★ President Donald Trump and Turkey's President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan met in Washington, with Trump emphasizing his long-standing friendship with Erdoğan.

  He remarked that Erdoğan "knows fraudulent elections better than anyone," referring to Turkey's past elections, and described their ties as strong even during disputes.

  Trump also said he lifted sanctions on Syria at Erdoğan's request, praising him as the leader responsible for victory in Syria.

  After the meeting, Trump warmly shook hands with Turkish officials and told reporters the talks were "great."

  U.S. envoy Tom Barrack described the meeting as "epic," while Trump linked any F-35 deal with Turkey to Ankara taking "a good step" for the U.S.

  Photographs of Trump holding Erdoğan's chair drew attention in Turkey, with government figures interpreting it as proof of Erdoğan's growing influence.

  According to Deutsche Welle, Germany's public international broadcaster, Trump told Erdoğan to halt Russian oil purchases, noting Turkey's high reliance on Russian crude.

  He pointed out that in natural gas, Turkey has recently shifted toward U.S. liquefied natural gas imports.

 

★ Deutsche Welle published an analysis comparing Trump's efforts to bring U.S. institutions under his control with President Erdoğan's tactics in Turkey.

  Both leaders are described as undermining universities, pressuring central banks, targeting independent media, reshaping the judiciary, and casting doubt on elections when unfavorable.

  While their rhetoric at the UN General Assembly sharply diverged, their methods of consolidating power showed striking similarities.

 

★ On September 21, the Republican People's Party held an emergency convention in Ankara where Özgür Özel was re-elected as party chair.

  The convention was called to shield the party from lawsuits seeking to annul its 2023 convention and pave the way for a trustee.

  Delegates first voted no confidence in Özel and his executive board, then immediately re-elected them, a move designed to render the case moot.

  Özel accused President Erdoğan of conspiring against the party through the courts.

  Jailed İstanbul Mayor Ekrem İmamoğlu sent a message urging resistance against inequality and injustice.

  Delegates from İstanbul could not vote due to separate injunctions against the provincial congress.

  However, on Septeneber 24, a separate convention for the Istanbul organization of the Republicona people's Party took place despite a court's order to halt it.

  The Supreme Election Council ruled that a convention already underway could not be stopped.

  Previous provincial chair Özgür Çelik, who was dismissed by the courts for alleged irregularities and vote-buying for the 2023 convention, ran as the sole candidate.

  The convention ended with Çelik re-elected as chair with 386 out of 414 votes.

  The event underscored the ongoing clash between courts and electoral authorities over opposition leadership.

★ Ekrem İmamoğlu, the imprisoned mayor of İstanbul and presidential candidate of the Republican People's Party, wrote in The Guardian that Turkey is facing its most dangerous democratic crisis.

  He said Erdoğan is weaponizing the courts to jail opponents and replace them with loyalists, warning this mirrors tactics seen under Hosni Mubarak in Egypt and the Assad family in Syria.

  He called on democrats globally to stand against these methods and insisted that the will of the Turkish people would prevail despite repression.

  The full article can be read at: Read more at >> here <<

★ After authorities arrested five municipal employees in connection with a corruption probe into spending on concerts organized by the opposition-run city hall, Ankara Mayor Mansur Yavaş criticized investigations into former municipal administrations, accusing authorities of shielding former mayor Melih Gökçek and his family from accountability.

  Yavaş argued that expert reports had been manipulated, public losses ignored, and that true justice cannot exist until the Gökçek family faces trial.

  He also pointed to allegations of municipal funds being funneled by the Gökçe-led administration into contracts, sports clubs, and personal networks, and demanded full accountability for misuse of resources.

★ Turkey's Council of State overturned Culture and Tourism Minister Mehmet Nuri Ersoy's decision not to allow the prosecution of nine ministry staff over the Kartalkaya Grand Kartal Hotel fire, which killed 78 people, including 36 children, in January 2025. Minister's decision had came despite an expert report holding the ministry primarily responsible.

  The ruling paves the way for the officials' trial.

  The case continues with some staff excluded from trial, but the decision marks a major step toward accountability.

★ Prosecutors in İstanbul have prepared an indictment against Boğaç Soydemir, host of the YouTube program Soğuk Savaş, Cold War, and his guest Enes Akgündüz.

  They face charges of inciting hatred and insulting religious values over remarks referencing a hadith about alcohol.

  Both men face up to 4.5 years in prison if convicted.

★ Journalist Feyza Nur Çalıkoğlu of Karar faces trial under Turkey's "disinformation" law for reporting on alleged torture at deportation centers.

