★ According to the Turkish daily Sözcü, recent ORC Research poll conducted between August 1–3, 2025, in 18 provinces with 2,400 participants shows the Republican People's Party leading with 43.8 percent, followed by the ruling Justice and Development Party at 42.0 percent, widening the gap between them.

  The Nationalist Movement Party came third with 23.1 percent, the Good Party fourth with 13.8 percent, the Victory Party fifth with 13.5 percent, and the Democrat Party sixth with 13.2 percent.

  Also surpassing the 10 percent threshold were the New Welfare Party (13.0 percent), the Local and National Party (12.5 percent), the Felicity Party (12.2 percent), and the Great Unity Party (12.1 percent).

  The Key Party registered 11.4 percent, while the Workers' Party of Turkey rounded out the list with 10.2 percent.

★ According to an indictment by the Ankara Chief Public Prosecutor's Office, the electronic signatures of senior public institution officials were copied and used to issue fake diplomas and other documents. Among institutions are Higher Education Council, the Ministry of National Education, and student affairs units at 15 universities.

  Deputy Minister of Transport and Infrastructure Ömer Fatih Sayan, who oversees the Information and Communication Technologies Authority, claimed there was no technical responsibility or security vulnerability on the institution's part, even though the authority confirmed canceling 44 fake e-signatures.

  In May, a case was filed against 134 people accused of producing fake diplomas and driver's licenses using these stolen e-signatures.

  With the addition of 65 more defendants named in a second indictment, the total number of suspects has risen to 199.

  Interior Minister Ali Yerlikaya announced that 37 of the suspects have been arrested.

  A criminal investigation has uncovered that the Gazi University law diploma of earthquake victim lawyer Nesibe Kaya Zabun was annulled and replaced with a counterfeit diploma issued under another person's name.

  Prosecutors allege that the electronic signatures of senior public institution officials were illegally copied and used to fabricate diplomas and official documents for numerous individuals.

  According to the Union of Turkish Bar Associations, about 15 law graduates' records at three universities were tampered with in this way, replacing the original graduates' names—three of whom were lawyers who died in the February 6 earthquakes—with new names to grant fraudulent law degrees.

  Public expressed outrage at the news of the forgeries, but at a local open-air market, some vendors made a humorous jab at the controversy by handing out fake diplomas, while two others walked around calling out, "Diplomas are here, madam—free diplomas, come and get one!"

★ According to Bianet, an independent Turkish news outler, Turkish journalist Fatih Altaylı, jailed since June 22 for allegedly threatening the president, has had his YouTube channel targeted by a court order.

  On Aug. 7, the İstanbul 6th Criminal Judgeship of Peace ordered the blocking of two links: a video featuring ex-MP Emin Şirin and the homepage of Altaylı's entire channel, citing national security, public order, and crime prevention concerns. The first video includes remarks by Altaylı referencing a claim about MHP leader Devlet Bahçeli and PKK leader Abdullah Öcalan.

  The ruling will take effect after a two-week appeal period, so the channel remains online for now. Altaylı's viewership surged after his arrest, with July drawing over 28 million views—nearly 8 million more than in June.

  Altaylı, a veteran of over 30 years in Turkish media, now runs his own news site and YouTube channel, maintaining a large audience despite imprisonment.

★ According to Bianet,  a court in Turkey's east-cenral procince of Sivas sentenced conscientious objector Çınar Koçgiri Doğan to five months in prison for refusing compulsory military service, the first such case in Turkey in nearly a decade.

  Doğan, whose appeal was rejected, says the ruling reflects a policy shift from fines to prison terms for objectors and will disrupt his agricultural work.

★ According to Bianet, muslim Feminist writer Berrin Sönmez removed her headscarf to protest an August 1 Diyanet sermon that criticized women's clothing as "dressed nudeness" and, she believes, hinted at a future headscarf mandate.

  She called the khutbah a "veiled imposition" and "retaliation for past bans," citing a passage urging action against women in "inappropriate" attire in institutional settings.

  Sönmez said she acted preemptively, fulfilling a personal vow to remove her headscarf if it ever became compulsory.

★ The Human Rights Association documented at least 26,632 rights violations in Turkey's prisons in 2024, including over 5,500 related to healthcare and 4,700 involving mistreatment.

