[This is a roundup of news articles and other materials circulating on Turkey and reflects a wide variety of opinions. It does not reflect the views of the Turkey Page Editors or of Jadaliyya. You may send your own recommendations for inclusion in each week`s roundup to turkey@jadaliyya.com by Sunday night of every week.]

English

Economy

Turkish lira bounce helps global stocks recover The lira rose eight percent against the dollar on Monday, helping stock markets recover and other emerging market currencies affected by the lira's sharp fall to rally against the dollar.

ECB warns European banks exposed to Turkey The European Central Bank is concerned about the exposure of some European banks in Turkey, namely Spain's BBVA, Italy’s UniCredit, and France's BNP Paribas.

Losing Faith Fast, Istanbul Merchants Throw in Towel on the Lira Turkish citizens are refusing to heed calls to trade in foreign currency and gold for lira, citing the fact that they have lost money in the past by doing so. Some shopkeepers in Istanbul's grand bazaar have lamented the fact that the consequences of Turkey's foreign policy spats largely fell on them.

Qatar's Emir pledges $15 billion direct investment in Turkey: Erdogan's office The Turkish Presidency has announced that Qatar's Emir will make fifteen billion dollars of direct investments in Turkey.

Turkey’s Finance Ministry announces two new banks Turkey's finance minister has announced that two new banks, Emlak Bank and Kalkınma Bank, will be opened as part of a "new economic model" for Turkey.

US-Turkey Relations

Erdogan: How Turkey Sees the Crisis With the U.S.Erdogan: How Turkey Sees the Crisis With the U.S. In an op-ed for the New York Times, President Erdoğan recounts the historical friendship between Turkey and the United States, and says that in recent times this friendship has been tested by the United States's failure to respect Turkey's concerns or judicial processes. He concludes by saying that "Washington must give up the misguided notion that our relationship can be asymmetrical and come to terms with the fact that Turkey has alternatives."

US President Trump Approves Law Stopping Delivery of F-35 Jets to Turkey Donald Trump has approved a draft law stopping the delivery of one hundred F-35 jets to Turkey. Some American politicians, including Secretary of Defense James Mattis, have opposed the ban, saying it would disrupt the supply chain because several key components to the jets are manufactured by Turkish firms.

The evangelical pastor at heart of Turkey’s dispute with US A detailed overview by Ayla Jean Yackley and Laura Pitel on the accusations and events surrounding the detention of Pastor Andrew Brunson.

100 Percent Surtax on Some US Products A one hundred percent surtax has been imposed on some US products imported into Turkey, including rice, alcoholic beverages, tanning cream, nuts, make-up products, tobacco products, hard coal, and cars.

Is Turkey’s 'strategic partnership' with America coming to an end? While the detention of Pastor Brunson has become emblematic of Turkey and the United States's deteriorating relationship, it is but one of many serious differences between the two allies. Despite heightened rhetoric, both sides have kept diplomatic channels open, as evidenced between a meeting between Turkey's ambassador to Washington Serdar Kilic and US national security advisor John Bolton. However, Semih Idiz writes that with two leaders as stubborn as Trump and Erdoğan, there may not be much effort to reach a compromise.

Another first for Trump: Using tariffs as diplomatic weapon Caroline Baum writes that Trump is the first president to use tariffs to apply diplomatic pressure on US allies. She reminds readers that the same strategy of doubling on tariffs on aluminum and steel that was used on Turkey has also been used against other countries such as Canada and the European Union. She notes that despite the fact the tariffs were applied to "protect national security," Turkey poses no such threat to the United States, and imposing tariffs will only give Erdoğan a way to blame all of Turkey's economic woes on foreign powers.

Domestic Politics

Turkey: Amnesty Turkey’s Chair released after more than a year behind bars Chair of Amnesty International Turkey, Taner Kilic, has been released after over fourteen months in jail. The charges against him, however, have not been dropped.

Journalists recount life behind bars: Nazlı Ilıcak Nazlı Ilıcak, who was sentenced to life in prison alongside Mehmet and Ahmet Altan, wrote her responses to a questionnaire sent to her as part of a survey by P24 investigating the conditions of journalists in Turkish prisons. She writes that she has been kept in an observation ward along with three other inmates, and that the physical conditions are good. She writes that she is allowed more visits now that the state of emergency has been lifted, adding that several CHP members of parliament came to visit her.

