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Category: Turkey

  • Defense & Security 2025: Aselsan highlights Steel Dome progress

    Integrated air and missile defence systems are becoming more popular in the public imagination. The airspace is crowded with threats like hostile aircraft, cruise missiles, unmanned aerial vehicles (UAV) and hypersonic threats. To counter such a multitude of threats, Israel has Iron Dome and related systems, for example, while President Donald Trump has ordered Golden […]

    The post Defense & Security 2025: Aselsan highlights Steel Dome progress appeared first on Asian Military Review.

    This post was originally published on Asian Military Review.

  • Israel arrest warrants: Turkiye charges Netanyahu and top officials with war crimes

    Turkiye has issued Israel arrest warrants for 37 senior officials. They are all accused of genocide and crimes against humanity. This comes in response to the Israeli occupation’s military operation in Gaza.

    Senior Israeli occupation officials have no place to hide

    Only five of the officials have been named. They are war criminal Netanyahu, far-right National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir, Defence Minister Israel Katz, Israeli occupation forces (IOF) Border and Security Minister Eyal Zamir, and Naval Forces Commander David Salama.

    The charges stem from allegations that the IOF has waged “systematic violence against civilians in Gaza”. Infrastructure has been intentionally destroyed, and humanitarian aid has been blocked, while medical assistance has been denied.

    Turkish prosecutors cited specific targeted attacks in Gaza, between October 2023 and March 2025. These included the devastating attack on the Al-Ahli Arab Baptist Hospital on October 17, 2023, in which more than 470 people were massacred and 340 injured, from an explosion in the hospital car park. The Israeli regime blamed the incident on a failed rocket launch by Hamas, and continues to do so today. But according to analysis by Forensic Architecture there was a campaign of disinformation from the Israeli occupation forces about the incident.

    The prosecutors also refer to the “Turkish-Palestinian Friendship Hospital”. This was built by Turkiye, and was the only cancer hospital in Gaza. It was bombed in March of this year, after ‘Israel’ claimed again, without any evidence, that the hospital was being used by Hamas.

    They also referenced the killing of seven aid workers from the World Central Kitchen on April 1, 2024. All three vehicles were clearly marked with their logo, even on the roof, and their route had been agreed upon with the IOF beforehand. But they were targeted by Israeli precision drone strikes, and were killed.

    Israel arrest warrants — regime calls it a ‘PR stunt’

    The Foreign Minister for the Israeli regime, Gideon Saar has dismissed the announcement of the charges by calling them “the latest PR stunt by the tyrant Erdogan.” Even though Saar is deeply complicit in Gaza’s genocide, the UK government actively shielded him from arrest during a visit to Britain earlier this year.

    Hamas has welcomed the decision by Turkiye to issue the arrest warrants. In a statement, the resistance group said:

    We call on all countries worldwide, and their judicial bodies, to issue legal warrants to pursue the terrorist Zionist occupation leaders everywhere, and work to bring them to court, and hold them accountable for their crimes against humanity.

    Turkiye has been a vocal critic of the genocide in Gaza, and suspended diplomatic and trade relations with Israel over the conflict. But the country has a long history of diplomatic relations with the Israeli regime. It was the first Muslim majority country to officially recognize the Israeli regime in 1949. For decades, the two countries cooperated in areas such as trade, military, and intelligence. In the 1990s and early 2000s, security and economic ties deepened between the two and, in 2006, the Israeli occupation’s Foreign Ministry described its country’s relationship with Turkiye as “perfect”.

    In 2010 ‘Israel’ killed 10 Turkish activists

    Relations started to strain following Turkiye’s condemnation of Operation Cast Lead. Israeli occupation’s devastating 22 day military assault on Gaza in 2008, killed almost 1390 Palestinians, wounded 5000, and obliterated much of Gaza’s infrastructure. Relations deteriorated further after the 2010 Gaza Flotilla incident, where Israeli occupation forces raided the Turkish-owned aid ship Mavi Marmara in international waters, killing 10 Turkish activists. The boat was attempting to break the occupation’s blockade on Gaza. This led to a sharp diplomatic break and the suspension of military ties.