  The group identified 1,412 ill prisoners—335 seriously ill—alongside reports of hunger strikes, solitary confinement, and restrictions on visits and communication.

  As of late 2024, prisons held over 16,000 women, 759 children living with their mothers, and an unknown number of LGBTI+ inmates.

★ According to the Turkish services of DW, Germany updated its Turkey travel advisory, saying the country is generally safe for tourism but warning LGBTQ+ travelers of prejudice, event bans, and possible violence, and advising against non-essential travel to Şanlıurfa, Mardin, Şırnak, and Hakkâri.

  It also cited recent protests, counterfeit U.S. currency from some ATMs, and cases of travelers detained or denied entry over past political activity or social media posts.

★ According to DW,  lawyer Mehmet Yıldırım was detained in the Serik district of Antalya on charges of "influence peddling" as part of Republican People's Party leader Özgür Özel's "Istanbul Metropolitan Municipality Stock Exchange" allegation.

  At a rally in Tuzla, Özel had claimed that a prosecutor and a lawyer were meeting with detainees and directing their statements in exchange for money, naming Yıldırım and saying he had evidence that would be submitted to the Council of Judges and Prosecutors and the Union of Turkish Bar Associations.

  Republican People's Party officials stressed that the judiciary must uncover the truth, adding that the real question is who was using Yıldırım, with the answer eventually to be revealed and accountability sought.

★ The Turkey Waste Prevention Foundation's 2025 Waste Report shows that the country discards about 25.35 million tons of food each year—about 225 pounds per person—causing losses worth several billion dollars, with fruits and vegetables making up the largest share.

  It estimates that cutting waste by just 5 percent could save tens of billions of dollars, enough to cover the annual living expenses of 900,000 families.

★ Fitch Ratings reported that Turkish banks' performance weakened in the first quarter of 2025 due to narrowing profit margins, rising non-performing loans, and higher loan loss provisions, with average returns on risk-weighted assets falling to 3.9 percent from 4.7 percent in the previous quarter.

  The agency warned that ongoing market volatility or policy shifts could disrupt disinflation efforts and pressure the lira, while capital adequacy ratios declined and foreign-currency deposits rose following late-March instability.

★ The World Bank has announced that it has approved a loan of 650 million dollars for the Istanbul Resilience Project, aimed at strengthening Istanbul's emergency preparedness and response capacity against disasters and climate risks. Turkey's government will get the loan.

★ According to Ekonomim, a Turkish daily with economy and finace news, Turkey is phasing out the Currency-Protected Deposit system, which has cost the country about 60 billion dollars over its three-year lifespan.

  Introduced in late 2021 to shield Turkish lira deposits from currency volatility, the program once reached 140 billion dollars but has since fallen to 11.8 billion dollars, shrinking from 26.2 percent to 2 percent of total deposits.

  Economists long criticized the Currency-Protected Deposit system for failing to curb foreign currency demand, weakening fiscal discipline, and disproportionately benefiting large deposit holders.

  Following the May 2023 elections, the government shifted to more conventional monetary policies, raising interest rates and accelerating the system's phase-out ahead of schedule.

★ Turkey's government-operated statistical institute disclosed the annualized inflation rate for July as 33.5 percent.

 However, ENAG, the independent inflation research group, said it was 65.2 percent, down from June's 68.7 percent.

★ According to BBC, since the Syrian civil war, Turkish-backed opposition areas in the northwest—such as Afrin, El Bab, and Idlib—have widely used the Turkish lira (TL) for salaries, trade, and daily transactions, with many public services provided by Turkey. Analysts say this stabilized prices, maintained services, and strengthened Turkey's "soft power," though it came with fiscal costs.

  After President Bashar al-Assad fled in December 2024, new leader Ahmed Shara pledged to unify the currency under the Syrian pound and centralize control of services, borders, and customs, ending the Turkish-backed interim government's role. While border and administrative control has been transferred to Damascus, many workers in these areas still receive TL salaries, and TL remains common in markets.

  Local residents fear switching to the weaker Syrian pound would cause economic disruption, especially after new customs duties raised prices. Experts note that while reduced TL use would have little short-term economic impact on Turkey due to limited trade volume, Ankara is focusing on securing a role in Syria's reconstruction, seeing it as more critical to future influence than currency policy.

