TURKEY: Lies and Truths & more – 8th April 2025

Merhaba from Keswick Village! This is the Rorshok Turkey Update from the 8th of April twenty twenty-five. A quick summary of what's going down in Turkey.

Let’s start off this edition with some updates on Ekrem İmamoğlu, the imprisoned mayor of İstanbul from the main opposition, the Republican People’s Party or CHP.

On Sunday the 6th, he tweeted from his cell that he listed all the ongoing cases against him—ranging from insulting officials to corruption and terrorism—and described them as a coordinated effort to silence him, strip his political rights, and override the public’s will.

He pointed the finger at President Erdoğan as the one behind this legal battle and called on him to stop hiding behind prosecutors and invited him to settle things at the ballot box.

Still on İmamoğlu’s imprisonment: In late March, the İstanbul Municipality, or İBB, launched a Twitter account called İBB Tezkip to counter growing accusations. This week, it published a series of tweets titled Lies and Truths, rejecting a wave of corruption allegations. Officials said political actors aimed to discredit both the institution and İmamoğlu.

The municipality denied a ten-million-dollar bribe request made to secure a building permit for an illegally constructed building, saying teams had sealed and demolished the building in question. It also rejected reports of cash smuggling in a funeral van, explaining their vehicles never cross borders, as proved by GPS tracking. Lastly, they dismissed the prosecutors’ 560 billion lira, which is around fifteen million dollars, fraud allegation, citing that its total six-year budget was below 500 billion liras, around thirteen billion dollars.

More on the opposition as on Saturday the 6th, the CHP held an extraordinary congress to elect the next party leader. The decision followed a warning from the Chief Public Prosecutor’s Office of the Court of Cassation, which reminded parties that skipping regular congresses could cost them public funding.

Özgür Özel, the current CHP leader, ran unopposed and gathered all the valid votes. Ümit Uysal, a district mayor from the southern city of Antalya, withdrew his candidacy, saying the race could deepen internal divisions. Whereas Berhan Şimşek, a former lawmaker who had announced his intention to run, failed to meet the deadline to submit a formal application. He later criticized the party for procedural obstacles and said the party denied him a fair chance to challenge Özel.

Özel spoke at a rally after the party congress and brought up recent comments by Chris Murphy, a United States Senator. On Thursday the 3rd, Murphy said that US influence may have played a role in the arrest of İmamoğlu, mentioning that his arrest came shortly after a phone call between Donald Trump and President Erdoğan.

Özel called İmamoğlu’s imprisonment a “coup attempt” and accused Erdoğan of seeking approval from the U.S. for actions against the opposition. He challenged him, saying that no foreign power could save him in the upcoming elections.

Now, some updates on the nationwide demonstrations to protest the government and its crackdown against the opposition, which led to the arrest of around 800 people, with 266 still in custody, most of whom are university students. In solidarity, many students have organized rallies and academic boycotts, condemning the government’s unlawful actions against students exercising their rights to hold peaceful protests.

As the exam season began, some students displayed empty seats in classrooms, dedicating them to detained classmates. The families and fellow students of the detainees called for universities to postpone exams, highlighting the unfair impact on students’ futures. Meanwhile, the Higher Education Council reminded that interfering with educational activities, including boycotts, is a criminal offense under Turkish law and called for immediate legal action against those involved.

Remember the complete consumption boycott call for Wednesday the 2nd? Well, it inspired people across the country to embrace bartering instead of shopping. Instead of closing their shops for the day many businesses offered free tea and coffee and set up barter markets to support this anti-consumption effort and encourage community bonding. Individuals joined in too, exchanging goods with neighbors, relatives, or even via social media, rather than buying new items.

The boycott sparked humor online, with many users sharing videos poking fun at the situation. Numerous cafes nationwide announced that free coffee and tea, along with barter markets, would continue throughout the week, further promoting the anti-consumption message.

In entertainment, the world-renowned music group Muse announced they are postponing their Istanbul concert to twenty twenty-six and severing ties with DBL Entertainment. This decision came after comments from Abdülkadir Özkan, the owner of DBL Entertainment, criticizing protests against İmamoğlu. Muse cited concerns from their fans.

The boycott led to the cancellation of several events, including comedian Trevor Noah’s show and musician Ane Brun’s concert, both of whom supported the protests. In response, Özkan announced DBL Entertainment’s withdrawal from its projects. The Robbie Williams concert for the 7th of September, now managed by another company, remains the only event still scheduled.

In other news, on Friday the 4th, Devlet Bahçeli, the head of the Nationalist Movement Party or MHP, appeared publicly for the first time after undergoing heart valve surgery. He visited the grave of Alparslan Türkeş, the MHP's founding leader, on the anniversary of his death. Afterward, Bahçeli attended the opening of the Alparslan Türkeş Political Academy Foundation's new building.

Bahçeli had been resting since his surgery, which led to rumors about his health, with some even suggesting he had passed away. However, his appearance didn’t stop the speculations. Some initially said he looked unwell or that he was replaced by a body double, but it soon became a lighthearted gag.

On Saturday the 5th, the Chinese electric carmaker BYD delivered 7,000 vehicles to Turkey, docking its massive ship BYD CHANGZHOU in the northern city of Kocaeli after a thirty-nine-day journey from China’s Ningbo Port. The delivery marks another step in BYD’s expansion in the country.

The company plans to invest a billion dollars in local production and currently offers seven models in the market. In the first quarter of twenty twenty-five, it became the fastest-growing car brand in the country, edging closer to its global rival Tesla.

Speaking of imports, recent reports indicated that new tariffs that Trump imposed could push prices higher: there’s growing concern that US products sourced from China could face price surges. For instance, the iPhone 16 Pro 256GB retails at 1,099 dollars in the U.S. but could rise by 270 dollars due to a 54% tariff on Chinese imports, where most iPhones are assembled, potentially reaching 1,500 dollars. Analysts also predict further global price hikes.

This speculation raised concerns about prices in Turkey, where high customs tariffs and taxes already inflate costs. In Turkey, the iPhone 16 Pro 256 GB currently sells for about sixty-six thousand liras, which is around 1,900 Dollars, nearly double the US retail price. With the hikes, it may now cost close to $3,000 dollars.

Recently, authorities in İstanbul’s Avcılar district discovered the presence of the Citrus Long-Horned Beetle, a pest known for its destruction of trees. The beetle, which has also appeared in several European countries, targets a wide range of trees, including citrus, walnut, apple, and oak. Since it is resistant to many pesticides, it is difficult to control, making it a major concern. Its spread could harm local ecosystems and agriculture, particularly the citrus industry.

The Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry had issued a red alert due to the pest's potential to kill trees and spread uncontrollably. In Avcılar's Cihangir district, workers said that the beetle had infested twenty-three trees, mainly ash and maple. The authorities removed these trees to prevent further spread and sealed the area with concrete.

And to close this edition, on Monday the 7th, the Ministry of Health is launching a nationwide campaign to improve health literacy in the country. The initiative focuses on educating the public about health issues, promoting preventive care and encouraging individuals to actively manage their health. The campaign will target various groups, including children, the elderly, and those with chronic conditions. It will involve schools, health workers, and pharmacists to spread awareness and improve the public's understanding of health.

The ultimate goal is to ensure that people have the knowledge and resources to make informed decisions about their well-being.

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

Enjoying the update? We hope so! Wanna chat, toss us an idea, or ask something? Email us at info@rorshok.com.

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