ANALYSIS
"The Perils of AI-Driven Policing in Turkey" by Yasir Gokce, The Institute for Diplomacy and Economy
In recent years, Turkey has embarked on a sweeping integration of artificial intelligence (AI) into law enforcement and justice systems. From automated traffic enforcement to predictive criminal analytics, these systems promise efficiency—but at what cost to civil liberties, transparency, and the rule of law?
Individually, each of these systems—Trafidar, KGYS, ASENA, CBS—can be defended as a technological advance. Together, they weave a disturbing tapestry of automation replacing judgement and suspicion replacing dignity. The erosion of legal safeguards, the opacity of systems with no avenue for redress, the amplification of bias and discrimination, and the concentration of surveillance power all point to a trajectory that entrenches authoritarian rule rather than strengthens justice.
It is also important to note that much of Turkey’s surveillance technology, particularly in AI and facial recognition, is purchased from China. This trajectory mirrors Beijing’s model of digital authoritarianism, where advanced AI tools are deployed not to protect citizens, but to monitor and control them.
"Why Turkey must challenge Israeli moves in Syria" by Murat Yesiltas, Middle East Eye
Syria has become a new front for the strategic competition between Turkey and Israel. At this point, it seems difficult for Ankara to turn the tide without taking a more explicit deterrent stance against Israel's regional interventionism.
Turkey now needs a more active strategy to counter Israel's aggression. Strengthening military and diplomatic institutionalisation with Damascus, deepening joint diplomacy with Arab countries, and either integrating or neutralising the YPG before it becomes a threat should be the cornerstones of this strategy.
Turkey must go beyond appeasement and challenge Israel's game with a cogent and proactive military-diplomatic strategy if it hopes to stop further deterioration of its strategic depth in Syria - and offset Israel's growing influence.
"Netanyahu makes ill-timed Armenian genocide nod as Yerevan courts Turkey" by Amberin Zaman, Al-Monitor
Armenia has yet to react to his words, but they will have irritated Yerevan at a time when its reformist prime minister, Nikol Pashinyan, is arduously courting Ankara as part of a continuing pivot from Russia to the West. Pashinyan has made it clear that unlike its predecessors, his government does not view Turkey's acknowledgment of the genocide to be linked in any way to the ongoing drive to establish diplomatic ties and reopen common land borders that remain sealed since 1993.
The language of the Turkish Foreign Ministry's reaction to Netanyahu's comments bore traces of the thaw. Rather than repeat shrill denials of the genocide, as has long been customary, it referred to "painful events."
For many Armenians, Netanyahu's comments will reek with hypocrisy. Israel, together with Turkey, played a key role in helping Azerbaijan defeat Armenia in a short and bloody war in 2020. Israel did not utter a peep when in 2023 Azerbaijan effectively forced more than 100,000 Armenians out of the Nagorno-Karabakh enclave in the space of two weeks.
POLITICS
Turkey Sets Year-End Deadline for PKK Peace Process Commission
Turkey's parliament has given a special commission until the end of 2025 to draft the legal framework for a potential peace process with the outlawed Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK), Speaker Numan Kurtulmus said on August 29.
The commission, which first convened on August 5 under Kurtulmus's chairmanship, is tasked with preparing the legal framework for negotiations.
"The decision we made when establishing the commission was to conclude its work by December 31," Kurtulmus told lawmakers, adding that the deadline could be extended in two-month intervals if needed.
Ocalan: "Democratic Society, Peace and Integration", Three Key Elements for Peace
Jailed Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK) leader Abdullah Ocalan told visiting lawmakers that "democratic society, peace and integration" are the three key elements for advancing peace between Turkey and the PKK, according to a statement issued on August 29 by Turkey's main pro-Kurdish party.
The Peoples' Equality and Democracy Party (DEM Party) said its Imrali delegation — consisting of Deputy Parliament Speaker Pervin Buldan, Urfa lawmaker Mithat Sancar and attorney Faik Ozgur Erol — met with Ocalan for three hours in prison on August 28.
