★ On March 10, Timothy Ash, a Senior Emerging Markets Sovereign Strategist at RBC BlueBay Asset Management in London, wrote, "Facing a possibly existential security challenge, Europe needs to ask swift questions and find immediate solutions. It may not be to everyone's taste, given a history of troubled relations, but the continent has an obvious solution staring it in the face - Turkey."

  He added, "There could be a historic match between Turkey's defense industry and military capabilities and a European continent urgently in need of troops and arms."

  Timothy Ash's article appeared in the Washington DC-based Center for European Policy Analysis webpages.

  Read the details >> here <<

★ Murat Yetkin, a Turkish journalist and commentator, had the following to say about Europe's intention to get military cooperation:

  Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk urged Turkey to mediate between Russia and Ukraine during his meeting with President Erdoğan on March 12. While the European Union values Turkey's military strength, key European powers remain unwilling to discuss its political integration. This contradiction has fueled Turkey's frustration, as Turkey balances ties with both Russia and Ukraine despite being a NATO member.

  The European Union's leading nations, particularly France and Germany, advocate for defense cooperation with Turkey but reject its membership bid. This selective approach exposes a broader hypocrisy-Europe wants Turkey's military support against Russia but resists deeper political ties. Rising nationalism and shifting geopolitical pressures further complicate the relationship.

  Turkish President Erdoğan insists that European security is incomplete without Turkey's full membership, but Turkey knows military strength alone won't secure European Union entry. Real progress depends on addressing the unresolved challenge of democratic reforms in Turkey.

  Read the details >> here <<

★ The Daily Duvar announced that it is closing. First published in 2016, the paper has been one of the independent voices in Turkey.

  We made use of its English edition and also contributed to it financially.

  The daily said its circulation dropped, and a change in Google's algorithms reduced its Internet revenue.

  The Deutsche Welle Turkish service cited the Trump administration's stopping aid to organizations that fund the press in Turkey as another reason.

  About 100 journalists will be unemployed.

★ According to the independent news outlet Bianet, a day after daily Duvar announced that it is closing, Turkey's independent media protested Google over "algorithmic censorship."

  Nine independent news outlets said that 98 percent of traffic referrals from Google searches and news services do not show many news websites, particularly independent media.

  However, news outlets close to the ruling Justice and Development Party feature prominently in the searches.

  The independent media outlets will file a complaint with Turkey's competition of authority.

  Read the details >> here <<

★ Syrian Democratic Forces, an armed militia aligned with the U. S. and mostly made up of Kurds, will integrate with the forces of Syria's interim government in Damascus.

  Turkey's President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan approved the move and added that it will contribute to Syria's security and stability.

  In the past, Mr. Erdoğan's administration has been critical of the Syrian Democratic Forces and considered it an extension of the Kurdistan Workers Party, the militia of the rebel Turkish Kurds.

  Turkish Armed Forces bombed the areas where they lived, and militants backed by Turkey fought with them.

  Turkish authorities said they would closely monitor the implementation of the Damascus-Syrian Democratic Forces agreement.

  Two pro-government journalists stated that Turkey will maintain its military presence in northern Syria.

  In related news, VOA reported that three US officials said the United States had encouraged the Syrian Democratic Forces to move toward an agreement to resolve its status in the new Syria.

  The intelligence source and a Damascus-based diplomat expected the deal to ease Turkish military pressure on the Syrian Democratic Forces.

★ On March 14, the Turkish daily Sözcü wrote that Mehmet Cengiz, a Turkish businessman close to President Erdoğan's administration, started a war against the paper.

  Mr. Cengiz started a lawsuit against 26 Sözcü journalists for 174 news articles they wrote. He claimed that they defamed and slandered him.

  Sözcü writes that although Mr. Cengiz could have used his right to refute according to the Turkish press law, he did not.

  If the prosecutor's office finds Cengiz's complaints justified and files a lawsuit, the Sözcü journalists could face prison sentences of 1 to 4.5 years each, but up to 17.5 years, for violating seven articles of the Press Penal Code.

