Analysis
Smart, independent reporting on Turkey's politics, economy and foreign affairs.
The State Theaters have recently come under the spotlight due to a protest. The incident took place during the traditional Afife Jale Awards ceremony. Who was Afife Jale? In the early 20th century, when Istanbul was still under occupation, she became the first Turkish woman to appear on stage. The awards are presented every year in her memory.
During a party debate, veteran AKP politician Bülent Arınç once distinguished himself from his comrades by declaring, “I have a certain weight of my own.” Though Arınç’s own weight has faded over the past decade, if one were to search for true “political weight” in today’s Turkey, one name stands out above all: Devlet Bahçeli. Having led the MHP for 28 years, Bahçeli has always been a force shaping Turkish politics—but in recent years, as part of the ruling People’s Alliance, he has become almost the determining factor in many critical decisions.
The concert by British singer Robbie Williams scheduled for October 7 at Istanbul Ataköy Marina has been cancelled by the Istanbul Governor's Office. The announcement was made by the organizing company.
The Istanbul Chief Public Prosecutor’s Office launched an operation targeting more than a dozen celebrities on charges of using narcotics or stimulants. All were released shortly after tests showed they had not used drugs.
The Istanbul Chief Public Prosecutor's Office has launched another operation in its ongoing crackdown on large corporations—this time targeting a gold refining company known for its close ties to the ruling AKP.
When the AKP came to power it had to prove to the outside world that it was not an Islamist party. The way to convince Western capitals went through luring in Israel and the Jewish lobby. By 2008, the party had consolidated power internally and received a high degree of acceptance from the Western capitals, which led to overconfidence. When the Arab Spring began, the AKP did not have to hide its true ideological leaning. Convinced that the moment for political Islam had finally come, the AKPs ruling elites did not hide their ambition to lead Muslim Brotherhood to power in Middle Eastern countries.
The setbacks and delays encountered in the Altay tank project, launched in 2007, have become a subject of political debate, while uncertainty remains over whether it will go into mass production.
The three Turkish MPs, who joined the Freedom Flotilla in support of Gazans and were detained by Israel, arrived in Istanbul on Oct. 9 following the announcement of a ceasefire. The news was shared on social media by Foreign Ministry spokesperson Öncü Keçeli.
Serdar Öktem, a lawyer and a key defendant in the murder case of former Grey Wolves leader Sinan Ateş, was shot by masked assailants armed with long-barreled weapons in Istanbul traffic. Öktem died in hospital Oct. 6 from his injuries. Initial findings suggest the attack was carried out by the criminal group known as the Daltons.
Serdar Öktem, a lawyer affiliated with the MHP and a defendant in the 2022 assassination case of former Grey Wolves leader Sinan Ateş, died after being shot outside his office by masked assailants on Oct. 6. The attackers opened fire while Öktem was inside his car in front of his office on Büyükdere Avenue in Istanbul’s Zincirlikuyu district. Surveillance video showed six bullet holes in the window of his car. Despite emergency medical intervention, Öktem succumbed to his injuries at the hospital.
Comedian Egemen Şimşek was arrested on charges of insulting religious values held by a segment of the public.Istanbul’s Küçükçekmece Chief Public Prosecutor's Office launched an investigation into Şimşek over jokes about Moses and Jesus in his stand-up performance titled “Contrary Thoughts.”
When a European expert based in Bulgaria received an invitation to a conference in Tbilisi, he decided to take the maritime route, boarding the ferry from Burgaz to Batumi. At one stage of the 64-hour crossing, while sailing in the open sea, the ferry shut its transponder and turned off its lights. A Russian fuel tanker approached and docked with the ferry to provide fuel to the ship, which is mainly used by trucks. The expert later found out that Russia sold the fuel 30 to 40 percent less than the market price. The captain of the ferry confessed he had all the official documents proving that the fuel was purchased from Romania.