TURKEY: AKP scammers & more – 23rd July 2024

Merhaba from Keswick Village! This is the Rorshok Turkey Update from the 23rd of July twenty twenty-four. A quick summary of what's going down in Turkey.

Let’s start with an update on our last show. Do you recall the controversial stray dogs bill aimed at rounding up millions of stray dogs? Well, on Wednesday the 17th, the Forestry and Rural Affairs Commission began discussing it. The ruling Justice and Development Party or AKP, had submitted the bill earlier last week and it requires municipalities to remove strays from the streets and place them in shelters until adoption. According to the bill, aggressive dogs or those with untreatable diseases, including a lost limp, would be euthanized, a move critics have called a massacre. The initial discussion was held in a cramped room, leading to significant tension, particularly with the presence of families of victims of stray dog attacks that the AKP invited.

The opposition accused the ruling party of trying to portray them as indifferent to the stray dog problem and the victims of attacks, while they argued that mass euthanasia was not a humane solution. After a break, the session was moved to a larger hall, but only deputies and journalists were allowed to attend, prompting protests from civil society representatives. Discussions are ongoing and no decision has been reached yet.

On the same day, the main opposition Republican People’s Party or CHP’s spokesperson announced that regardless of the bill’s passing, CHP municipalities would not euthanize any dogs.

On Thursday the 18th, a wildfire near İzmir airport forced its temporary closure and diverted flights to nearby cities. The fire lasted for four days and flights continue to face delays due to ongoing firefighting efforts. Flames were almost within arm’s reach of homes in the Gaziemir district, prompting residents, police, and gendarmerie to evacuate the area, including beehives and barns.

Next up, we have one of Turkey's largest fraud schemes, involving a group that deceived high-profile victims, including businessmen and bureaucrats. The funny thing is that the parties involved in the scam, both the scammers and the scammers, are members of the ruling AKP. Between twenty eleven and twenty twenty, the scammers collected billions of dollars by promising a three hundred billion US dollar fund. They lured the victims using fake documents and promises of high returns on investment, including financing for major projects like Kanal Istanbul and the third bridge connecting the European and Anatolian sides of İstanbul. A court is currently trying eight suspects in relation to the scam. Lo and behold, the lawyers of the scammers are also members of the ruling AKP.

Moving on, on Saturday the 20th, Turkish Cypriots celebrated 50 years since Turkey's military operation in northern Cyprus. Following Turkey’s operation, Cyprus was divided in half, with Turkish Cypriots in the north and Greeks in the south.

President Erdoğan attended a military parade in north Nicosia to commemorate the operation, calling it a peace operation, while Kyriakos Mitsotakis, the Greek Prime Minister, attended a commemoration in the south, referring to it as a barbaric Turkish invasion.

Erdoğan stated that the operation saved Turkish Cypriots from cruelty and called for renewed negotiations, though peace talks between the two countries remain deadlocked. Greek Cypriots seek reunification, while Turkish Cypriots want a two-state solution. Cyprus has been divided since nineteen seventy-four. However, no country other than Turkey recognizes Northern Cyprus as a separate country.

On Monday the 22nd, Greece's coast guard denied allegations from the Turkish Defense Ministry about conducting pushbacks, an illegal practice where migrants are forcibly returned to another country without proper legal procedures. Turkey's Defense Ministry posted a video on Twitter, claiming a Greek coast guard vessel pushed a migrant boat into Turkish waters. Turkey stated their coast guard rescued the migrants. Greece responded, asserting that the operation was to prevent illegal entry into Greek waters. Greece, a key entry point to the European Union for migrants, faces allegations from aid groups of illegal pushbacks at its borders. You can check out the video by following the link on the show notes.