★ Akbank Jazz Festival, one of Turkey's longest-running and most prestigious music events, returns for its 35th year under the theme "The Jazz State of the City."

  Organized in collaboration with Akbank Sanat and BKM from September 27 to October 12, the festival will once again unite world-renowned artists and local talents on stages across Istanbul—a tradition that has shaped the city's musical identity for more than three decades.

  This year's highly anticipated lineup, featuring over 200 musicians, has been announced.

  The program ranges from Grammy-winning virtuosos to experimental projects, from Afro-Cuban rhythms to Scandinavian jazz, and from established names to rising stars of the local scene, continuing to expand the boundaries of jazz.

★ Salt has honored the archival and research work of Sadık Karamustafa, a pioneer in Turkish graphic design, with the release of the e-publication "Journeys, Rituals, and an Archive: Sadık Karamustafa Writings (1986–2019)."

  Founded by Garanti BBVA, Salt prepared the work with support from Kurukahveci Mehmet Efendi.

  Available in PDF and EPUB formats, the publication accompanies an online archive at Salt Araştırma containing 5,000 documents from Karamustafa's career, spanning from the 1960s to the present.

  The e-publication compiles Karamustafa's articles on graphic design, published since the 1980s, examining visual culture from the Ottoman Empire to the Republic.

  He addresses themes such as professional competition, corporate identity, urban identity, and book design, while tracing the development of graphic design in Turkey during the 1980s, the creation of original literature in the 1990s, and the growing call for archives and museums in the 2000s.

  Presented in chronological order and enriched with visuals, the collection offers valuable insight into the evolution of the field.

★ The "Signature Dining Experience" series, part of the Gault&Millau Türkiye Tour organized by Sözen Organization, continues to bring unique culinary events to different corners of the country.

  The third stop took place in Urla at OD Urla, where live music under a golden sunset provided the perfect rhythm for conversations and storytelling.

  Chefs shared their personal journeys, intertwined with the nature, history, and flavors of the Aegean.

  Along Urla's quiet roads, centuries-old olive trees sway in the wind, whispering the timeless story of the region.

  Here, the scent of the sea mingles with the freshness of the soil, and the traces of the past merge with the spirit of the present.

  This is where a chef's childhood dream takes root in family olive groves, evolving into something far beyond an ordinary restaurant.

  A modern yet natural elegance greets guests upon arrival.

  At its heart is an open, glass-enclosed kitchen positioned center stage, where the team works with precision and passion around the fire.

  The air carries the smokiness of the embers and the fragrance of fresh Aegean herbs, turning the meal into a living, breathing work of art.

  OD Urla aims not only to delight the palate but also to offer a complete sensory experience for both body and soul.

★ Turkey's growth in gastronomy tourism has reached a new milestone with the addition of Cappadocia to the Michelin Guide's 2026 selection.

  Following Istanbul, Izmir, and Muğla, Cappadocia becomes the country's fourth Michelin-rated destination.

  The region's first Michelin Guide restaurant selections will be announced alongside those from other provinces during a special ceremony at the Four Seasons Hotel Bosphorus in Istanbul on December 4.

★ Scorpios' 2025 Encounters art program, titled "Ever After," will run in Mykonos and Bodrum, showcasing installations, performances, and digital works by four pioneering female artists: Maja Petrić, Operator, Sasha Stiles, and Krista Kim.

  The program, known for blending ritual, storytelling, and technology, has gained global recognition since 2023 and contributed $1.5 million to rainforest conservation.

  Highlights include Petrić's light sculpture responsive to Aegean weather, Operator's immersive choreographic performance, Stiles' AI-powered generative poetry, and Kim's meditative light installation Aura Chamber.

  Events take place from late July through September 2025, with select live performances and guided experiences scheduled in Bodrum and Mykonos.

★ A 8 ft–tall marble statue of the goddess Hestia and the only known surviving example from the Hellenistic period, is now on display at the newly opened Manisa Museum in Türkiye.

  Discovered in 2005 in the ancient city of Aigai, the statue originally stood in the city's Bouleuterion, symbolizing civic unity and order.

  The museum has recreated the council hall's layout so visitors can see the sculpture in a setting similar to its original location.