"My choice has always been a democratic republic built on integration and a democratic society," Ocalan told the delegation, adding that such a strategic approach would serve "all of Turkey."
DEM Party Lawmakers Call for Legal Protections and Direct Talks with Ocalan to Secure Peace
Two Kurdish lawmakers urged legal protections for militants who disarm, direct negotiations with the group's jailed leader, and a relaxation of the crackdown on opposition parties to achieve lasting peace.
In separate interviews with Reuters, MPs Meral Danis Bestas and Gulistan Kilic Kocyigit emphasized that the parliamentary commission must move quickly from procedural debates to implementing reforms to sustain momentum after the PKK announced plans to disarm in May.
Kocyigit called for a "Return Home" law to protect militants who lay down their arms and wish to reintegrate into social and political life in Turkey.
The lawmakers also urged the 51-member commission to send a delegation to meet directly with PKK leader Abdullah Ocalan in prison.
They warned that the ongoing clampdown on the main opposition Republican People's Party (CHP) is hindering the commission's progress. "We expect the President to take steps that strengthen the commission's work and help ease today's tense political climate," Kocyigit said.
Turkish Parliament Holds Emergency Session on Gaza
The Turkish Parliament convened an emergency session on August 29 to debate Israel's military campaign in Gaza, with lawmakers accusing Israel of committing genocide against Palestinians. President Recep Tayyip Erdogan did not attend the session.
For the meeting, scarves patterned with the Palestinian flag were placed on the seats of lawmakers, and all members of parliament wore them around their necks.
The session, called earlier in the week by all seven political parties in parliament, interrupted the summer recess, which began on July 21 and is scheduled to end on October 1.
Parliament Speaker Numan Kurtulmus, who opened the session, called for Israel to be suspended from all international organizations, saying its actions against Palestinians "exceeded the dimension of a genocide."
Nationalist Movement Party (MHP) leader Devlet Bahceli, Erdogan's far-right ally, attended despite previously objecting to the need for such a meeting, claiming there was nothing new left to say on the "tragedy in Gaza."
At the close of the session, the General Assembly unanimously approved a joint resolution consisting of nine articles against Israel.
Lawyer of Jailed Istanbul Mayor Detained, Released on Probation
Nusret Yilmaz, the lawyer representing Istanbul Mayor Ekrem Imamoglu and his wife Dilek Imamoglu, was detained on August 26 in Trabzon as part of the ongoing corruption investigation against the mayor with charges of "facilitating bribery."
Yilmaz was transferred from Trabzon to Istanbul and taken to the prosecutor's office on the morning of August 27 after being questioned by the police.
He was later brought before a court with a request for judicial control. The court ruled for his release on probation.
Former Head of Turkey's State Weapons Maker Jailed in Organized Crime Probe
İsmet Sayhan, former chairman of Turkey's state-owned Mechanical and Chemical Industry Corporation (MKE), was jailed on August 27 as part of a widening organized crime investigation linked to Nationalist Movement Party (MHP) leader Devlet Bahceli, a close ally of President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan.
An İstanbul court arrested Sayhan after prosecutors charged him with "destroying, misusing or fraudulently obtaining documents related to state security."
The İstanbul Chief Public Prosecutor's Office said the investigation began with allegations that Selahattin Yılmaz, a convicted mob boss with longstanding ties to nationalist circles, was running a criminal network involved in threats and illicit dealings.
ECONOMY
Turkey Boosts Defense Budget but Falls Short of NATO's New 5% Target
Turkey has significantly increased its defence spending in recent years, with the budget rising from approximately $13 billion in 2021 to a planned $32.6 billion in 2025, according to a NATO report released in Brussels on August 28.
The report shows that Turkey's defense spending reached just over 2 percent of its GDP (2.13%) in 2024, placing it above NATO's longstanding 2 percent benchmark. Turkish officials project that the figure could climb to around 2.3 percent in 2025.
However, NATO has raised its expectations. At a summit in The Hague in June, alliance leaders set a new minimum target of 5 percent of GDP by 2035, with 3.5 percent allocated to core defense and up to 1.5 percent for infrastructure and resilience development. To meet this standard, Turkey would need to more than double its current defense effort over the next decade.
