2nd Week of July 2025: To bury the hatchet

WEEKLY TURKEY REPORT – 2ND WEEK of JULY 2025

The second week of July was marked by the PKK’s disarmament and continued pressure on the CHP and the media, as has been the case since March 19. It has now become evident that President Erdoğan of the AKP, Devlet Bahçeli of the MHP, and Abdullah Öcalan, the symbolic leader of the Kurdish movement, have reached a consensus about the future — or at least that Erdoğan intends to shape the future through this collaboration.

Indeed, during his speech at the Kızılcahamam camp, President Erdoğan announced that a new phase regarding the Kurdish issue had begun and that the AKP, MHP, and DEM Party would act together in this process. The DEM Party responded by stating that this was not a political alliance but a partnership in the peace process and should not be interpreted as joining the People’s Alliance (Cumhur İttifakı).

The combined number of parliamentary seats held by the AKP, MHP, and DEM Party is 375. However, Erdoğan needs 400 votes to change the constitution without a referendum — a necessary step to fulfill his vision of lifelong presidency. He may try to close the gap through further candidate nominations or incentivized party transfers. Still, since constitutional amendments require a secret ballot, it remains uncertain how many DEM deputies will actually support such a deal.

Meanwhile, U.S. Ambassador to Ankara and Trump’s special envoy for Syria, Tom Barrack, is increasing pressure on the Rojava administration. It remains unclear whether Barrack is doing this to please Ankara or to create new financial opportunities in Syria. However, given the increasing abductions and killings — particularly targeting Alevis — it seems highly unlikely that the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) will lay down their arms and surrender to the Sharia-aligned Assad regime in Damascus.

A potential Turkish operation in Rojava, in cooperation with Damascus, would signal the collapse of the long-planned peace process with the Kurds. In short, both Turkey and Syria have now entered a highly uncertain period.

Kurdish Issue

PKK LAYS DOWN ARMS

Abdullah Öcalan issued a historic call from İmralı Island. In a video message, he stated: “I believe not in weapons, but in the power of politics and social peace.” He emphasized the importance of voluntarily disarming and forming a comprehensive commission within the Turkish Parliament to oversee the process, stressing sincerity, caution, and perseverance. He declared:

“I am confident that these steps will not be in vain. I see the sincerity and I trust it. Practical and concrete confidence-building steps are now being pursued. The core theses I have put forward are as follows: The goal of peace and democratic society can only be achieved through a positively integrative perspective. The takeaway is this: The PKK has renounced its aim of establishing a nation-state, and with that, it has abandoned its core war strategy and ceased to exist in its former form. This historic moment must be carried forward.”

Last week, the PKK held a symbolic disarmament ceremony in Sulaymaniyah, Iraq. A group that included senior leaders — including critics of the process like Bese Hozat — completed the first phase of disarmament. A second group of 30 PKK members is expected to disarm in the coming days.

Following the destruction of weapons by 30 PKK members, the DEM Party issued a statement: “Now is the time to take collective steps for democratic political and legal reform. It is time to expand the struggle for democratic politics for a democratic future of Turkey.”

President Erdoğan welcomed the development, writing: “I hope today’s crucial step on our path toward a terror-free Turkey will lead to good outcomes. May God grant us success as we strive to ensure the security of our nation, the peace of our people, and permanent stability in our region.”

MHP Chairman Devlet Bahçeli, who initiated the new process with a public call to Öcalan in October 2024, also commented after the Sulaymaniyah ceremony: “We are witnessing truly historic days for both Turkey and the region. These positive and hopeful developments are a milestone, and public conscience welcomes them. Öcalan has kept his promise, and the DEM Party has maintained a responsible and rational political stance throughout this process.”

However, even as peace talks progress, tragedy struck in Iraq. Turkey’s Ministry of Defense announced that four soldiers died from methane gas exposure during a search operation in a cave used by militants in the Pençe-Kilit Operation zone. The death toll in the region has now risen to 12.

HOPES FOR DEMİRTAŞ’S RELEASE

The European Court of Human Rights (ECHR) issued a landmark ruling on July 8, 2025, regarding former HDP co-chair Selahattin Demirtaş, who has been imprisoned in Edirne since 2016. The court ruled that Demirtaş’s 2019 re-arrest was politically motivated, not legal. It found that the true aim of his continued detention was to silence the public and suppress democratic debate, thereby violating five articles of the European Convention on Human Rights.