    Trump’s 20 Point Plan for Gaza states that an International Stabilisation Force (ISF) will soon be deployed to Gaza. Its task would be to oversee the ‘ceasefire’, and provide security in Gaza. It would oversee aid distribution, train a Palestinian police force and also ensure that Hamas hands over its weapons. The US wants Islamic and Arab states to contribute with funding and troops. Turkey says it will commit to the ISF, and Gaza’s reconstruction. But the Israeli regime insists that any foreign troops deployed in Gaza must have its approval, and says any Turkish military presence in Gaza is unacceptable.

    Israel arrest warrants — Countries have a legal obligation

    History shows us a pattern of cooperation and confrontation between Turkiye and ‘Israel’, but Turkiye is now  pursuing legal measures. The country wants to challenge Israeli’s impunity for war crimes. The decision also places renewed pressure on other governments. Those who have remained silent or complicit — failing their obligations under international law.

    As the warrants set a new precedent, Turkiye’s move challenges the longstanding impunity that Israeli occupation officials have enjoyed on the world stage. More countries must act. Rather than countries such as the UK shielding criminal Israeli occupation officials, arrest warrants must continue to be issued. All ties must also be cut with the regime. Foreign Minister Gideon Saar, has told us that ‘Israel’ will be destroyed if it suffers from an arms embargo. But we need to ensure diplomatic, economic, academic and cultural boycotts take place as well.

    Under international law, every country has a moral and legal obligation to prevent genocide, and stop it happening. It is time we fulfilled our obligations and held the Israeli occupation to account for its many crimes.

    By Charlie Jaay

    This post was originally published on Canary.

  • UN expert urged to investigate Lebanon over alleged torture of Egyptian-Turkish poet

    Abdulrahman al-Qaradawi has been imprisoned in the UAE for almost a year for criticising Emirati, Egyptian and Saudi governments

    The UN special rapporteur on torture is being urged to investigate Lebanon’s role in the treatment of the Egyptian-Turkish poet and activist Abdulrahman al-Qaradawi, a dissident who has been imprisoned in the United Arab Emirates for more than 10 months over a post he made on social media.

    Legal counsel representing Qaradawi filed a complaint to the UN rapporteur on Thursday, asking it to examine the situation.

    Continue reading…

    This post was originally published on Human rights | The Guardian.

  • Interview with Dr. Mehmet Akif NACAR – CEO, HAVELSAN

    With more than forty years of engineering experience, HAVELSAN is a globally recognized technology company developing mission-critical systems in the defense and security domains. Our focus is on creating solutions that enhance situational awareness, ensure decision superiority, and strengthen interoperability in complex operational environments. HAVELSAN’s distinctive strength lies in its ability to transform advanced defense […]

    The post Interview with Dr. Mehmet Akif NACAR – CEO, HAVELSAN appeared first on Asian Military Review.

    This post was originally published on Asian Military Review.

  • Starmer is happy about the UK-Turkey arms trade deal – that can’t be a good thing

    We all hate to see Keir Starmer happy. Which, as it happens, works out fine because his government is such a shambling disaster that it’s a vanishingly rare sight. But yesterday, 27 October, he did look chuffed. Why, you may ask? Well, he signed an arms deal obviously.

    The UK is selling 20 Typhoon fighter jets to Turkey. Turkey being an increasingly authorisation county which the UK itself urged to do better on human rights as recently as May.

    Why would said human rights lawyer overlook this?

    A few reasons. Arms firms jobs and £8 billion quid into the pockets of BAE Systems and Leonardo for a start. On top of this, Starmer is trying to make militarism central to the UK economy.

    Additionally, the man every centrist claimed would fix the country with his adults-in-the-room approach has failed to do that so massively that Reform UK look set to take power. Yes, Reform UK. A political party whose policy platform sounds likes it was written on a beer mat by a group of wasted millionaires on a golf course. Which, to be fair, it probably was.

    Any military win will do for Starmer, cue the UK-Turkey deal

    So Starmer needs many things right now, but most of all he needs wins. And any opportunity to be photographed near military equipment and uniforms is a win in McSweeney World.  Never mind that these kinds of deals benefit UK and US arms firm shareholders far – FAR – more than working people.

    Anyway let’s have a laugh at Keith’s trip to Turkey. Here he is in front of fighter jet with a group of air forces personnel who will never vote for him:

    Here he is explaining how he’s secured a load of British jobs. This is always a questionable assertion in relation to the arms trade, but we’ll get to that:

    I think who gasses you up says quite a lot about you. So here’s BAE Systems, who are absolutely delighted for Keith (and their own annual profits):

    Ditto, Anglo-Italian death firm Leonardo:

    Spymaster and Turkish carpet aficionado

    Richard Moore, the former head of MI6, gave Starmer no less than three clappy hands.

