Analysis – Turkey In Depth – Smart, informed focus on the stories that matter

Deep Dive May 29, 2026

CHP FACES INTENSIFYING CRACKDOWN DESPITE LEGAL REPRIEVE

The CHP has received a brief reprieve from ongoing legal turmoil as a lawsuit seeking to annul its 38th Ordinary Congress—held on November 4–5, 2023—was postponed to Oct. 24. The delay offers the party a short breathing space. Now it is preparing for a new extraordinary congress on Sept. 21 that might address some of the legal challenges it faces. But the crackdown against CHP municipalities is pressing on. In the latest development, Bayrampaşa Mayor Hasan Mutlu became the 12th CHP mayor arrested in Istanbul—and the 18th nationwide—since the crackdown began in October 2024.

Editorial Team

Foreign Affairs May 29, 2026

INTELLIGENCE CHIEF MEETS WITH SYRIAN PRESIDENT SHARAA

At a time when the U.S. is mediating talks between Israel and Syria in London, the head of Turkish Intelligence İbrahim Kalın met with President Ahmed al‑Sharaa in the Syrian capital, Damascus.

Editorial Team

Word of the Week May 29, 2026

TEKİN

In Old Turkic, tegin was the stuff of inscriptions and dynasties, carved into the 8th-century Orkhon Inscriptions beside names like Kül Tegin. It meant prince, heir, royal son. However, Mahmud al-Kaşgarî, the first lexicographer of the Turkish language, reminds us that these gilded offspring referred to themselves as “kul,” or servant, when addressing their father in a ritual display of humility, claiming that “tekin” meant “humble servant.”

Editorial Team

Inside Turkey May 29, 2026

ÖZEL PULLS NO PUNCHES ON JUDICIARY

CHP Chair Özgür Özel sharply attacked President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, Justice Minister Yılmaz Tunç and Istanbul Chief Prosecutor Akın Gürlek during a protest over the arrest of Beyoğlu Mayor İnan Güney.

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Capital Currents May 29, 2026

OPPOSITION NATIONALISTS: PROSPECT OF A COMMON FRONT

Is cooperation among nationalist parties possible? What are the prospects and obstacles? Turkish politics has been polarized into two main blocs since the transition to the presidential system: the AKP on one side and the CHP on the other. While the AKP kept parties like the MHP, BBP, and HÜDA-Par in its orbit, the CHP advanced by forging open or tacit alliances with the DEM Party and İYİ Party. But this opposition front collapsed after the defeat in the 2023 elections.

Editorial Team

Economy and Finance May 29, 2026

SELÇUK BAYRAKTAR AGAIN TURKEY'S TOP TAXPAYER

The Revenue Administration has announced the top income taxpayers in 2024, with most names once again kept confidential. For the fourth year in a row, Baykar Chair of the Board Selçuk Bayraktar, who is also President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan’s son-in-law, ranked first, paying 2.77 billion lira in income tax.

Editorial Team

Word of the Week May 29, 2026

TRİP YAPMAK

With TRIPP, the Trump Route for International Peace and Prosperity, dominating global headlines, it feels only right to turn our gaze to its Turkish near-homonym: trip atmak or trip yapmak. No, this is not another geopolitical acronym. In Turkish slang, trip is a native borrowing of English, stripped of tourist connotations and recast to mean sulky attitude. (Do watch the TikTok video for a full explanation) You can atmak (“throw”) a trip, a sudden sulk, or yapmak (“make”) one, meaning a longer, more orchestrated performance with a few dismissive or harsh words thrown in. Both have elbowed aside the more traditional surat asmak (“to pout”).

Editorial Team

Word of the Week May 29, 2026

YAKIŞIR

Some Turkish words are as sharp and clear as a gleam of a knife. Others confuse you. Yakışır is a particular gem in the latter category. Literally, it means “befitting” or “suits well.” But intonation does all the heavy lifting here. With a twinkle in the eye, yakışır becomes high praise: a friend gets a long-deserved promotion? “Yakışır!” A suave female CEO in her sixties starts dating a younger man with abs and ambition? “Yakışır vallahi!” But delivered with a dry brow and pursed lips, the very same yakışır morphs into biting derision, the sort you might lob at a corrupt bureaucrat who gets caught rigging tenders again or the son of one of the president’s close allies landing an ambassadorial job.

Editorial Team

Deciphering Turkish Diplomacy May 29, 2026

EUROFIGHTERS: A STOPGAP WITH STRINGS

The German government has dropped its veto on the sale of 40 Eurofighter Typhoon jets to Turkey, thanks to the requests of the Turkish opposition, claimed Özgür Özel, the head of the CHP. While Berlin has been dragging its feet on talks for the warplanes, which are built by a consortium of Germany, Britain, Italy, and Spain, a news report suggested in April that the German government had decided to keep blocking the sale due to the arrest of Istanbul Mayor Ekrem İmamoğlu on March 19. While such a decision was never officially confirmed, İmamoğlu tweeted from his prison cell, objecting to the veto and Özel kept the issue on the agenda during talks with his German counterparts.

Editorial Team

Deep Dive May 29, 2026

PARLIAMENTARY PEACE COMMISSION HITS DELAY

Hopeful for the disarmament of the PKK after the ceremonial burning of arms, the Turkish government is observing developments on the ground while efforts to establish a commission in the parliament look set to drag into next week. Parliament Speaker Numan Kurtulmuş visited MHP and CHP chairs, but the commission’s structure and name were not finalized. Now, he is expected to meet once again with the parliamentary group deputy chairs. The meeting, initially planned for July 25 is expected to be postponed to July 28 at the earliest. After the framework is set, commission members will be appointed. While the head of Turkish intelligence, İbrahim Kalın, toured all the party groups in the parliament, the media tracked a tempest in a teapot after MHP Chair Devlet Bahçeli confirmed reports that he proposed appointing two vice presidents—one Kurdish and one Alevi.

Editorial Team

Inside Turkey May 29, 2026

BAHÇELİ STANDS BY VICE PRESIDENT PROPOSAL AMID FAILED-STATE MODEL DEBATE

Amid renewed calls for unity during the ongoing peace efforts with the PKK, and following President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan’s recent emphasis on solidarity among Turks, Kurds, and Arabs, MHP Chair Devlet Bahçeli has confirmed reports that he proposed appointing two vice presidents—one Kurdish and one Alevi—in a closed-door party meeting.

Editorial Team

Inside Turkey May 29, 2026

WHO IS LEADING THE POLLS?

CHP Chair Özgür Özel and President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan’s latest disagreement is over which party is leading the polls. Since the March 2024 local elections, Özel has said the CHP is the most popular party.

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In-Depth Analysis