TURKEY: Turkey on Gaza conflict & more – 30th July 2024

Merhaba from Keswick Village! This is the Rorshok Turkey Update from the 30th of July twenty twenty-four. A quick summary of what's going down in Turkey.

Some updates on the war in Gaza. On Saturday the 27th, the Turkish Parliament condemned Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s speech to the U.S. Congress, calling it a “shameful chapter in history.” The resolution labeled Netanyahu a “bloody war criminal” and criticized the U.S. for allowing him to speak amid accusations of severe human rights violations in Gaza. The resolution denounced Congress for supporting Israeli aggression and urged the U.S. and other key players to act against the bloodshed in Gaza and push for accountability.

Still on the topic of the conflict in Gaza, some political parties reportedly slammed the government for not inviting Mahmoud Abbas, the Palestinian President, to speak at the Turkish parliament. During a speech, President Erdoğan addressed these criticisms stating that Abbas was indeed invited but did not attend. He further added that Abbas should apologize for failing to attend. However, Erdoğan emphasized that Turkey would persist in voicing support for the Palestinian people, regardless of Abbas's participation.

Moreover, on Sunday the 28th, President Erdoğan suggested that Turkey might intervene in Israel, though he did not specify the nature of such intervention. Erdoğan made these remarks during a speech praising Turkey’s defense industry, so many think that he meant a military intervention.

An expert on Middle East and Central Asian politics stated that Turkey’s attempt to take responsibility in every conflict zone has fatigued its foreign policy. He emphasized the need for Turkey to rethink its priorities amid rising tensions along the Israel-Lebanon border and fears of war spreading in the Middle East. He pointed out that while conflicts in the Middle East and Africa are wearing Turkey down, countries like Egypt and Saudi Arabia are less affected by them.

Speaking of Erdoğan, on Friday the 26th, he published several high-level dismissals and new appointments in the Official Gazette. He removed the Deputy Health Minister and senior officials from various ministries from their posts. The Health Ministry saw changes with new appointees filling roles including Director General of Health Information Systems and Director General of Legal Services.

Additionally, new provincial directors were appointed in the Family and Social Services Ministry and the Education Ministry. Erdoğan also appointed new rectors to 11 universities, including Kent University, Nişantaşı University, Özyeğin University, and several others across Turkey.

In other news about the president, on Thursday the 24th, Erdoğan announced that the Treasury and Finance Ministry will soon start collecting debts from municipalities. He criticized the Republican People's Party, or CHP, for promising free services while neglecting financial responsibilities and called on CHP mayors to lower service prices that had sharply increased.

The CHP, which controls fourteen metropolitan and twenty-one provincial municipalities, surpassed the ruling Justice and Development Party, or AKP, in the recent local elections. Many view Erdoğan’s move as an attempt to weaken these opposition-run municipalities financially, as their social projects make them appealing to the voters.

In response, the CHP accused Erdoğan of exploiting past debts to undermine their administrations. Özgür Özel, the head of the party, condemned the action as a financial coup and pledged that the party would continue to serve the public despite Erdoğan’s efforts.

Here are some updates on the stray dogs bill. The parliament approved the first five articles, including a clause allowing euthanasia for street dogs. The session, lasting about fourteen hours, saw heated debates. Initially, the bill explicitly mentioned euthanasia, but after opposition pushback, the parliament reworded the clause to remove the term 'euthanasia.' Instead, it referenced Article nine, Paragraph three of the Veterinary Services, Plant Health, Food and Feed Law. However, this provision also includes euthanasia, so the change is largely semantic. The revised fifth article now permits euthanasia for animals suffering or posing a danger to human health, with the decision to be made by a veterinarian. The rewording has not alleviated concerns among animal rights activists, who argue that the bill still effectively sanctions the mass killing of stray dogs.

