TURKEY: Election updates & more – 12th Mar 2024

Merhaba from Keswick Village! This is the Rorshok Turkey Update from the 12th of March twenty twenty-four A quick summary of what's going down in Turkey.

On Friday the 8th, President Erdoğan announced that the upcoming local elections would mark his final stint in the electoral arena. However, there's a twist: these are local elections, not presidential ones. While Erdoğan has been throwing his weight behind the mayoral candidates of his party The Justice and Development Party or AKP, particularly in Istanbul, opposition figures like İmamoğlu have criticized his heavy involvement, suggesting it overshadows the actual mayoral candidates. With Erdoğan's robust campaigning, it seems like he's making these elections about himself, especially in areas where AKP candidates lack strong voter support.

Let’s get back to this being Erdoğan’s final election though… This isn’t the first time Erdoğan has said this. In fact, he’s been saying the same thing consistently since twenty ten, so it doesn’t seem to hold any meaning, but rather feels like a way to get the public's sympathy.

This may also be an indirect call for electoral authorities to find a way for him to run for president again in the next elections. Bekir Bozdağ, an AKP deputy and former justice minister, hopped on that train very quickly and stated that Erdoğan could potentially seek another term if the parliament opts for early elections during the president's second term, like it did in the last elections.

Amid the Turkish Lira's continued devaluation, the Central Bank is reverting to previous tactics. Gaye Erkan, the former governor, initially adopted conventional economic policies post-election to combat inflation and currency depreciation. However, her successor reversed the course, and the banks isn’t raising interest rates anymore.

Instead, they're using other tricks to try to control the currency, like limiting banks’ foreign currency purchases or lowering interest rates for investments to preserve cash money.

A Bloomberg economist stated that tightening through regulatory changes was not a perfect substitute for a real policy rate hike and added that it may contribute to worsening inflation projections. The expert also noted that the central bank's tendency to move away from orthodox measures may be short-lived, and interest rate hikes may return after the elections.

Last Friday, on the 8th of March, which also marked International Women’s Day, the Turkish Volleyball Federation decided to honor the achievements of the Women’s Volleyball team by putting up bronze statues of some players.

However, during the unveiling event, the Federation’s president made a controversial remark that sparked criticism on social media. Referring to team captain Eda Erdem, he said, “a man among men,” drawing widespread condemnation for its sexist undertones, particularly on such an occasion. His remark is a common idiom in the Turkish language that means that a person is decent and trustworthy. Its use is not gender-specific, however the use of man, instead of human makes it a controversial idiom in general.

Additionally, some also drew attention to the fact that the Federation provided economy class travel for the internationally acknowledged women's team, while the men's football team usually enjoy more luxurious accommodations, even for domestic trips.

Next up we have a tragic car accident that shook the whole country. On Friday the 1st of March, an unnamed underage driver known to the media as T.C. collided with an ATV vehicle that broke down on the emergency lane. Unfortunately, one person died and four were injured. Following the accident, T.C.'s mother, Eylem Tok, helped his son flee to Egypt.

The Istanbul Chief Prosecutor's Office launched an investigation, issuing warrants for their arrest, with T.C. facing charges of reckless killing and Tok accused of abetting the crime. However, they were already out of the country. Reportedly, the two flew to the US from Egypt. The airport security footage showed that the boy had an American passport.

On Thursday the 7th, the Justice Minister announced the country initiated extradition proceedings with the US for them. He stated that Turkey has submitted the necessary documents for arrest to US officials. So far, there are no updates on the issue.

Underage driving is a pressing issue, especially in light of recent events, yet politicians don’t seem to have picked up on this. On Sunday the 10th, during a live talk show, the show host asked Murat Kurum, the AKP’s İstanbul mayoral candidate, about his childhood misdeeds. He admitted to driving without a license with a chuckle. The host asked him repeatedly to confirm if it was actually true, and he insisted that it was, and he looked rather amused while saying it. Many people criticized his apathy and his lack of sensitivity to or awareness of the country's current issues.

During the same show, intended for university students to inquire about Kurum’s personal life, the host abruptly stopped a student's question about the situation between Palestine and Israel for being political, asking her to pass the microphone. He urged for nice questions to avoid angering anyone. Many people don’t think that the issue is political. It’s a matter of human rights. Kurum left the question unanswered, but addressed the student's question after the show, affirming support for Gaza and Palestine on social media. However, he was criticized for not answering the question on TV to not upset Israel supporters in light of the elections.

Speaking of insensitive politicians… We have talked about Nebi Hatipoğlu, who recently resigned from the opposition nationalist Good Party and joined its main rival, the AKP. Well, the AKP shielded him as a mayoral candidate for the city of Eskişehir. Earlier this month, as part of his election campaign, he presented a social project called the Modern Animal Shelter and Paw Club during a launch event. In his speech, he mentioned providing a modern shelter for animals, sterilization, and various care services. However, on Sunday the 10th, photos of him hunting deer and wild boars emerged, contradicting his earlier statements. Hypocrisy? What do you think? Let us know your thoughts! Contact us with the info in the show notes.

Some news on education… The Ministry of National Education aims to make it easier for the children of martyrs, veterans, and those under state protection to attend private schools. Private schools already have free spots open for these children, but applications aren’t very accessible and some schools cherry-pick their students. However, starting next academic year, the ministry will use a central system to allocate thousands of free spots and students will be able to apply to a school of their choosing online during summer.

On Monday the 11th, on the 10th anniversary of Berkin Elvan's tragic death, people gathered at gravesite to commemorate him. A police officer shot the 15-year-old Elvan in the head with a tear gas canister during the twenty thirteen Gezi Park, which left him in a coma and ultimately claimed his life. He wasn’t even participating in the protests, he was simply on his way to the supermarket. His death sparked nationwide sorrow and remains a haunting reminder of the police brutality endured during those tumultuous times.

The Sultan of the eleven months is here! On Monday, Muslims around the world marked the start of Ramadan, a special month in their religion. During Ramadan, which lasts for about a month, Muslims fast from sunrise to sunset. This means they don't eat or drink anything during daylight hours. In the evening, many communities set up special tents where people can come together to break their fast with a meal. You might also hear drummers walking through the streets at night, announcing the beginning of the fasting period. Muslims do this to empathize with the difficulties and pains of people who suffer from hunger.

And.. that’s it for this week! Thanks for joining us!

Are you a long time listener? Did you ever want to participate on the show? Well, this is the chance you were hoping for! We want to launch a new series of interviews by our community for our community. Want more information? Email us to info@rorshok.com with the subject line "Interviews".

Hoşça kalın!