Turkish politics review by Gonul Tol

Tender scandal: Turkey arrested seven people — including a former Central Bank deputy governor and executives from the Interbank Card Centre (BKM) — over alleged irregularities in public tenders. The Istanbul prosecutor’s office said the probe targets corruption in BKM, the backbone of Turkey’s payment systems, in which the Central Bank is the main shareholder.  

Economic discontent rising: Polls show growing public frustration with the economy as inflation and cost-of-living pressures persist.  

Rare earth controversy: The government claims to have discovered 694 million tons of rare earth reserves in Eskişehir’s Beylikova district. The issue has dominated headlines since the Sept 25 meeting between Erdoğan and Trump, after CHP leader Özgür Özel alleged that Erdoğan secretly granted the U.S. rights to exploit the deposits.  

Ankara-Athens standoff: Greece and Turkey clashed over the EU’s new €150 billion SAFE defense fund. Ankara accused Athens of undermining European security after it blocked Turkey’s bid to join the program. Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan issued a sharp rebuke, calling the Greek move “short-sighted.”  

Military plan in Syria: Turkish officials say Ankara plans to supply military equipment to Syria and finalize a deal enabling it to target Syrian Kurdish militants along the entire border — a move that could reshape the regional security landscape.  

Fidan clarifies Turkey’s role in Gaza: Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan denied that Turkey is among the guarantor powers in Gaza, stressing that Ankara’s role has been mediation, not guarantee. “Turkey’s role so far has not been that of a guarantor but a mediator working to stop the war. As long as Israel’s occupation of Palestinian lands continues, resistance is inevitable. Turkey was not a guarantor of the ceasefire either, but a mediator. However, if a two-state solution emerges, Turkey is ready to act as a guarantor.”  

Erdoğan congratulates Turkish Cypriot election winner: President Erdoğan hailed pro-reunification candidate Tufan Erhürman’s landslide victory in Sunday’s Turkish Cypriot leadership election, saying the result “reflected the will of our Turkish Cypriot brothers and sisters.”

Reprinted from Gonul Tol’s X posting