Domestic Politics
- TUSIAD statement following meetings with Turkish political party leaders
- No government without AKP, Turkey’s nationalist opposition says
- Top court ruling acknowledges right to peaceful protest in Turkey
- HDP ready to lend support to ‘grand coalition’ between AKP, CHP
- Suleyman Demirel, Seven Times Turkey’s Prime Minister, Dies at 90
Foreign Policy
- Ankara warns PYD over ‘demographic change’ in northern Syria
- Turkish Town Fears Islamic State Infiltrations
- World must help Turkey with refugees as ‘things will get even worse’: UNHCR
- In secret meeting, Israel and Turkey renew reconciliation talks
Economy and Energy
- Turks need to rediscover confidence once more: World Bank director
- Turkey cheaper than Europe but cars, booze, tobacco remain expensive
Domestic Politics
TUSIAD statement following meetings with Turkish political party leaders
The Board of Directors of the Turkish Industry and Business Association (TÜSİAD) met with the leaders of political parties in Ankara on June 16-17, 2015. During the meetings, the President of the Board of Directors Cansen Başaran-Symes urged party leaders to compromise and underscored the expectations and policy priorities of the business world. President Başaran-Symes said, “We expect continued persistence in seeking compromise and the establishment of a government as soon as possible.”
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TUSIAD, June 19, 2015, TUSIAD statement following meetings with Turkish political party leaders, https://www.tusiad.us/press-releases/tusiad-statement-following-meetings-with-turkish-political-party-leaders/
No government without AKP, Turkey’s nationalist opposition says
There can be no government without the involvement of the Justice and Development Party (AKP), as the largest party in the new parliament, a senior Nationalist Movement Party (MHP) deputy has stated, as jostling to form a coalition government continues in Ankara.
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Hurriyet Daily News, June 19, 2015, No government without AKP, Turkey’s nationalist opposition says, http://www.hurriyetdailynews.com/no-government-without-akp-turkeys-nationalist-opposition-says.aspx?pageID=238&nID=84222&NewsCatID=338
Top court ruling acknowledges right to peaceful protest in Turkey
A top court has ruled that the detention of 23 people who staged a demonstration outside the U.S. Embassy in Ankara to protest the detention of several others is a violation of the constitutional right to protest peacefully.
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Hurriyet Daily News, June 18, 2015, Top court ruling acknowledges right to peaceful protest in Turkey, http://www.hurriyetdailynews.com/top-court-ruling-acknowledges-right-to-peaceful-protest-in-turkey.aspx?pageID=238&nID=84196&NewsCatID=339
HDP ready to lend support to ‘grand coalition’ between AKP, CHP
The Peoples’ Democratic Party (HDP) has announced that it is ready to back a so-called grand coalition government that would be formed by the ruling Justice and Development Party (AKP) and the Republican People’s Party (CHP) on the condition that the coalition embraces their party’s principles, too.
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Hurriyet Daily News, June 18, 2015, HDP ready to lend support to ‘grand coalition’ between AKP, CHP, http://www.hurriyetdailynews.com/hdp-ready-to-lend-support-to-grand-coalition-between-akp-chp.aspx?pageID=238&nID=84182&NewsCatID=338
Suleyman Demirel, Seven Times Turkey’s Prime Minister, Dies at 90
Suleyman Demirel, who served seven times as Turkey’s prime minister, dominating the nation’s politics when the country struggled with violence, economic stagnation and military rule, died on Wednesday in Ankara, Turkey. He was 90.
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New York Times, June 16, 2015, Suleyman Demirel, Seven Times Turkey’s Prime Minister, Dies at 90, http://www.nytimes.com/2015/06/17/world/europe/suleyman-demirel-former-prime-minister-of-turkey-dies-at-90.html?ref=todayspaper&_r=1
Foreign Policy
Ankara warns PYD over ‘demographic change’ in northern Syria
Ankara “will not permit its red lines to be crossed” in northern Syria after a key town on the Turkish border was captured by Kurdish forces from extremist jihadists, warning Kurds not to force Turkmens and Arabs out of the region.
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Hurriyet Daily News, June 22, 2015, Ankara warns PYD over ‘demographic change’ in northern Syria, http://www.hurriyetdailynews.com/ankara-warns-pyd-over-demographic-change-in-northern-syria.aspx?pageID=238&nID=84296&NewsCatID=510
Turkish Town Fears Islamic State Infiltrations
Days after Islamic State vanished from the Syrian town of Tal Abyad, people of this nearby border settlement have been left with the lingering fear that retreating jihadists are now among them.
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Wall Street Journal, June 17, 2015, Turkish Town Fears Islamic State Infiltrations, http://www.wsj.com/articles/turkish-town-fears-islamic-state-infiltrations-1434574798
World must help Turkey with refugees as ‘things will get even worse’: UNHCR
The U.N.’s refugee chief on June 18 urged the international community, including Western states, to open up their borders and follow Turkey’s example in hosting Syrian and Iraqi refugees.
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Hurriyet Daily News, June 19, 2015, World must help Turkey with refugees as ‘things will get even worse’: UNHCR, http://www.hurriyetdailynews.com/world-must-help-turkey-with-refugees-as-things-will-get-even-worse-unhcr.aspx?pageID=238&nID=84200&NewsCatID=510
In secret meeting, Israel and Turkey renew reconciliation talks
After over a year of deep freeze in Israeli-Turkish ties, talks about a reconciliation agreement between the two nations have resumed with a secret meeting between Foreign Minister director general Dore Gold and his Turkish counterpart, Feridun Sinirlioglu.
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Haaretz, June 22, 2015, In secret meeting, Israel and Turkey renew reconciliation talks, http://www.haaretz.com/news/diplomacy-defense/.premium-1.662476
Economy and Energy
Turks need to rediscover confidence once more: World Bank director
A degree of nervousness has emerged in Turkey in recent years in terms of engaging with the outside world, says the World Bank’s country director for Turkey, Martin Raiser, noting that the nation needs to discover its confidence once more as part of its quest to become a high-income nation.
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Hurriyet Daily News, June 22, 2015, Turks need to rediscover confidence once more: World Bank director, http://www.hurriyetdailynews.com/turks-need-to-rediscover-confidence-once-more-world-bank-director.aspx?PageID=238&NID=84294&NewsCatID=344
Turkey cheaper than Europe but cars, booze, tobacco remain expensive
Turkey is more expensive than a few European countries but it remains cheaper than a majority of the continent, according to a new comparative purchasing power parity index released June 19 by the Turkish Statistics Institute (TÜİK).
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Hurriyet Daily News, June 19, 2015, Turkey cheaper than Europe but cars, booze, tobacco remain expensive, http://www.hurriyetdailynews.com/turkey-cheaper-than-europe-but-cars-booze-tobacco-remain-expensive.aspx?pageID=238&nID=84233&NewsCatID=344