TURKEY: Istanbul Earthquake & more – 29th April 2025

Merhaba from Keswick Village! This is the Rorshok Turkey Update from the 29th of April twenty twenty-five. A quick summary of what's going down in Turkey.

On Wednesday the 23rd, a 6.2-magnitude earthquake shook İstanbul but caused no casualties or major damage. Fearing aftershocks, thousands spent the night outdoors and schools closed for two days across İstanbul and nearby provinces.

After the earthquake, phone service briefly collapsed as usage surged tenfold, so the Transport Minister urged people to use internet messaging to ease the strain on networks. However, this suggestion was called into question, as reliable service during emergencies should already be guaranteed, given the high telecom fees.

The quake revived debate about earthquake risk in the Marmara region. Some experts say the tremor eased pressure on the fault, while others warn a larger quake is still likely. So far officials inspected 15,000 buildings and reported only 1,000 with minor damage.

This week, footage of a bodyguard of Ekrem İmamoğlu, the imprisoned mayor of Istanbul and the presidential candidate of the Republican People’s Party, went viral on social media, sparking rumors. The video showed the bodyguard carrying two suitcases, and some media outlets said that they had cash inside them.

The İstanbul Municipality responded, saying the suitcases carried mobile signal jammers, used to protect İmamoğlu and crowds against bomb threats. It explained that such equipment, bought legally from a firm authorized to sell only to public institutions, requires protective cases due to size and sensitivity.

The Municipality described the rumors as the latest example of disinformation, adding that security procedures followed the law and protected public safety.

Speaking of İmamoğlu, on Sunday the 27th, the General Directorate of Prisons and Detention Houses responded to speculations about Esila Ayık, a university student arrested during protests against İmamoğlu’s imprisonment. Social media posts suggested Esila, who suffers from chronic heart and kidney issues, lost consciousness and was hospitalized. Earlier, there were allegations that prison authorities failed to provide her with necessary medication, worsening her health.

The Directorate clarified that while Ayık’s condition remains stable, she has not faced a serious health issue. They warned that spreading false information could mislead the public and stated they would pursue legal action against those responsible under the Turkish Penal Code.

Also on Sunday, a controversy arose at the news channel Turkey Journalism and Radio Television or TGRT News over a report on the rise of child labor. Apparently, Aslıhan Ören, the wife of the station’s owner, reacted to the headline, which read, Poverty forces children to work.

According to Journalist Metin Cihan, Ören criticized the coverage, reportedly scolding journalists and insisting that no negative headlines should be used.

This incident raised questions about editorial independence at TGRT News and sparked a debate over media control.

In another polemical statement from the government, on Friday the 25th, the Minister of Family and Social Services sparked controversy during a live broadcast. He said that without children, couples couldn’t be considered a family.

His comments quickly gained attention on social media. Many accused him of insensitivity, saying some couples are unable to have kids. Others pointed to recent tragedies, such as fires and train crashes, where children died because the government failed to act, ironically questioning if the families of those kids should now be considered “no families” as well.

In previous episodes, we’ve been reporting on a potential reconciliation between the government, the pro-Kurdish Peoples’ Equality and Democracy or DEM Party, and the Kurdistan Workers’ Party or PKK, led by recent talks involving Abdullah Öcalan, the imprisoned leader of the PKK. The talks led Öcalan to call on the PKK to disarm.

This week we’ve got an update: The reconciliation process just showed its first concrete result.

The Parliament will soon hold elections for the Board of Judges and Prosecutors (or HSK), and for the first time, the DEM might gain a seat. The Justice and Development Party and DEM reportedly reached a deal for DEM to nominate a lawyer to the thirteen-member board. If approved, this would mark the party’s first presence in the HSK and a major symbolic step in the government’s effort to reset ties with Kurdish political actors.

On that note about the parliament, during this week's sessions, lawmakers will discuss a bill to increase fines for misusing the 112 Emergency Call Center. The bill proposes raising administrative fines for unnecessary calls from 250 liras, which is around nine US dollars, to 1,500 liras, about fifty-five US dollars.

If an emergency team is sent to a scene and finds that the call was fake or unnecessary, the person responsible could be fined up to 15,000 liras, about 550 US dollars.

The proposed changes aim to prevent the misuse of emergency services and ensure they are available for real emergencies.

There’s another legal change on the way. Turkey plans to expand eligibility for alternative sentencing, allowing more non-violent offenders to serve their prison terms outside full-time custody. The new limit rises from three to five years, meaning that those with longer sentences can now qualify for home detention, weekend-only confinement, or nighttime imprisonment.

The change focuses on low-risk groups, including pregnant women, mothers with young children, elderly people, and the seriously ill. Some will work during the day and return to open prisons at night, or spend weekends behind bars while free during the week. Officials said this won’t apply to crimes like murder, sexual assault, or terrorism.

The goal is to ease overcrowding while offering more humane options for minor offenders.

On Monday the 28th, President Erdoğan announced updated migration figures during a speech in İstanbul. He said the country currently hosts four million migrants, including almost three million Syrians under temporary protection. Erdoğan also shared that there are now over 120 million refugees worldwide. He pointed out that these numbers keep rising due to wars, instability, terrorism, and climate change.

Erdoğan said that, over the past ten years, 72,000 people have died along migration routes, many falling victim to human traffickers. He pointed out that most refugees stay in low- and middle-income countries, while wealthier nations accept only a small share.

Even though Erdoğan expresses sympathy for refugees and sees caring for them as a national duty, many in Turkey want them to return home — especially Syrians — now that the Syrian regime appears more stable.

Back in March, a member of the Radio and Television Supreme Council, or RTÜK, the country’s media watchdog, requested an evaluation report about A Haber, a pro-government news channel, accusing the network of distorting a speech by Özgür Özel, the head of the CHP, during a program.

On Monday the 28th, the RTÜK President announced that there’s an ongoing investigation into A Haber’s broadcast. The move came as a surprise, since A Haber is known for supporting the government and it’s almost unprecedented for the RTÜK to investigate a pro-government channel over alleged bias against an opposition figure.

On to some agricultural news, Ereğli Bereket Tarım, a company founded in twenty twenty-one to support local farming in the central city of Konya, collapsed under financial pressure. The court rejected its debt restructuring plea and ruled for bankruptcy. Even though the company did a bit of everything—selling animals, fertilizers, and buying crops—it couldn’t survive growing debt and the worsening economy.

The ruling ended the company’s protection period and dismissed the temporary commissioner. Local farmers now face uncertainty, especially around crop quotas and payments. The company’s collapse may leave a major gap in Konya’s agricultural network, with some warning of ripple effects across the region.

Finally, on Thursday the 24th, a ceremony at the Conkbayırı Memorial marked the 110th anniversary of the Gallipoli Campaign of World War I.

The nineteen fifteen campaign saw Allied forces, including many from the Australian and New Zealand Army Corps, land on the Gallipoli Peninsula to seize the Dardanelles and weaken the Ottoman Empire. Ottoman troops, led by officers like Atatürk, held the line in brutal trench warfare. The 57th Regiment became a national symbol after suffering near-total losses in the early fighting.

Today, Turkey, Australia, and New Zealand share a respectful bond shaped by this history. Thousands from both countries visit Gallipoli each year to honor the fallen. Princess Anne of the United Kingdom attended this year’s ceremony, reflecting the ongoing commitment to remembrance and reconciliation.

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

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