TURKEY: Conflicts in Syria & more – 3rd Dec 2024

Merhaba from BA! This is the Rorshok Turkey Update from the 3rd of December twenty twenty-four. A quick summary of what's going down in Turkey.

On Saturday the 30th of November, Hakan Fidan, Turkey’s Foreign Minister spoke with Iraq's Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister to discuss the escalating clashes in Syria. The violence raised security concerns for Turkey and other surrounding countries, with radical Islamist groups seizing the Syrian city of Khan Shaykhun and central Aleppo, gaining control of the Idlib province in three days.

On Monday the 2nd of December, Fidan addressed the issue, linked the renewed conflict to unresolved issues spanning thirteen years and called for Syria’s government to reconcile with its people and opposition. Fidan also talked about reviving the Astana peace process, a platform where Turkey, Russia, and Iran coordinate efforts to stabilize Syria.

On Sunday the 1st of December, Mehmet Uçum, President Erdoğan’s senior advisor, discussed the possibility of Erdoğan running for a third term. Uçum explained that according to the Constitution, a president can run again if the Parliament decides to call for an election before the president’s term ends. He stated that this "exceptional candidacy" is available to any president who has served two terms, not just Erdoğan, calling people out for criticizing his possible candidacy as unlawful.

He also suggested that some are afraid of competing against Erdoğan, which he argued is the real reason behind opposition criticism. However, the opposition has been calling for an early election this whole year, acting fairly certain they’d win against Erdoğan this time.

On that note about presidential candidates, speculation has already started both within and without the main opposition, the Republican People’s Party or CHP, with two names standing out: Ekrem İmamoğlu, the Mayor of Istanbul, and Mansur Yavaş, the Mayor of Ankara.

People are discussing who’d be a better candidate and who’s likely to run for president. However, Yavaş recently spoke out about the candidacy debate, stating that such discussions are damaging the party, likely because they divide it when no one has even announced their candidacy yet. He emphasized that decisions about his potential candidacy should come from him, discouraging further speculation at this early stage.

This week, the Ministry of Environment, Urbanization, and Climate said that the Istanbul Municipality lacks the authority to operate preschools and ordered a halt to new openings, placing existing facilities at risk of closure. These preschools, which charge 2,500 liras, equivalent to eighty-five US Dollars monthly, provide affordable education for children aged three to six in low-income areas, where private options cost over 7,500 liras, or 260 dollars. With the country’s minimum wage at 17,000 liras, which is 580 US Dollars, many families rely on these affordable facilities.

Parents talked about working families, saying closures would force them to stop working due to a lack of alternatives.

The government’s move was called into question, saying it likely targeted the opposition-run municipality in an effort to curb its services and reduce voter support, rather than addressing genuine concerns over preschool operations.

On Thursday the 28th, during the ongoing budget discussions at the Parliamentary Planning and Budget Committee, İnan Akgün Alp, a CHP MP, presented a list of foreign crime syndicate leaders who have reportedly settled in Turkey. Alp said that Turkey has become a hub for criminal organizations, with many individuals obtaining Turkish citizenship through the government’s property acquisition program, where foreigners can get citizenship by investing. He named several crime figures, including Eric Schroeder, who is wanted by Germany.

Alp also linked the sale of luxury properties in Istanbul to drug lords, alleging that contractors linked to the ruling Justice and Development party profited by selling them at inflated prices. He further accused Istanbul’s courts of releasing drug barons in exchange for bribes.

In more news on illegal activities, on Thursday the 28th, reports emerged about counterfeit U.S. dollars circulating in Turkey, causing problems for exporters. Fake fifty and 100-dollar bills are reportedly slipping through ATMs and money-counting machines, leading banks and exchange offices to reject U.S. dollars.

The Vice President of the Organic Clothing Manufacturers Association warned that exporters relied on foreign currency payments and explained that without the ability to exchange currency, exporters risked failing to pay salaries and damaging their creditworthiness.