U.S. Imposes Duties on Steel Imports from Turkey and Nine Other Countries
The U.S. Commerce Department announced on August 26 that it had issued affirmative determinations of anti-dumping and countervailing duties on steel imports from 10 countries, including Turkey, following investigations into $2.9 billion worth of corrosion-resistant steel products.
"Commerce made its final determinations that imports of corrosion-resistant steel into the United States from ten trading partners were being dumped and/or subsidized," the department said in a statement.
The International Trade Commission (ITC) will now decide whether these imports have caused injury to the U.S. steel industry, the department added.
Hunger and Poverty Lines in Turkey Surge Above Minimum Wage and Pension
Turk-Is released its August survey on hunger and poverty lines, showing a sharp rise in the cost of living. The hunger threshold—the amount a family of four needs for a healthy and balanced diet—climbed to 27,111 lira, up from 26,413 lira in July. This figure exceeded the minimum wage, which remained unchanged in July, by 5,070 lira.
Turk-Is reported monthly food inflation at 2.64 percent, with a 12-month increase of 40.68 percent and an average annual rise of 41.46 percent. The hunger threshold also surpassed the minimum pension by 10,230 lira.
The poverty line, which covers all essential expenses including food, clothing, housing, transportation, education, and healthcare, reached 88,310 lira in August, compared to 86,036 lira the previous month. This figure is four times the minimum wage and more than five times the lowest pension.
Credit and Debit Card Use Surges as July Payments Hit 2,163.6 Trillion Lira
The Interbank Card Center (BKM) released its July data showing a continued rise in card usage across Turkey. The number of credit cards reached 136.7 million, up 9 percent from last year, while debit cards totaled 215.5 million, marking a 13 percent increase.
Total payments made with credit, debit, and prepaid cards in July hit 2,163.6 trillion lira, a 52 percent increase compared to the same period last year. Credit card spending alone accounted for 1,844.8 trillion lira, highlighting a growing reliance on debt for consumer spending.
Aselsan to More Than Double Production with $1.5 Billion Technology Base
Turkish President Erdogan announced on August 27 that defence electronics company Aselsan will more than double its production capacity with a $1.5 billion investment in a new technology base.
Erdogan said the base's first phase is expected to be operational by mid-2026. He added that it will become the largest single defence industry investment in Turkey and the largest integrated air defence facility in Europe.
HUMAN RIGHTS
68 Inmates Died by Suicide in Turkish Prisons in 2024
According to data from the Ministry of Justice, 68 inmates committed suicide in Turkish prisons between January 1 and November 30, 2024. The figures were disclosed in the ministry's response to a parliamentary question submitted by DEM Party Deputy Omer Faruk Gergerlioglu.
Gergerlioglu criticized the current system, arguing that prisons urgently need permanent psychiatrists. He said psychologists working in prisons primarily serve on Administrative Oversight Boards and often oppose the release of inmates, rather than providing consistent mental health support.
European Mayors Blocked from Visiting Jailed Imamoglu, Voice Support Outside Prison
A delegation of European mayors, who travelled to Istanbul on August 28 to show solidarity with jailed Mayor Ekrem Imamoglu, was barred from visiting him at Marmara Prison but declared that "he is not alone."
The delegation included the mayors of Athens, Barcelona, Budapest, Sofia, Timisoara, Utrecht, and Zagreb, along with senior city representatives from Paris and Madrid. They first gathered at Istanbul City Hall before moving to Marmara Prison on the city's western outskirts, where Imamoglu is being held.
At city hall, the European mayors presented Imamoglu with a Special Democracy Award, accepted on his behalf by his wife, Dilek Imamoglu. Reading a message he sent from prison, she conveyed his gratitude and said that the award belonged not only to him but to "all citizens resisting authoritarian pressure" in Turkey and abroad.
Several European mayors called on Turkish authorities to respect democracy and the rule of law. "We will continue to stand in solidarity with our colleague, Istanbul Metropolitan Municipality Mayor Ekrem Imamoglu," said Barcelona Mayor Jaume Collboni, who also serves as Eurocities vice president.
Acting Istanbul Mayor Nuri Aslan, who accompanied the group, stated that the Turkish Justice Ministry rejected their request to visit Imamoglu in prison. Despite the refusal, the mayors made a statement outside Marmara Prison to show their solidarity.
FOREIGN POLICY
Putin and Erdogan to Hold First In-Person Meeting of the Year at China Summit
Russian President Vladimir Putin will meet Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan on September 1 on the sidelines of a regional summit in China, the Kremlin announced on August 29. It will mark their first face-to-face meeting this year.
Kremlin foreign policy aide Yuri Ushakov said the talks will focus on the war in Ukraine as well as bilateral and global issues.
Both leaders will attend the annual Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) summit in Beijing, a regional security and economic bloc led by China that includes Russia, several Central Asian states, India, Pakistan, and Iran.
Ahead of the meeting, Turkey's Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan revealed that Russia is now demanding that Ukraine cede all of its eastern Donbas region, but signalled that it would be prepared to freeze the conflict in the south along the current front lines. Fidan said Moscow scaled back its demands following a recent summit between Putin and U.S. President Donald Trump.
Turkey Blocks Israeli Ships and Flights
Turkey has barred Israeli vessels from using its ports and prohibited Turkish ships from docking in Israel, Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan announced on August 29 during an extraordinary parliamentary session on Israel's attacks on Gaza.
Fidan said Turkey is also blocking planes carrying weapons and ammunition to Israel from entering Turkish airspace. A diplomatic source later clarified to Reuters that the restrictions apply only to Israeli government flights and planes transporting weapons, not to commercial transit flights.
The minister added that Turkey had presidential approval to carry out aid airdrops to Gaza. "Our planes are ready, and once Jordan gives its approval, we will proceed," Fidan told lawmakers.
Netanyahu Recognizes Armenian Genocide for First Time, Turkey Condemns Remarks
In a sharp break from Israel's decades-long policy, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has for the first time acknowledged the mass killing of Armenians and other Christians during World War I as "genocide." His remarks come amid worsening relations with Turkey over Israel's war in Gaza.
Speaking on August 26 during a podcast interview with Armenian-born host Patrick Bet-David, Netanyahu was asked why Israel does not officially recognize the Armenian genocide. "I think we have. I think the Knesset passed a resolution to that effect," he replied, though no such legislation has been enacted into law.
When pressed further on why no Israeli prime minister had previously recognized the genocide, Netanyahu said, "I just did. Here you go."
Turkey's Foreign Ministry swiftly denounced the statement on August 27, calling it a political maneuver to deflect from Israel's actions in Gaza.
"Netanyahu's statement regarding the events of 1915 is an attempt to exploit past tragedies for political reasons," the ministry said in a statement.
Turkey's Intelligence Chief Meets Libyan Commander Haftar Amid Improving Ties
Turkey's intelligence chief, Ibrahim Kalin, met with eastern Libya's military commander, Field Marshal Khalifa Haftar, in Benghazi on August 25 as Ankara's relations with Libya's rival eastern authority show signs of improvement.
The meeting coincided with the Tobruk-based House of Representatives preparing to debate the ratification of a 2019 maritime boundary agreement between Turkey and the internationally recognized government in Tripoli.
Kalin's talks with Haftar, which included officials from the Libyan National Army, focused on bilateral relations and regional security.
India Extends IndiGo's Lease Deal with Turkish Airlines Despite Earlier Ban
India has allowed IndiGo to continue leasing two aircraft from Turkish Airlines for another six months, the airline announced on August 28. The approval marks a reversal of New Delhi's earlier decision in May, which had ordered the lease to end by August 31, following tensions over Turkey's support for Pakistan during a recent conflict. The new extension will remain in effect until February 28, according to a source who spoke to Reuters.
IndiGo said the decision will help offset losses from geopolitical restrictions, particularly Pakistan's airspace ban on Indian carriers earlier this year. The ban forced airlines to take longer routes, driving up fuel consumption and operating costs.
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