP Özgür Özel and MP Veli Ağbaba over allegations of “repeated bribery.” Prosecutors allege that Özel and Ağbaba obtained financial benefits in connection with local election candidate selection and other political activities, claims that reference Antalya Mayor Muhittin Böcek, his son Mustafa Gökhan Böcek, and Uşak Mayor Özkan Yalım. The dossiers have been forwarded to the Ministry of Justice, initiating the parliamentary process that could ultimately lead to a vote on lifting their immunity. The allegations have not been adjudicated in court, and any prosecution would require the completion of the constitutional immunity procedure.
X Challenges Turkish Court Order Blocking İmamoğlu’s Presidential Campaign Account
Social media platform X has filed a legal appeal against a Turkish court order that blocked access within Turkey to the “Presidential Candidate Office” account associated with suspended and jailed Istanbul Mayor Ekrem İmamoğlu. The platform said it complied with the order—which cited national security, public order, and crime prevention under Article 8/A of Turkey’s internet law—to avoid potential penalties, including bandwidth restrictions, but is contesting the decision in court and has published the ruling in the interest of transparency. X also noted that a separate appeal against an earlier access restriction on another İmamoğlu-linked account remains pending before Turkey’s Constitutional Court, reiterating its commitment to challenging content restrictions it believes conflict with freedom of expression and access to information.
Detained Istanbul Mayor Sinem Dedetaş Says She Rejected Offer That Could Have Kept Her Out of Jail
Üsküdar Mayor Sinem Dedetaş, who is being held in pretrial detention, told Zafer Party leader Ümit Özdağ during a prison visit that she had received an unspecified offer before her detention that, if accepted, would have prevented her imprisonment. According to Özdağ, Dedetaş said she rejected the proposal because she believed elected officials have a duty to honor the mandate given by voters until the end of their term. She also denied any risk of fleeing or tampering with evidence, arguing that she had previously returned to Turkey after traveling abroad during the investigation and that prosecutors had already seized the relevant evidence. Özdağ criticized the detention, describing it as politically motivated and alleging unequal application of the law.
Brother of New Party MP Veli Ağbaba Detained in İzmir Municipal Corruption Probe
Turkish authorities have detained Hür Ağbaba, the brother of New Party lawmaker Veli Ağbaba, along with another individual as part of an ongoing corruption investigation involving İzmir Metropolitan Municipality. Prosecutors allege the two detainees acted in coordination with Süleyman Ekinci, the previously arrested general manager of Egeşehir. The detentions were carried out in Diyarbakır and Malatya, and both individuals remain in police custody while the investigation continues. No formal charges or court rulings have yet been announced.