In response, Turkish authorities began inspecting ATMs and money-exchange operations while the Central Bank coordinated efforts to address the counterfeiting.

Still on the topic of crimes, on Saturday the 30th, the police arrested a foreign national wanted by Interpol for human trafficking in the southeastern Muğla province. The Muğla Police Department identified the suspect, who was wanted under a red notice for trafficking for prostitution. The Anti-Smuggling and Organized Crime Unit and the Intelligence Unit apprehended the subject in a joint operation. After processing at the police station, the police handed the suspect to the Migration Management's Removal Center.

On the same day, the death toll from bootleg alcohol poisoning in Istanbul rose to seven, with fifteen people affected over the last five days. Eight individuals remain in intensive care.

Turkish authorities detained thirteen suspects linked to the production and sale of counterfeit alcohol. During the raids, officials seized over 400 liters of ethyl and methyl alcohol, along with 165 bottles of fake spirits. This comes amid Turkey's broader efforts to curb alcohol and tobacco use, with President Erdoğan pushing for high taxes on these products. However, these steep taxes seem to drive people toward cheaper alternatives, which can lead to dangerous, even fatal, consequences.

Speaking of efforts to curb alcohol and tobacco use… On Thursday the 28th, the Istanbul Governor’s Office announced a new mandate for businesses selling alcohol and cigarettes. The goal is to protect minors from harmful habits, such as alcohol and cigarette consumption.

These businesses, including liquor stores and markets, must install facial recognition and night-vision cameras to monitor sales areas, entry and exit points, and parking lots. The cameras must operate 24/7, have sufficient resolution, and store footage for at least thirty days with date and time stamps.

Businesses that fail to comply by the end of the year will face fines.

Next up, on Monday the 1st, the T24 news outlet reported that the Konya Regional Administrative Court overturned a Niğde Province decision, clearing the way for an investigation into the Niğde Municipality Veterinary Affairs Director over the deaths of dogs at the municipality's temporary shelter.

The controversy began in August when a video showing euthanized dogs being buried at the shelter went viral, sparking outrage on social media. Lawyers and veterinarians argued there was enough evidence to suggest the shelter staff intentionally killed the animals, violating animal protection laws.

While the Niğde court initially dismissed the allegations and denied further investigation, the Administrative Court found sufficient grounds for an inquiry into the actions of the Veterinary Affairs Director and others involved.

In some updates on price hikes, on Wednesday the 27th, the government announced an almost 44% revaluation rate for twenty twenty-five, affecting taxes, fines, and fees. Key increases include the International Mobile Equipment Identity registration fee for phones brought from abroad, which will rise from about 32,000 to 45,600 liras — that is from around 915 dollars to about 1,300. Passport fees will also go up. The departure fee for leaving Turkey will increase from 500 to 720 liras — that is from around fourteen to twenty dollars. Traffic fines will also rise significantly.

And for our last story, The Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry updated the Food Labeling and Consumer Information Regulation Guide to ensure accurate food labeling and prevent misleading statements. The new rules prohibit using animal-based terms or visuals on vegan and vegetarian products. Vegan items cannot create a dairy-like impression, and vegetarian labels must avoid meat references. Terms like chicken-flavored or meat taste are also banned. Additionally, menus in public eateries must clearly indicate vegan or vegetarian options, using phrases like suitable for vegans/vegetarians.

Food businesses must comply by the end of twenty twenty-six, or risk having non-compliant products removed from the market.

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

Do you know that besides the Rorshok Turkey Update, we also do others? Our latest ones are the Arctic Update, about the area north of the Arctic Circle, the Ocean Update, about the 70% of the world covered in salt water, and the Multilateral Update, about the world’s major multilateral institutions. The other ones are all country updates, we have a selection of countries from Africa, Asia, South America, and Europe. Check roroshok.com/updates for the full list, the link is in the show notes.

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