    Not sure why he’s so happy but his government bio says he loves Turkish carpets so maybe wheeler-dealer Keir got some thrown in. Nice one, Del Boy:

    Defence acquisitions minister Luke Pollard, a man who manages to hold an important office of state while still somehow having minus aura, also referenced how defence deals and spending are good mechanisms for growth:

    Defence is not good for us

    So we should probably deal with this claim. It is used a lot by governments of all colours. And it underpins the move towards what is called ‘military Keynesianism’. That essentially means putting war and militarism at the heart of the economy. The assumption is this will help everyone, largely via the creation of jobs. But even that argument doesn’t hold water.

    In fact, this policy is a cynical corruption of the ideas of the economist John Maynard Keynes. And it demonstrably isn’t true. Here is a good breakdown from the armed forces monitor Forces Watch:

    Apart from the fact that Keynes was an advocate of government spending ‘in the interests of peace and prosperity’ instead of ‘war and destruction’, as the economist Michael Burke explains, military spending has one of the lowest employment multipliers of all economic spheres.

    This is just one of the examples given.

    Labour look doomed. They seem to have no idea about how to avert their fate and, as they slip into the morass, they’re leaning into a clunky optics of militarism and flag-waving. That’s their call, for all the good it will do them.

    But at the heart of the defence-industrial policy they are pushing out today is a singular lie. Militarism does not trickle down and benefit working people in any meaningful way. Rather it trickles up into pockets of arms firm shareholders. Let’s have that right, at least.

    Featured image via the Canary

    By Joe Glenton

    This post was originally published on Canary.

  • UK in £8bn deal to sell Typhoon jets to Turkey despite human rights concerns

    Starmer’s announcement on visit to Ankara comes as jailed opposition leader Ekrem İmamoğlu faces fresh charges

    Britain has agreed to sell 20 Typhoon fighter jets to Turkey in an £8bn deal despite concerns about alleged human rights violations by its government.

    Keir Starmer signed the deal during a visit on Monday to Ankara to meet the country’s president, Recep Tayyip Erdoğan. The prime minister said the deal would boost the Nato alliance, despite criticism of Turkey’s increasingly authoritarian administration.

    Continue reading…

    This post was originally published on Human rights | The Guardian.

  • CPJ joins call urging Turkey to withdraw anti-LGBTQ+ bill 

    The Committee to Protect Journalists joined 17 press freedom and human rights groups in urging Turkey to remove a bill that could criminalize reporting on LGBTQ+ issues from its upcoming 11th Judicial Package of legal reforms.

    According to the draft of the law, anyone who “engages in or publicly encourages, praises, or promotes behavior that contradicts innate biological sex and public morality” may be sentenced to prison from one to three years. 

    “This proposal would not only target LGBTQ+ individuals but also place journalists reporting on LGBTQ+ issues and related rights violations under threat of criminal punishment,” the statement reads.

    CPJ and partners condemned a similar law passed in Georgia last year. 

    Read the full statement here.


    This content originally appeared on Committee to Protect Journalists and was authored by CPJ Staff.

    This post was originally published on Radio Free.

  • ‘They told me not to speak out’: the woman who took on China – and won her husband’s freedom

    After fleeing Chinese repression, Uyghurs Idris and Zeynure Hasan thought their family would be safe. But Beijing’s growing influence led to Idris’s arrest and a long battle to be reunited

    Zeynure Hasan was at home in Istanbul in July 2021 when her husband finally called. It had been four days since she last heard from him as he got ready to board a flight to Casablanca. The silence had been torturous.

    But the news Idris now shared with her was even worse. He had been arrested and imprisoned on arrival in Morocco and told he was going to be deported to China. “You should call anyone who can help me, anyone who can rescue me,” he told her, before the phone went dead.

    Continue reading…

    This post was originally published on Human rights | The Guardian.

