The 36th Civil Chamber of the Ankara Regional Court of Justice ruled unanimously on Thursday that the Republican People's Party's (CHP) 38th Ordinary Elective Congress of 4-5 November 2023 was "absolutely null and void," temporarily removing current chair Özgür Özel and his entire central party leadership and reinstating former chair Kemal Kılıçdaroğlu and the pre-congress organs until the decision becomes final. The chamber overturned a 24 October 2025 lower-court ruling that had declared the case moot, and also annulled the CHP's 8 October 2023 Istanbul Provincial Congress along with every subsequent ordinary and extraordinary congress held by Turkey's oldest party. The party has two weeks to appeal to the Court of Cassation.

Turkey's parliament on Wednesday passed a law reducing the corporate tax rate for manufacturing companies to 12.5% from 25% and introducing incentives to repatriate assets held abroad. The legislation also extends a 100% corporate tax exemption on financial services export income at the Istanbul Financial Center until 2047. Assets brought into Turkey under the repatriation scheme will be taxed at 5%, with no tax due if held for five years in certain financial instruments.

Israel is considering shutting down its consulate in Istanbul, one of its oldest diplomatic missions, following a shooting near the building on April 7, an Israeli source told AFP on Wednesday. The embassy in Ankara will remain open but both missions are currently staffed only by Turkish personnel after diplomats were evacuated following the Oct. 7, 2023, Hamas attack and the subsequent Gaza war. No decision has been made, the source said, as discussions also involve plans to demolish the consulate building as part of earthquake preparation measures.

A Turkish court has removed the leader of the main opposition party from office, escalating political tensions in the country. This action is a significant development in Turkey's domestic political landscape.

On May 21, 2026, the Turkish Statistical Institute (TurkStat) released preliminary estimates projecting a substantial increase in grain and fruit production for 2026, driven by improved rainfall in early 2026 after recent droughts and a major frost event in 2025 that had negatively impacted crops. Grain production is expected to rise 21.7% to 41.6 million metric tons, with wheat up 26.7% to 22.8 million tons and barley up 50% to 9 million tons. Fruit production is forecast to surge 57.8% to 31 million tons, while vegetable output remains stable at 33.3 million tons. The positive outlook comes amid ongoing food price inflation, with the annual CPI at 32.37% in April and the food and non-alcoholic beverages index rising 34.55% year-on-year.

Turkey's Defense Industry Executive Committee approved the procurement of 100 expendable unmanned surface vessels in February 2026, with production allocated to three teams: Aselsan/Ares Shipyard (40 Tufan USVs), STM/Yonca Shipyard (32 Yaktu USVs), and Havelsan/Sefine Shipyard (32 units). The Tufan USV is 8 m long and carries an Mk 82 equivalent payload. Both the Tufan and Yaktu USVs, unveiled at SAHA Expo 2026, feature low-profile hulls, LOS and satellite communications, and swarm architecture for autonomous cooperative missions, designed for precision strikes against maritime and coastal targets.

Turkish defense company Armelsan has completed sea trials for its domestically developed Nusrat-1915 mine-hunting sonar. The system reportedly doubles detection range and performance compared to current foreign sonars. It will be integrated into Turkish Navy vessels, starting with Engin-class ships, with full fleet operational capability expected by end of 2027. The development is driven by strategic needs in the Black Sea and Gulf regions. Armelsan is also developing a compact sonar suite for unmanned surface and underwater vehicles.

An analysis argues that Turkey is evolving from a mere energy transit country into a physical energy hub, driven by geopolitical risks at chokepoints like the Strait of Hormuz and the Russia-Ukraine war. The article highlights alternative corridors including Turkmenistan-Turkey, Qatar-Turkey, and Iraq-Turkey pipelines, and notes Europe's low gas storage levels increase the strategic importance of these routes for supply diversification and cost stability.