F-16S TO FLY USING NATIONAL SOFTWARE
A critical milestone has been reached in the modernization project for F-16s with the completion of acceptance tests for mission planning software.
Analysis
In-Depth Analysis
Smart, independent reporting on Turkey's politics, economy and foreign affairs.
NEW TARGET FOR FIRST AIRCRAFT CARRIER: 2032
Turkey's first full-scale aircraft carrier, which is currently in the preliminary design stage, will have a capacity for 52 aircraft.
HIGH TENSION OVER CYPRUS
Before the government submits a bill to define Turkish zones of jurisdiction in the surrounding seas, Turkey and Greece have once again clashed off the coast of Cyprus.
ECONOMIC GROWTH SLOWS AS FORECASTS REVISED DOWNWARD
The Turkish economy grew by 2.5% in the first quarter of 2026 compared to the same period last year, lower than the 2.7% growth expected by economists. TurkStat data showed that quarter-on-quarter GDP growth remained at 0.1%. Household consumption made the largest contribution to growth with 3.4 percentage points. However, industrial production contracted. Also, the negative contribution of net foreign trade expanded.
NEW ROLE, NEW DEFINITION
Tom Barrack, now appointed as special envoy to Iraq in addition to his ambassadorial role in Turkey and special envoy role in Syria, described Iraq, Syria, and Turkey as 'the strategic fulcrum upon which any enduring Middle East stability must pivot,' calling for a single, consistent point of American contact across the three nations.
FIDAN’S ECONOMIC PUSH IN THE ASIA-PACIFIC
Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan, known for his intensive diplomacy and negotiation efforts on Middle East cases, particularly Syria, has embarked for the first time since taking office on a lengthy Asia-Pacific tour, visiting four countries in succession.
ARMENIA AT A CROSSROADS AS TURKEY EXTENDS HAND AND RUSSIA TIGHTENS GRIP
As Armenia heads toward the pivotal June 7 elections — widely seen as critical for the continuity of Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan’s peace agenda — Turkey has accelerated the normalization process, while Russia has intensified pressure on Yerevan through sanctions.
DEM EXPECTS FRAMEWORK LAW AS GOVERNMENT LOOKS FOR VERIFICATION
The DEM Party is pushing the government to start taking legislative steps for the Kurdish peace process by announcing a framework law, yet the government is determined not to take any step before the PKK’s disarmament has been verified and confirmed. DEM
MORE THAN A CONGRESS: HIDDEN BATTLEGROUNDS OF THE CHP CRISIS
Since the court voided the CHP's 2023 party congress, the main opposition has been unable to untangle the knot — and each new court decision pulls it tighter. The question is whether the party can hold an extraordinary congress to break the deadlock. But the forces shaping what comes next run deeper: when and how the CHP headquarters under Kemal Kılıçdaroğlu, 77, will move to press disciplinary charges, expelling some figures; whether the parliamentary immunity of ousted chair Özgür Özel, 51, and his allies — implicated by recent testimonies from Antalya and Uşak — will be lifted; and when a new party will be established.
PASSING OF REHA MUHTAR MARKS OFFICIAL DEATH OF THE 1990s
Reha Muhtar, who died June 3 at the age of 66, was a television phenomenon of the 1990s — he swept through that decade like a force of nature.
TRUMP COMES TO ANKARA —BUT AT WHAT COST FOR NATO?
According to some, NATO has to become more European in order to remain more Transatlantic. The “Europeanization” of NATO will certainly be the key focus of the Ankara summit in July.
THE ECONOMY OF REASSURANCE
At Istanbul Airport, one can sometimes see the new Turkish economy walking past in surgical bands. Men arrive with thinning hair and leave with careful instructions, swollen foreheads and a cautious sense of restoration.