The Artuklu District Municipality in Mardin, led by the pro-Kurdish Peoples’ Equality and Democracy or DEM Party, faced foreclosure due to debts from twenty eleven. On Thursday the 18th, co-mayors, elected in twenty twenty-four, stated that foreclosure officers arrived to seize assets. The co-mayors revealed the municipality had 170 million liras or five million US dollars in debt. They pledged to pay creditors without disadvantage and vowed to continue serving their district even from a tent if necessary.

Aydın Ünal, a columnist for a pro-government newspaper who also prepared speeches for President Erdoğan, stated that Syrian refugees are not a burden but rather a benefit to Turkey. He claimed that Syrian refugees help prevent the assimilation of Turkish identity, adding, "A Muslim Syrian is more one of us than an atheist who claims to be Turkish.” His words caused outrage among citizens. Many slammed his words for violating Turkey’s secular stance and others criticized his words for being separatist.

More on politics… On Wednesday the 17th, the main opposition CHP referred Tanju Özcan, the mayor of Bolu, to the High Disciplinary Board for his insulting remarks about former party chair Kemal Kılıçdaroğlu. Özcan was previously expelled from the CHP for sexist remarks but was later reinstated. His anti-refugee policies and controversial behavior have sparked significant conflict both within the party and among the people.

Özcan, a vocal critic of Kılıçdaroğlu, had accused him of being obsessed with power and questioned the loyalty of his deputies, referring to them as cult-like followers. Kılıçdaroğlu, in response, denounced Özcan’s comments as baseless and offensive, emphasizing his long history of fighting against cults.

Next up, for the first time, public officials face investigation over the collapse of a complex in Maraş during the devastating twin earthquakes, which killed almost seventy people and injured sixteen. The prosecutor sought permission to investigate officials, including the acting head of the Urban Planning Department, an electrical engineer, and an architect. The Dulkadiroğlu District Governorship found they failed to report discrepancies in construction materials and ignored inspection regulations. The prosecutor launched an investigation for causing death and injury by negligence and misuse of office. This marks a historic step in holding public officials accountable for building safety violations.

On Wednesday the 17th, an administrative court suspended Afyon Municipal Council’s decision to raise the marriage fee for immigrants to ten thousand liras, around 300 US dollars, a twenty-five-fold increase. The International Refugee Rights Association challenged the decision, citing discrimination against immigrants. The court ruled that the fee hike was unlawful.

The municipality announced the decision back in May and faced criticism from AKP Council members who opposed the hike on grounds of hospitality. However, the mayor defended the increase, citing election campaign promises to limit refugee presence, emphasizing that voters expected fulfillment of these pledges if they elected her.

Finally… Süleyman Soylu, Former Interior Minister, recently attempted to return his armored vehicle that was allocated for his protection under the Anti-Terror Law to the Interior Ministry, but the ministry refused to accept it. According to reports, Soylu wanted to return three vehicles, including the armored one, but the ministry accepted only two, saying Soylu needed it for his protection as he was a former minister of the government. Upon this, he left it parked outside the ministry's building, with the keys handed over to security. The ministry, confused by this action, has reported the incident to President Erdoğan and is holding the vehicle in its garage, awaiting Soylu's decision on retrieval.

It’s not clear why he is handing over the car, but some pointed out that he recently called out Cumhuriyet newspaper for targeting him. Many believe that during Soylu’s time, he allowed crime organizations to thrive, especially drug cartels and organized crime leading to speculation that he is working with them. Upon this, he announced his intention to request the removal of his parliamentary immunity to be tried, further fueling the controversy.

Aaand that’s it for this week! Thank you for joining us!

Thank you so much to everyone who filled in the survey over the past few weeks, we really appreciate your comments and ideas. Many of you mentioned you would like to get some more in-depth episodes and interviews, is that something you would like? Do you have any topics in mind? Something specific about Turkey that you want to know more about for us to do a special show on? We want to do some new things very soon!

Please email us at info@rorshok.com. If you left an email to contact you in the survey, we’ll reach out to you very soon. The survey is still linked in the show notes if you are interested in that as well.

Hoşça kalın!