TURKEY: Visa Exemption & more – 9th Apr 2024

Merhaba from BA! This is the Rorshok Turkey Update from the 9th of April twenty twenty-four A quick summary of what's going down in Turkey.

On Saturday the 6th, in a Presidential Decree published in the Official Gazette, the country ended visa-free travel for citizens of Tajikistan. This decision came after the Islamic State or ISIS, a militant jihadist group, attacked a concert hall in Moscow last month, killing many. One of the attackers, a Tajik national, confessed that he went from Tajikistan to Moscow through Istanbul. The attacker posted multiple pictures from Istanbul on his social media, dating back to February.

ISIS also attacked a church in Turkey earlier this year, raising concerns about the group’s presence in the country. This incident, along with the deadly attack in Moscow, likely influenced Turkey’s decision to revoke Tajikistan's visa exemption.

On the same day, a group of demonstrators demanding an end to trade with Israel gathered on Istanbul's Istiklal Street. Some were holding banners criticizing the ruling Justice and Development Party, or AKP, for continuing trade with Israel. The Police reprimanded the group, detaining forty-three people and seizing phones filming the incident. The government said that the protestors refused to disperse and resisted after warnings, whereas the group said that they were marching peacefully when the police attacked them. Opposition parties condemned the attack and called for the release of detainees, which the police later did.

The police attack was called into question as they might have reprimanded the protestors because they were opposing the government. The police charged the detainees with insulting the president, which supports this argument.

On a related note… Journalist Metin Cihan took to his social media to disclose records concerning Turkey's trade relations with Israel. According to him, Arosel Agriculture, a company owned by Hilmi Durgun, a deputy from the ruling coalition's ultranationalist Nationalist People's Party, was facilitating the operations of the Israeli agricultural company Haifa in Turkey. Cihan pointed out the government's policies for undermining local seed production and compelling farmers to depend on Israeli and other foreign seeds. He also condemned such a trade arrangement, deeming it as both a betrayal of national interests and religious principles.

Durgun clarified that his company was trading fertilizer raw materials, not seeds. He defended trading with Israel as a national duty, stating that it enabled Turkey to fulfill agricultural needs and reach global quality standards with various technologies, fertilizers, medicines, and agricultural machinery. However, his remarks were put into question, as it might have been an attempt to portray himself as a patriot while ignoring criticism, suggesting he was primarily concerned with protecting his own agenda.

All this public pressure seems to have worked, as on Tuesday the 9th, the Trade Ministry imposed export restrictions on fifty-four product groups to Israel, including construction iron, flat steel, marble, ceramics, and jet fuel. The reason? Well, the government said that Israel turned down Turkey’s help for Gaza. However, this was called into question, as the executive might have imposed the restrictions to avoid a potential uprising, amidst all the protests. The Ministry said that the restrictions will remain in place until Israel declares an immediate ceasefire in Gaza and lets in aid without any interruptions. It also mentioned the country never allowed Israel to purchase anything for military use. However, including jet fuel in the list raises doubts about this assertion.

Meral Akşener, the leader of the Good Party, announced her decision not to run for party leadership in the upcoming extraordinary congress. This decision came after her party received less than 4% of the vote in local elections last week, a big loss for the party. Some members called for Akşener's resignation, attributing the loss of votes to her proximity to the ruling AKP during the local election campaign. The party scheduled an extraordinary congress for the 27th of April to elect a new leader. Despite the loss, Akşener expressed contentment with the election results, stating that she at least managed to preserve the party's integrity and resist external influences. However, her aligning of her party with the ruling AKP may have contributed to the electoral defeat, contrary to her remarks.

Continuing with some news on last week's local elections… On Sunday the 7th, the main opposition, the Republican People's Party, or CHP, announced that it submitted an eighty-page objection letter to the Supreme Election Council for the local elections in quake-hit Hatay. The ruling AKP won the mayoral elections by a very close margin against the CHP. In the objection letter, the CHP said that it suspected that almost four thousand deceased people voted in the elections and demanded a do-over. However, the Council denied the request.

In an interview with the Sabah newspaper that was published on Monday the 8th, Özgür Özel, the head of the CHP, discussed various topics including the party's success in the local elections, his relationship with President Erdoğan, and the future direction of the party. Özel emphasized that while his party will maintain its firm opposition stance, it will also uphold respect for senior government positions, including the presidency. He hinted at potential presidential candidates within the party, mentioning Ankara and Istanbul mayors Mansur Yavaş and Ekrem İmamoğlu as possible contenders.

Even though Sabah is known for its pro-government stance, Özgür Özel's interview made the front page, and there was no news about the president or any other ruling party member in Monday's edition. This raised eyebrows and led to speculation about potential shifts in the newspaper's editorial direction.

In other news… The National Intelligence Organization, or MİT, has invited children to unleash their creativity for National Sovereignty and Children's Day on the 23rd of April. The organization invites kids aged five to fourteen to draw pictures or write letters about security, intelligence, and secret agents. This initiative aims to engage children's imaginations while helping them understand MİT's mission. However, some believe that such topics are not suitable for kids. Selected artworks and letters will be showcased on MİT's official website. Children's creations can be sent to the email address in the show notes until the 23rd of April.

In some environmental updates… In Kocaeli's Dilovası district, authorities fined two companies almost a million liras, around twenty-nine thousand US Dollars, for causing pollution through harmful emissions. Apparently, one of the facilities had a faulty chimney but the company has since replaced the filters, restoring chimney emissions to normal levels. The other facility had some issues with the sewage truck that caused harmful emissions, but it has also fixed the problem. Hopefully, this will clean the air in Kocaeli at least a little bit.

Up next, Turkey aims to draw more tourists with the Night Museum initiative, extending the opening hours of archaeological sites until midnight. With daytime temperatures soaring over forty degrees Celsius (or 104 Fahrenheit) in many cities during the summer, tourists often opt out of visiting ancient ruins. The Night Museum initiative will allow visitors to explore these sites at cooler and more convenient times, while also encouraging them to step out of their hotels in the evenings. There hasn't been an official announcement about the exact timing, but the Tourism Ministry said that it will launch the initiative this summer.

And to wrap up this edition, on Wednesday, the 10th, Turkey, along with Muslims worldwide, will celebrate Ramadan Fest. This religious holiday marks the end of Ramadan, the Islamic holy month of fasting. During the fest, Muslims gather for special prayers in mosques or open spaces and give money to the less fortunate as part of their charitable obligation. Friends and families come together to enjoy festive meals and exchange gifts. A cherished tradition involves adults giving pocket money, or bayram harçlığı, to children. The festival lasts three days, when governmental institutions and banks are closed. Many private businesses may also close, although some opt to reopen after the second day.

We want to invite you to take a look at one of Rorshok's other projects. The Daily Knowledge is a daily pocket newspaper that comes out Monday through Friday. It is in our Ourzine format, a little booklet that you have to print in order to read. In the Daily Knowledge ourzine you’ll find a collection of interesting newsletters and selected articles that take about an hour to read. Visit rorshok.com/ourzines/thedailyknowledge/ to find the latest editions. The link will also be in the show notes.

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