The Good, the Bad and the Ugly

is mostly an economy magazine and we aim to give you the TR MONITOR wider picture that affects the businesses in Turkey. We all can agree that the economy is not an isolated island. Even though we may not be able to print all developments in Turkey, we try to present you a snapshot of what is happening in the country. And this column sometimes plays an important role to inform you about other topics in the country. Some are good, some bad and some ugly.

The good news is that the pace of vaccination is increasing. Exporters are on in the priority list for vaccination. The number of people that have recieved two doses of vaccine surpassed 13 million as of June 9. The figure is more than 18 million for one dose. Even though the percentage is still low, the vaccine reserves have increased significantly and those over 45-years are now being inoculated. There are rumors that everyone in big cities like Istanbul will be able to get the first dose soon. The 17-day lock down has decreased the number of new cases and deaths. The increasing number of inoculations could help end the death toll by yearend. The markets feel the optimisim with President Erdogan set to meet U.S. President Biden this week during the NAT• Summit. The meeting is expected to relieve tensions between the two allies.

The current political agenda is still enthralled with a mafia boss, who became a Youtube star with confessions and accusations that shook the country. His youtube account is experiencing huge interest from the public. There are claims of bribery, drug smuggling, politically-motivated murders and all kinds of corruption in state cadres. Yet there is no political or judical step taken about those claims. The mafia boss has become the most popular opposition figure in Turkey. The situation tells us a lot about the politics and sociology of the country.

The old and ugly habit of Turkish democracy threatens another party with closure. We haven’t yet forgotten how the ruling party faced the same threat only a decade ago. Now it supports the move. This is another sign of how things could quickly change and turn the country upside-down.

This week on our cover, we take a look inside DHL Express Turkey ’s new EUR 135m facility at Istanbul Airport. The center, which has not yet been officially opened, boasts some of the most advanced technology in the sector and will, according to DHL Express Turkey’s newly-appointed CE•, raise the bar for global logistics. The global company is celebrating its 40th anniversary in Turkey. You can read the exclusive visit and interview by daily DUNYA’s Managing Editor Handan Sema Ceylan on page 13.