Tainted politician returns
The week's news at a glance.
Ankara, Turkey
Turkey’s high court this week suspended a corruption case against former Prime Minister Mesut Yilmaz, who promptly announced that he would return to politics. Yilmaz was accused of rigging the privatization of Turkbank, in a scandal that brought down his government in 1998. But the court said there wasn’t enough evidence to proceed with a prosecution. Under the ruling, the charges will be dropped altogether unless a new case is filed within five years. Yilmaz said the decision proves he did nothing wrong, and he said he would waste no time before jump-starting his career. “Beginning today,” he said, “I will start making contacts.”
A free daily email with the biggest news stories of the day – and the best features from TheWeek.com
Subscribe to The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.

Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
-
El Palace Barcelona: old-world luxury in the heart of the city
The Week Recommends This historic hotel is set within a former Ritz outpost moments from the Passeig de Gràcia
-
The best history books to read in 2025
The Week Recommends These fascinating deep-dives are perfect for history buffs
-
July 4 editorial cartoons
Cartoons Friday’s political cartoons include the danger of talking politics at a family picnic, and disappearing Medicaid entitlements