Background: Iraq's oil exports had recovered to about 2 million barrels per day in August 2026, the highest since the Middle East war began, following disruptions that forced reliance on alternative routes. Today: Iraqi Prime Minister Ali al-Zaidi announced plans to expand oil exports through Türkiye's Ceyhan port and develop routes via Syria's Baniyas and Jordan's Aqaba ports, aiming to raise production to 9-10 million barrels per day within six years. He also said Iraq is seeking a higher OPEC+ quota due to the war's impact. July exports recovered to 49 million barrels, with over 30 million via the Strait of Hormuz, and August averaged 2 million barrels per day, the highest since the war began. The closure of the Strait of Hormuz remains a major challenge, prompting reliance on truck and pipeline exports.

Turkish Airlines (THY) is accelerating its Asia-Pacific expansion, aiming to increase flight frequencies by up to 20% in coming years. The carrier has added 10 weekly flights to China, reaching 42, and plans new routes to Chengdu and Urumqi. It is adding second and third flights to key cities to establish an alternative corridor between Asia, Australia, and Europe. Redirecting capacity to high-demand Asian markets boosted Q2 revenue by 20.5% to $7.2 billion, with Asia's revenue share rising to 32%. The airline also plans nonstop flights to Sydney and Melbourne by 2028 and seeks joint ventures in Asia and South America. This follows earlier plans to deploy ultra-long-range aircraft from late 2027 for nonstop flights to Australia and South America, as part of its strategy to become the world's largest international carrier.

In July 2026, Türkiye's solar power generation reached a record 5.4 TWh, up 10.2% from June, and accounted for 15.6% of total electricity generation. Combined with wind, hydropower, and other renewables, renewables supplied 58% of the country's electricity, up from 43% a year earlier. Natural gas's share fell to 10%, the lowest July level in 26 years. Hydropower also hit a July record at 9 TWh, up 60% year-over-year. Analysts attribute the surge partly to favorable hydropower conditions but stress the need for continued solar and wind expansion to reduce import dependence and ensure supply security.

Turkey's MARLIN unmanned surface vessel (USV), developed by Sefine Shipyard and ASELSAN under the coordination of the Presidency of Defence Industries (SSB), has completed mine-laying trials using the MALAMAN smart bottom mine. The demonstration included both remotely controlled and autonomous release modes, marking the first reported pairing of the platform with this mine. This capability allows the Turkish Navy to deploy naval mines without risking crewed platforms, expanding MARLIN's role beyond surveillance, electronic warfare, and kinetic missions. The development underscores the growing use of unmanned systems in naval mine warfare, particularly relevant after the Russo-Ukrainian war highlighted the effectiveness of sea mines.

Background: Turkey has been expanding its energy footprint both domestically and internationally, with TPAO acquiring stakes in Kirkuk fields, drilling off Somalia, and signing agreements in Libya and other countries. Today, on the sixth anniversary of the Sakarya gas discovery, Energy Minister Alparslan Bayraktar announced cumulative Black Sea gas production of 6.7 billion cubic meters since 2023, with current daily output of 9.5 million cubic meters serving about 4 million households. The field's reserves are now estimated at 785 billion cubic meters, following discoveries at Amasra-1, Çaycuma-1, and Göktepe-3. Phase 2, featuring the Osman Gazi floating platform, is set to start in Q4 2026, raising daily production to 20 million cubic meters, with Phase 3 targeting 45 million cubic meters by 2028. The project will eventually include 54 wells, with infrastructure including a subsea facility 170 km from Filyos port at 2,200 meters depth. Five drilling vessels are active in the Black Sea, while the Çağrı Bey vessel operates off Somalia, as Turkey aims to reduce energy import dependence.

Background: Turkey's tourism revenue in H1 2026 remained stable at $25.75 billion despite the Middle East conflict, with visitor numbers down 2.4% and average spending up. The sector contributes about 10% to GDP and 5% of employment. Tourism revenues for 2025 rose 6.8% to $65.23 billion, surpassing the government's target of $64 billion, but the 2026 target of $68 billion was set before the Iran war and faces challenges. Today: New data shows foreign arrivals in July 2026 fell 0.3% year-on-year to 7.1 million, with Russia as the largest source market at over 1 million visitors, followed by Germany and the UK. January-July arrivals declined 2.29% to 27.86 million.

Türkiye's Defense Ministry has completed a yearlong project to map 172 Turkish military cemeteries and memorials across 48 countries, making the locations available online. The map, prepared by the General Directorate of Mapping, documents burial sites and memorials of Turkish soldiers and officials who died abroad, including Ottoman-era sites and commemorations for those lost at sea. The project involved collaboration with the Foreign Ministry and TIKA, and may be expanded as new sites are identified. This initiative preserves historical memory and provides a public resource for researchers and families.

Background: The Zero Waste Foundation launched field studies in southern provinces to identify sources of plastic pollution. On August 21, 2026, in coordination with provincial governors, the foundation held city coordination meetings in Adana and Mersin, bringing together authorities, municipalities, universities, industry, and civil society to address plastic waste management and prevent pollution from reaching seas. In Adana, which processes about 60% of Turkey's imported plastic waste, authorities conducted 159 inspections of waste-recovery facilities between July 27 and August 15, and are preparing a provincial action plan on plastic and microplastic pollution. In Mersin, authorities inspected 20 plastic-recovery facilities, imposed sanctions on two, and collected wastewater samples; environmental fines totaled TL 59.25 million in 2025 and TL 49.4 million in 2026. Recommendations from these meetings, along with upcoming ones in Muğla and Antalya, will feed into the Türkiye Plastic Waste Workshop in Istanbul on August 31-September 1, which will involve 17 ministries and over 40 general directorates, ahead of COP31.