In the last 12 months, extraordinary events have occurred in Türkiye and around the world. 2023 witnessed conflicts arising from deep-rooted problems, significant changes in global politics, and large-scale natural disasters, causing great losses. Some of the events that received wide media coverage throughout the year are as follows:
Israel-Hamas War
Approximately 1,200 people were killed in Hamas’s attack on Israel across the Gaza border on October 7. It is estimated that approximately 120 Israeli hostages are still held in Gaza. The violent air and ground operation launched by Israel against Gaza after this attack continues.
It is thought that the number of people killed in Gaza so far exceeds 20 thousand. While Israel requests a temporary ceasefire for the release of the hostages, Hamas officials say that no more hostages will be released until a permanent ceasefire agreement is reached.
Russia-Ukraine War
In the war that started on February 24, 2022, the Russian army attacked again in the Donbass region in eastern Ukraine with its forces reinforced with 300 thousand reserve soldiers in January this year. Moscow announced the capture of Bahmut after the longest and bloodiest war since its invasion in May.
Kiev launched a counteroffensive in June in an attempt to regain territory occupied by Moscow; but he only managed to retake a few villages in the south and east.
On June 24, rebel fighters from the Wagner group marched towards Moscow. Yevgeny Prigozhin, the leader of the group, who backed down after President Vladimir Putin’s harsh stance, died in a plane crash two months later. Kiev claimed to have pushed the Russian army back several kilometers in the southern Kherson region in mid-November.
Earthquakes in Türkiye and Morocco
The earthquakes that occurred on February 6, one of the most devastating natural disasters of the last century, deeply affected both Turkey and Syria. According to official records, more than 50 thousand people lost their lives in Turkey. It is estimated that more than 8 thousand people lost their lives in Syria as a result of these earthquakes. This painful natural disaster left deep scars and caused great losses for both countries.
On the other hand, Morocco’s Marrakesh region was shaken by a severe earthquake on September 8. Approximately 3,000 people died and more than 5,600 were injured in this 6.8 magnitude earthquake. The tremor damaged more than 60,000 houses in 3,000 villages. This disaster went down in history as one of the natural disasters that left deep traces in Morocco.
Military Coups in Africa and Conflict in Sudan
Africa was shaken by two military coups in 2023. There was a coup in the Sahel country of Niger on July 26, in which the army seized power on the grounds of the “deteriorating security situation”. Ousted President Mohamed Bazoum has been kept isolated in his residence ever since.
In Gabon, after criticism of irregularities in the presidential elections, Ali Bongo Ondimba’s rule ended with a military coup on August 30. General Brice Oligui Nguema, who overthrew Bongo’s 55-year rule, took over the military administration and promised that the institutions in the country would be more democratic.
In Sudan, the ongoing clashes between the army led by General Abdel Fattah al-Burhane and the paramilitary forces of former commander Mohamed Hamdane Daglo since April 15 have caused the death of more than 10,000 people.
France had to withdraw its troops from Mali and the Central African Republic in 2022 and from its other two former colonies, Burkina Faso and Niger, in 2023. This represents a significant change in the reduction of military presence in the region.
Artificial Intelligence Shaking Hollywood
American screenwriters and actors went on strike to create a framework for better wages and the use of artificial intelligence (AI). This unique action was unprecedented in Hollywood history since the 1960s.
The strike ended in September with agreement on wages and certain safeguards regarding the use of artificial intelligence. The actors decided not to go to the shooting until November, worried that the studios would use this technology to clone their voices and images and that this would violate their rights.
This six-month period ended with wage increases as well as new restrictions on the use of artificial intelligence. It is estimated that the strike cost the US economy at least $6 billion.
Record Temperatures and Drought
The months from June to October were recorded as the hottest months in history all over the world, according to the European Observatory Copernicus. This has led to intense heat waves, droughts, devastating fires, and more intense hurricanes.
Canada experienced a historic wildfire season; More than 18 million hectares of land were burned and more than 200,000 people were displaced. Fires that broke out in Hawaii in August caused the death of 97 people in the tourist town of Lahaina.
The largest fire recorded in the European Union occurred in the Evros region of Greece, and at least 26 people died in this fire. In September, the flood that occurred in the fertile plains of Thessaly caused the death of 17 people and seriously affected the region.
Landing on the Moon was Achieved
On August 23, India achieved a milestone by successfully landing Chandrayaan-3 in an unexplored region near the south pole of the Moon. The landing of the Russian probe Luna-25 in the same region attracted attention as it was Moscow’s first mission to the Moon since 1976. The findings of this probe showed that it contained water in the form of ice.
Previously, only the United States, the Soviet Union and China were among the countries that had conducted a controlled landing on the Moon. Japanese start-up company ispace failed to land the Hakuto-R module on the Moon in April. However, the Japanese Space Agency Jaxa launched a new Moon mission at the beginning of September.
International Kiss Crisis in Spanish Football
During the Women’s World Cup held in Australia, after Spain won the cup, Luis Rubiales, then President of the Spanish Football Federation, unexpectedly kissed striker Jenni Hermoso on the lips, causing an international crisis.
