"Turkey’s Contested Homefront" by Selim Koru, Foreign Policy
The war is providing Turkey a chance to reflect on security and stability in times of crisis. First and foremost, this has made clear that a regime that loses the trust of its people will be brittle and vulnerable. Here, the contrast between Iran and Israel couldn’t be starker—and should serve as a vital lesson to Turkey’s leaders.
Erdogan will most likely rule the country for as long as he is physically able to do so. The longer he stays on, the deeper the damage to the bedrock of Turkish unity. Turkey’s opposition will remain fiercely patriotic, but as Erdogan slowly weakens the bond between state and society, his appeals to solidarity will grow hollow and the country as a whole will grow weaker. Instead, Erdogan should listen carefully to what his citizens are telling him now—while they are still willing to say it.
"What Iran’s attacks on Turkey reveal about NATO’s future" by Ali Mammadov, Atlantic Council
Turkey’s recent missile incidents reveal something important about NATO’s future. The Alliance’s credibility in this challenging period will not be judged only by whether it can invoke Article 5 in the most dramatic scenario. It will also be judged by whether it can handle repeated, dangerous, sub-threshold challenges without appearing passive, divided, or uncertain. In that sense, the attacks affecting Turkey are not just a regional security story. They are a warning that NATO’s next great test may come not from a single unmistakable attack, but from the accumulation of smaller crises that force the Alliance to prove that prudence and credibility can still go together.
Draft Bill Targets Municipal Spending and Debt Rules
The AK Party’s draft local government reform bill would introduce stricter controls on municipal spending, more transparency in tender processes, and new debt management rules, according to the pro-government Turkiye newspaper.
The draft includes measures to prevent personnel expenses from exceeding 30% to 40% of municipal budgets. It also considers steps to make tender processes more transparent, redefine the division of responsibilities between metropolitan and district municipalities, and deduct social security contributions at the source.
The proposal also sets out criteria for debt management, including provisions to recover public losses from administrators and introduce stricter rules for zoning changes.
In addition, the draft would require municipalities to publish their expenditures on their websites at regular intervals.
Bribery Probes Target CHP Municipalities in Marmaris and Usak
Turkish authorities detained 13 people, including a deputy mayor and several municipal officials, in a bribery and corruption investigation targeting the CHP-run Marmaris municipality in Mugla province.
Prosecutors said the suspects manipulated zoning and licensing procedures for hotels and businesses to secure financial gain. During the police operation, authorities reportedly caught one municipal employee accepting a $4,000 bribe.
In a separate investigation, authorities detained the CHP mayor of Usak, Ozkan Yalim, along with 10 others on March 27 as part of a bribery probe led by the Istanbul Chief Public Prosecutor’s Office. Police carried out simultaneous raids in Usak, Ankara, and Kocaeli before taking the 11 suspects to headquarters for questioning.
According to prosecutors, the investigation focuses on allegations that officials manipulated municipal tenders by issuing inflated invoices and collecting the proceeds as bribes. Authorities also accuse suspects of pressuring companies to give business shares to relatives of the mayor in exchange for contracts and of collecting large sums as supposed donations before embezzling the money without official receipts.
Investigators also pointed to findings from reports by Turkey’s Financial Crimes Investigation Board, or MASAK, which showed large unexplained financial transactions.
Three Land Registry Officials Arrested in Probe Over Minister’s Property Records
Turkish authorities arrested three land registry officials as part of an expanding investigation into the alleged unauthorized access to Justice Minister Akin Gurlek’s property records.
The case followed a public dispute over Gurlek’s assets after CHP leader Ozgur Ozel disclosed details of the minister’s property holdings at a press conference.
Authorities detained M.D., head of the land registry office in the Cobanlar district of Afyonkarahisar, and V.S., head of the office in the Bogazkale district of Corum, on March 24. They were arrested on March 25 on charges of unlawfully obtaining personal data and abuse of office.
A court also arrested D.A., a technician who worked at the land registry office in the Kas district of Antalya, as part of the same probe.
Pro-Kurdish Party Questions Legal Status of New Facility on Imrali Island
Tuncer Bakirhan, co-chair of the Peoples’ Equality and Democracy Party (DEM Party), said on March 27 that authorities have built a new facility on Imrali Island in the Sea of Marmara for jailed PKK leader Abdullah Ocalan, but its legal status remains unclear.
In an interview, Bakirhan said the place where Ocalan will stay should be clearly defined and that the necessary arrangements should be completed without delay. He also called on the Turkish government to take concrete steps to revive the stalled peace process.
Istanbul Court Jails Nine Over PKK Propaganda Charges
A court in Istanbul jailed nine people pending trial on March 25 on charges of spreading propaganda for the outlawed Kurdistan Workers’ Party, or PKK, during Nevruz celebrations held in the city on March 22.
Prosecutors referred 38 detainees to court after police questioned them as part of the investigation. The court released 29 of them and ordered the arrest of nine.
The arrests came as Turkey pursues a renewed peace initiative with the PKK, highlighting the government’s continued crackdown on Kurdish political expression under terrorism-related charges.