★ Despite strong opposition from opposition politicians, right groups, and legal experts that it may lead to broad surveillance, restrict free speech, and lead to potential abuses of power, the Turkish Parliament passed a controversial cybersecurity law.

  According to Bianet, an independent news outlet, the Presidency of Cybersecurity will have access to archives, electronic data processing centers, and communication infrastructure for its investigations and store the data it obtained for two years.

  Read more >> here <<

★ According to Bianet, a Turkish court acquitted 46 people detained during the Saturday Mothers/People's 700th-week gathering in İstanbul's Galatasaray Square in 2018.

  The defendants, including relatives of disappeared persons and human rights advocates, were charged with "participating in unlawful meetings and marches and refusing to disperse despite warnings."

  The court ruled that the legal elements of the alleged offense were not there and acquitted all 46 defendants.

  The Saturday Mothers/People first gathered in Galatasaray Square in Beyoğlu, İstanbul, on May 27, 1995, to demand justice for individuals who disappeared while in state custody during the conflict in the country's Kurdish-populated regions. The protests began following the discovery of Hasan Ocak's body in the Cemetery of the Nameless. Security forces took Ocak into custody on March 21, 1995, and his relatives found him later, bearing signs of torture.

★ Türknet, Turkey's largest Internet service provider, said it was the victim of a cyber attack detected on March 11. The attackers stole the personal data of 2.8 million customers.

  The attackers asked for three bit coins, worth about 84,000 dollars, as ransom and told that they would release the data if not paid.

★ Turkish officials announced they will soon start introducing Altay, an indigenously- produced next-generation battle tank.

  This year, the maker will deliver three T1 configuration tanks and 85 over the next few years. T2, a more advanced version, will be out in 2028 with 165 tanks.

★ According to The Defense Post, the Estonian Center for Defence Investment supplied the country's defense forces with several Turkish-made wheeled armored vehicles .

  The authorities assigned the Otokar-developed Arma 6×6 armored personnel carriers (APCs) and Nurol Makina NMS 4×4 tactical light armored vehicles to the Estonian's 2nd Infantry Brigade.

  In October 2023, Estonia ordered 230 Arma 6×6 APCs and NMS 4×4s. The 10-year contract also included provisions to acquire spare parts, additional vehicles, and maintenance and repair services.

★ According to the TRT, amid rising tensions between Turkey and Iran, the Turkish state-owned radio and television Corporation, security forces detained five people suspected of spying for Iran in the three provinces of Turkey.

★ ECONOMY

  According to Inside World Football, on March 14, the Turkish Football Federation signed a two-year sponsorship deal with perfume company MAD Parfumeur.

  MAD Parfumeur is a Turkish company that operates internationally with 71 stores in 13 countries on four continents.

  The company has 302 stores in 81 cities in Turkey, selling perfumes, ambient fragrances, candles, hair fragrances, and car perfumes.

  Read more >> here <<

★ According to Bloomberg, Turkey seeks to extend the U. S. waiver, allowing it to purchase Russian natural gas.

  Turkey imports about 45 percent of its gas from Russia.

  In the meantime, Turkey's energy and natural resources minister announced that it signed a partnership agreement with the U. S. companies Trans Atlantic on the stuck your Petroleum and Continental Resources.

  The two companies will expand oil and gas production in Turkey's southeastern province of Diyarbakır and later in Thrace, Turkey's European part.

★ German authorities reported a surge in counterfeit euro notes. They said the key sources are China and Turkey.

★ Organized in the historic Gazipaşa and Alanya districts of Antalya Province on the Mediterranean coast, this year's Turkish Textile Biennial presents a new context for the art of weaving and human history with the title "Wave Fabric."

  The selected sites are repositories of memory that carry the voices of the past. The ancient cities of Selinus and Lamos point to the deep-rooted history of silk and weaving culture, while structures such as the Red Tower and Alanya shipyard bear the traces of Mediterranean trade and cultural exchange.

  A space shaped by nature's slow yet persistent movement, the Cave of False World mirrors the fabric's aging, transformation, and evolution over time. Through such spaces, the Biennial seeks to reinterpret the textures of the past through the lens of contemporary art.

