Among the political events that have marked the past two weeks, Devlet Bahçeli's threatening announcement of a list containing the identities of 154 individuals stands out. It is understood that those included in the list by name and surname are people who do not share the same views as the MHP regarding the murder of Sinan Ateş, the former President of the Grey Wolves' Hearths, and the way the investigation and prosecution were conducted, or who imply that there is a connection between this murder and certain executives of the MHP.Indeed, Bahçeli stated: "[These individuals] have made great injustices, slanders, lies, contempt, and accusations against the Nationalist Movement Party. The total number of these people is 154. (...) We find it difficult to accept them, but we are closely monitoring them. The list here is a compilation of who spoke when, at what time, on which program, how they spoke, with whom they spoke, and what insults they directed at the MHP. This file is in our hands. When the time comes, this file will be put into action. (...) We do not even accept engaging with them, but we will certainly confront them within the legal framework."Although Bahçeli appears to be referring to a legal reckoning, this incident still reflects the grave situation of press and freedom of expression in our country and is discouraging in terms of Turkey's chances for democratization. Furthermore, considering the established belief within the MHP that even presenting different views, let alone openly criticizing them, is a matter of courage, Bahçeli's statement is also alarming.Another prominent incident is the acceptance by the ruling majority in the legislative committee of the bill proposing the "extermination" of stray animals, disregarding the opposition's objections and contrary public opinion. If the bill, known in the public as the "Extermination Law," becomes law, metropolitan municipalities, provincial municipalities, and municipalities with a population exceeding 25,000 will be required to establish animal shelters by the end of the year to care for and rehabilitate "stray" animals until they are adopted. Given that President Erdoğan instructed his party group to finalize this issue before the parliamentary judicial recess, it can be confidently expected that this bill will be accepted in Parliament without significant changes.However, it is not unlikely that many municipalities, either to avoid the significant burden it would bring or - primarily AKP municipalities - due to their definite dislike of animals, may evade their responsibilities and take the shortcut of euthanizing the animals. The most concerning point here is that when it comes to issues related to stray animals, the first thing that comes to the AKP government's mind is not to seek a humane and civilized solution but to think of exterminating the animals, which they see as the source of the problem. If the logic applied to dogs for public order and security issues were correct, the same "easy solution" would need to be used by people who disrupt public order and security!Another source of concern regarding the issue of stray dogs is that the government might be using this opportunity to turn the anti-animal atmosphere it has spread into a campaign against "luxury-loving, elitist" animal lovers, who are typically assumed to be CHP supporters, creating hostility against them within its own base. This atmosphere can be used as a stepping stone to conclude that the views of animal lovers (and the CHP) on other (political) issues are also not worth considering.The ruling party's "my way or the highway" stance, which disregards any criticism and suggestions on this matter, is highly discouraging and even alarming for the country's hopes for democratization. It is disturbing because a political team that habitually ignores the views and criticisms of the opposition and the fundamental trends in society may eventually tend to disregard the rights of those whose opinions they ignore.In any case, by placing the issue of stray animals at the center of the political agenda, the Erdoğan-Bahçeli administration seems to have succeeded in both making people temporarily forget about the real agenda of the country, such as the high cost of living and the struggle of broad segments of society to make ends meet, and in consolidating its base to some extent by polarizing society.Meanwhile, the government appears to have developed a new formula to exact "revenge" on CHP municipalities for the loss of municipalities in the March 31 elections. Accordingly, the collection of accumulated debts of municipalities will begin. Practically, this means putting pressure on municipalities transitioning from AKP to CHP to pay off the exorbitant debts inherited from the AKP. The AKP leadership likely aims to expose the CHP as "inept" and "drowning in debt" if the CHP municipalities fail to pay these debts within the desired timeframe. As with the issue of stray animals, they likely see this as a way to consolidate their base.Lastly, let's conclude this article with two unfortunate news related to the economy. The Financial Times has highlighted that the recent influx of foreign hot money into Turkey could quickly exit in the face of potential global or local shocks. Under the headline "Traders pour billions of dollars into Turkish lira," it was emphasized that funds are flowing into Turkey to take advantage of high interest rates. Still, this situation could leave the country vulnerable to sudden market changes. Meanwhile, a Deutsche Bank report predicts that monthly inflation will rise due to price increases in July and August, automatic tax increases on fuel, alcohol, and tobacco, and wage increases for public employees and retirees. You will find a detailed assessment of the state of the economy in Caner Gerek's article.See you in our next issue.

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