Analysis
Smart, independent reporting on Turkey's politics, economy and foreign affairs.
Turkey is seeking to position itself as a mediator between the United States and Iran as threats of attacks rise and diplomatic engagement intensifies, with the Turkish foreign minister set to host his Iranian counterpart in Istanbul on Jan. 30.
As the Turkish peace process with Kurds enters a period of turbulence following shifting dynamics and territorial changes in Syria, MHP Chair Devlet Bahçeli, who initiated the process, has stepped up efforts to prevent it from unraveling even as rhetoric hardens between the ruling bloc and the DEM Party.
Turkey joined Damascus, welcoming the victory of Syrian government forces and the defeat of the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF), which further strained the ongoing peace process. Tensions in the political arena rose after a Turkish flag was brought down during the DEM Party’s group meeting in the border town of Nusaybin, neighboring Qamishli. The name of the person who brought down the Turkish flag was not shared by the government, but an investigation was launched, while the DEM Party described the incident as a provocation, recalling similar instances from the past.
In their first call since unrest spread across Iran, President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan told his Iranian counterpart, Masoud Pezeshkian, that Turkey does not support any scenario involving external intervention in Iran, according to a statement from the Turkish Presidency on Jan. 22.
The EU’s draft “Made in Europe” proposal to support European producers of green technology excludes Turkey from “Europe” but allows the European Commission to determine which non-EU countries can be included in the scheme on a sectoral basis. The Turkish business community is alarmed at the new rules aimed at strengthening European manufacturing against rising competition from China and the U.S., Turkey in Depth learned. Fearing this would create a new hurdle in Turkey’s trade with the EU, business leaders have been lobbying in Brussels, urging officials to consider Turkey as part of Europe. Turkey in Depth has learned that President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan sent a letter to President of the European Commission Ursula von der Leyen regarding the decision.
In Turkish, emekli / retired is supposed to be a word of closure. It comes from emek: labor, effort, the long arc of work, and implies that something has been duly completed. You have labored; therefore, you may withdraw.
Turkish prosecutors have opened a money-laundering investigation into Ekol TV, expanding scrutiny that has already targeted Can Medya, Flash Haber, and Gain Medya.
Even though Israel objects to Turkish soldiers serving in the Gaza International Stabilization Force (ISF), Defense Minister Yaşar Güler announced that soldiers are being trained for the task.
Amid renewed clashes between the Syrian government and Kurdish-led militia in Aleppo, the Turkish Defense Ministry said that the Turkish army would support the operation if Damascus requested assistance.
Culture and Tourism Minister Mehmet Nuri Ersoy said, “digital conscience” was selected as the Word/Concept of the Year for 2025 following a public vote organized by the Turkish Language Association (TDK), despite the term not being widely used in daily language.
The Turkish Statistical Institute (TurkStat) released its Poverty and Living Conditions Statistics for 2025, showing a limited decline in the relative poverty rate while material deprivation and social exclusion remain widespread, meaning millions are unable to meet basic needs such as heating.
The Turkish Air Force shot down a drone that entered Turkish airspace from the Black Sea on Dec. 15 but Ankara refused to identify it, although all indications point to Russia.