  Archaeologists hail the unveiling as a milestone in preserving and presenting the civic and spiritual heritage of ancient Hellenistic cities.

★ The Türkiye İş Bankası Painting and Sculpture Museum is holding a five-week Summer Conferences program every Saturday in August, offering an in-depth exploration of Turkish art history from the miniature tradition to contemporary painting.

  Sessions run from 12:00 to 1:30 p.m. in the museum's BlackBox hall and feature five prominent experts: Prof. Dr. Tarkan Okçuoğlu on Ottoman miniature art, Prof. Dr. Gül İrepoğlu on jewelry as a historical and cultural lens, Assoc. Prof. Dr. Seda Yavuz on the birth of Western-style Turkish painting, Dr. Ali Kayaalp on contemporary art since the Republic, and Dr. Osman Erden on Turkish painting's place in the international art scene.

  Participants may attend single sessions or the full series, with certificates awarded to those completing all five.

★ City Cats of Istanbul, a new book and exhibition by Dutch photographer Marcel Heijnen at the Cat Museum Istanbul, explores the city through its feline residents, portraying them as "hybrid citizens" who belong to no one yet are embraced by all.

  Heijnen, known for Shop Cats of Hong Kong and Shop Cats of China, captures the cats not only as subjects but as integral parts of Istanbul's streets, architecture, and daily life, complemented by haikus from Ian Row.

  The work contrasts Istanbul's street cats with shop-based cats in Asia, emphasizing their omnipresence in public spaces—from mosques and cafes to dental offices—and the intimate moments they share with people.

  Through images and poetry, the project frames the cats as silent narrators of the city, inviting viewers to pause, connect, and see Istanbul through a lens of shared space, affection, and coexistence.

★ A 600-year-old rock-cut mosque, likely from the Eretna Beylik period, has been discovered in Taşkınpaşa village, Ürgüp, after being used for decades as a woodshed.

  Cleaning work revealed a well-preserved mihrab, indicating that prayers were performed there, though its full historical function is still under study.

  Art historians say the structure, previously undocumented, shows decorative and technical features from the Seljuk and Beylik eras.

  Local researchers plan further investigations to determine its history, while the building's long-hidden state has helped preserve it in near-original condition.

★ Archaeologists in Aspendos, Antalya Province, have uncovered a 16-inch-tall marble head from the late 3rd century AD, likely depicting either Emperor Gallienus or Emperor Claudius II Gothicus.

  Dating to the turbulent Crisis of the Third Century, the sculpture combines Roman verism—marked by detailed wrinkles and facial features symbolizing wisdom—with Hellenistic influences that convey emotional depth.

  It was found in the city's Roman forum, a civic center where imperial power was displayed through monumental art, adding to ongoing excavations of baths, aqueducts, and administrative buildings.

  The find sheds light on how late Roman emperors used art to project authority and legitimacy, while also enriching understanding of Aspendos' urban life and imperial propaganda in Anatolia.

★ Archaeologists at Uşaklı Höyük in Central Anatolia have uncovered the "Lost Children's Circle," a Late Hittite stone-built ritual structure containing the remains of seven infants, some scattered alongside animal bones, ash, and pottery fragments.

  Located on a terrace north of the citadel, the circular monument appears to have held ceremonial significance for centuries, with repeated use indicated by layered stone pavements.

  The discovery of a well-preserved infant tooth may yield radiocarbon dating and ancient DNA, potentially offering rare insights into Hittite populations and supporting theories that the site could be the religious center of Zippalanda.

  The 2025 excavation season also revealed evidence of Iron Age to Hellenistic occupation, destruction layers from the Middle Iron Age, and material remains that illuminate the settlement's diet, architecture, and daily life.

★ Fires in Çanakkale and near Bayramiç in the Kaz Mountains have disrupted local shipping, with the Çanakkale Strait reopened only for north–south traffic. Authorities say the blazes began on farmland, and the agriculture minister warned the strait could close again if needed while investigations into the causes continue.

★ According to Turkey's General Directorate of Meteorology, July 2025 was the hottest July in Turkey in the past 55 years, with temperatures rising by an average of about 3.4 degrees Fahrenheit compared to the 1991–2020 average.