Stories from Turkey

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan has shared details regarding social housing projects. Specifically, the lottery for 100,000 homes to be built in Istanbul under the 500,000 social housing project has determined the beneficiaries. Erdoğan noted that TOKI has constructed 1,762,000 social housing units to date. He also highlighted existing support for urban transformation efforts. Environment, Urbanization and Climate Change Minister Murat Kurum announced a major housing initiative in Istanbul. Kurum described the initiative as a challenge to the 'darkened conscience' of the era. President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan announced new social housing initiatives during a ceremony at Atatürk Airport Millet Bahçesi. The initiative will involve the construction of 15,000 rental units across both the European and Anatolian sides of the city.

The Turkish National Intelligence Organization and the Syrian Ministry of Interior conducted a joint anti-drug operation. Turkish authorities conducted 17,188 operations targeting drug manufacturing and trafficking between January 1 and April 25, 2026. These operations resulted in the seizure of 16.8 tons of narcotics. Additionally, officials seized 51.2 million drug pills and 49,000 cannabis and skunk plants. The data was shared during a panel discussing the role of media in the fight against drugs.

Turkey is introducing new requirements for social media platforms and game developers to remove prohibited content within one hour. The regulations include a digital shield application and require companies to provide parents with clear, usable control panels. These panels will allow parents to intervene in young accounts and monitor screen time and content. Turkey has tightened regulations regarding the use of dual-SIM mobile phones that have not been registered with passports. Foreign gaming platforms accessible from Turkey with over 100 million daily users must comply with new provisions. These platforms will be required to fulfill requests from BTEK, the access providers union, and judicial/administrative authorities. Following non-compliance, bandwidth throttling will be applied. Content without ratings will be shown to the highest age group. Inappropriate content will be removed.

Turkey intends to establish drone production and training centers across all 81 of its provinces. Director General Kemal Yüksek highlighted a new UAV tracking and traffic management system project intended to resolve security issues. This data was presented as part of a broader discussion on Turkey's trajectory toward becoming a leading nation in drone technology. Turkey currently has 1,612,000 individuals holding active Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (UAV) pilot licenses. Ukrainian forces continue long-range launches into Russian territory to degrade enemy morale. Ukrainian officials state that their own forces have already halted Russian advances along most of the front line. The strategy aims to defend held territory with minimal troop losses by taking the war deep into Russia. The objective is to force Russian citizens to question their own military actions.

Turkey's government is actively working to ensure the operational security of a specific matter, accusing Greece of consistently generating threats. This accusation stems from a historical pattern of perceived antagonism between the two nations. An assistant to the Turkish president has made statements directed at Greece and France, according to a report from Komsomolskaya Pravda. The remarks were described as being outside the bounds of standard diplomatic language. The source characterized the statements as hooliganism and a threat to the two nations and the European Union.

The Turkish Ministry of Environment, Urbanization and Climate Change announced plans to complete 15,000 rental housing units via TOKI within three years. Land collection processes are expected to begin in June or July. Construction for all units is projected to be completed within two to three years. The ministry selected Istanbul as the primary location due to the depth of the local rental crisis. Under this model, the state will act as a tenant for lower-income groups, providing housing at prices below market rates. Industry representatives are monitoring how the model will affect producers and consumers in the housing sector. The Housing Development Administration of Turkey (TOKI) will construct 15,000 homes across the European and Asian sides of Istanbul. The project targets low-income groups and individuals without existing homes who meet specific income criteria.

The Turkish government is implementing new tax incentives to attract the regional headquarters of global corporations to the country. Specifically, 95% of profits from transit trade activities conducted outside the Istanbul Financial Center will be tax-exempt. This policy aims to strengthen Turkey's position as a major international financial and commercial hub. Companies investing in Turkey will also receive tax exemptions. The tax advantages currently offered to institutions operating in the Istanbul Financial Center will be expanded. Certain commercial activities conducted within the Istanbul Financial Center are also included in the plan. Under the new plan, companies moving regional management centers to Turkey will face no tax on earnings from overseas operations for the next 20 years.

Social media platforms are rolling out new features to allow families to monitor and control digital activities. These updates enable parents to oversee communications and the types of content children access during gameplay or browsing. The move aims to increase oversight of online interactions and digital safety for minors. There is a need to hold parents responsible for addressing complex social issues, including discussions about the body and identity. The importance of open communication and dialogue is highlighted in a society that has not fully learned these skills. The approach aims to empower individuals to explore their own identities and desires. These features may allow parents to track friend requests, screenshots, and phone conversations. Under these settings, children may be restricted from opening live broadcasts on certain platforms.

Turkish authorities have announced that nearly 80% of applicants for social housing programs have been approved following a comprehensive review of cadastral data and annual income records. The selection process prioritized specific groups, including relatives of martyrs and veterans, to ensure equitable distribution. This initiative aims to address housing needs by verifying individual eligibility through detailed historical records. Turkish authorities have initiated lottery processes as of December 29 to finalize social housing allocations. Officials reported identifying 500,000 eligible beneficiaries through transparent notary-supervised procedures across 81 provinces. The process spanned locations including Ankara, Izmir, Gaziantep, Trabzon, Corum, and Hatay. The Turkish government reported producing 1,760,000 housing units in collaboration with TOKİ.

An 89-year-old woman passed away in the Fatih district of Istanbul after suffering a heart attack. Emergency responders faced significant difficulty accessing the residence due to narrow streets, delaying the ambulance's arrival. The incident highlights ongoing local concerns regarding emergency service accessibility in dense urban neighborhoods. The suspect, identified as the victim's husband's wife, was arrested following the incident. The shooting reportedly stemmed from a dispute between the couple.