What Happened in Türkiye: September 14–21, 2026
Türkiye’s agenda between September 14 and 21 ranged from the start of the new academic year and renewed attention on international education results to turmoil in financial markets, developments in a long-running intelligence officer death investigation and debates over civil rights.
The week also included new statements from President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan on the government’s “Terror-Free Türkiye” process, banking measures involving an Iranian lender and the beginning of a busy diplomatic period at the United Nations in New York.
New school year begins across Türkiye
Millions of students returned to classrooms on September 14 as the 2026–2027 academic year officially began.
Around 17 million students and 1.2 million teachers started the new term, while special traffic arrangements were introduced in Istanbul on the first day because of the expected increase in school traffic.
President Erdoğan attended an opening ceremony at Gazi Anatolian High School in Ankara, where he highlighted Türkiye’s results in the 2025 Programme for International Student Assessment, or PISA. Erdoğan said Türkiye had improved its ranking in reading, mathematics and science and described it as the only country to record a significant improvement across all three areas.
Kaşif Kozinoğlu investigation returns to the agenda
The investigation into the 2011 death of former National Intelligence Organization officer Kaşif Kozinoğlu in Silivri Prison remained one of the week’s major judicial stories.
On September 14, Kurtlar Vadisi screenwriters Raci Şaşmaz, Bahadır Özdener and Cüneyt Aysan gave statements as witnesses in the reopened investigation.
The investigation widened later in the week. On September 19, former Silivri chief prosecutor Ali İşgören and former prison prosecutor Necip Doğan were arrested on suspicion of membership in a criminal organization. Four other suspects, including a former prison director and a former shift supervisor, were detained in separate operations the same day. The investigation remains ongoing, and the allegations have not been adjudicated.
Detentions and protests over LGBTQ+ groups
Civil rights also became a major part of the domestic agenda.
Turkish authorities arrested at least 31 people pending trial on September 15 following operations targeting LGBTQ+ groups, while police detained at least 126 people during protests in Ankara and Istanbul, according to lawyers cited by Reuters.
The government said the operation, called “My Family is Safe,” was aimed at protecting children and public order. Rights organizations and opposition figures criticized the measures, while Council of Europe Human Rights Commissioner Michael O’Flaherty expressed concern over the arrests, raids and online restrictions.
Borsa Istanbul hit by a fund liquidity crisis
Financial markets experienced one of their most volatile weeks of the year.
Türkiye’s BIST 100 index fell more than 5% on September 16 amid liquidity problems at several investment funds. Authorities responded the following day with a series of measures aimed at stabilizing the market.
The Central Bank increased repo funding to 300 billion Turkish lira and sharply increased banks’ borrowing limits in the interbank market. The Capital Markets Board also suspended trading and ordered the liquidation of several funds managed by seven portfolio companies.
The affected funds had a combined portfolio size of around 891 billion lira and approximately 353,000 investors, according to a source cited by Reuters.
The BIST 100 recovered part of its losses after the measures, although analysts cautioned that it was too early to determine whether the selloff had fully run its course.
Türkiye revokes Bank Mellat’s operating licence
Türkiye’s banking regulator also revoked the operating licence of Iranian lender Bank Mellat’s Istanbul branch.
The decision was published in the Official Gazette and cited provisions allowing authorities to withdraw a licence when continued operations are considered a risk to depositor rights or financial stability.
The official decision did not cite U.S. measures against Iran as the reason for the move. Reuters noted, however, that the decision came amid broader U.S. pressure on countries to tighten economic restrictions involving Tehran.
Erdoğan: “Terror-Free Türkiye” process nearing final stage
President Erdoğan said on September 19 that the government’s “Terror-Free Türkiye” initiative was approaching what he described as its “final stretch.”
Speaking at a ceremony in Istanbul, Erdoğan said the process was being managed as a state project and argued that significant progress had been made over the previous two years. The phrase “Terror-Free Türkiye” is the government’s official description of the initiative.
Erdoğan arrives in New York for UN General Assembly
Foreign policy moved to the forefront at the end of the week as Erdoğan travelled to New York for the 81st United Nations General Assembly.
The Turkish president arrived on September 20 and was scheduled to address the General Assembly during the high-level debate. Turkish officials said Gaza, Palestinian statehood and regional security were expected to feature prominently in his meetings and speech.
Nearly 130 heads of state and government were gathering in New York amid conflicts in the Middle East and Ukraine, as well as debates over artificial intelligence and the future role of the United Nations.
Türkiye launches AI and climate initiative ahead of COP31
Türkiye also used the UN gathering to introduce a new climate initiative focused on artificial intelligence.
On September 21, Ankara launched a push for countries to align the development of AI infrastructure with global climate goals, amid concerns over the rapidly increasing energy requirements of artificial intelligence systems.
The initiative comes ahead of COP31, which Türkiye will host in Antalya in November 2026.
From education and civil-rights debates to significant volatility in financial markets and preparations for a major period of international diplomacy, the September 14–21 week produced a broad domestic agenda in Türkiye.
What Happened in Türkiye / NationalTurk
Source: NationalTurk