Unchecked construction causes flood damage in Turkey’s Black Sea region Flash floods in the Black Sea province of Ordu caused severe damage to crops, infrastructure, and private properties. Locals and experts say that overdevelopment and bad development practices are to blame for the floods.

Are Turkey’s Christians as 'fine' as they say? Eighteen Christian and Jewish community leaders issued a statement on 31 July saying that they did not face any oppression in the country. According to some sources, they were asked to release this statement to counter negative opinions stemming from the Brunson detention, and feared trouble with the government if they refused.

Turkey launches probe into ‘fake news’ over lira rumors The Chief Prosecutor's Office in Istanbul has launched an investigation into those posting "manipulative" stories on social media that "pose a threat to economic security," while Turkey’s Financial Crime Investigation Board has also launched an investigation into "fake" economic news.

İYİ Party leader Akşener voices support for Turkish government amid currency crisis Meral Akşener has said she would support the government in their quest to heal the economy, saying in a statement: “You were alone when you damaged the economy, but now we are ready to act together for a solution.”

Tunceli Governorship Says ‘No Fire’, Ferhat Tunç Shares Video The Governorship of Tunceli has issued a denial that there is a week-long forest fire in Dersim, saying that photos of the incident were not taken in Tunceli. In response, a local musician personally recorded a video of what appears to be large clouds of smoke emanating from the forest.

International Politics

Two Greek soldiers return home after Turkey release Two Greek soldiers held in Turkey for five months on espionage charges have been released pending trial. Relations between the two countries have warmed after the release, with the Greek defense minister inviting his Turkish counterpart for an official visit.

Turkey agrees with Russia over partial lifting of visas Moscow has said it is willing to lift visa requirements for certain categories of Turkish citizens, namely, businessmen, truck drivers, and service passport holders. Ankara has welcomed the move, although it says it would prefer a total lifting of visas.

Senior PKK leader killed in Turkish airstrike İsmail Özden, a high ranking PKK officer, has been killed in a cross-border air operation in Sinjar.

Turkey wants its share of Syria’s reconstruction Fehim Tastekin writes that Turkey is prepared to accept Bashar al-Assad as president of Syria (despite its publicly anti-Assad stance), on the precondition that it gets a share in Syria's reconstruction. Although Syria is reluctant to allow Turkey to participate in the estimated four hundred billion dollar reconstruction process, Turkey's cooperation with both Russia and rebel groups, as well as its superior construction sector, make it difficult to exclude.

Culture and History

Deporting Ottoman Americans An investigative podcast on the deportations of Ottoman Americans from the United States following the implementation of discriminatory immigration laws after World War I.

Baby Caretta Carettas Reach Sea in Çıralı "The baby loggerhead sea turtles have come out of their nests in the Çıralı beach in Kemer, Antalya and reached the sea."

Medieval Turkish village reinvents itself as tech hub The atmosphere of Kucukkoy, a town founded by janissaries in the fifteenth century, has been influenced by several waves of migration: Greeks from Lesbos, Bosnians fleeing the Balkan wars, and urbanites hoping to turn it into an arts hub. It is soon to become home to the Sabanci University-affiliated Creative Technologies Center. The municipality hopes to become an ecological "smart-village" that is a hub for technology as well as the arts.

Turkish

Economy

Krizi hızlandırmak için kaç dolar yaktık? Önder Algedik writes that the Turkish government has spent 563 billion dollars on fossil fuels, including 20.6 billion in the first six months of 2018. He points out that these fossil fuels, and the costs associated with importing them, are paid in dollars, and with the fall in the lira's value, the cost of importing fossil fuels has grown even more. He concludes that importing fossil fuels is contributing to a twin economic and ecological crisis in Turkey.

Osmanlı böyle battı PARA PUL OLUNCA Sinan Meydan traces a timeline of the devaluation of Ottoman currency (Akçe) in order to compare it to the current crisis. He says that the devaluation of the Akçe began in the sixteenth century, when foreign currencies began invading the Ottoman market, contributing to rising inflation. The Ottoman state began taking large loans from European countries in the eighteenth century, eventually leading to its bankruptcy in 1876 and Abdulhamit II's signing over of much of the state's resources to European countries. Meydan writes that after the founding of the Turkish Republic, Ataturk's policies aimed at decreasing outside dependence, paying off the country's debts, and increasing national production allowed the economy to recover.

