Global Scans · Turkey · Weekly Summary

WHAT'S NEXT?: Uncertainties over Turkey's eventual political position abound. With EU decisions in doubt, recent crackdown on opposition parties causing concerns, and being embroiled in complex Middle East politics and fighting terrorism on its borders and internally, which way will she swing?

• [New] Turkey's central bank said on Thursday that leading indicators implied that inflation will remain lower than projected this month as a favorable course in food prices continued. TradingView
• [New] HRW called on Turkish authorities to end the arbitrary use of security codes, halt deportations that expose Uyghurs to the risk of return to China and uphold international obligations to protect refugees from refoulement. Turkish Minute
• [New] Turkish authorities have used so-called restriction codes, administrative security markers added to immigration files under Turkey's law on foreigners, to label Uyghur refugees as public security risks without clear evidence. Turkish Minute
• [New] Restoring Turkey's reliability will require judicial reform, the return of independent and competent regulatory agencies, and effective parliamentary scrutiny of foreign policy, security, and economic decisions. Foreign Affairs Magazine
• [New] If convicted of corruption charges, Imamoglu will be disqualified from Turkey's next elections in 2028. The World from PRX
• [New] The outcome of the minimum wage negotiations for 2026 will be crucial for the inflation outlook. / Turkey ING Think
• [New] The weather in Turkey in December varies widely: Istanbul tends to be cool and rainy, Cappadocia might be dusted with snow, and the Mediterranean coast around Antalya stays mild and sunny. Rough Guides
• [New] Turkey's Stone Mounds Project, including Gobeklitepe and Karahantepe, features the world's oldest structures for gathering and rituals, dating to 9,500 BCE. Yahoo News
• [New] A patent on semaglutide - the core ingredient of Novo Nordisk's Wegovy - is due to expire in several countries in 2026, meaning other drug-makers will soon be free to produce and sell cheap versions in places like India, Canada, China, Brazil and Turkey. BBC News
• [New] In the Black Sea, Vodafone Group and Vodafone Ukraine have partnered with Xtera on the Kardesa, a €116m ($136m) cable system that will connect Bulgaria, Georgia, Turkey, and Ukraine with the first cable landing planned in Bulgaria in 2027. Verdict
• [New] Turkey supplies are expected to remain constrained through the first half of 2026. Food Dive
• [New] Turkey plans to establish a combat aerial drone assembly facility in Pakistan, enhancing bilateral defence cooperation through technology transfer and joint production. GeopoliticsUnplugged Substack
• [New] The outcomes of Turkey's policies and its relationships with the West, alongside Russia's future maneuvering, will greatly shape the Black Sea's security landscape moving forward. Maritime Fairtrade
• [New] Macron signalled Turkey could play a naval role, given its position on the Black Sea. The Independent
• [New] Had Turkey's relations with the West been more positive in recent years, it might have leveraged friend-shoring or near-shoring policies to attract investments in high-technology manufacturing. Belfer Center
• [New] Another complicating factor is the EU's green transition, which will likely reduce future need for fossil fuels, making it necessary for Turkey to accelerate its own energy transition, possibly with European investments. Belfer Center
• [New] The Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank committed $5 billion to support Turkey's climate resilience and sustainable development projects from 2025 to 2027. Belfer Center
• [New] An increasingly politicised judiciary in Turkey could be a factor that prevents the country achieving long-held strategic aims. The National
• [New] If Australia, Turkey and the Pacific are able to combine their diplomatic assets, they might be able to have a bigger impact on climate diplomacy than on their own. Devpolicy Blog from the Development Policy Centre
• [New] Luckily, Turkey, Australia and the Pacific Island countries did reach agreement that a pre-COP meeting will to take place in the Pacific, enabling a pathway for Pacific priorities to remain at the center of the climate talks. Devpolicy Blog from the Development Policy Centre
• [New] Delays for oil tankers passing through the Turkish Straits have climbed to about 12 days for a round trip to the Black Sea, up from about seven days last week, as winter storms, heightened security risks and shorter daylight hours snarl traffic. MarineLink
• [New] Turkey will no longer consider the Syrian Democratic Forces to be a terrorist organization if the SDF hands over key resources and infrastructure to the Syrian government as part of its integration into the Syrian state. Critical Threats

Last updated: 22 December 2025