  • Indonesia’s carrier ambition continues to hold water

    The Indonesian Navy (TNI-AL) has committed to acquiring its first aircraft carrier in a bid to bolster its surface capabilities. Admiral Muhammad Ali, the TNI-AL Chief of Staff, recently told reporters aboard the newly delivered offshore patrol vessel KRI Brawijaya that his country “is in the process of acquiring” the former Italian flagship ITS Giuseppe […]

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    This post was originally published on Asian Military Review.

  • Indonesia’s carrier ambition continues to hold water

    The Indonesian Navy (TNI-AL) has committed to acquiring its first aircraft carrier in a bid to bolster its surface capabilities. Admiral Muhammad Ali, the TNI-AL Chief of Staff, recently told reporters aboard the newly delivered offshore patrol vessel KRI Brawijaya that his country “is in the process of acquiring” the former Italian flagship ITS Giuseppe […]

    The post Indonesia’s carrier ambition continues to hold water appeared first on Asian Military Review.

    This post was originally published on Asian Military Review.

  • ASELSAN unveils advanced C-UAV system KORKUT 100/25 SB at DSEI 2025

    ASELSAN made a strong impact at DSEI 2025 by unveiling its next-generation mobile counter-UAV system, KORKUT 100/25 SB, to international audiences. The new system marks a major milestone in close-range air defense and redefining tactical drone protection with its integrated, mission-ready design. ASELSAN, Türkiye’s leading defense company, debuts its game-changing system, KORKUT 100/25 SB, developed […]

    The post ASELSAN unveils advanced C-UAV system KORKUT 100/25 SB at DSEI 2025 appeared first on Asian Military Review.

    This post was originally published on Asian Military Review.

  • The Strongman Illusion

    Turkey’s slide into authoritarianism was facilitated by collaborators, enablers, and an inept opposition.

    This post was originally published on Dissent Magazine.

  • HAVELSAN and CALIDUS Forge Long-Term Partnership to Enhance Training for B-250 Aircraft

    Every mission begins with preparation. For pilots, that preparation takes place not only in the sky but also in high-fidelity simulators that replicate the complexity of real operations. With this vision, HAVELSAN and UAE-based defense company CALIDUS have signed a major agreement at IDEF 2025 to develop a comprehensive training ecosystem for the B-250 light […]

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    This post was originally published on Asian Military Review.

  • Activists are mobilising to shut down the UK’s biggest arms fair

    67 national and regional organisations from Scotland to Cornwall are uniting and mobilising for ‘The Big One’: a coalition action to shut down one of the world’s biggest – and the UK’s largest – arms fairs, DSEI.

    DSEI: shut down the UK’s largest arms fair

    Defence and Security Equipment International (DSEI) is taking place at the ExCeL centre in London between 9-12 September. ‘The Big One: Shut Down DSEI 2025’ aims to build a mass mobilisation to stop the arms fair taking place on its first day – Tuesday 9 September.

    In 2023, 1500 exhibitors, including the world’s largest and worst arms dealers, networked with 35,000 delegates representing nearly 100 countries. This included official government invited delegations from Israel, Saudi Arabia, the United States, Bahrain, Turkey, and Qatar.

    Israel always plays a prominent role at DSEI, with the UK government inviting an official Israeli government delegation. If this happens in 2025, it will be our government continuing to roll out the red carpet to legitimise and enable war criminals. They will come to shop for even deadlier weapons to wage their genocide against the Palestinian people.

    Israel’s pavilion at DSEI

    DSEI is currently advertising the presence of Israel’s country pavilion. While it has not yet published its list of exhibitors, several Israeli arms companies are confirmed as attending. This includes Israel Aerospace Industries, who are promoting their presence with a brochure of military equipment Israel has used to commit genocide in Gaza.

    In 2023, brigadier general Dr Danny Gold, head of directorate of defense research and development for the Israeli Ministry of Defence gave a keynote speech. In addition to this, 48 domestic Israeli arms companies exhibited at the event. These are companies that are directly responsible for, and directly profiting from, Israel’s genocide in Gaza and the war crimes it is committing in the West Bank and Lebanon.

    A call to action: shut down the profiteers from genocide

    The call to action states that DSEI:

    is a marketplace in death and destruction. It takes place every two years and is where arms dealers and politicians meet and make deals for genocide, war, and more human rights abuses. This is where they stock up on the latest lethal weapons and tools for repression – all with the backing of the British state.

    British colonial violence did not end when hard fought liberation struggles were waged around the globe. Instead, as empires crumbled, global colonial and imperialist forces adapted. Now, arms fairs, like DSEI UK, continue to back the profiteers of state-led death, occupation and violence that has never ceased.