Jenni Hermoso, on her part, called this action “sexist, inappropriate and non-consensual behavior,” while Luis Rubiales argued that this kiss was only a “partially consensual gesture” before resigning on September 10.
Rubiales was banned by FIFA from any football-related activity for three years. This incident has sparked a wide debate in the football world to raise awareness of sexual harassment and consent.
Nagorno-Karabakh War
On September 19, Azerbaijan launched an operation against Nagorno-Karabakh, the long-discussed separatist region with an Armenian majority; this region had been the subject of a dispute between Baku and Yerevan for over thirty years.
Regional authorities surrendered within 24 hours and a ceasefire was reached between the parties. Approximately 600 people lost their lives in this attack, and the majority of the 120-person population in the region fled to Armenia. Then the Armenian administration announced that it had dissolved itself.
The International Court of Justice requested Baku to allow the “safe” return of Nagorno-Karabakh residents. However, negotiations conducted under international mediation were not successful and the problem still remains unresolved.
Extraordinary Argentinian Politician Javier Milei
In Argentina, 53-year-old ultra-liberal economist Javier Milei won a landslide victory over Sergio Massa in the November 19 presidential election. Extraordinary politician Milei attracted attention by running his election campaign with a chainsaw in his hand.
He has referred to himself as a “lion,” called Pope Francis the “representative of evil on earth,” and expressed plans to hold a referendum to repeal the abortion law. He also raised the possibility of people being allowed to sell their own vital organs. Javier Milei, a far-right ‘anarcho-capitalist’, advocates replacing the Argentine peso with the dollar and demands the abolition of the Central Bank.
Election in Turkey
The first round of the Presidential and 28th Term Parliamentary elections in Turkey was held on May 14. Despite the predictions of the polls, the People’s Alliance comfortably maintained its majority in the Parliament. Since the presidential candidates could not reach 50 percent in the first round, the election was postponed to the second round. Recep Tayyip Erdoğan was re-elected President on May 28.
The First Female President in the History of the Central Bank of Türkiye
Hafize Gaye Erkan was appointed as the first female president in the history of the Central Bank of Turkey. After this appointment, various changes took place in the cabinet and the Central Bank. While Mehmet Şimşek is known as a name that supports economic independence, budget discipline, economic reforms and classical policies, he was appointed as the Minister of Treasury and Finance, replacing Nurettin Nebati.
Later, Central Bank Governor Şahap Kavcıoğlu was dismissed and replaced by the Chairman of the Banking Regulation and Supervision Board. Hafize Gaye Erkan, who returned to Turkey from the USA, was appointed to replace Kavcıoğlu, thus making a female president appointed for the first time in the history of the Central Bank of Turkey.
Coronation Ceremony of King Charles III in England
King Charles III was crowned at a ceremony held in London, the capital of England, on May 6. The coronation ceremony of Charles, who is the president of the British Commonwealth of Nations, consisting of 56 independent countries and 2.4 billion people, and who is also the head of state in 14 of these countries, was followed by millions of people. King Charles became the 40th monarch to be crowned since 1066.
Explosion on Titan Submarine
Among the most interesting news of this year was the Titan submarine that disappeared while visiting the Titanic shipwreck. It was revealed that the Titan submarine, whose communication was lost while visiting the Titanic shipwreck in the North Atlantic on June 18, imploded due to loss of pressure in the following days and five people inside died.
Among these passengers, who each paid 250 thousand dollars to join the journey, were Shahzada and Suleman Dawood, a British father and son of Pakistani origin. 73-year-old French explorer and researcher Paul-Henry Nargeolet, who was the first person to dive into the Titanic in 1987, explorer Hamish Harding, and Stockton Rush, CEO of OceanGate, which owns Titan, were also on Titan.
Wagner Revolt in Russia
The incident, known as the Wagner rebellion in Russia, took place on June 23 and 24, when Yevgeni Prigozhin, the leader of the mercenary group Wagner, attempted a rebellion by sending his military convoy to near Moscow. This situation has led to questioning of the power led by Russian President Vladimir Putin.
Putin accused Prigozhin, a former ally, of “treason,” “inciting an armed rebellion,” and “betraying the country.” However, the rebellion ended on Saturday when Prigozhin backed down and withdrew his troops. On August 23, it was announced that Prigozhin died when his private jet crashed near Moscow. The Kremlin rejected allegations that Russia had a role in the incident.
Uprising and Suburban Crisis in France
The events in France, which started with the shooting death of 17-year-old Nahel M., who allegedly did not obey the police’s stop warning in the Nanterre suburb of Paris on June 27, triggered a major rebellion in the country. Nahel M. was a takeaway driver and died after being shot in the chest in a vehicle that reportedly did not comply with a police officer’s stop warning given to him during traffic control.
Following this incident, the protests that broke out across the country turned into acts of violence such as burning vehicles and attacking police stations, schools and municipal buildings with Molotov cocktails.
Similar events have occurred before in France. In the past years, various protests have taken place and become violent from time to time on issues such as working hours, the yellow vest movement and retirement age.
