TURKEY: Syria’s Regime Toppled & more – 10th Dec 2024

Merhaba from BA! This is the Rorshok Turkey Update from the 10th of December twenty twenty-four. A quick summary of what's going down in Turkey.

Syrian rebels declared they had seized control of the country’s capital Damascus, forcing President Bashar al-Assad to flee and ending more than thirteen years of civil war and decades of his family’s rule. Refugees in Turkey celebrated with fireworks and gatherings across the country, expressing hope for returning home. The Turkish Interior Minister reported daily voluntary returns to Syria had nearly doubled, prompting expanded border capacity.

Later that day, during a press conference in Doha, Qatar, Hakan Fidan, the Turkish Foreign Minister, urged international and regional actors to support Syria’s reconstruction while safeguarding its territorial integrity and preventing exploitation by extremist groups. Fidan also highlighted the importance of securing chemical weapons and announced Turkey’s efforts to facilitate the return of its three million Syrian refugees.

On Friday the 6th, a court released nine activists detained for disrupting an event where President Erdoğan spoke about Israel's actions in Gaza. The group was arrested in late November after interrupting Erdoğan’s speech, shouting allegations about Turkish ships carrying bombs to Gaza, and protesting outside with demands to halt trade with Israel. While Turkey announced a trade halt with Israel in May, some say trade relations persist despite ongoing tensions over Gaza.

Authorities charged the activists with violating the Law on Meetings and Demonstrations and insulting the president. The Istanbul 10th Criminal Court of Peace released them following a legal objection. During their detention, reports of mistreatment emerged, including assault and denial of basic needs. In response, the Justice Ministry suspended three prison officers pending investigation.

In other news… On Saturday the 7th, family physicians and healthcare workers protested at Istanbul’s Kadıköy Pier, marking the fifth day of their strike against recent healthcare regulations that affect their salaries and working conditions. The Istanbul Medical Chamber, or İTO, organized the protest, where banners called for tax justice and rejected the new rules.

The İTO President explained that the updated regulations introduced a model where physicians face performance-based pay cuts if they see too few patients or lose income when patients visit too frequently (this is seen as doctors’ incompetence). Basic salaries are now determined using complex formulas tied to patient numbers, and medicines prescribed, penalizing doctors for factors beyond their control.

Speaking of protests, on Friday the 6th, workers dismissed from the Polonez Meat Factory for joining a union attempted to begin a Constitutional Rights March from Istanbul’s Çatalca district to the country’s capital Ankara, in central Turkey, marking five months of protests.

Riot police blocked the group, preventing them from leaving the factory site. Five workers trying to bypass the blockade were reportedly handcuffed and taken into custody. One of the union organizers condemned the treatment and announced a hunger strike until their demands were met.

The workers, fired under allegations of disgraceful conduct, have been protesting since July, seeking reinstatement and recognition of their union rights.

Meanwhile, Turkey reported an almost 50% inflation in November, fueling debate over the impact of the upcoming minimum wage hike on inflation. The word on the street is that the government will increase the minimum wage by 25%. Economists predict such an increase could push inflation up by 5%, while business leaders warn steeper raises might drive production abroad. With talks set to begin on Tuesday the 10th, the raise will affect nine million workers.

President Erdoğan vowed not to let inflation overwhelm anyone, but analysts expect higher wages to add pressure, particularly in January.

On a related note… On Monday the 9th, the Turkish Parliament began discussions on the twenty twenty-five Central Government Budget, focusing on record deficits and future spending. Cevdet Yılmaz, the Vice President, projected a twenty twenty-four deficit of 2.1 trillion liras, which is seventy-seven billion US dollars, up from the twenty twenty-three record of 1.38 trillion liras or a little below forty billion US dollars.

The main opposition, the Republican People’s Party (or CHP), criticized President Erdoğan for not presenting the budget in person, and instead leaving the job to the Vice President. They argued this undermines Parliament’s authority and violates the constitution, signaling a disregard for legislative oversight and stripping lawmakers of the right to question him on fiscal matters. Budget discussions will end on Wednesday the 20th with a vote. Visitors and party group meetings remain suspended.

On Friday the 6th, an upper court overturned the detention of Nasuh Mahruki, the former president of the Turkish Search and Rescue Association, after fourteen days in custody and ordered his release. Authorities arrested Mahruki in late November over a social media post accusing the government and the Supreme Election Council of plotting to manipulate elections. The Istanbul Prosecutor's Office said his post disrupted public peace and insulted judicial institutions. After questioning, the Criminal Court of Peace ordered his detention, which the upper court has now overturned.

His first hearing is scheduled for the 26th of December and prosecutors are seeking a one-to-three-year prison sentence.

The Governor of Rize faced backlash after a photo showed him chauffeuring for the ruling Justice and Development Party, or AKP officials, including party representatives and the Rize Mayor. The parliamentary leader of the CHP called the picture “the portrait of a one-party state," accusing the governor of crossing professional boundaries. He also criticized the AKP for proudly sharing the photo, saying it demonstrated a troubling disregard for the separation between government roles and party politics.

In more news about the AKP, on Sunday the 8th, during an event in southeastern Gaziantep, President Erdoğan said that he and Vladimir Putin were the only world leaders with long-standing tenures. Erdoğan highlighted his twenty-two years in office, comparing it to Putin’s similar tenure. He remarked that other leaders had been “eliminated” from the global stage, meaning elected out of office. He also said that his party, the AKP, focused on youth empowerment, while he accused CHP-led municipalities of stifling young people's dreams and importing marginal Western trends under the guise of freedom.

Speaking of youth, he also announced an increase in university scholarships and loans for twenty twenty-five. Erdoğan said that starting in January, monthly payments for students would rise from two thousand liras, which is around sixty US Dollars, to three thousand liras, approximately eighty-five US Dollars.

We’ve got some good news for frequent fliers. On Monday the 9th, the Turkish Civil Aviation Authority introduced a new regulation aimed at strengthening passengers’ rights. Airlines will now be required to compensate passengers if their flights are delayed for more than three hours due to technical or operational reasons. The regulation, published in the Official Gazette, outlines compensation amounts based on flight distance.

For example, for domestic flights, passengers will receive 100 Euros, which is almost the same amount in US Dollars. For international flights, compensation will vary between 250 to 600 Euros depending on the flight’s distance. The airlines will calculate the compensation in Turkish liras based on the exchange rate of the Central Bank on the payment day.

Closing this edition, last Tuesday the 3rd, the BBC recognized Nejla Işık, an environmental activist and leader of İkizköy village in the southeastern Muğla province, on its list of 100 inspiring women. Her inclusion highlights her fight to protect Akbelen Forest from coal mining projects that have been threatening the region since twenty nineteen.

The BBC praised Işık’s resilience, aligning with this year’s theme of celebrating those shaping futures through perseverance. Işık credited the recognition to her village, emphasizing the collective efforts of women resisting government-backed mining companies.

Despite court orders to suspend the project, the mining company, linked to IC Holding and Limak Holding, continued operations, leading to clashes with locals and police intervention.

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

We hope you are enjoying the Rorshok Turkey update as much as we enjoy making it. Don't forget to subscribe on your favorite platform to keep up with what's going on in Turkey.

Hoşça kalın!