    This is where war starts. This is where repressive border policies start. This is where torture starts. This is where the contacts are made and the lucrative deals done that fuel genocide, war crimes and human rights abuses around the world. This is why we have to shut it down.

    It continues:

    DSEI is massively important to the British government. We can shut it down – but only if we have numbers! Our government is hoping we’ll be scared to take to the streets. But we say no! We say we’ll stop genocide profiteers in their tracks. This is our moment to come together, across our movements, to show that proscription won’t stop us taking actions against the arms trade.

    A spokesperson for the coalition said:

    Our government is allowing Israeli war criminals to come to London to buy and sell more weapons to further fuel their genocide against the Palestinian people. This is not only illegal and immoral, it is downright evil. We cannot allow this to happen. This is a government complicit in genocide, that lies about arms sales, and that has lost all legitimacy.

    It hoped that banning Palestine Action would stop direct action against the arms trade. But the number of national and regional groups endorsing our coalition shows this has failed. Across the country people are mobilising and showing they are willing to do what is necessary to shut DSEI down.

    By The Canary

    This post was originally published on Canary.

  • Indonesia fields Khan short-range ballistic missile

    The Indonesian Army has now fielded the Khan ITBM-600 short-range ballistic missile system that was ordered from Turkish firm Roketsan in 2022. The weapon was observed at the Raipur A base of the 18th Field Artillery Battalion in East Kalimantan on 1 August, with photos posted on Facebook confirming the system’s deployment. This is the […]

    The post Indonesia fields Khan short-range ballistic missile appeared first on Asian Military Review.

    This post was originally published on Asian Military Review.

  • Reprisal: Turkish human rights defender Enes Hocaoğulları arrested for a speech he made at a Council of Europe

    On 5 August 2025, human rights defender Enes Hocaoğulları was detained at the Ankara Esenboğa Airport, on his return to Türkiye due to an arrest warrant issued by an Istanbul court, in connection with ongoing investigations into a speech he made at the 48th session of the Congress of Local and Regional Authorities of the Council of Europe on 27 March 2025.

    Enes Hocaoğulları is a youth and LGBTI+ rights defender based in Ankara, Türkiye. Since 2022, he works as the International Advocacy and Fundraising Coordinator at ÜniKuir Association, an LGBTI+ rights organisation in Türkiye. His focus is on diplomatic engagement, monitoring youth rights, reporting and advocacy. His climate activism during his high school years eventually evolved into a fight for human rights and democracy. In February 2025, he was selected as the youth delegate from Türkiye for the Congress of Local and Regional Authorities of the Council of Europe.

    On 5 August 2025, human rights defender Enes Hocaoğulları was detained at the Ankara Esenboğa Airport, on his return to Türkiye due to an arrest warrant issued by an Istanbul court, in connection with ongoing investigations into a speech he made at the 48th session of the Congress of Local and Regional Authorities of the Council of Europe on 27 March 2025.

    The judgeship ruled for the pre-trial detention of Enes Hocaoğulları, justifying the decision by stating that there is strong suspicion that the human rights defender might flee. This is despite the fact that he returned to Türkiye aware of the risk of arrest upon arrival. Following the pre-trial arrest decision, he was transferred to Sincan Prison in Ankara.

    In February 2025, Enes Hocaoğulları was selected as the youth delegate of Türkiye for the Congress of Local and Regional Authorities of the Council of Europe. On 24-27 March 2025, the human rights defender attended the 48th session of the Congress, where he delivered several speeches, including on 27 March 2025, when he gave a speech detailing police violence imposed on protesters in Türkiye, including attacks with tear gas, rubber bullets and water cannons, and the strip search of detained students. He called on the international community to act against the human rights violations in Türkiye.

    The speech, which was recorded and posted online, went viral on social media. This led to a smear and hate campaign against the youth and LGBTI+ rights defender, accusing him of being a traitor, foreign agent and a queer who wants to “spread LGBTI+ ideology”. Additionally, investigations were initiated by Ankara and Istanbul Chief Public Prosecutors’ Office under articles 216 (inciting public to hatred and hostility) and 217/A (defamation law) of the Turkish Penal Code respectively, which were later consolidated under Ankara prosecutor’s office. An additional investigation was initiated by the Kırşehir Prosecutor’s Office under article 301 of the Turkish Penal Code (insulting the Turkish nation, the Republic of Turkey, or the institutions and organs of the state).

