Here is today’s Turkey news in English, Thursday 12 November 2026. President Erdoğan held talks with Iran’s president on the sidelines of COP31 in Antalya, a new sea border gate opened in Datça, and US envoys met Vladimir Putin in Moscow.
Politics and diplomacy
Erdoğan meets Pezeshkian: Erdoğan called for an Iran–US negotiating table and also met the leaders of Sudan, DR Congo and Libya’s unity government.
Foreign Ministry and Israel: Ankara rejected an Israeli statement targeting Erdoğan after his COP31 speech.
Kızılay bill passed: Parliament approved all articles of the Turkish Red Crescent bill; the plenary returns on 17 November.
Somalia troops claim denied: The defence ministry said reports of 15,000 troops going to Somalia do not reflect the facts.
Pension arrangement: AK Party’s Abdulhamit Gül said Erdoğan has told the economic team to work on a new arrangement for pensioners.
Monitoring commission: Speaker Kurtulmuş met MHP leader Bahçeli.
Economy
Petrol price cut: Petrol fell by 3.40 lira a litre from Thursday; diesel was unchanged.
Inflation Report: The central bank raised its year-end 2026 inflation forecast to 29.5%.
Loan growth caps: The central bank raised eight-week growth caps for personal, vehicle and business loans.
Add-on insurance rules: Shops and service providers can no longer make bundled insurance compulsory.
Istanbul Northern Railway: The tender for the line linking Istanbul’s two airports drew 25 bids.
Solar plants: Eight lenders signed support letters for 2,000 MW of solar plants in Sivas and Taşeli.
Fethiye and the coast
Datça border gate: Yachts entering Gökova Bay can now clear entry at Körmen port; a seasonal Kos ferry is planned.
Mavi Balina-2026: Twelve countries are taking part in the anti-submarine exercise briefed at Aksaz, Marmaris.
Antalya power cuts, Friday: Alanya, Kaş, Demre, Kemer, Gazipaşa and Manavgat.
İzmir power cuts, Friday: 19 districts including Bornova, Çeşme and Urla.
World
Putin meets US envoys: Witkoff and Kushner held more than two hours of talks in the Kremlin; the envoys go on to Dublin.
Cable survey dispute: A French survey ship began work on the Greece–Cyprus cable route amid rival Turkish and Greek NAVTEX notices.
Israel and Iran: Israel’s security cabinet ordered the army to step up preparations for a possible Iran strike.
Nasser Hospital strike: At least six people, including a surgeon, were killed in Khan Younis.
Brooklyn collapse, Storm Charles and the death of Russia’s ambassador to the US.
Sports
Türkiye 1-2 Belgium: Arda Güler scored from a free kick, but De Bruyne and De Ketelaere turned it around within ten minutes in Sergen Yalçın’s first match in charge.
New guides
Setting up a company: Company types, registration and tax steps for foreigners.
Work permits: Permit types, the e-İzin application and fees.
Learning Turkish: Free public classes, TÖMER fees, online courses and the citizenship language rule.
Tomorrow from 07:00 we will follow Friday’s power cuts in Muğla, the banking regulator appointment and the weather, with new guides on shipping household goods, mobile and internet, and pest control.
Sources
Photo: BoraBora704 / CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons
