Main political events in Türkiye in the last week.
Main political events in Türkiye in the last week.
Türkiye’s agenda last week was mostly shaped by international developments.
Following the Russia–US talks and discussions on security guarantees for Ukraine, Turkish officials made a series of statements.
Ankara signaled a military operation after PKK-affiliated PYD/YPG/SDG terrorist groups in northern Syria refused to take part in the disarmament process.
The other important development of the week was the widespread strike of public sector employees.
Remarks from Ankara on the Russia–US Meeting
The meeting between Russian President Vladimir Putin and US President Donald Trump, held on August 15 in Alaska, echoed in Ankara. Similarly, the talks on Ukraine between Trump and European leaders in Washington were closely followed in Ankara.
President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan commented on the Putin–Trump meeting with a post on social media:
“The talks between US President Mr. Trump and Russian President Mr. Putin in Alaska have given fresh momentum to efforts aimed at ending the Russia–Ukraine war. We welcome the Alaska Summit and hope this new process, with the participation of Ukrainian President Zelensky, will lay the foundation for a lasting peace. Türkiye stands ready to contribute in every way possible to the establishment of peace.”
Following the Alaska Summit, Erdoğan held talks with several leaders regarding the war in Ukraine. Following a phone call with President Putin, the Turkish Presidency’s Directorate of Communications issued a statement:
“Noting that he is closely monitoring the developments with regard to the peace process, President Erdoğan pointed to Türkiye’s sincere efforts to achieve a just peace since the outbreak of the war and said that we support approaches that aim to establish lasting peace with the participation of all sides”
Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan also spoke with his American counterpart Marco Rubio after the Putin–Trump meeting. The two discussed the meetings in Alaska and Washington, possible steps toward ending the war in Ukraine. Minister Fidan too reiterated that Türkiye stands ready to provide any support necessary for achieving a fair and lasting peace.
Simultaneously, some reports surfaced that Türkiye might take part in a peacekeeping mission in Ukraine. According to Middle East Eye, Ankara is open to the idea of providing security guarantees and deploying peacekeepers under a comprehensive peace deal with Russia. However, the possibility was said to hinge on Moscow’s approval.
At its weekly press briefing, the Ministry of National Defense responded to questions about claims that Türkiye could send troops to Ukraine:
“Türkiye is a country that produces peace and stability in its region and contributes to all initiatives in that direction. But first, a ceasefire between Russia and Ukraine must be achieved, followed by the definition of a mission with a clear mandate and which countries would contribute and to what extent. It would not be accurate to speculate on scenarios that do not have concrete basis yet.”
Signals of a military operation in northern Syria
In line with the call from Abdullah Öcalan, the imprisoned leader of the PKK, the group symbolically laid down its arms and announced its dissolution. Following this, the Turkish Grand National Assembly established the “National Solidarity, Brotherhood, and Democracy” Commission to evaluate concrete steps to be taken with political parties, civil society groups, and government officials.
However, it has become increasingly clear that Öcalan’s call for disarmament has not been implemented by the PKK’s Syrian branches /YPG/YPG/SDG.
Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan addressed the issue at a joint press conference with Syrian Foreign Minister Assad al-Shaibani, issuing sharp warnings to the YPG/PYD/SDF while signaling possible intervention:
“While working with our Syrian brothers in areas such as infrastructure, economy, investment, and tourism, we also have to implement certain strategic policies. (…) But not everyone in the region shares our intentions. Some actors in the region want chaos, and at the top of that list is Israel. No one should take us for fools. We see the little tricks being played despite our good faith.”
