Journalist-Writer
The year 2021 was a bumpy road for US-Turkey relations. Remembering what has happened since the beginning of the year would allow us to understand what is happening more comprehensively and foresee what might happen in US-Turkey relations in 2022. What happened in 2021? First, US President Joe Biden recognized April 24 as the Armenian
At the Republican People’s Party (CHP) headquarters in Ankara, Istanbul Metropolitan Mayor Ekrem İmamoğlu defies Interior Minister Süleyman Soylu, who announced that the ministry initiated a “special audit” against the municipality on the suspicion that they recruit “terrorists.” “If you have detected terrorists, then do what’s diligent,” İmamoğlu said, with eleven mayors of the opposition
Jeffrey Feltman, the US Special Representative for the Horn of Africa, was in Ankara on December 15. In those days, the out-of-control exchange rates were Turkey’s sole attention centre. President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan was preparing for the financial operation, to be declared on December 20, on the one hand, and the Turkey-Africa Partnership Summit scheduled
President Erdoğan hosted the members of the Turkish Jewish Community and the representatives of the Alliance of Rabbis in the Islamic States (ARIS) under the chairmanship of Izak Haleva, the Chief Rabbi of Turkey. He emphasized the importance of Turkey – Israel relations. “Turkey-Israel relations are vital for the stability and security of our region.
Turkey’s President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan announced ambitious “fiscal policy” moves on December 20 to curb the currency crisis wherein less than a month, the Turkish Lira had lost almost 20 percent of its value against foreign currencies. Could this new turn be a sign of ruling Justice and Development Party (AKP) and its alliance Nationalist
Turkey’s economy was on the verge of a critical turn even before President Tayyip Erdoğan treated Turkey’s Industry and Business Association’s (TÜSİAD) public announcement against the ruling Justice and Development Party’s (AKP) policies as a declaration of war. After TÜSİAD defined the recent monetary move to cut policy rates as “wrong” and urged the government
President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan ignores that what happened on December 17 was a financial crisis. Main opposition Republican People’s Party (CHP) leader Kemal Kılıçdaroğlu names it as “Turkey being dragged into a disaster,” and openly questioned the health of Erdoğan’s “mental faculties.” Opposition İYİ (Good) Party leader Meral Akşener said that the crisis is now
When President Tayyip Erdoğan announced the following year’s minimum wage as 4,253 Turkish Liras per month on December 16, he said, “do not compare it to its dollar value.” I think he knew what people would ask if they calculate the wage on US dollars because when the amount of the minimum wage is calculated
President Tayyip Erdoğan made the long-awaited statement on December 16 and declared the minimum wage as 4253 liras. This statement came after the Central Bank cut the policy rate from 15 percent to 14 percent. In the morning hours, the dollar already exceeded the 15 lira bar and thus settled at the level of 15.5
Germany and France have been awarding human rights defenders worldwide with its Franco-German Human Rights and Rule of Law Award since 2016. This year, French and German diplomats in Turkey deemed Nebahat Akkoç, the founding president of Diyarbakır-based women’s rights foundation KAMER, worthy of the award. Akkoç received her award in a ceremony held at