Analysis

In-Depth Analysis

Smart, independent reporting on Turkey's politics, economy and foreign affairs.

COURT ENDS FIRST İMAMOĞLU TRIAL SESSION WITHOUT HIS DEFENSE
Inside Turkey Jul 9, 2026

COURT ENDS FIRST İMAMOĞLU TRIAL SESSION WITHOUT HIS DEFENSE

The four-month-long first session of the Istanbul Municipality trial ended on July 8 without the testimony of its main defendant: Ekrem İmamoğlu, the jailed Istanbul mayor and ousted CHP administration's presidential candidate, who is accused of being the leader of an alleged criminal organization.

Editorial Staff 8 min
ANKARA AWAITS POST-NATO POLITICAL STORM
Deep Dive Jul 9, 2026

ANKARA AWAITS POST-NATO POLITICAL STORM

Turkey's political agenda is expected to pivot sharply from diplomacy to domestic maneuvering as post-NATO scenarios dominate the discussion from July 9 onward. The conclusion of the NATO Ankara Summit, widely seen as an international success for Turkey and President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan personally, has triggered intense political speculation amid increasing pressure on dissidents.

Editorial Staff 16 min
ŞATAFAT / POMP
Word of the Week Jul 9, 2026

ŞATAFAT / POMP

The word of the week is şatafat, and Ankara supplied the visual aid. At the NATO summit, Turkey received its guests with the full vocabulary of Erdoğan-era grandeur: mehter music, ceremonial guards, a turquoise carpet that seemed designed less for walking than for being recorded, and the Erdoğan couple standing before the vast Presidential Complex, its doors polished to a shine usually reserved for furniture showrooms. There was also the choreography.

Nazlan Ertan 3 min
TURKEY COURTS IRAQ AND SYRIA AT CRITICAL MOMENT FOR PEACE PROCESS
Foreign Affairs Jul 3, 2026

TURKEY COURTS IRAQ AND SYRIA AT CRITICAL MOMENT FOR PEACE PROCESS

Turkey made simultaneous overtures to Iraq and Syria at a critical moment for the peace process, as the government prepares to submit the bill to parliament before the summer recess. National Intelligence Organization (MİT) chief İbrahim Kalın completed a three-day tour of Iraq while Interior Minister Mustafa Çiftçi held security talks in Damascus.

Editorial Staff 3 min
TRUMP ARRIVES IN ANKARA WITHOUT MELANIA
Foreign Affairs Jul 3, 2026

TRUMP ARRIVES IN ANKARA WITHOUT MELANIA

US President Donald Trump will arrive in Ankara at around 2 p.m. on July 7. Although more than a thousand people will accompany him, his wife Melania will be absent, Turkey in Depth has learned.

Editorial Staff 3 min