Diyarbakır esnafı: Sattığımız ürünün yerine yenisini koyamıyoruz Citizens in Diyarbakir say that the economic crisis had brought their purchasing power so low that merchants cannot replenish the stock that they have sold.

Domestic Politics

Her şey algıdan Kemal Can writes that every political era has words or concepts that characterize it. He says that one such word that can characterize the AKP period is "perception." He says that playing with the public's perceptions have been a defining feature of AKP discourse, namely, the creation of a perception that all of Turkey's problems are caused by malicious internal and external enemies, rather than the government itself.

CHP'li Bayır: Yerel seçimlerden sonra kurultay toplanır The CHP has announced that the question of an extraordinary congress to address its internal problems is closed, judging the amount of signatures calling for such a congress insufficient and saying that a congress can be organized after local elections.

İYİ Parti’de 100 İstifa: Aralarında Kurucu Üye de Var One hundred members of the IYI Party have resigned, including several founding members.

Demirtaş: Muhalefetin, daha güçlü bir hedefe ihtiyacı var Former HDP co-chair Salahattin Demirtaş wrote an article saying that after the elections, the opposition (namely, the HDP) has been unprepared and insufficient in countering the AKP, and that they need to put their words into practice, enrich their ties with their base, and be less concerned with protecting themselves. He also wrote (in response to two members of parliament leaving the party for the Turkish Worker's Party) that party members should not see themselves as "guests" within the party, but rather, should see themselves as fully committed to the party.

Sezai Temelli'den Selahattin Demirtaş'a: Yöntemi yanlış HDP co-chair Sezai Temelli has said that Demirtaş's critical article on the HDP was the wrong way to air his concerns, and that criticisms should be discussed within the party first, and then it should be decided whether or not to explain them to the public.

Adıyaman'dan kahreden haber: 4 askerden 3'ü dost ateşiyle şehit oldu Three out of the four soldiers killed in a conflict with the PKK in Adiyaman died by friendly fire.

Kanal İstanbul projesi: Ya kanal ya İstanbul! Cemil Aksu writes that the AKP's "mega-projects" have been a major contributor to the current debt and currency crises, as these projects were funded through billions of dollars in foreign debt.

Antalya, Dersim ve Balıkesir'de Yangın Forest fires have been reported in Antalya, Balıkesir, and Dersim. The fires in Dersim are alleged to have been started by helicopters opening fire in anti-terrorism operations. Dersim Bar Association has called for authorities to take action to put out the fire, saying nothing has been done.

Telhamut Çadır Kent’teki fuhuş organizasyonu Ceylanpınar Belediyesi üst düzey çalışanlarına uzandı Mesopatamya Ajansi has obtained audio recordings documenting the alleged prostitution ring exploiting Syrian refugee women in the Telhamut refugee camp. Those implicated by the recordings include a Ceylanpinar municipal official and a bodyguard for the former mayor.

International Politics

Dolar değil İdlib Husnu Mahalli writes that soon, the Syrian government will have taken control of not only Idlib, but also Afrin and the other regions in Syria currently under Turkey's control. He writes that the best solution would be for Turkey to put aside its differences, remain on good terms with Russia and Iran, and arrive at an agreement with the Syrian government. Mahalli concludes by saying that if such a solution is not reached, Turkey will spend the rest of its days occupying itself with military operations in Syria, until it is finally destroyed in turn, reminding readers of his prediction seven years ago that the original target of the Arab Spring was Turkey.

Değersiz yalnızlık! Yusuf Karatas writes that after Turkey's traditional partners (Europe and America) began to damage his interest, Erdogan started to approach new partners (Russia and China). However, he writes that for all imperialist powers, whether America or Russia, partnership is only about how to best serve their interests. He writes that the solution to Turkey's current economic problems is neither old nor new partnerships, nor is it protecting international investors' interests, but rather, policies that will strengthen the working and middle classes.

Türkiye Avrupa'daki Türk gençlerin "kimliğini ve kültürünü korumak" için haftasonu okulları kuruyor Turkey will implement an after-school program in four European countries (Germany, Holland, France, and Belgium) aimed at teaching schoolchildren of Turkish origin language, culture, and religion.