Earthquake Hits Istambul & more – 5th Dec 2023

Merhaba from Keswick Village! This is the Rorshok Turkey Update from the 5th of December twenty twenty-three A quick summary of what's going down in Turkey.

Today's top story has many people on edge...

On Monday the 4th, an earthquake measuring 5.1 hit the city of Bursa, a town in northwestern Turkey. Surrounding cities, including neighboring Istanbul also felt the tremors. Another quake, measuring 4.5 on the Richter scale, shook the same area three minutes later. The governor of Bursa stated that there was no immediate danger or casualties in the city. In the town of Yalova, the governorate shut down primary and middle schools for a day as a precaution. In İstanbul, the city’s governor stated that some buildings had minor damage.

Istanbulites are deeply concerned about the risk of earthquakes, as the city's infrastructure is outdated.

Experts warn of a big earthquake hitting the region in the coming years, which could cause significant damage.

Some updates on the economy…

On Friday the 1st of December, President Erdoğan announced that after two years of fighting soaring inflation with multiple minimum wage hikes, Turkey will go back to its old way of raising wages just once a year. He also added that he believed the government's economic measures will “soon” permanently control inflation.

Speaking of minimum wage…

The official minimum wage negotiations between the Turkish government and labor unions will begin on the 11th of December. The Confederation of Turkish Trade Unions, Türk-İş, will represent the workers at the negotiations. The head of Türk-İş said that the negotiations will begin at the hunger threshold for a family of four, which currently stands at just below 500 US Dollars. He further noted that in November, the hunger threshold surpassed the minimum wage by almost 100 dollars and added that minimum wage should be calculated according to a family's living costs, not a single worker's.

Back in July, the government increased the minimum wage by 34%, from 8,500 liras to 11,400 liras. When the initial increase took effect, the minimum wage was equivalent to almost 500 dollars. However, due to the depreciation of the national currency, the minimum wage declined to around 400 dollars.

Moving on to some news on politics…

On Saturday the 2nd, the Chief Prosecutor’s Office in Ankara announced that it launched an investigation into Ümit Özdağ, the head of the anti-refugee Victory Party for “inciting the public to hatred and enmity” and “purposeful spread of misinformation,” Likely, because of his anti-immigrant rhetoric. Speaking against the investigation, Özdağ said that immigration had worsened inflation, increased the cost of living, and contributed to unemployment in the country. He added that he will not be silenced and will continue his political struggle to deport the thirteen million refugees and undocumented people in Turkey.

On that note about the Victory Party…

On Tuesday the 30th of November, Ümit Özdağ asked his former party, the Good Party, to form a nationalistic alliance for the twenty twenty-four local elections. He advised the Good Party head to dismiss any possible collaboration with the main opposition, the Republican People’s Party, or CHP. Özdağ accused the CHP’s new head Özel of supporting the pro-Kurdish People’s Democratic Party or HDP and the separatist agenda of its leader Öcalan

The Victory Party isn’t the only political faction in collaboration talks with the Good Party…

On Tuesday the 30th, the leaders of the CHP and the Good Party met to discuss potential collaboration for the upcoming local elections. The CHP head proposed a partnership in some municipalities, and the Good Party said they would review the offer. This came after the Good Party previously decided to nominate its own candidate in all provinces, not forming any alliance.

However, on Monday the 4th, the Good Party board rejected the CHP’s offer.

Some news on international relations…

On Monday the 4th, the head of the Israeli Intelligence said that it would eliminate Hamas members beyond its borders, naming countries like Lebanon, Qatar and Turkey. In response, Turkish officials warned the country that any illegal operation on Turkish soil would result in "serious consequences" —but they didn’t go into detail.

Let’s talk about occupational safety…

On Saturday the 2nd motor couriers gathered outside an Istanbul Courthouse to protest against the release of a driver who had severely injured a fellow courier earlier in November. The driver had reportedly struck the courier while driving, causing critical injuries. Motorcycle foundations rallied in support of the injured courier and demanded accountability from the authorities. Couriers carried placards reading "We carry lives, not just packets'' along with a photo of their injured colleague. A lawyer stated that the authorities weren’t responding to legal inquiries, and that he couldn’t even learn the name of the driver who hit the courier.

Tragic statistics from the Courier Rights Association reveal that so far, over fifty couriers have lost their lives on duty this year, and over half of them were in their twenties. With the protests, the couriers are demanding occupational safety, accountability, and protection from the authorities.

Next up…

According to the CHP’s report on press freedom, the authorities intensified their crackdown on journalists in the months of October and November. The report states that 144 journalists had to appear in court to defend their reporting, eleven were detained, and two arrested.

Additionally, opposition channels faced fines from the Radio and Television Supreme Council, or RTÜK. Moreover, Turkish authorities also temporarily blocked access to some opposition content on the online news outlet T24.

On an unrelated note…

On Tuesday the 30th of November, a court ordered the dismissal of the entire board of the Turkish Medical Association. The case was initially filed against the Association chair Şebnem Korur Fincancı and other board members on charges of "membership in a terrorist organization" after they called for an investigation into allegations of the Turkish military using chemical weapons.

The court ordered new elections for the board positions within a month and appointed a temporary administration. The Association criticized the decision, calling it an attempt to silence dissenting opinions. It also stated that the board members will remain in their position until the appeals court reaches a verdict.

Now let’s talk about next year’s mayoral elections…

Bülent Kerimoğlu, the Mayor of Istanbul's Bakırköy district, has officially declared his candidacy for the mayoral position in the city. However, this decision was called into question, as the CHP had previously stated that it would nominate the current mayor, Ekrem İmamoğlu, without a prior selection process within the party. The party cited the widespread satisfaction with İmamoğlu's performance and his significant electoral support. Over this, Kerimoğlu accused the CHP of favoritism in hiring practices and said that every member within the CHP, even the less important, has the right to run for mayor.

In other news…

The Council of Higher Education's report states that in twenty twenty-three, 800,000 fewer students applied for universities in Istanbul compared to twenty twenty-two. That represents a 25% decrease. Similarly, in other megacities like İzmir and Ankara, the number of applicants dropped by 20% this year. Youngsters can’t study because of the soaring cost of living.

Let’s close this edition with some exciting news for history lovers…

Aftershocks from the February earthquakes still continue in the region. On Friday the 1st, an aftershock toppled a garden in Gaziantep, revealing an eight-foot Roman tomb chamber with bones, pottery, and a bronze pin.

Do you ever wonder who these Rorshok people are and why they care about what is going on inTurkey? If so, head over to our website to find out more about us and the other things that we do! You can read all about the organization, other projects we are carrying out, and the other podcasts we do. If something catches your eye, or you have any questions, please reach out. You can find all the contact information and the website link in the show notes.

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