    Front Line Defenders believes that the human rights defender was solely arrested for his peaceful human rights work and for exercising his right to free expression to explain the human rights violations that he has personally witnessed. It is particularly worrying that he was targeted for a speech that he made at the Council of Europe, which Türkiye is a member of.

    https://www.frontlinedefenders.org/en/case/human-rights-defender-enes-hocaogullari-arrested-speech-he-made-council-europe-meeting

    This post was originally published on Hans Thoolen on Human Rights Defenders and their awards.

  • Pakistan inducts first Chinese-built Z-10ME attack helicopters

    Pakistan has formally introduced Chinese-manufactured Z-10ME attack helicopters into service. Field Marshal Asim Munir, the Chief of Army Staff, presided over an induction ceremony for the new attack helicopters at Multan Garrison on 2 August. Afterwards, Munir witnessed a firepower demonstration by new Z-10MEs at the Muzaffargarh Field Firing Ranges. As per an announcement from […]

    The post Pakistan inducts first Chinese-built Z-10ME attack helicopters appeared first on Asian Military Review.

    This post was originally published on Asian Military Review.

  • Turkey’s naval exports make waves in Southeast Asia

    Turkey’s naval shipbuilding industry is steadily expanding its footprint in Southeast Asia as defence ties strengthen, particularly with Muslim-majority nations within the region. At the recently concluded IDEF 2025 defence exhibition in Istanbul, the Indonesian Navy (TNI-AL) signed a contract to acquire two Istif-class frigates from TAIS Shipyards, the platform having been developed under the […]

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    This post was originally published on Asian Military Review.

  • Turkey’s naval exports make waves in Southeast Asia

    Turkey’s naval shipbuilding industry is steadily expanding its footprint in Southeast Asia as defence ties strengthen, particularly with Muslim-majority nations within the region. At the recently concluded IDEF 2025 defence exhibition in Istanbul, the Indonesian Navy (TNI-AL) signed a contract to acquire two Istif-class frigates from TAIS Shipyards, the platform having been developed under the […]

    The post Turkey’s naval exports make waves in Southeast Asia appeared first on Asian Military Review.

    This post was originally published on Asian Military Review.

  • ASELSAN unveils next-generation naval defense systems at IDEF 2025

    ASELSAN has introduced new generation of naval defense technologies at IDEF 2025, including DERİNGÖZ Autonomous Underwater Vehicle, GÖKSUR Vertical Launch System (VLS) Advanced Naval Point Defense Missile System and CENK 4D 2-Axis AESA Multifunctional Radar, all developed to deliver integrated and multi-layered protection across underwater, surface, and aerial naval domains. ASELSAN, Türkiye’s leading defense company, […]

    The post ASELSAN unveils next-generation naval defense systems at IDEF 2025 appeared first on Asian Military Review.

    This post was originally published on Asian Military Review.

  • Defence Reimagined: HAVELSAN’s Multi-Domain AI Strategy

    Istanbul – [21 July 2025] – As a technology pioneer of Türkiye’s defense industry, HAVELSAN is set to make a multidimensional impact at IDEF 2025. Participating across four key locations, HAVELSAN will go beyond product demonstrations to present a forward-thinking vision under the theme “AI for Defence.” This year, HAVELSAN’s presence at IDEF is not […]

    The post Defence Reimagined: HAVELSAN’s Multi-Domain AI Strategy appeared first on Asian Military Review.

    This post was originally published on Asian Military Review.

  • The Turkish mega-prison that became symbol of Erdoğan’s authoritarianism

    Silivri, where president’s rival Ekrem İmamoğlu is detained, is evidence of how far Turkey’s president is willing to go to stay in power

    Silivri was once just a getaway town. An hour’s drive west of Istanbul, it was famed for its lavender, its yoghurt, and its summer houses dotted along the Marmara Sea. But to most in Turkey now, Silivri means something different: not the town, but the mega-complex a little further down the coast. This is the prison that since March has held the Istanbul mayor – and rival to president Recep Tayyip Erdoğan – Ekrem İmamoğlu, as he awaits trial for corruption – and now, the place where he has been given a twenty month sentence, in another of the litany of charges against him, for insulting and ‘threatening’ a public official.

