TÜRKİYE ORTA ASYA HABER KKUORDİNATÖRÜ

WORLD TURKISH NEWS Turkey on the brink: Will the country descend into chaos again? In recent weeks, Turkey has entered a turbulent period marked by interconnected domestic and foreign developments. While seemingly unrelated at first glance, these events, when considered together, paint a picture of the country on the verge of significant economic and political instability. The atmosphere is tense, open to provocations, and reminiscent of earlier, more turbulent periods in Turkish history. Economic tensions and the Mehmet Şimşek factor One of the most critical aspects of this emerging situation revolves around the Minister of Treasury and Finance, Mehmet Şimşek. Şimşek's economic recovery program, aimed at pulling Türkiye out of the current crisis, has become a subject of debate. His policies, which place significant burdens on low-income workers, the unemployed, and pensioners, were largely met with silence by the wealthier segments of society. However, as the effects of these policies began to harm their interests, these wealthy groups began to raise their voices in opposition. A small segment of the business world and elite, seeking to curry favor with the government, initially supported the policies, but opposition grew louder as the focus shifted to their own tax obligations. In particular, some powerful groups in the construction, mining, and energy sectors, along with a few exporters and tourism operators, resisted Şimşek's efforts and spread rumors that he would soon resign. Rumors of Şimşek's resignation, stemming from alleged disagreements over tax amnesty policies for the wealthy, were immediately denied by government officials. The Disinformation Center of the Communications Directorate and Vice President Cevdet Yılmaz rejected these claims as unfounded and aimed at creating uncertainty in the markets. These groups benefit from the depreciation of the Turkish lira and see Şimşek's policies as a threat to their profits, therefore undermining his initiatives through deliberate misinformation. Political turmoil and the Can Atalay case Parallel to these economic challenges, Türkiye's political landscape has been equally turbulent. The current legal situation of lawyer Can Atalay, elected as a Member of Parliament for the Turkish Workers' Party (TİP) and currently imprisoned, has sparked intense debate in the Grand National Assembly of Turkey (TBMM). Physical altercations occurred during the parliamentary session regarding Atalay's parliamentary status; the most notable incident was a fight between AKP MP Alpay Özalan and TİP MP Ahmet Şık. MHP leader Devlet Bahçeli used the Atalay case to his advantage, advancing his agenda against the Republican People's Party (CHP). Despite declaring the Atalay issue "closed," Bahçeli continued to escalate his rhetoric against the CHP, particularly through attacks on the Democratic Party (DEM), which focuses on the Kurdish issue, in an attempt to exert pressure on the CHP without direct AKP intervention. Recently, he harshly criticized the Democratic Party, demanding a reduction in the salaries of Democratic MPs and the closure of the Constitutional Court. These statements were met with a harsh response from the Democratic Party, which reminded him of the following: CHP Internal Debates Internal debates within the CHP are becoming more pronounced as the party prepares for its crucial congress on September 8th. The party is currently divided into three main factions: those loyal to the current leader Özgür Özel, supporters of Istanbul Metropolitan Mayor Ekrem İmamoğlu, and the camp of former leader Kemal Kılıçdaroğlu. The upcoming congress is expected to be a battleground where these groups will fight for control, potentially leading to significant changes in the party's direction. A recent meeting between İmamoğlu and Kılıçdaroğlu, in particular, points to a possible rapprochement to put aside past disagreements and focus on opposition to President Erdoğan. Regional Instability and Threat of Escalation While Turkey grapples with these internal crises, the wider regional environment is also becoming increasingly unstable. The ongoing war between Russia and Ukraine in the Black Sea region has escalated, directly impacting Türkiye's security and economic interests. Meanwhile, the war in Syria is intensifying, drawing in not only regional powers like Iran and Israel, but also global superpowers like the US and Russia. Tensions in the Caucasus and the Eastern Mediterranean further complicate matters, creating a dangerous geopolitical mix that could easily spill over into Türkiye. This combination of internal economic pressures and external geopolitical pressures is reminiscent of the turbulent periods of Turkish history, particularly the 1970s and 1990s. During those decades, Turkey was marked by economic crises, political instability, and regional conflicts.