A company building houses for the state-run Housing Development Administration, or TOKİ, in quake-hit Hatay has fired seventy workers, refusing to pay their wages for not finishing the work in time. The workers accused the company of using substandard materials and claimed inspectors took bribes. Visible reinforcement bars in some walls drew attention, and lawyer Cuma Irmak reported that the company hastily covered up construction defects. Irmak said that he would file a complaint, while local residents criticized the project, calling it a mass grave rather than affordable housing. Irmak called for independent inspection and highlighted issues like reduced reinforcement and defective concrete forms. Workers, struggling with unpaid wages, staged dramatic protests, with two climbing the crane to commit suicide. Fortunately, they got down safely. TOKİ denied the accusations saying the repairs have been carried out in accordance with technical specifications. However, concerns about the buildings’ safety remain.

The Olympics opening ceremony has gathered mixed reactions from the public… Well, the ruling party was on the negative side of these reactions. On Saturday the 27th, Emre Çalışkan, an MP from AKP, launched a homophobic attack on the ceremony. Speaking in parliament, Çalışkan said that the ceremony was LGBT, pedophile, and satanic propaganda. He claimed that the event, intended to celebrate athletic achievements, instead promoted “perverted ideologies.” He proudly argued that many in the country reacted negatively to the ceremony and said that the country needs to work hard to protect family values at a time like this. He added that the ceremony was fueled by capitalism, denouncing it.

Next, on Thursday the 25th, Istanbul's Transportation Coordination Center raised public transport fares by thirteen percent. The full ticket increased from eighteen to twenty liras, about sixty cents, and the student ticket from nine to ten liras, about thirty cents.

On Wednesday the 24th, Ankara raised public transport fares by forty percent. The full fare increased from fifteen to twenty-one liras, a little over sixty cents, and the discounted ticket from eight to eleven liras, about thirty cents.

Moving on… On Sunday the 28th, unidentified individuals erased the Kurdish-language Pedestrian First signs on the roads in Diyarbakır, leaving the Turkish version. The next day, Diyarbakır Municipality announced that the city Governor ordered the removal of the signs citing non-compliance with standards. The signs, used for about fifteen years, featured both Kurdish and Turkish warnings. While some support the Governor's decision, emphasizing Turkish as the official language, others, particularly from minority groups, call for better representation in the city.

We do have some good news! On Thursday the 24th, İzmir Metropolitan Municipality launched a hybrid solar tree project aimed at combating climate change by reducing carbon emissions and generating clean energy. Located in Bostanlı, the city’s first Climate Neutral Point uses both solar and wind energy to charge small electric vehicles, bicycles, and electronic devices.

This project, which is part of İzmir's goal to become a climate-neutral and smart city, includes solar panel posts shaped like trees. The system, featuring five 155-watt panels and a wind turbine, produces enough energy for a household's annual consumption, promoting clean energy in daily life. Residents can now charge their phones and other devices for free at this shaded spot. The municipality plans to expand the project across the city.

On Saturday the 27th, President Erdoğan slapped a child for not kissing his hand at an opening ceremony for houses rebuilt under urban transformation in Rize. After his speech, Erdoğan handed over the keys to new homeowners. The children of one of these families came on stage before their parents, and Erdoğan extended his hand for a kiss. In the country, kissing an elder’s hand is a traditional sign of respect. When one child hesitated, Erdoğan slapped the child. You can find the video in our show notes. After warnings, the child kissed Erdoğan’s hand, and the President gave him some money, another traditional act that follows kissing an elderly’s hand. Erdoğan’s behavior alarmed many people, drawing sharp criticism. However, he didn’t address the backlash.

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

Do you know that besides the Turkey Update, we also do others? Our latest ones are the Arctic Update, about the area north of the Arctic Circle, the Ocean Update, about the 70% of the earth covered in salt water, and the Multilateral Update about all the world's major multilateral institutions. The other ones are all country updates, we have a selection of countries from Africa, Asia, South America, and Europe. Check roroshok.com/updates to see the full list and find the link in the shownotes as well.

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