New Minimum Wage & more – 28th Dec 2023

Merhaba from Keswick Village! This is the Rorshok Turkey Update from the 28th of December twenty twenty-three. A quick summary of what's going down in Turkey.

Unfortunately, we begin this edition with somber news...

On the 22nd and 23rd of Friday and Saturday, the Defense Ministry reported the loss of twelve Turkish soldiers at the hands of Kurdistan Workers Party, or PKK, militants in northern Iraq. This tragic event has deeply impacted the entire country, with widespread grief prevailing. However, the government has not declared an official state of mourning.

On Wednesday the 27th, the Turkish government revealed a substantial forty-nine percent hike in the minimum wage, elevating it from eleven thousand to seventeen thousand liras, just under 600 US Dollars. While this raise is significant, it hasn't pleased everyone. Since the announcement of the previous minimum wage in June until now, the wage has dropped nearly a hundred US Dollars due to the considerable depreciation of the lira. With the ongoing depreciation, experts predict that by April, the new minimum wage will regress to its current value in dollars.

Since the wage increases lack combined efforts to combat inflation, the rising cost of living aligns with the minimum wage hikes, resulting in more money being coming out from people's pockets.

On Wednesday the 21st, the Constitutional Court reignited a judicial firestorm by once again declaring Can Atalay's imprisonment a violation of his rights. Recall that Atalay was arrested for allegedly attempting to topple the government during the Gezi protests. He became a MP in the parliamentary elections earlier this year. This should have granted him immunity. Yet, he remains behind bars. Atalay's party, Workers’ Party of Turkey, commented on the recent ruling, saying that Atalay was now officially a political captive. Now, everyone is awaiting the Appeals Court’s decision to see if Atalay will finally be free.

Speaking about the judiciary…

The Council of Judges and Prosecutors re-assigned over 500 judges and lawyers in the country to different cities. The council claimed there were good reasons to make the changes, but some people are wondering if there's more to the story.

For instance, Anatolian Chief Prosecutor Gökalp Kökçü, who is leading investigations into illegal betting of well-known social media influencers, was transferred to a lesser post in eastern Turkey. Some say that this move stems from three ongoing bribery investigations against him. Deputy Chief Prosecutor Mesut Erdinç Bayhan, a witness in Kökçü's bribery probe, was also transferred, landing a new position in Istanbul.

Still on the topic…

The Justice Ministry of Turkey reported that there are over 500 children under six years old jailed alongside their mothers. The Ministry's statement came in response to a parliamentary question from a deputy from the main opposition Republican People's Party, or CHP. Even though the CHP asked the Ministry to let moms go free if both parents are in jail, the Ministry talked about offering counseling while the moms are in jail and even afterward.

Back to politics…

On Monday the 25th, Devlet Bahçeli, the head of the Nationalist Movement Party, or MHP, an ultranationalist ally of the Turkish government, left the parliamentary session along with other deputies when representatives from the pro-Kurdish People’s Equality and Democracy Party began delivering their closing remarks on the parliament’s budget hearings. He also didn’t listen to the CHP’s speech.

On the topic of international relations…

The anticipated moment has arrived; on Tuesday the 26th, the Turkish Parliament's Foreign Affairs Committee gave the green light to Sweden's accession to NATO. Now, Sweden only needs Hungary’s approval to join the organization.

Now, we have some good news for travelers from other countries! Starting from Friday the 22nd, Turkey has lifted tourist visas for citizens of the United States, Bahrain, UAE, Canada, Saudi Arabia, and Oman. No more paperwork hassles – these lucky visitors can now enjoy up to ninety days of Turkish sunshine within a 180-day period.

Let’s hear about a unique form of punishment…

The Turkish court has sentenced an individual who was on trial for posting propaganda for a terrorist organization to post Turkish flags on their social media account every day for a month and released them under judicial control measures.

Recall that Istanbul has been struggling with water levels for some time now. But guess what? Thanks to the heavy rain in the past few weeks, the city's water levels are making a comeback and are up to around 50% now! Meteorologists report that the past month has seen record rainfall compared to the last decades.

Daily BirGün reported on Friday the 22nd that Orhan Hikmet Azizoğlu, the founding chairman of Turkey's International Universities Council, lacked a graduate degree despite representing himself as an "academician" on various online platforms. This raises a contradiction because to be recognized as an academician, one typically needs an academic title, which in turn requires a graduate degree The report also pointed out that Azizoğlu's educational background wasn’ t accessible online, and his name did not appear in national registries of academic title holders.

On the topic, Azizoğlu casually commented that he was not an academician and held no teaching position at a university. He also said that he had no intention to address allegations that he may not even hold an undergraduate degree.

Earlier this month, it came to light that approximately 140 foreign students at Pamukkale University, especially in fields like medicine and dentistry, had their exam scores altered to secure admission to these faculties. People with the authority to make system changes at the university allegedly facilitated these alterations for foreign students in exchange for money.

Well, this week we got some updates on the issue: Reportedly, a staff member asked for an authorized colleague's system password during her maternity leave, saying they wanted to use her authority to register grades while she was on leave. She didn’t think any harm would come from that, but she was nonetheless suspended. While others have been reinstated, she remains suspended because, unlike them, she willingly gave her password.

To highlight the visa problems Turkish citizens have been having…

This week, it came to light that Bursa’s women basketball team had to play with only five members in a rematch against the London Lions because the rest of the team couldn’t get visas to travel to England. The team had no back-up players and no staff. Bursa had a tough loss against the London Lions, given the circumstances.

Let’s close this edition talking about a TV series that caused a lot of controversy.

On Thursday the 28th, the Radio and Television Supreme Council, or RTÜK will hold a meeting to address concerns surrounding the controversial TV series "Red Poppies" or “Kızıl Goncalar". The show has faced criticism for depicting sensitive issues such as child marriages, exclusion of girls from education, and violence in Quran courses, leading to widespread backlash, particularly from religious groups. Some said that the show made a derogatory portrayal of religious concepts and institutions and called for the cancellation of the show. The show reportedly received over thirty thousand complaints from the public.

While it's understandable that people are sensitive about their religious beliefs, many argue that the TV series is portraying reality rather than being derogatory. In recent years, there have been numerous child abuse scandals linked to religious institutions, particularly in Quran courses or religious foundations. Some view the show as an effort to raise awareness about the real issues occurring in these places.

Aaand that's it for this week!

Tired of Christmas movies and jingles? Don’t want to think about the awkward upcoming dinner with the fam? We’ve got the best solution. Stream the Rorshok Turkey show on your favorite listening platform.

But seriously, we wanted to thank everyone who has been listening to us, you make these updates possible. Happy New Year from the Rorshok Team!

Remember you can give us a late Christmas present: you can support us financially with the link in the show notes.

Hoşça kalın!