  The wave is a metaphor for the never-ending movement of the Mediterranean: it touches the shores and leaves traces on the stones over time. Fabric, on the other hand, represents man's ability to take natural materials and put them into order, creating both a tangible and a metaphorical memory.

  At the intersection of these two elements, the Biennial explores the relationships between the rhythm of the wave and the looped order of weaving.

  In this context, textile production transcends mere artistic expression, becoming a repository of memory that weaves together the rhythms of nature and the imprint of human labor.

  Curated by Nihat Özdal, the biennial brings together a diverse group of international artists who merge traditional techniques with contemporary expressions.

  The Second Turkish Textile Biennial will be through April 13.

★ According to ArtDog Istanbul, a Turkish arts and culture magazine, Dirimart, an art gallery in Istanbul, started hosting Seçkin Pirim's second solo exhibition, Built in a Day.

  The exhibition consists of an installation of acrylic and 3D-modeled sculptures created specifically for the show and designed as a cohesive installation reminiscent of market squares in ancient cities.

  Pirim's works made from paper, previously showcased at the Triennale Milano, will accompany the installation.

  In this body of work at Dirimart, Pirim explores the interplay between the slow passage of time in the daily life of the ancient world and the chaos generated by the fast-paced production and consumption of the modern era.

  Seçkin Pirim (b. 1977, Ankara) received his Bachelor's and Master's degrees from the Department of Sculpture at the Mimar Sinan Fine Arts University, Istanbul.

  He participated in numerous solo and group exhibitions at local and international art institutions and received multiple prizes in sculpture and design. Various art institutions exhibited his works, including Istanbul's Borusan Contemporary and Pera Museum, Switzerland's Museum Haus Konstruktiv, Taiwan's Glory Yeh Museum & Sculpture Park, Switzerland's Yverdon-les-Bains, and London's Saatchi Gallery.

  Seçkin Pirim lives and works in Istanbul and London. His exhibition will be through April 13.

★ Dirimart Gallery has another new exhibition that started on March 14. The exhibition "No Rain, No Flowers" features the post-pandemic works of New York-based artist Summer Wheat. It is the second solo show at the gallery.

  Drawing attention to the role of a deluge of moisture for the color or scent of a beautiful bloom, the show delves into the intertwinedness and interdependence of suffering and happiness.

  No Rain, No Flowers is curated in a manner reminiscent of a garden, showcasing a range of themes in Summer Wheat's aluminum mesh paintings where thick acrylic paint is extruded through a wire mesh grid using various techniques, including hand paint.

  In Wheat's words, this technique reflects her desire "to divide and multiply de Kooning and Seurat and bring them together in the same painting."

  The exhibition will be through April 13.

★ According to ArtDog Istanbul, :mentalKLINIK's latest performance, "Awfully Marvellous" at the iconic Markiz Patisserie of Istanbul, merges chaos, humor, and traditional beauty norms. The Istanbul gallery Pilevneli arranged the show.

  This performative work invites the audience to will and sit down at Markiz, where they get an unusual offering—a cake that looks ruined, almost like leftover trash from a party, complete with cigarettes on top. Yet, despite its appearance, the cake is entirely edible, even the cigarettes, delivering the first surprise—or irony—of the experience.

  :mentalKLINIK is a Brussels-based artist duo from Istanbul composed of Yasemin Baydar and Birol Demir, who began their collaborative practice in 1998.

  The performance will end on March 23.

★ Pilevneli Gallery has another exhibition coming up on April 3.

  The first solo exhibition in Istanbul by Irish artists will showcase a compelling selection of his work.

  Gray is a contemporary sculptor who reinterprets the historical legacy of Italian marble through a modern lens, merging classical modeling, casting, and carving techniques with an expressive handcrafted approach.

  By transcending marble's inherent hardness and stillness, he transforms the material into fluid and emotive compositions.

  On two floors, the exhibition features works from his Family and Gestural Works Series, alongside Fragile Heads Series, a new body of work inspired by Gray's recent travels in Turkey.

