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FIVE-PARTY ROADMAP SETS STAGE; ALL EYES ON ANKARA FOR NEXT MOVE
Capital Currents Feb 19, 2026

FIVE-PARTY ROADMAP SETS STAGE; ALL EYES ON ANKARA FOR NEXT MOVE

The “process report” that charts the roadmap for Parliament toward solving the Kurdish question has been finalized. The document did not push the limits of the AKP and MHP too far; it received a cautious “hopeful” endorsement from the CHP on the grounds that accepted democratic demands “must not remain mere words on paper”; the DEM Party deemed it “better than nothing” despite its shortcomings; and the Yeni Yol group welcomed with a familiar “not enough, but yes.”

Nergis Demirkaya
TURKEY JOINS NATO EXERCISE WITH 2,000 SOLDIERS
Security and Defense Feb 13, 2026

TURKEY JOINS NATO EXERCISE WITH 2,000 SOLDIERS

While the future of the NATO alliance is being debated due to the policies of U.S. President Donald Trump, the alliance is conducting its largest military exercise of the year in Germany, with the Turkish Armed Forces (TAF) participating with more than 2,000 soldiers.

Editorial Team
ÖZEL CHALLENGES ERDOĞAN OVER BADGE AS AKP HOLDS BACK
Inside Turkey Feb 13, 2026

ÖZEL CHALLENGES ERDOĞAN OVER BADGE AS AKP HOLDS BACK

The CHP was shaken by the resignation of Ankara’s Keçiören Mayor Mesut Özarslan, but the political momentum shifted after the AKP did not move forward with his expected transfer, leaving him politically isolated. CHP Chair Özgür Özel challenged President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan to publicly pin an AKP badge on Özarslan amid speculation he would join the ruling party.

Editorial Team
TURKISH OPPOSITION VICTORY SHAKEN AS CHP CHAIR’S IMAGE TAKES A HIT, DOMINO FEARS GROW
Inside Turkey Feb 9, 2026

TURKISH OPPOSITION VICTORY SHAKEN AS CHP CHAIR’S IMAGE TAKES A HIT, DOMINO FEARS GROW

The Turkish main opposition, the CHP, has been shaken by the resignation of Ankara’s Keçiören Mayor Mesut Özarslan, who is expected to join the ruling AKP soon. The move has added to growing signs that the CHP’s post-election momentum is under strain, compounded by profane WhatsApp messages sent by party Chair Özgür Özel shortly before the resignation was announced and later leaked online.

Editorial Team
ALTUN EXPECTED TO BE NAMED TURKEY’S VATICAN AMBASSADOR
Foreign Affairs Feb 6, 2026

ALTUN EXPECTED TO BE NAMED TURKEY’S VATICAN AMBASSADOR

Fahrettin Altun, who was removed in July from the Directorate of Communications he founded and from his role at the Center for Combating Disinformation, is expected to be appointed Turkey’s ambassador to the Vatican, according to several diplomatic sources.

Editorial Team
ADANA MAYOR FREED AS LEGAL CASES AGAINST CHP CONTINUE
Inside Turkey Feb 6, 2026

ADANA MAYOR FREED AS LEGAL CASES AGAINST CHP CONTINUE

Legal pressure on the main opposition CHP continued as allegations of drug use were expanded to include relatives of Ekrem İmamoğlu’s wife, while prosecutors finalized a separate “political espionage” indictment against the imprisoned presidential candidate. At the same time, an Istanbul court ordered the release of a high-profile mayor held on corruption charges, marking a notable shift in the broader judicial process. As a significant development in the ongoing corruption trials, the court ordered the release of Adana Mayor Zeydan Karalar, who had been in detention since July. Karalar became the first CHP mayor to be freed since the start of the Aziz İhsan Aktaş case on Jan. 27. Eight other employees of several municipalities were also released.

Editorial Team