  Her article, published in November 2024, cited lawyers who described practices like "silent rooms" and "cold rooms."

  Prosecutors accuse her of misleading the public, seeking up to three years in prison.

  Çalıkoğlu told Bianet her work aimed to increase transparency in closed facilities and prevent further abuses.

  A DEM Party lawmaker submitted parliamentary questions criticizing both the ministry's complaint and the prosecution of journalists, stressing that exposing such allegations is part of press freedom and the public's right to know.

★ ECONOMY

★ On September 25, the Turkish daily Sözcü reported that Goldman Sachs revised its forecasts for Turkey's economy, raising year-end inflation expectations from 27 percent to 29 percent due to the lira's depreciation.

  Independent experts calculated last month rate as 66 percent.

  The bank also adjusted its 2025 year-end policy rate forecast from 35.5 percent to 37 percent, while keeping its 2026 inflation estimate unchanged at 20 percent, signaling expectations of gradual easing in the medium term.

  Goldman Sachs economists noted that the lira lost about 4.2 percent against the dollar in the third quarter of 2025, a key factor behind the inflation revision.

★ On September 26, Deutsche Welle reported that oil shipments from northern Iraq to Turkey resumed after 30 months.

  The pipeline was shut in March 2023 after a court ruled Turkey had imported Kurdish oil without Baghdad's consent.

  A new deal allows 180,000 to 190,000 barrels per day to flow to the Turkish mediterranean port Ceyhan, with exports expected to rise further.

★ Writer Özgür Hüseyin Akış was interviewed by Nalin Öztekin of Bianet about his new book "The Invisible Members of the Class: Refugee Child Workers."

  He argues that refugee children in Turkey, mainly from Syria, Iraq, and Afghanistan, have become the most vulnerable part of the working class due to forced migration and poverty.

  Akış describes their exploitation in factories, recycling facilities, and fields as a systemic issue tied to neoliberal policies and official neglect.

  He calls for a complete ban on child labor, proper integration policies, and addressing the root causes of forced migration.

  He also criticizes the lack of reliable official data, saying the state deliberately hides the scale of child labor.

★ Gülcan Kış, a deputy of the Republican People's Party, criticized excessive presidential spending, revealing that the presidency used 9.2 billion liras in the first eight months of 2025, equivalent to 72 minimum wages per hour.

  She said workers labor a month for what the presidency spends in a single minute.

  Kış also targeted Treasury Minister Mehmet Şimşek, accusing him of hypocrisy for urging austerity while his ministry spent 4.3 billion liras in the same period.

  She argued the ruling Justice and Development Party maintains a "wasteful order" while citizens face poverty and insecurity.

★ Turkey celebrated the 38th Ahi Culture week.

  Various localities observed the week by honering local tradesmen. was named "Ahi of the Year "

  A 55-year iron casting master from Samsun in the Black Sea region, 73-year-old Emin Akyüz was declared the "Ahi of the Year" for the city. He expressed his pride in keeping the Ahi culture alive.

  In Aydın in the Aegean region, mechanic İsmail Gülter was declared Ahi of the Year.

  The Ahi Brotherhood was a religious and commercial fraternity established in Anatolia in the 13th and 14th centuries, with teachings on trade, morality, and social solidarity.

★ The Bodrum International Film Festival will run from October 3rd to 8th with Tony Gatlif as jury president.

  The jury includes Reza Mirkarimi, Hülya Uçansu, Fadik Sevin Atasoy, and Elise Jalladeau.

  One of the highlights will be the presentation of the Festival's Honorary Award to Gatlif on opening night.

★ Italian pianist Andrea Vanzo will perform in Ankara on September 28 and in Istanbul on October 1 as part of the Turkey Culture Road Festival.

  Known for his post-minimalist style, Vanzo's works have been streamed over 300 million times, and his new album "Intimacy Vol. 2" will be released on October 10.

★ İş Sanat's traveling "Familiar Faces" exhibition will be shown in Antakya on September 27–28.

  The show presents portraits from the İş Bankası Art Collection, including works by Feyhaman Duran, Nuri İyem, Adnan Çoker, and Semiha Berksoy.

★ At Contemporary Istanbul, Ruzy Gallery hosted a talk with curator Thom Oosterhof and artist Pam Glick.

  They discussed how contemporary challenges and ideas can be transformed into meaningful artistic narratives.

★ Nilbar Güreş will represent Turkey at the 2026 Venice Biennale under the theme "In Minor Keys."

  Curated by Başak Doğa Temür, the pavilion will showcase Güreş's work on gender, identity, and cultural memory.

