Politics
🏛️🔥 Erdoğan Hits Back at Gürlek Protests in Parliament
President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan sharply criticised opposition protests during the parliamentary oath-taking of Justice Minister Akın Gürlek, calling the scenes an “affront to the national will” in a speech to the AK Party’s Extended Provincial Chairs Meeting. Referring to the disruption by CHP MPs as undemocratic and disrespectful to the dignity of the Grand National Assembly, Erdoğan said the constitutional process had been completed and the matter was closed. Gürlek and newly appointed Interior Minister Mustafa Çiftçi both thanked Erdoğan from the podium, while the president also urged party organisations to mobilise ahead of Ramadan, instructing them to ensure “no household is left unvisited”.
🗳️⚖️ Behind the Scenes of the New Interior Minister Appointment: Two AK Party Heavyweights in Play
The surprise appointment of Erzurum Governor Mustafa Çiftçi as Turkey’s new Interior Minister was shaped by behind-the-scenes intervention from two senior AK Party figures: former parliament speaker İsmail Kahraman and current speaker Numan Kurtulmuş. According to political insiders, both lobbied President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan in favour of Çiftçi, with an emphasis on restoring smoother relations within the ruling alliance and ensuring closer alignment with the MHP. The move came despite widespread expectations that Istanbul Governor Davut Gül would take the post, underscoring Erdoğan’s willingness to upend assumptions and recalibrate power balances amid internal frictions and an increasingly delicate pre-election landscape.
🧑⚖️⚖️ Judiciary Shake-Up Talk After Gürlek Appointment: Ankara Chief Prosecutor May Be Moved
Following Akın Gürlek’s appointment as Justice Minister, Ankara’s legal circles are buzzing with claims that Ankara Chief Public Prosecutor Gökhan Karaköse could be shifted to the Court of Cassation, paving the way for a new appointment more closely aligned with the minister. According to courtroom gossip, Istanbul Deputy Chief Prosecutor Can Tuncay is the leading contender to replace Karaköse, alongside other senior names, as Gürlek is said to be assembling a trusted team much as he did during his time in Istanbul. Further speculation suggests changes may also be on the cards among deputy justice ministers, with Mehmet Yılmaz likewise tipped for elevation to the high court, signalling a broader reshuffle at the top of Turkey’s judicial hierarchy.
⚖️🌀 What’s on Akın Gürlek’s Desk as Justice Minister
With Akın Gürlek’s return to Ankara as justice minister, the spotlight is firmly on the questions he can no longer sidestep. Once a judge and chief prosecutor known for hardline decisions, Gürlek now faces the political and legal consequences of those choices: from the European Court of Human Rights rulings on Osman Kavala and Selahattin Demirtaş, to the Constitutional Court’s finding of rights violations in the Can Atalay case. He will also be drawn into debates over possible legal pathways for Abdullah Öcalan, potential amnesty proposals, and the government’s own Judicial Reform Strategy, which pledges liberty-focused reforms at odds with his past record. Unlike his predecessor, who routinely brushed off scrutiny with stock phrases, Gürlek will have to explain how his previous stance aligns with his new role — and how he plans to speak, and act, as the face of justice in a turbulent pre-election period.
🚨🏛️ FETÖ Raids Across 11 Provinces: 93 Tax Inspectors Detained
In a major operation launched from Istanbul, Turkish authorities have detained 93 tax inspectors as part of an investigation into the FETÖ organisation, with raids carried out simultaneously in 11 provinces. The suspects include both active-duty officials and others previously dismissed from the Ministry of Treasury and Finance. Prosecutors allege the individuals used public payphones and card-based systems to maintain covert organisational communication, supported by confessions from informants. One additional suspect is reported to be abroad, bringing the total number targeted in the operation to 94.
🚨💻 OnlyFans Raids Across 8 Provinces: Assets Worth Hundreds of Millions Seized
In a sweeping, Istanbul-led operation carried out simultaneously in eight provinces, Turkish authorities have seized assets worth nearly 300 million TL from 25 individuals and two companies accused of sharing explicit content on the banned OnlyFans platform and laundering the proceeds. Prosecutors say suspects accessed the platform via VPNs, promoted paid sexual content through open social media accounts, and channelled earnings into property, vehicles, gold, cryptocurrencies and bank investments. The investigation, led by the Istanbul Chief Public Prosecutor’s Office, remains ongoing, with officials stressing that the operation targets both the alleged obscenity offences and the financial crimes linked to them.
🚦💷 Traffic Fines Set to Rise as Parliament Approves New Law
Turkey’s parliament has passed a sweeping amendment to the Highway Traffic Law, sharply increasing penalties for a wide range of traffic offences in a bid to curb fatal accidents. Under the new rules, driving without a licence will now cost drivers ₺40,000, while getting behind the wheel despite a revoked licence will trigger a ₺200,000 fine. Penalties for red-light violations will rise progressively to as much as ₺80,000 within a year, excessive speeding in residential areas can attract fines of up to ₺30,000, and dangerous behaviours such as convoy driving, lane weaving, driving against traffic or chasing another vehicle carry heavy fines, licence suspensions and vehicle bans. Alcohol- and drug-related offences also see dramatic increases, with fines reaching ₺150,000 and licence cancellations, while even sharing or glorifying traffic violations on social media will now be punishable. The law takes effect immediately, except for provisions extending compulsory insurance to motorised bicycles, which will apply from January 2027.
🕊️🎧 ‘The Keeper of Secrets’: Veteran US–Turkey Summit Interpreter Olcay Kartarı Rached Dies
Olcay Kartarı Rached, the highly respected interpreter who for more than three decades served at the heart of US–Turkey diplomacy, has passed away in the United States after a long illness. Born in Kars in 1950, Rached was widely known as a “vault of secrets” for her role as a simultaneous interpreter at top-level meetings between American presidents and Turkish leaders, as well as at the White House, the United Nations and the World Bank. A graduate of Ankara University and Hacettepe University, she began her career in Turkey before moving to the US, where she worked for Voice of America and later became a trusted figure in Washington’s official language services. Her death was announced by her brother, Prof. Dr Asker Kartarı, with the family saying details of funeral and memorial services will be shared in due course.
Economy
📊🇹🇷2025 Marks a Notable Improvement in Export–Import Price Balance
After severe deterioration during the pandemic years, Türkiye’s export–import price balance improved markedly in 2025, with the foreign trade terms index rising by 7.2 points year-on-year to close at 92.4. According to December data from the Turkish Statistical Institute (TÜİK), export unit prices surged by 13 per cent while export volumes edged down just 0.4 per cent, indicating that higher prices only modestly constrained sales. Imports, by contrast, became less expensive in relative terms, with unit prices up 4.2 per cent and volumes rising 6.3 per cent. Although the terms of trade remained below the neutral threshold of 100—meaning Türkiye still needs to export more to import the same value—the improvement marked the strongest year-end level since the pandemic, bringing the indicator closer to the widely accepted “realistic ideal” range of 95–100 for import-dependent emerging economies.
