TURKEY: Counter-Terrorism Operation & more – 30th Dec 2025

Merhaba from Oakley! This is the Rorshok Turkey Update from the 30th of December twenty twenty-five. A quick summary of what's going down in Turkey.

On the night of Monday the 29th, police carried out a counter-terrorism operation against Islamic State suspects in the northwestern city of Yalova. When officers moved toward a house linked to the group, the suspects opened fire, triggering a clash that lasted several hours and ended early in the morning. Three police officers lost their lives. Eight police officers and one neighborhood guard suffered injuries. Security forces killed six Islamic State members during the operation.

Authorities sealed off the area, suspended classes at five nearby schools, and cut electricity and gas as precautions. The Radio and Television Supreme Council imposed a temporary broadcast restriction. The Justice Minister said police detained five suspects as part of the investigation.

On Tuesday the 23rd, the government announced a 27% increase in the minimum wage for twenty twenty-six, setting the new net monthly rate at twenty-eight thousand lira, which is around 650 US Dollars. The increase will take effect on the 1st of January twenty twenty-six. The decision came after the final meeting of the Minimum Wage Determination Commission, which met throughout December twenty twenty-five to finalize the figure. This raise follows intense public discussion as inflation and living costs have outpaced wage growth, especially for millions of workers paid at minimum levels.

Critics, including labor unions and opposition parties, argued that even with the increase, the wage remains below the hunger threshold, meaning it still does not cover basic food costs for a family. The announcement triggered a fresh debate on economic fairness and workers’ living standards.

About that debate, on Sunday the 28th twenty twenty-five, a protest over the newly announced minimum wage in Istanbul turned into a national controversy. The police detained Bilge Kağan Şarbat, a nineteen-year-old member of the main opposition Republican People’s Party or CHP’s Youth Branch, following a rally in İstanbul’s Kadıköy district. The demonstration, held under the slogan Not starvation wages, we want a decent life, criticized the twenty twenty-six minimum wage and drew participants from youth and opposition circles.

A judge ordered his detention, citing slogans and conduct during the protest. Özgür Özel, the head of CHP, responded strongly on social media, highlighting Şarbat’s age, academic success, and role in defending workers’ rights. Critics and youth groups labelled the arrest a form of political pressure and called for solidarity protests.

Speaking of Özel, on Sunday the 28th, Ömer Çelik, the spokesperson and deputy chair of the ruling Justice and Development Party or AKP, criticized him for what he described as a pattern of misleading political statements. Çelik said the CHP leadership acted like a source of disinformation and argued that Özel repeatedly shared incorrect assessments on both domestic and foreign policy. He said Özel used these remarks to target the president and question state governance.

Çelik didn’t point to a particular incident; instead, his remarks were a response to Özel’s recent public comments across several political debates, including border security issues like the recent drone incident, crackdowns on opposition figures, and wider government policy decisions like minimum wage.

In other news, on Monday the 29th, an appeals court ordered the release of veteran journalist Fatih Altaylı while it reviews his prison sentence. A lower court sentenced Altaylı to more than four years in prison over comments made during a YouTube broadcast that authorities interpreted as threatening President Erdoğan. The case focused on remarks referencing Ottoman history during a discussion of public opposition to lifelong rule.

The appeals court approved Altaylı’s request for release, citing the nature of the charge, the completion of evidence collection, and the absence of flight risk. Altaylı had been in custody since June at the Silivri prison complex.

Press freedom groups criticized both the conviction and the decision to keep Altaylı behind bars during the appeal process.

On Sunday the 28th, in an article published in Turkishon T24, journalist Ebru Dedeoğlu interviewed Çiğdem Toker about the Build-Operate-Transfer model, which lets private companies build and run a public project before handing it to the state, with the government guaranteeing a set level of income and covering any shortfall.

Toker said the system has created a political symbiosis in which most financial risk stays with the state, not private companies. She explained that contracts for major projects such as bridges, highways, and airports remain hidden under commercial secrecy, limiting public and parliamentary oversight. According to Toker, this secrecy shifts long-term costs onto taxpayers while protecting corporate interests. She argued that citizens have a right to know how these guarantees affect future public spending.

To read the full piece, check out the link in the show notes!

In some international news, on Monday the 29th, Turkey and Armenia announced an agreement to simplify visa procedures, marking a new step in efforts to normalize long-strained relations. Turkey’s Foreign Ministry said citizens holding diplomatic, special, and service passports from both countries will be able to receive electronic visas free of charge starting this Thursday, the 1st of January twenty twenty-six.

Turkey and Armenia’s shared border has remained closed since the nineteen nineties, largely due to historic disputes and Turkey’s support for Azerbaijan. The two countries began normalization talks in twenty twenty-one, appointing special envoys to explore confidence-building steps. Officials said the visa move reflects gradual progress alongside regional efforts to ease tensions between Armenia and Azerbaijan.

On Monday the 29th, the Energy Market Regulatory Authority published new rules on electricity storage in the Official Gazette. The changes aim to make it easier for electricity storage systems, such as large batteries, to connect to the national grid and start operating sooner.

The new regulation allows more types of storage facilities, including those linked to power plants and smaller, unlicensed producers, to take part in the system. It also sets clearer rules on how stored electricity can be sent back to the grid and how excess energy will be handled.

Officials said the update will help keep the electricity system balanced and more reliable. The new rules will come into force on the 1st of January twenty twenty-six.

Turkish Minute news outlet reported on Monday the 29th that a recent opinion poll has reignited an ongoing debate over who could lead the ruling AKP after President Erdoğan.

The survey, conducted last week by Refleks Data and Research with about 2,500 participants, asked them who they preferred as the party’s next leader. Hakan Fidan, the Foreign Minister, ranked first, followed closely by Süleyman Soylu, a former Interior Minister and also an AKP member. Bilal Erdoğan, President Erdoğan’s younger son, placed third, well behind the two leading figures.

The results come as public and media discussion around succession within the ruling party has grown more visible in recent weeks, despite the absence of any official transition timeline. Most think President Erdoğan wants his son to replace him.

On Monday the 29th, Umut Akdoğan, a CHP lawmaker, said he would welcome the new year outside Silivri Prison, where political prisoners are typically held, as a demonstration. Speaking at a press conference in the parliament, he called for the release of Muhittin Böcek and Murat Çalık pending trial, both arrested as part of a crackdown on CHP municipalities, arguing that their ongoing health problems made continued detention inappropriate. He also urged authorities to implement the Constitutional Court ruling on Gezi detainees from twenty thirteen and allow them to be retried without detention.

Akdoğan said he would travel to Silivri by party bus, visit detainees during visiting hours, and spend the evening outside the prison, joined by artists performing folk songs in solidarity.

On that note about New Year’s, on Thursday the 1st of January, Turkey will observe a national holiday, with schools and public institutions closed nationwide. Government offices, municipalities, and public services will suspend operations for the day, while many private workplaces are expected to operate on reduced schedules.

Most neighborhood markets and shopping centers are likely to open later than usual, and some may opt to close early on New Year’s Eve. Officials have advised citizens to check opening hours in advance and plan their errands accordingly as New Year preparations take place.

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

t want to wish you an awesome: 2026

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