TURKEY: Forest Fires & more – 1st July 2025

Merhaba from Keswick Village! This is the Rorshok Turkey Update from the 1st of July twenty twenty-five. A quick summary of what's going down in Turkey.

Unfortunately, we have some tragic news. On Sunday the 29th, a forest fire broke out between Menderes and Seferihisar districts in the western city of İzmir. Strong winds pushed flames into residential areas, forcing the evacuation of five neighborhoods. Smoke affected three people, and rescue teams saved a disabled resident trapped by the fire.

Crews fought the flames through the night. On Monday the 30th, when the winds slowed down, firefighters launched four planes and fourteen helicopters. The fire destroyed around fifty homes in Seferihisar. While there were no deaths, wildlife didn’t escape the damage.

On the same day, a court postponed a case challenging the Republican People’s Party or CHP’s twenty twenty-three congress to Sunday the 8th of September. A party member filed the lawsuit, alleging serious irregularities during the vote that removed Kemal Kılıçdaroğlu and elected Özgür Özel as the party leader, including delegate manipulation and pressure on Kılıçdaroğlu.

Before the court hearing, Kılıçdaroğlu hinted at a possible return via legal means if the party congress is annulled, arguing it would be better than having a trustee run the party. His remarks were called into question as they were seen as confirmation that he had always intended to reclaim the party leadership.

In response, he reminded the public that he wasn’t the one who filed the lawsuit, distancing himself from the legal challenge while criticism mounted.

Speaking of Kılıçdaroğlu, on Friday the 27the he said that recent political rallies supporting Ekrem İmamoğlu, the imprisoned Mayor of Istanbul and the CHP’s presidential candidate, were inappropriate, suggesting that they should wait for a court ruling before showing support.

In response, İmamoğlu, speaking from Prison via a journalist, criticized Kılıçdaroğlu’s suggestion, calling it deeply disillusioning. He expressed deep disappointment and feelings of betrayal over Kılıçdaroğlu’s comments. He emphasized his long dedication to the party and said that since he is imprisoned for defending democracy and justice, Kılıçdaroğlu should have stood firmly by his and the CHP's side

More on the CHP, on Thursday the 26th, party leader Özel urged Europe at the Party of European Socialists Summit in Brussels to increase democratic pressure on President Erdoğan. Özel warned that Erdoğan faces little real pressure, fueling authoritarianism in the country, and stressed that a power change is inevitable.

He called on European countries to move beyond words on the Gaza crisis by recognizing Palestine and suspending trade with Israel. Özel also accused the Turkish government of hypocrisy, exposing secret trade with Israel despite pro-Palestinian rhetoric.

Özel condemned the arrest of İmamoğlu as a democratic breakdown and called on Europe to stop treating Erdoğan as irreplaceable, highlighting the CHP’s growing public support and promising to fast-track EU accession based on democratic values.

Meanwhile, on Sunday the 29th, columnist Sedat Bozkurt wrote that back in twenty thirteen, President Erdoğan, then Prime Minister, began packing up his office during anti-corruption operations known as the 17–25 December operations. Bozkurt reported that Efkan Ala, his then-chief advisor, stopped him and promised they would push back the operation.

The operation, led by prosecutors and police linked to the Gülen movement accused of the twenty sixteen coup attempt, targeted senior officials and ministers from the ruling Justice and Development Party or AKP, including Erdoğan. It accused them of bribery, money laundering, and smuggling. Evidence included wiretaps and marked cash found in homes.

Bozkurt described how, in response, the state quickly mobilized— replacing police chiefs, reassigning judges, and shuffling cabinet posts to cover up the corruption. He argued the investigations turned into a power struggle, as state institutions sided with Erdoğan over the prosecutors.

On Monday the 1st of July, news outlet Sözcü reported on renewed allegations against Semih Aktekin, the rector of Nevşehir Hacı Bektaş Veli University, who reportedly used his position to benefit his wife, Banu Aktekin. Back in twenty twenty-one, she entered the university’s ceramics program through a special admission exam that accepted just one student.

After she enrolled, Aktekin relocated the department from Hacıbektaş to Avanos, much closer to their home. Following her graduation, the program moved back.

The rector, known for his ties to the ruling AKP, had also faced backlash for using an official vehicle as a school shuttle for his daughter. Sözcü's report raised concerns over misuse of authority and personal favoritism.

Back to the opposition, on Thursday, the 26th, the Radio and Television Supreme Council or RTÜK imposed a ten-day broadcast suspension on Halk TV, an opposition news channel. The penalty stemmed from remarks that professor Tolga Yarman made during a program. He stated that Turkey was "not becoming more religious, but more sectarian." The RTÜK said this statement incited hatred and hostility, violating broadcasting regulations.

In response, a member of the RTÜK board from the CHP criticized the decision, warning that this suspension could pave the way for the revocation of licenses for Halk TV and other opposition channels, such as Tele 1 and Sözcü TV. He argued that interpreting political criticism as incitement to hatred undermines freedom of expression and aims to silence dissenting voices.

On Saturday the 28th, police surrounded a gathering organized by the Workers’ Party of Turkey in İstanbul. They ordered attendees to disperse, but when people tried to leave, the police blocked all exits and trapped them inside. During the event, officers detained dissident journalist İrfan Değirmenci and forty-one others.

The next day, authorities released all detainees. However, they placed thirteen people, including Değirmenci, under judicial control, enforcing travel bans and requiring regular check-ins. These arrests were put into question, with many calling them scare tactics. Değirmenci shared on social media that these actions would not stop their fight for justice and freedom.

uncil of Turkey announced the: 2236

The first call will open on the 1st of September this year for thirty-three researchers, followed by the second call on the 3rd of August twenty twenty-six, and the final call on the 1st of July twenty twenty-seven. Researchers will receive a monthly salary of almost 4,000 Euros. The program welcomes both Turkish and international applicants.

On to some statistics. On Tuesday the 1st, the Turkish Statistical Institute reported that the country’s monthly unemployment rate dropped by 0.2% in June, hitting a little over 8%. The number of unemployed dropped by roughly 70,000 to nearly three million.

Despite this, women and youth face higher joblessness, with women’s unemployment near 12% and youth unemployment over 15% compared to 6% for men.

The overall employment rate reached about 49%, but only one-third of women participate in the labor force compared to two-thirds of men.

The underutilized labor force, which includes unemployed people, part-time workers seeking more hours, and discouraged job seekers, remains high at around 30%, showing that many people’s work potential is still untapped.

And to wrap up this edition, here’s a quick reminder for the holders of Turkish driver’s licenses. On the 1st of August, only chip-based driver’s licenses will be accepted in the country. The interior ministry stated that old-style licenses, which the country switched from back in twenty sixteen, will be valid until the 31st of July and warned drivers to renew early to avoid long lines. Over four million people still use the old format.

Drivers who miss the deadline will have to pay around 7,500 Turkish lira, which is about 225 U.S. dollars, to renew their licences. The government said it won’t extend the deadline again. Appointment slots at population offices are already filling up fast.

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

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