  The exhibition will be through May 10.

★ On March 10, the British paper Daily Mail had an article that said that researchers found the fossilized remains of a wooden vessel in Turkey.

  The researchers claim that it is the remains of Noah's Ark.

  The remains are 18 miles south of Mount Ararat in Turkey.

★ The project Grounded will represent Turkey in the 19th International Architecture Exhibition of the Venice Biennial.

  Curated by Ceren Erdem and Bilge Kalfa, the exhibition invites visitors to forge a deeper connection with the earth through an interactive experience that engages the senses, allowing them to feel and immerse themselves in its essence.

  The curator aims to imagine sustainable, resilient, and environmentally harmonious ways of building and living.

  The coordinator of the exhibition is the Istanbul Foundation for Culture and Arts.

  The Venice Biennial will be on May 10 to November 23.

★ On April 12, the Istanbul Foundation for Culture and Arts will host Ağaçkakan, known by his real name Burkay Yalnız.

  It will be his launch concert for his new album "Golge/Shade."

  Ağaçkakan is a powerful voice in Turkish rap, driven by abstract beats and an audacious experimental style.

★ On March 21, the Istanbul Foundation For Culture And Arts will host another album launch concert by Selût.

  Occasionally performing under the name Cosmicnutz, Selût is one of the powerful voices of the new generation and a magician on stage.

  She has a powerful voice that alternates between intense and soothing, a performance full of surprises at the intersection of ambient, acoustic, and jazz, and the fresh excitement of a brand-new album titled "The Story of My Precious."

★ The organizers of the Cannes Film Festival selected Turkish Screenwriter, actress, and photographer Ebru Ceylan to the festival jury.

  Ebru Ceylan was one of the screenwriters of Nuri Bilge Ceylan's Palme d'Or-winning 2014 film "Winter Sleep."

  The festival, chaired by director Greta Gerwig, will be between May 14-25.

★ The 20th Akbank Short Film Festival will start on March 25.

  In addition to the national and international short film competitions, the festival includes various workshops, interviews, and master classes. It also acts as an experience-sharing platform between film professionals and festivalgoers.

  The venue for the festival is Akbank Sanat, and all events are free of charge.

  Every year, films that have competed at leading film festivals, such as Cannes, Berlin, and Venice, are presented to audiences.

  The "Forum" section, which started in 2017, aims to support short films from the scriptwriting stage, organizes training for project development, and a short film screenplay contest for production support.

  As in the past, the festival will feature special screenings and interviews with the participation of masters. Award-winning director Nuri Bilge Ceylan, the special guest at the 20th anniversary of the festival, will meet with young film lovers.

  Also, many renowned artists, such as Iranian director Ali Asgari, director Ozan Açıktan, and Lebanese documentary director Sarah Francis, will share their experiences with cinema lovers through talks.

★ Focusing on improvised music, the Show of Hands Music Festival is preparing to meet music lovers for the sixth time this year.

  Organized in collaboration with A.K. Music and Hermes Records, the festival will be at ARTER between April 23-26.

  Arter is a contemporary art museum in the Dolapdere neighborhood of Istanbul's Beyoğlu district. This year's program will feature 11 leading artists from the jazz and contemporary music scene performing solo and duo.

  Music lovers will experience different genres and artistic approaches in the limitless world of improvised music.

★ Welcoming its guests in the historical atmosphere of Şanlıurfa, Cevahir Han has undertaken a significant gastronomy project to carry the city's thousands of years of culinary culture to new generations.

  In the project presented under the name "Heritage Plates," Turkey's leading chefs Cüneyt Asan, Hazer Amani, Doğa Çitçi, Yaren Çarpar, and Yalçın İnam prepared original plates inspired by Şanlıurfa's geographically indicated products.

★ Panathinaikos AC Women's Basketball of Greece appointed Turkish coach Selen Erdem as the new head coach of its women's basketball team. 

  This decision marks a historic moment for the club, as Erdem is the first foreign head coach in the team's history.

  The appointment comes after her success with PAS Giannina, where she led the team to the Greek Cup final.