The curious case of Can Atalay: Elected but not released
Recently elected MP Can Atalay’s release from prison was denied by the 3rd Criminal Chamber of the Court of Cassation on the morning of July 14th. Atalay, who has been sentenced to 18 years on terrorism charges, was elected as a Member of Parliament representing the Turkish Workers’ Party (TİP) in the May general election. […]
Dissident opposition mayor completes 10 day march requesting party head’s resignation
Tanju Özcan, mayor of Ankara’s neighboring city of Bolu and member of the main opposition Republican People’s Party (CHP), has completed a 10 day march to the CHP’s headquarters in the Turkish capital. At an event in front of the headquarters yesterday, Özcan called for the resignation of CHP Chairman Kemal Kılıçdaroğlu, labelling him as […]
Infamous “Maserati Cop” found shot dead on the side of the road
Police officer Hüseyin Tayfun Üçgül, known as the “Maserati cop” working in the Muğla-Dalaman District Police Department, was discovered dead in his car, having suffered a fatal gunshot wound to the head. As Üçgül had recently gained notoriety due to his suspiciously lavish lifestyle, complete with a luxury Maserati sports car, questions arose regarding the […]
Turkey greenlights Sweden NATO membership
President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan met with NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg and Swedish Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson. In a joint statement following the meeting, Kristersson stated that Sweden was ready to provide active support to Turkey’s EU membership process. President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan met with NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg and Swedish Prime Minister Ulf […]
Istanbul Pride march met with heavy police presence, blockades, detentions
Sunday (June 25) saw this year’s Istanbul Pride march take place in the central Beyoğlu and Şişli districts. As has been the case in recent years, the march encountered heavy police presence attempting to shut down the demonstration. Police blockades resulted in the splintering of the main march into several smaller groups after which over 60 […]
Turkish Central Bank raises interest rate from 8.5% to 15%
For the first time in 27 months, Turkey’s central bank has raised interest rates. The 6.5% increase marks the first time the bank has done so under the tenure of Hafize Gaye Erkan, the new bank minister who took office less than two weeks ago. Although the first in over two years, the rate increase […]
Turkey announces new minimum wage hike
Turkey’s Ministry of Labor and Social Security has announced a minimum wage hike effective starting in July. The new wage of 11,402 Turkish Liras per month was announced by Labor and Social Security Minister Vedat Işıkhan at a meeting on Tuesday morning (20 June). Işıkhan made the following statement regarding the hike: “The gross [pre-tax] […]
Turkey’s new economic development plan: Postponing the currency crisis until local elections
The recent plan announced by Turkey’s Economic Coordination Board (Ekonomi Koordinasyon Kurulu) to fight against inflation of the Turkish Lira has failed to meet expectations of the markets and many citizens. The economic approach will seek to suppress the country’s currency crisis until local elections take place in March 2024. Medyascope spoke with economic expert Dr. Mustafa […]
Germany has suspended the visa rejection appeal process in Turkey | But it may be a good thing
The German Ministry of Foreign Affairs has announced that the appeal processes for visa rejections have been suspended for Turkey, China, and Morocco, citing that it has been overwhelmed by the number of applications since travel restrictions have been lifted post-COVID-19 pandemic. In a statement dated June 7th, the ministry stated that this practice is […]
Rumors of a new 500 TL banknote amidst the Turkish inflation crisis
The rumors of “500 TL banknotes” have resurfaced. The initial claim made last year was quickly refuted by the former Minister of Treasury and Finance, Nureddin Nebati, stating that the allegations were baseless. Last month, several reports claimed that the molds for the 500 TL banknotes had been forged, and more recently, images of a […]
Istanbul’s real estate crisis: Vacant skyscrapers and sky-high rents
According to data from the Turkish Central Bank, real estate prices in Turkey’s largest city have increased by a staggering 189.9% from November 2021 to November 2022. What would have been considered an affordable home just two years ago is now well beyond the means of an average earner. Meanwhile, as average Turks struggle with […]
Is Istanbul Mayor eyeing opposition party boss’ seat?
After Kemal Kılıçdaroğlu’s defeat against incumbent President Erdoğan in the last elections, there have been loud calls for Mr. Kılıçdaroğlu’s resignation. However there is no clear indicator as to who would succeed the 74 year old veteran politician and party chair. One likely candidate could be Istanbul’s Mayor Ekrem İmamoğlu, who famously broke the ruling […]