Iran Halts Gas Exports to Turkey After Strike on South Pars
Iran has suspended natural gas exports to Turkey following an Israeli strike on the South Pars gas field last week, according to people familiar with the matter, Bloomberg reported on March 24. Israel struck South Pars, the world’s largest natural gas field, on March 18.
Despite the disruption, Ankara continues to receive gas from Russia and Azerbaijan, its main suppliers, and can also rely on gas stored in its reserves, the sources said.
Turkish Energy Minister Alparslan Bayraktar denied reports of any interruption in Iranian gas flows. “There is no such thing,” he said, adding that Turkey faces no supply problems and that its gas storage facilities are 71% full.
Turkey Central Bank Cuts Gold Reserves by 60 Tons
Turkey’s central bank sold and swapped about 60 tons of gold worth more than $8 billion in the two weeks following the start of the war in Iran. According to the latest central bank data, Turkey’s gold reserves fell by 6 tons in the week of March 13 and by another 52.4 tons in the week of March 20, showing a sharp decline in holdings.
The move marks a reversal for Turkey, which has ranked among the world’s most aggressive gold buyers over the past decade as it sought to reduce its exposure to US dollar-denominated assets.
Bloomberg, citing people familiar with the matter, reported that the central bank sold part of its gold outright, while using most of its reserves in swap agreements to secure foreign currency or Turkish lira.
The scale of the liquidation also surpassed the roughly 43 tons of outflows recorded from all global gold-backed ETFs over the same two-week period, making Turkey the largest single source of gold liquidation worldwide during that span.
Bayraktar Warns Rising Oil Prices Could Strain Turkey's Budget
Energy and Natural Resources Minister Alparslan Bayraktar said Turkey can manage the impact of disruptions to energy flows through the Strait of Hormuz, noting that about 10% of the country’s oil imports pass through the route.
Commenting on the effect of oil price volatility following US attacks on Iran, Bayraktar stated that Turkey has not faced any problems in natural gas supply. He added that Ankara does not purchase natural gas through that route and has secured LNG from a range of suppliers, particularly from Western markets, including under recent agreements with the United States.
He also warned about the financial burden of rising oil prices, saying that every $1 increase in oil prices costs Turkey $400 million, or 17 billion 743 million Turkish lira.
Bayraktar said that if the crisis continues through the end of the year, the government will need to find 620 billion Turkish lira in the budget. He added that authorities may review both natural gas and electricity prices in April in light of recent developments.
OECD Cuts Turkey Growth Forecast, Raises Inflation Outlook
The Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) cut its growth forecast for Turkey and sharply raised its inflation outlook, citing higher energy prices and rising geopolitical tensions in the Middle East.
In its interim Economic Outlook report, titled Testing Resilience, the OECD said Turkey’s economy is now expected to grow by 3.3% in 2026, slightly below its previous forecast.
The OECD also raised its 2026 inflation projection to 26.7%, up significantly from its earlier estimate of 20.8%.
EBRD Warns Middle East Conflict Poses Risks to Turkey’s Economy
The European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD) revealed that the conflict in the Middle East is increasing risks for Turkey’s economy through higher energy and fertilizer prices, trade disruptions, and tighter financial conditions.
In its latest Regional Economic Update, the EBRD listed Turkey among the countries most exposed to the spillover effects of the conflict, citing its dependence on imported energy as well as its trade and financial links with Gulf economies.
The bank also said financial conditions have tightened, with bond yields rising across the southern and eastern Mediterranean, including in Turkey. Capital outflows from some economies, including Turkey, have so far remained manageable, but they could intensify if global financial conditions deteriorate further, it added.
SSR Mining to Sell Majority Stake in Copler Mine to Cengiz Holding
Canadian gold mining company SSR Mining Inc. announced that it has signed a definitive agreement to sell its majority stake in a gold mine in eastern Turkey.
The company said it had signed a share purchase agreement with Cengiz Holding A.S. to sell its 80 per cent stake in the Copler mine in Erzincan and related properties for $1.5 billion in cash. SSR Mining said it expects to complete the deal in the third quarter of 2026.
The Copler mine drew national attention after a landslide swept through a heap leach area on February 13, 2024, killing nine workers.
Turkey Drops Objection to WTO Investment Deal
Turkey’s trade minister revealed on March 26 that Ankara had lifted its objections to a World Trade Organization agreement designed to encourage investment in developing countries.
Speaking at the opening ceremony of the WTO’s 14th ministerial conference in Yaounde, Cameroon, Trade Minister Omer Bolat said Turkey would no longer block the incorporation of the Investment Facilitation for Development Agreement into the WTO framework, while maintaining its concerns and reservations.
"Turkey, while maintaining its concerns and reservations, will not impede the incorporation of the Investment Facilitation for Development Agreement in the WTO," Bolat told delegates.
WTO Director-General Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala welcomed the decision, describing it as a positive step. "This demonstrates the kind of way we want to do business in the future, being able to come together to make agreements that are useful to a subset of members," she told reporters.