★ The exhibition "Folia" opened at Abdülmecid Efendi Mansion in Istanbul, organized by Koç Holding.

  Curated by Selen Ansen and Eda Berkmen, it features over 300 works exploring the relationship between nature, imagination, and humanity.

★ At the İş Bankası Painting and Sculpture Museum in Istanbul, the exhibition "Side by Side" presents works by two couples, Melahat and Eşref Üren, and Eren and Bedri Rahmi Eyüboğlu.

  The exhibition explores their shared artistic journeys and contributions to Turkish art.

★ CerModern in Ankara is hosting Habip Aydoğdu's exhibition "Notes to an Unlived History" from September 23 to December 14.

  The show is marked by "Habip Red," the artist's signature color that symbolizes suppressed emotions, rebellion, and memory.

  Covering works from the 2000s to 2025, the exhibition blends text and image to explore personal and collective memory, addressing past wounds while leaving notes for an unrealized future.

★ The Hitay Foundation Art Competition, held for the 10th time, has concluded.

  The competition supports young university artists and contemporary visual arts.

  This year, ten winners were awarded a week-long discovery trip to the 13th Berlin Biennale, where they explored Berlin's art scene, exhibitions, and the biennial.

  Hitay Foundation was established in 2019 by businessman and art collector Emin Hitay to support arts and education in Turkey.

  Read more at >> here <<

★ In Edirne, restoration of the UNESCO-listed Selimiye Mosque, Mimar Sinan's 16th-century masterpiece, has reached advanced stages.

  Exterior repairs on domes, minarets, and lead coverings are largely finished, while conservation work continues inside.

  But controversy has erupted over proposed design changes to the dome inscriptions. Following objections from historians and conservationists, a local court suspended that part of the project, warning of possible "irreparable damage."

  Other restoration efforts continue under expert supervision, and the mosque remains partially open to worshippers and visitors.

★ In Antalya's Sarıhacılar village, residents are demanding the return of artifacts taken during the restoration of the historic mosque.

  While the Sakal-i Şerif has been returned, the flag, Kaaba cover, and other items remain in official custody despite restoration ending in 2022.

★ Archaeology

  - Excavations at the ancient city of Troy in northwestern Turkey uncovered a 4,500-year-old golden brooch and a jade stone.

  The brooch is one of only three known worldwide, while the jade points to long-distance trade networks in the Early Bronze Age.

  - In Diyarbakır's Ergani district, archaeologists unearthed six burials at the Çayönü settlement mound.

  Five belong to the Early Bronze Age, about 5,000 years ago, while one dates back 11,000 years to the Neolithic, offering insights into burial traditions of early farming communities.

  - At İzmir's Bayraklı mound, the earliest phase of the ancient city of Smyrna, 5,000-year-old ceramic vessels were found.

  The discoveries highlight Smyrna's role as an emerging trade hub linked with the Aegean islands, mainland Greece, Troy, and Central Anatolia.

  - Excavations at the 12000-year-old Göbeklitepe in southeastern Turkey revealed a human statue placed on its back inside a wall.

  Archaeologists say the unique find may have held ritual significance and reflects the advanced sculptural style of the Neolithic period.

  - In northwestern Turkey, a team of women archaeologists discovered 138 Paleolithic stone tools in Ayvalık.

  The finds suggest that during the Ice Age, when sea levels were lower, Ayvalık formed a land bridge that may have allowed early humans to walk from Anatolia into Europe.

 

★ Turkish sports have had an eventful week.

  In basketball, Fenerbahçe Beko defeated Beşiktaş Gain 85–83 on September 24 at Istanbul's Sinan Erdem Dome to capture the Turkish Basketball Presidential Cup.

  At the European Championship, Turkey's men's national team reached the final but fell short, losing 88–83 to Germany.

  In volleyball, Turkey's women's national team made history by advancing to their first World Championship final after beating Japan 3–1 on September 6. They went on to face Italy in the title match, where they narrowly lost in five sets on September 7.

Ankara, in central Turkey        : 79/52 Partly Cloudy
Antalya, on the Mediterranean    : 82/72 Partly Cloudy
Erzurum, in Eastern Turkey       : 72/39 Partly Cloudy
Istanbul, in northwestern Turkey : 73/61 Partly Cloudy
Izmir, on the Aegean             : 79/63 Partly Cloudy
Trabzon, on the Black Sea        : 70/59 Showers

Black Sea measured at Trabzon         : 68
Marmara Sea measured at Tekirdağ      : 70
Aegean Sea measured at İzmir          : 72
Mediterranean Sea measured at Antalya : 82