Following this third violation ruling by the ECHR, applications for release were filed on behalf of Demirtaş, Figen Yüksekdağ, and other Kobani trial defendants. The DEM Party reiterated that the court confirmed Demirtaş’s imprisonment was politically driven.

İmamoğlu and CHP

NEW WAVE OF ARRESTS TARGETS CHP

A new crackdown on the main opposition CHP has begun. As part of an ongoing “corruption” investigation into the Istanbul Metropolitan Municipality, 13 individuals were referred to court, including Adana Mayor Zeydan Karalar and Adıyaman Mayor Abdurrahman Tutdere. Karalar was sent to court with a request for his arrest, while Tutdere was placed under house arrest with judicial control. A criminal court ordered Karalar’s formal detention on charges of abuse of office.

Following their arrests, both Karalar and Büyükçekmece Deputy Mayor Ahmet Şahin were temporarily removed from office. Büyükçekmece Municipal Council will convene on July 14 to elect a new deputy mayor.

Simultaneously, Istanbul’s Financial Crimes Department raided Şile Municipality. Şile Mayor Özgür Kabadayı and several staff members were detained. CHP’s Istanbul Chair Özgür Çelik reported that the arrests were carried out via home raids at 1:30 AM.

Among those detained were former Chief of Staff Oğuz Kaçmaz and Deputy Mayor Tuncay Tolga Özçakmak.

Previously targeted districts include Esenyurt, Beşiktaş, Beykoz, Şişli, Beylikdüzü, Büyükçekmece, Gaziosmanpaşa, and Avcılar.

The CHP Parliamentary Group labeled the arrests as “a coup by the palace regime.” In a joint statement, they declared: “We stand with our elected mayors, including our Chairman Özgür Özel and Presidential Candidate Ekrem İmamoğlu. The March 19 coup was a direct blow to the people’s right to vote and be elected.”

Meanwhile, the Ankara Court of Appeals ruled that the lawsuit regarding the CHP’s 38th General Congress, held on November 4–5, 2023, will be heard at the 26th Criminal Court of First Instance in Ankara.

INVESTIGATION INTO CHP LEADER

As investigations into CHP municipalities expand, the party summoned all mayors to Ankara on July 10. Simultaneously, the Ankara Chief Public Prosecutor’s Office launched an ex officio investigation into Chairman Özgür Özel on charges of “insulting the president,” “incitement to commit crimes,” and “threatening public officials,” citing remarks made after a CHP Central Executive Board meeting.

It was also revealed that 61 of the CHP’s 135 MPs are currently facing 240 motions to lift their parliamentary immunity.

PROGRESS IN THE IMAMOĞLU CASE

In response to CHP leader Özel’s demand that court proceedings be broadcast live on TRT to ensure transparency, MHP leader Bahçeli offered support, calling the request “reasonable and legitimate.” He added that public trust in the judiciary would increase if hearings were broadcast, and urged the courts to conclude proceedings swiftly.

Other Developments

SÖZCÜ TV GOES DARK

The Ankara 21st Administrative Court suspended RTÜK’s 10-day broadcast ban on Halk TV. However, RTÜK’s suspension of Sözcü TV’s license did go into effect — as of midnight, the station has gone dark. RTÜK has seven days to appeal the Halk TV ruling.

DELAYED JUSTICE FOR PEACE ACADEMICS

The Council of State issued a pilot ruling for the reinstatement and compensation of Peace Academics who were dismissed despite a Constitutional Court ruling affirming their rights. These academics had signed the petition titled “We Will Not Be a Party to This Crime.” Previously, lower courts had delivered inconsistent rulings on individual reinstatement cases.

CURRENCY SLIDES FURTHER

Germany’s Commerzbank updated its exchange rate forecasts for Turkey. The bank now predicts that by the end of 2025, the U.S. dollar will reach 44 Turkish lira and the euro 51 lira — a sign of continued depreciation of the Turkish currency.

E-SIM PROVIDERS BANNED

Major eSIM providers (Saily, Airalo, Holafly, Nomad, Instabridge, Mobimatter, Alosim, BNESIM) have been blocked by Turkey’s Information and Communication Technologies Authority, following an official decision dated July 10, 2025.