TURKEY: DEM Talks with Demirtaş & more – 14th Jan 2025

Merhaba from BA! This is the Rorshok Turkey Update from the 14th of January twenty twenty-five. A quick summary of what's going down in Turkey.

Kicking off this edition, on Saturday the 11th, a delegation from the pro-Kurdish Peoples’ Equality and Democracy or DEM Party visited Selahattin Demirtaş, the former co-chair of the Peoples' Democratic Party and the DEM ’s predecessor, in prison.

After a three-hour meeting, the party stated Demirtaş was in good health and supported efforts for peace, referencing Abdullah Öcalan, the jailed PKK leader, and his recent push to disarm the Kurdistan Workers’ Party or PKK, considered a terrorist organization in Turkey — a development we covered in a previous update.

Demirtaş later called for transparency, a peaceful dialogue, and swift actions to build trust. Demirtaş emphasized the importance of a shared future and political peace for lasting reconciliation.

Speaking of the DEM Party… Despite the government’s recent efforts to reconcile with the Kurdish minority through diplomatic channels mediated by the DEM, it continues cracking down on the party. On Friday the 10th, authorities arrested the co-mayor of Akdeniz district in the southwestern city of Mersin, along with several council members. Authorities assigned the Akdeniz District Governor, another government official, as a trustee, sparking backlash from those who see such appointments as a coup against the people’s will.

Prosecutors accused the co-mayor and the council members of participating in a terrorist organization, spreading propaganda, violating the Law on Preventing the Financing of Terrorism, and breaching the Law on Meetings and Demonstrations.

Also in Mersin, the main opposition is protesting against the high cost of living. On Thursday the 9th, Özgür Özel, the leader of the Republican People’s Party or CHP, attended a municipality opening in the city, turning the event into a rally. Özel called on pensioners, minimum wage earners, and anyone suffering under the current government to show a red card in protest. He criticized the 30% increase in the minimum wage for twenty twenty-five, which he said was below the 50% inflation rate. He also condemned President Erdoğan’s call to boycott high prices, accusing the government of hurting farmers, shopkeepers, and the public.

Özel continued his red card protest the next day. The spokesperson for the ruling Justice and Development Party or AKP dismissed it as a gag, but Özel emphasized the campaign's serious push toward early elections with red cards symbolizing opposition to government policies.

More on the opposition… On Monday the 13th, the police targeted forty-seven people, including Beşiktaş Mayor Rıza Akpolat, in a corruption investigation. Thirty-nine were arrested, with efforts underway to locate the rest.

The probe centers on businessman Aziz İhsan Aktaş, accused of leading a group that manipulated municipal tenders by bribing officials to secure contracts.

The CHP has condemned the investigation, calling it a witch hunt targeting opposition municipalities. Political leaders described the arrests as an attack on democracy. Akpolat and others intend to challenge the charges in court.

In some parliamentary updates… On Friday the 10th, the Future Party, the Felicity Party, and the Democracy and Progress Party or DEVA, officially applied to establish a joint parliamentary group and merge into a single umbrella party.

The leaders of the three parties will meet to finalize the party's name, logo, and founding members. The party's program and charter are already drafted, and options for the name include New Path and Unity for Turkey. The chairperson will be an external figure, not one of the current party leaders.

While a new parliamentary group will form with at least thirty lawmakers, several MPs resigned from the Future Party and DEVA, citing the umbrella party decision.

In some tragic news… On Wednesday the 10th, Israeli forces killed freelance cameraman Said Abu Nebhan in Gaza during an attack on the Al-Jadid Refugee Camp. Abu Nebhan, covering the event for Anadolu Agency, Turkey’s state-run news agency, was struck by long-range gunfire while filming. Witnesses hesitated to help, fearing more attacks. The Palestinian news agency WAFA confirmed his death.

In a related airstrike, Israeli warplanes targeted Gaza’s Shujaiyya neighborhood, hitting a residential building and killing at least one person.

With Abu Nebhan’s death, Israeli attacks have killed over 200 journalists in Gaza since the conflict started in October, twenty twenty-three. Over 46,000 Palestinians, including nearly 18,000 children, have also died.

On Thursday the 9th, a tragic collapse at a sewer connection project in Ankara’s Polatlı district claimed the lives of two workers. Both men were buried under the soil, and rescue teams worked to recover their bodies.

The Ankara Governor’s Office confirmed that a construction supervisor was detained, with investigations underway.

This incident adds to the alarming toll of workplace accidents in Turkey. The Assembly for Worker Health and Safety reported at least 1,708 workers lost their lives between January and November twenty twenty-four, underscoring the urgent need for improved safety measures.

On another note… On Thursday the 9th, members of the ruling AKP attacked residents protesting eviction during a Başakşehir district municipal council meeting in İstanbul. The council had approved a proposal giving the municipality authority over land purchases and sales.

The municipality is evicting the residents as part of an urban transformation scheme for the controversial Kanal İstanbul project backed by the AKP. Kanal Istanbul aims to create an alternative route to the Bosphorus by creating an artificial channel across the city. Başakşehir is one of the districts affected by this mega-project.

Şahintepe Neighborhood People's Solidarity, the platform for Şahintepe residents resisting displacement from their homes due to Kanal Istanbul and profit-driven urban projects, stated that the AKP Deputy Mayor and other council members provoked the protesters, insulted them, and threatened them. One protester recording the incident was pushed down the stairs so that he would stop filming.

Next up… On Thursday the 9th, a Turkish court dismissed charges against seven defendants, including Ogün Samast, in the two thousand seven murder of Armenian journalist Hrant Dink, citing the statute of limitations. Dink, founder of Agos newspaper, sought to ease Turkish-Armenian tensions but faced threats before being killed by Samast outside his office.

Samast, originally sentenced to twenty-two years, was released on parole in November twenty twenty-three. His acquittal drew backlash, as it is unjust for a voluntary manslaughter case.

On Thursday the 9th, the Turkish Defense Ministry announced that the fee for paid military service will be set at 243,000 liras or 6,880 Dollars for twenty twenty-five, reflecting an 11% increase. The mandatory military service is normally six-months and is for every man over twenty. However, the program offers an alternative to this, allowing those who can afford the fee to serve only twenty-eight days.

The fee is adjusted every six months based on civil servant salary increases, with applicants required to pay within two months of applying for military service. Since its introduction in twenty nineteen, the fee has grown from 6,000 dollars, marking a 67% increase in dollar terms over the last two years.

Wrapping up with entertainment, the film and television industry is facing backlash after allegations surfaced against manager Ayşe Barım and actress Serenay Sarıkaya. Reports say Barım staged a fake relationship between Sarıkaya and singer Mert Demir to give Demir a more masculine image amid rumors about his sexuality. Allegedly, Demir’s real partner, a businessman, paid five million US dollars for this plan, which included a staged breakup for publicity.

Istanbul authorities have started an investigation. Barım denied wrongdoing, while Sarıkaya dismissed the allegations and said she would take legal action.

The allegations sparked debates about ethics in the industry. Actors accused Barım of creating a monopoly, leaving newcomers without opportunities unless they worked with her. Critics say such schemes harm both artists and audiences, calling for more transparency in the sector.

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

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