Fidan went on to caution the YPG/PYD/SDF directly:
“Being a major state comes with certain rules and responsibilities. And we are fulfilling them. I warn you here once again: your position is untenable. You must change it. Think about how you will help rebuild Syria. (…) Recently, we’ve seen the YPG and SDG issuing many statements. What we see in these statements is that: ‘We don’t see the March 10 Agreement as you see. The clauses in the Agreement don’t bind us, and the process in Türkiye doesn’t interest us.’ Then we ask: What interests you? Turning our Kurdish brothers into pawns of Israel? Sadly, we’re now witnessing developments we find increasingly difficult to tolerate. Fighters coming from Iran and Iraq have not left Syria. (…) The YPG is spoiling the process. We are facing a challenge here, and it is our duty to define it clearly and take the necessary measures.”
Meanwhile, Defense Ministry sources announced that, under the “Joint Training and Advisory Memorandum of Understanding” signed between Türkiye and Syria on August 13, 2025, efforts to restructure the Syrian Armed Forces had begun. In response to questions about the agreement, Ministry sources explained:
“The Memorandum signed on August 13, 2025, aims to enhance Syria’s defense capacity and establish concrete military cooperation. The restructuring of the Syrian Armed Forces has accelerated; training, advisory, technical support, and mutual visits are underway in coordination with the Syrian Ministry of Defense.
(…)
Türkiye sees Syria’s stability as critical for regional peace and continues to support the principle of ‘One State, One Army.’ In the coming period, further delegation visits, expanded training activities, and broader cooperation are expected.”
Public servants’ nationwide strike
Amid ongoing collective bargaining talks covering about 6.5 million people, public servants went on strike. Unions declared they would call a general strike if their demands were not met.
On August 18, public servants across the country walked off the job in a strike organized by Memur-Sen, KESK and other unions.
As part of the strike, railway workers of the Turkish State Railways (TCDD) joined the strike, leading to the suspension of the city of Izmir all suburban line services.
Following the strike, the government resumed talks with Memur-Sen, Kamu-Sen, and Birleşik Kamu-İş. At the meeting, Labor and Social Security Minister Vedat Işıkhan presented the government’s latest offer:
- For 2026: a pay raise of 11% in the first half of the year (up from 10%) and 7% in the second half.
- For 2027: 4% in the first half and 4% in the second half, plus an additional ₺1,000 increase in base salaries.
Memur-Sen Chair and Public Servants’ Unions Negotiation Committee Head Ali Yalçın stressed the government’s offer is unacceptable:
“The base salary is one of the most critical demands because it also affects retirees. We asked for negotiations to start from a ₺10,000 base salary, but the government responded with only a ₺1,000 adjustment. This does not meet expectations. (…) The public sector urgently needs this problem resolved. If not, labor peace will be seriously jeopardized.”
KESK Co-Chair Ahmet Karagöz also criticized the offer:
“The ministry’s initial proposal was 10% for the first half of 2026, 6% for the second half, and 4% + 4% for 2027. Now they’ve only added ₺1,000 to the base salary. We protest this with boos and whistles.”
Following the offer, KESK called for a general strike.
Opposition parties supported the striking workers.
CHP Chair Özgür Özel underlined the legitimacy of public workers’ demands, criticizing the government:
“They still haven’t concluded the framework agreement for 600,000 public employees. We stand with workers in their rightful struggle. In August alone, there will be strikes at 500 workplaces. Don’t be afraid: the people are with you, we are with you, we’ll be in the streets together.”
Vatan Party leader Doğu Perinçek also expressed his support:
“Türkiye is heading toward a historic resolution. The current system is collapsing, and a new one will emerge. The founders of this system are taking the stage. We saw it before with the Polonez workers, the Çayırhan miners, municipal workers, and now with public employees. These are the forces that will bring about the great solution.
The ruling system says, ‘We have nothing left to give to you’ But workers, artisans, public employees, and even industrialists are saying: ‘If you won’t give us our share, then we’ll redistribute Türkiye’s resources ourselves.’
Türkiye has massive reserves: $500 billion held abroad in New York, Swiss, and London banks. Four months ago, the Vice President said that $350 billion in gold lies locked in banks. These are the resources created by Turkish workers. And people are saying, ‘That’s labor, not yours.’
The fact that the people are rising means the system can no longer function.”