    It started taking in prisoners in 2008. Turkish coverage at the time marvelled at the size. Here was a complex – a “campus”, in the new lingo – made of nine separate prisons, spread across almost 1m sq metres, and with a stated capacity of 11,000 people. For the on-site staff alone, there were 500 apartments, a mosque, a market and restaurant, and a primary school for their children. As one prisoner would later write, he would hear them from his cell singing the Turkish national anthem in the playground.

    Continue reading…

    This post was originally published on Human rights | The Guardian.

  • Indonesia keeps options open with bewildering fighter smorgasbord

    If the Indonesian Air Force (TNI-AU) could have its way, it would be operating fighters galore from aerospace companies emanating from Asia, across Europe and all the way to the USA. However, fiscal realities mean such ambitions remain a pipe dream. In recent times, Indonesia has been linked to the following proposed purchases: American F-15EXs, […]

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    This post was originally published on Asian Military Review.

  • Hanwha Fighting Vehicles fitting ASELSAN Gun Fire Detection System

    The Republic of Korea’s Hanwha and Türkiye’s ASELSAN announced the intent to offer the latter’s SEDA 100 L C Gun Shot Detection System on its armoured vehicles. The SEDA 100 is an acoustic shot detection system capable of determining the direction from which a gunshot is fired and the location of the shooter. It is […]

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    This post was originally published on Asian Military Review.

  • Hanwha Fighting Vehicles fitting ASELSAN Gun Fire Detection System

    The Republic of Korea’s Hanwha and Türkiye’s ASELSAN announced the intent to offer the latter’s SEDA 100 L C Gun Shot Detection System on its armoured vehicles. The SEDA 100 is an acoustic shot detection system capable of determining the direction from which a gunshot is fired and the location of the shooter. It is […]

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    This post was originally published on Asian Military Review.

  • Interview – Ahmet Akyol, President & CEO of Aselsan

    Indo Defence 2025, held in Indonesia from 11-14 June, was a busy time for ASELSAN. On 13 June, the Turkish company opened an office in Jakarta, its fourth such office in Asia after previously establishing ones in Malaysia, Pakistan and the Philippines. Meanwhile, ASELSAN signed various accords at Indo Defence 2025, including with PT Len […]

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    This post was originally published on Asian Military Review.

  • ASELSAN deepens ties with Indonesia at INDO DEFENCE

    ASELSAN strengthened its presence in Southeast Asia through collaborations in the fields of joint development, joint production, global supply chain integration and the official opening of its Indonesia office at INDO DEFENCE in Jakarta, Indonesia. ASELSAN, Türkiye’s leading defense company, signed five agreements at INDO DEFENCE that will increase its influence in the Indonesian defense […]

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    This post was originally published on Asian Military Review.

  • PT Pindad unveils new armoured vehicles destined for the Indonesian Army

    State-owned company PT Pindad unveiled two new armoured vehicle platforms at Indo Defence, held in the Indonesian capital of Jakarta from 11-14 June 2025. One was an armoured personnel carrier (APC) version of the Harimau medium tank, while the other was the new Anoa 3 6×6 APC. A spokesperson from PT Pindad said the 30-tonne […]

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    This post was originally published on Asian Military Review.

  • ASELSAN’s critical partnerships with Malaysian companies at LIMA 2025

    ASELSAN made a strong impression at LIMA 2025 in Langkawi, Malaysia, with the signing of strategic agreements covering joint production, joint system development, and the delivery of integrated defense solutions with Malaysian companies, reinforcing its role as a trusted defense partner in the region. ASELSAN, Türkiye’s leading defense company, left its mark at LIMA 2025 […]

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    This post was originally published on Asian Military Review.

  • HAVELSAN Takes a Strategic Leap: Partners with DNeX to Accelerate Digital Transformation Across Türkiye and Malaysia

    HAVELSAN, Türkiye’s leading software and systems company under the Turkish Armed Forces Foundation, has signed a strategic partnership agreement with Malaysia’s prominent technology group Dagang NeXchange Berhad (DNeX). Formalized during the Langkawi International Maritime and Aerospace Exhibition (LIMA) 2025, the agreement marks a milestone in building a digital bridge between Türkiye and Malaysia in both […]

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    This post was originally published on Asian Military Review.