Inside Turkey
300 articles
Inside Turkey
DEMIRTAS SENTENCED AGAIN DESPITE FINAL ECHR RULING
Selahattin Demirtaş, former co-chair of the HDP, has been sentenced to one year, five months and 15 days in prison over speeches he delivered in 2015–2016 despite a final and binding European Court of Human Rights (ECHR) ruling calling for his release.
Inside Turkey
THREE MPS JOIN AKP, SHIFTING PARLIAMENTARY BALANCE
Three lawmakers, who had resigned from their parties, joined the ruling AKP on Jan. 7, raising the party’s seat count to 275 and further shifting parliamentary arithmetic.
Inside Turkey
PRO-PALESTINE MARCH HELD ON ISTANBUL’S GALATA BRIDGE
A large crowd gathered on Galata Bridge early Jan. 1 for a march in support of Palestinians, organized under the Humanity Alliance and the National Will Platform, chaired by Bilal Erdoğan, son of President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan.
Inside Turkey
CONSTITUTIONAL COURT OVERTURNS SENTENCE DEFERRAL IN TORTURE CASES
The Constitutional Court has annuled a provision allowing the deferral of sentences for public officials convicted of torture or ill-treatment.
Inside Turkey
ECHR GIVES PRIORITY TO İMAMOĞLU'S APPLICATION
The European Court of Human Rights (ECHR) will give priority to a review of Istanbul Mayor Ekrem İmamoğlu's detention.
Inside Turkey
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2026 OPENS WITH UNCERTAINTY OVER KURDISH PEACE PROCESS
With the start of 2026, the future of the peace initiative on the Kurdish issue remains uncertain. The mandate of the National Solidarity, Brotherhood and Democracy Commission, which includes representatives from all parliamentary parties except the İYİ Party, was extended by two months, and the commission has once again delayed finalizing its report, now expected in January.
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CHP SHADOW CABINET UNDER FIRE FOR MIRRORING AKP'S MODEL
The CHP has unveiled its new shadow cabinet, touting it as the team that would govern Turkey if elected. However, the lineup has sparked backlash from left-wing critics over the dominance of business figures and center-right politicians occupying key posts. Despite advocating a return to the parliamentary system — where the executive is known as the Council of Ministers and members are elected, not appointed — the CHP has mirrored the presidential model by labeling its team a “cabinet” and appointing shadow cabinet members who are business figures active in the very sectors they oversee.
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BAHÇELİ GIVES GREEN LIGHT TO “ÖCALAN FREEDOM” RALLY
MHP Chair Devlet Bahçeli said there was no problem with the rally calling for the release of Abdullah Öcalan to be held by the DEM Party in Diyarbakır on Jan. 4, 2026.
Inside Turkey
TURKISH PARTIES AGREE ON GOAL — BUT NOT ON ROADMAP
As the Peace Commission moves toward drafting its final document — and as legislation looms on the horizon — the key question is whether parliament can transform overlapping objectives into a shared roadmap, or whether the process will once again stall at the fault line between security-first sequencing and demands for democratic and political normalization.
Inside Turkey
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SECRET WITNESS PARADOXES CLOUD ISTANBUL PROBE
The withdrawal of a secret witness’ testimony — and the prosecution’s disregard for that fact — in the Istanbul probe is raising questions about the credibility of the indictment against Istanbul Mayor Ekrem İmamoğlu, CHP Chair Özgür Özel said. Newly released supplementary documents reveal serious contradictions in how secret witnesses were handled by prosecutors, although the government calls it “the largest corruption file of the century.”
Inside Turkey
SEXUAL ABUSE ALLEGATIONS IN PARLIAMENT
Allegations that vocational high school students interning at the Parliament cafeteria were sexually abused by staff have sparked public outrage. The scandal surfaced after a 16-year-old intern reported the abuse and presented incriminating messages to law enforcement.
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ÖZEL STEPS UP STREET RESISTANCE CALLS
CHP Chair Özgür Özel escalated his rhetoric, urging people to take to the streets in response to what he described as a diminishing role for Parliament. Addressing crowds at public rallies and budget debates in Parliament, Özel emphasized the historic weight of legislative authority. “The right to control the budget is humanity’s greatest democratic achievement. Parliament is not born of the budget — the budget is born of Parliament,” he said.