TURKEY: Unreturned Medical Devices & more – 24th Sep 2024

le’s Party or CHP, announced that the district governor’s office had blocked municipality staff from entering their shared building, demanding their eviction. The municipality stated that this obstruction violates public service laws and promised to take legal action against those responsible.

The tension reportedly stems from the municipality switching from the ruling Justice and Development Party, or AKP, to the CHP in this year’s local elections, with some suggesting the governor no longer wants to share the building with the opposition.

However, the District Governor's Office denied this, stating the eviction request was because the municipality’s building, under construction since early twenty twenty-three, was finished in July twenty twenty-four, and it was time for the municipality units and its staff to return to its own premises.

In more news on politics… Fatih Erbakan, the leader of the conservative and Islamist New Welfare Party or YRP, said that they will never ally with the ruling AKP again. He expressed concern that young people are turning to deism and atheism, influenced by the AKP's superficial approach to Islam.

During the twenty twenty-three presidential and parliamentary elections, Erbakan’s party cautioned against transferring power to the main opposition, the secular CHP. Consequently, the YRP allied with the AKP based on their shared conservative values. However, Erbakan criticized the AKP for undermining their trust, pointing to inadequate support in local elections and issues concerning religious integrity. He affirmed their commitment to moving forward independently from now on.

In some economic updates… According to September data from the European Statistical Office or Eurostat, the average weekly working hours in EU countries was thirty-six, while in Turkey was forty-four. It added that in Turkey, people work more hours but earn less, with the country ranking among the nations with the lowest minimum wage in Europe, with Bulgaria at the bottom of the list.

The Netherlands has the lowest average of working hours at thirty-two, and the minimum wage is about 2,200 dollars, whereas Turkey's is around 480 dollars.

Still on the economy… On Thursday the 19th, the CHP asked the Constitutional Court to cancel the Public Savings Measures Law, passed in July twenty twenty-four as a money-tightening policy to address the current account deficit. The CHP Deputy Chair said the law unfairly benefits foreign investors by cutting stamp duty and Special Consumption Tax, which goes against its savings goal.

He also pointed out that the law exempts the Turkish Petroleum Pipeline Corporation and the Turkish Grain Board from following public procurement rules, questioning how this helps with savings. Additionally, he criticized the law for allowing certain officials to continue receiving multiple salaries until the end of twenty twenty-four.

In other news, Eyüp Sabri Tuncer, a cosmetic brand, experienced significant growth during the pandemic for its kolonya, a traditional Turkish cologne widely used for its refreshing scent and antiseptic properties. However, it now faces an urgent recall order from the European Union for colognes made before March twenty twenty-two. The EU cited concerns that these products could harm pregnant women and unborn babies, citing the presence of Butylphenyl Methylpropional, a banned substance in cosmetics

The company said that it stopped using this ingredient in March twenty twenty-two, when it was banned, and has since updated its formulas. It added that efforts to misrepresent the situation aim to tarnish the brand, and reassured consumers of their commitment to safety and compliance with EU regulations.

On Friday the 20th, the Trade Ministry announced strict regulations in the Official Gazette on the import of plug-in hybrid vehicles from specific countries, including China. These new rules, which follow a June decision to limit electric vehicle imports, require importers to have twenty authorized service centers across seven regions of Turkey, specifically targeting hybrids not produced in the European Union or free-trade agreement countries. Analysts note that no importers currently meet these criteria, effectively halting future imports.

These new regulations were put into question, as they can be seen as a way to pressure Chinese automakers like BYD, Chery, and SAIC, who are in talks with Turkey about local production.

Speaking of vehicles… The Revenue Administration announced changes to the National Vehicle Recognition System to prevent tax losses from improper invoices caused by manual license plate entry at fuel stations. According to the new regulation, vehicles must have a digital Vehicle Recognition Unit label by the end of this year. Any vehicles purchased after this deadline will need to obtain the label separately until July, after which it will become part of the purchase process for all new vehicles.

The system will automatically transfer license plate information during fuel purchases, eliminating manual entry and helping to prevent substantial tax losses.

In the eastern border city of Van, police seized twenty-two kilograms of smuggled gold bars worth sixty-six million liras, around two and a half million dollars, during a joint operation by the Anti-Smuggling and Organized Crime branch, and the Intelligence unit. The police detained one suspect and began legal proceedings against him. Smuggling in the region typically involves items like tea from neighboring countries. Moving gold is definitely a whole new level.

For our final story, The Ministry of Culture and Tourism announced that excavations of the Kızlan Ottoman Wreck in the western Datça have revealed significant findings. Among the artifacts are fourteen Janissary muskets, approximately two thousand five hundred lead shots, and cannonballs, indicating the ship's involvement in a conflict. This wreck marks the first find of an Ottoman ship with Janissary remains. The excavations will likely finish in twenty twenty-five, potentially offering new insights into Ottoman maritime history.

Aaand that’s it for this week!

Thanks for sticking around for this episode of the Rorshok Turkey update! If you’ve got questions, thoughts, or just want to say hi, reach out at info@rorshok.com. Don’t forget to hit subscribe on your favorite podcast app!

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