Post #1
Before looking at my articles about Turkey for the week I used Fragile States Index 2018 to help me get a better understanding of exactly where Turkey stacks up right now compared to the rest of the world. As expected, it wasn’t very good. Turkey sits at a 82.2 rating which is in the high warning category of the nation failing and falling apart. And if Turkey doesn’t make big strides fast, they will find themselves in the high alert category if they aren’t careful.
Turkey and the United States are not on the best terms and that proved even more true on Sunday, September 2nd when Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan said the United States and President Trump behave like “Wild Wolves.” This was in response to President Trump placing new tariffs on Turkish steel and aluminum due to their detention of a American Pastor in Turkey. Therefor Turkey has announced it will use “non dollar trades” now with Russia as a work around. President Erdogan said “Dollar only damages us. We will not give up. We will be victorious.”

Also due to President Trump’s sanctions on Turkish goods, the lira (turkish dollar) has sank 42 percent against the dollar. As President Tayyip Erdogan blames Turkey’s economic problems on the United States being “bullies.” This Turkish lira crisis has caused gas prices to skyrocket. State pipeline operator Botas raised gas prices by up to 14 per cent. Inflation has sent Turkish food and petrol prices soaring because of fears about the impact on the country’s wider economy and banks. Economists are scared that Turkey’s central bank’s is unable to rein in inflation, which hit a 14 year high of nearly 16 percent in July. Last month, Botas increased the price of natural gas for electricity production by 50 percent and by 9 percent for residential use. Turkey relies on imports for basically all of their energy needs, with the lira crisis driving up costs of oil and gas. Turkey’s energy regulator shot up electricity prices by 14 percent for industrial use and 9 percent for households.Economists expect inflation data to be posted soon to show how bad the Turkey economic crisis is. “This will provide the first hard evidence of the impact of the lira’s collapse this month on the wider economy,” said Jason Tuvey of Capital Economics. President Erdogan believes high interest rates stoke inflation, a viewpoint that comes from orthodox economics. President Erdogan has described himself as the “enemy of interest rates” and wants to see lower borrowing costs to keep credit flowing. But investors argue that interest rate hikes are needed to halt inflation.
Turkish police broke up a protest in Istanbul by using water cannons and tear gas. The protest was ran by mothers who were remembering relatives who disappeared during violence in the 1990’s. Most of the people who were detained by the Turkish government in the 1990’s mysteriously disappeared and were never seen again.

The group who led the protest were called the Saturday Mothers and have been meeting in Istanbul since 1995. Emma Sinclair-Webb from Human Rights watch said it was a “shameful, cruel treatment of families seeking justice for state crimes,” when talking about the police’s handling of the protest. Showing the disconnect between the people of Turkey and the government. About 50 people were detained in result of the protest, including 80 year old, veteran protester, Emine Ocak. Her son Hasan disappeared after being detained in 1995.
Turkey’s relations with the United States and its own people must improve for Turkey to dig itself out of the hole it is currently in. Unfortunately with this current economic crisis it is hard to see any good coming soon for Turkey.
Sources:
http://fundforpeace.org/fsi/2018/04/24/fragile-states-index-2018-annual-report/
