Analysis
Smart, independent reporting on Turkey's politics, economy and foreign affairs.
Sinem Dedetaş, the elected mayor of Istanbul’s Üsküdar district, was released to house arrest on Oct. 29, offering the Yeni Party a rare reprieve as prosecutors press ahead with operations against opposition-run municipalities.
Foreign direct investment (FDI) inflows fell 35% year-over-year in the first eight months of 2026 to $6.8 billion from $10.5 billion recorded during the same period in 2025, according to data released by the International Investors Association (YASED).
The court released four defendants, while informants who testified under effective remorse provisions refused to answer most questions from defense lawyers during cross-examination, claiming their previous testimonies were based on hearsay.
The Financial Action Task Force (FATF) has released its 5th Round Mutual Evaluation Report for Turkey, confirming that the country faces no risk of returning to the grey list, the Finance Ministry said.
Ahmet and Hülya Gökçek, the son and daughter-in-law of former Ankara Mayor Melih Gökçek, were questioned as suspects on Sept. 7 and released under judicial control with a ban on leaving Turkey.
Only two of the 53 formally arrested defendants in the Istanbul Municipality trial were released on the case's 75th hearing day, as relatives of those still held broke down in tears in the courtroom.
An investigation touching several pro-government media figures is widening, with new detention warrants issued for additional suspects even as one high-profile figure has been released.
Osman Kavala will turn 70 next year. He has been in prison for nine years. During those nine years, the European Court of Human Rights (ECHR) has ruled three times that his detention and conviction violated his rights and called for his “immediate release.” Most recently, just three days ago, the ECHR once again called on Turkey to “release him.”
The long-awaited and kept-under-wraps framework bill that will start the return and release of PKK members was finally submitted to parliament, two years after the process was announced.
The number of electric vehicle charging sockets across Turkey exceeded 45,000 in June, according to data released by the Energy Market Regulatory Authority (EPDK).
Paying an official visit to President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan ahead of the NATO Summit and signaling movement on the F-35 and the Kaan's F110 engines, US President Donald Trump also touched on two subjects that sent a chill through Ankara: the release of American Pastor Andrew Brunson, and Turkey's stance in the US-Israeli war against Iran. Meant as praise, both stories cut deeper than they flattered.
A rift within the ruling AKP divulged to public view after Tamar Tanrıyar — a social media phenomenon, a Turkish-Armenian known mainly as the wife of a former celebrity journalist and the owner of a small television channel — released a video targeting pro-government Turkuvaz Media Group that owns Sabah newspaper and ATV television channel.