Imamoglu’s Wife Describes 10-Minute Family Calls With Jailed Istanbul Mayor
Dilek Kaya Imamoglu, the wife of jailed Istanbul Mayor Ekrem Imamoglu, said the family is allowed to speak with his husband by phone for only 10 minutes a week. She stated that the whole family gathers when the call begins, but a warning comes at 9 minutes and 5 seconds, leaving them little time to finish speaking before the line is cut.
Her remarks highlight the tight restrictions on communication imposed on Imamoglu. These restrictions have become a common practice for political prisoners since the July 15, 2016 coup attempt.
17 Arrested in Operation Targeting Gulen Movement
Turkish authorities detained 25 people on March 24, including current and former civil servants, as part of an ongoing crackdown on the Gulen movement.
The Istanbul Chief Public Prosecutor’s Office issued detention warrants for 25 suspects, including seven current and four former civil servants, accusing them of engaging in activities linked to the movement.
After police questioning, six people were released. The remaining 19 gave statements to prosecutors, who referred all of them to the magistrates' court with a request for arrest. The court ordered the arrest of 17 people and placed two others under judicial supervision.
Turkey Blocks AFP Reporter’s X Account
Turkish authorities have blocked access in Turkey to the X account of Agence France-Presse correspondent Mahmut Bozarslan, according to EngelliWeb, a platform that monitors online censorship in the country.
Bozarslan, who reports from Diyarbakir in Turkey’s Kurdish-majority southeast, had his account blocked on the grounds of protecting national security and public order, EngelliWeb said.
His recent reporting included coverage of Newroz celebrations on March 21, the annual festival marking the Kurdish new year and an event with political significance for many Kurds in Turkey. "I have no idea of the reasons that led to this block," Bozarslan said.
Fidan Joins Four-Nation Talks on Middle East in Islamabad
Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan attended a meeting with the foreign ministers of Turkey, Egypt, Pakistan, and Saudi Arabia in Islamabad on March 29 as regional powers stepped up diplomatic efforts to help end the US-Israel war with Iran.
Fidan arrived in Pakistan’s capital for two days of talks focused on regional issues and also held bilateral meetings on the sidelines.
According to Turkish diplomatic sources, the meeting focused on the latest developments in the Middle East, including the ongoing conflict.
Erdogan Urges Restraint Amid Regional Conflict
Speaking on March 26 at the AK Party’s Expanded Provincial Chairmen's Meeting at the party headquarters, Erdogan said the suffering caused by the conflict has affected people across the Middle East regardless of nationality, sect, or ethnicity.
"With a heavy heart, I ask: What difference is there between the tears shed in Isfahan, Tabriz, and Tehran, and those shed in Erbil, Amman, Baghdad, Beirut, Sana'a, Doha, Riyadh, and other sister cities in our region?" Erdogan said.
He argued that the violence has harmed everyone in the region, adding that those carrying out the attacks do not distinguish between Shia and Sunni or between Turkish, Kurdish, Arab, and Persian communities.
Erdogan said Turkey would not give in to hate speech, warmongering, or the climate of conflict, and would continue to pursue a foreign policy based on peace, stability, and calm.
Drone Strike Hits Oil Tanker Near Bosphorus
A marine drone struck a crude oil tanker that had departed Russia, causing an explosion in the Black Sea near Istanbul’s Bosphorus Strait on March 26, the transportation minister announced.
Transport Minister Abdulkadir Uraloglu said the attack took place just outside Turkish territorial waters and likely targeted the vessel’s engine room.
"The attack on the Sierra Leone-flagged, Turkish-operated tanker ALTURA carrying crude oil is of great concern," Foreign Ministry spokesperson Oncu Keceli stated on X. He added that all 27 crew members were in good health.
Keceli said the strike occurred within Turkey’s exclusive economic zone and violated international law. He added that Ankara was in contact with the relevant parties to prevent further escalation.
Britain and Turkey Sign New Typhoon Support Deal
Britain and Turkey signed a multi-billion-pound agreement on March 25 for a major training and support contract linked to Turkey’s 8-billion-pound ($10.73 billion) Eurofighter Typhoon deal signed last year. British Defence Secretary John Healey and Turkish Defence Minister Yasar Guler signed the agreement in London.
Britain’s Ministry of Defence said the new contract covers UK-based training for Turkish pilots and ground crew as Turkey prepares to operate its first batch of British-built fighter jets.
Turkey to Host NATO Maritime Command in Istanbul
Turkey has revealed that a NATO Maritime Component Command will be established on the Bosporus in Istanbul.
The Defense Ministry disclosed the plan while reporting on a visit to Istanbul by Major General Jean-Pierre Fague of France, commander of the Multinational Force Ukraine Operational Headquarters, and Deputy Commander Major General Richard Stewart Charles Bell of the United Kingdom.
Rear Admiral Ozgur Erken, commander of the Istanbul Strait Command, and Rear Admiral Birol Orak, commander of the Mine Fleet Command, received the delegation on March 24 along with personnel from the Maritime Component Command.
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