Turkey Today

Saudi Crown Prince’s Turkey visit, wildfire in Marmaris, social media operation of the police, journalists’ protest, Russia Turkey agree on safe corridor in the Black Sea, minimum wage to be increased, TURKSTAT’s inflation calculation debate… Here is what you need to know about Turkey Today:

1-  Saudi crown prince visits Turkey. While the world discussed the visit’s impact on world politics and economy, Turkey’s social media obsessed over the question whether Turkish soldiers greeted his salute or not.
You decide: click here
A detailed analysis of Saudi-Turkey relations on YetkinReport

2- Wildfire in southwest Turkey stirred a debate over the Ministry’s capability to respond to incidents as such. The Ministry made a statement saying that it was taken under control. 

3- The General Directorate of Security (EGM) made a statement regarding the Marmaris Wildfire stating that they initiate criminal investigation on social media accounts that are “disseminating disinformation”.

4- Journalist organizations came together against a draft bill that stipulates new crime under “disinformation” which they argue will criminalize reporting. After the protest in Ankara with 11 unions and associations in an unlikely solidarity, the general assembly postponed the discussions for a week, “to further discuss” the opposition lawmaker said. 

Detailed analysis of the law and its possible effects on journalism here on YetkinReport

5- Minimum wage and pensions to be increased by 40 percent Ruling Justice and Development Party (AKP) lawmaker Numan Kurtulmuş said Haberturk TV. 

6- Russia and Turkey agreed to pursue talks on a potential safe sea corridor in the Black Sea to export grain from Ukraine after discussions in Moscow, the Russian and Turkish defense the ministries said on June 22. 

7-  A Turkish national who was arrested in Germany last year on suspicion of spying on dissidents for Turkey’s National Intelligence Organization (MİT) has admitted in court to spying on followers of the US based cleric Fethullah Gülen’s movement and members of the outlawed Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK), Deutsche Welle Turkish service reported.

8- US deputy treasury secretary in Turkey to warn against evading Russian sanctions in a visit to Ankara on June 22, US Treasury Deputy Secretary Wally Adeyemo plans to remind Turkey that anyone evading US sanctions against Russia will be held accountable.
Amberin Zaman’s piece on Al Monitor: click here

9- TURKSTAT which stopped disclosing the items in the inflation basket of goods, has announced that instead of announcing the prices of goods, it will switch to a classification that further expands the existing groups. It will now announce an index classification rather than price amount. 

10- An independent group of researchers who publish their inflation calculations regularly face disciplinary investigations and criminal charges as their numbers are different from official announcements. 

France24 published a portrait about Turkey’s ENAGroup: click here