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TURKISH LAWMAKERS POISED FOR HISTORIC TRIP TO MEET ÖCALAN AS COMMISSION SCRAMBLES FOR LAST-MINUTE CONSENSUS
Deep Dive May 29, 2026

TURKISH LAWMAKERS POISED FOR HISTORIC TRIP TO MEET ÖCALAN AS COMMISSION SCRAMBLES FOR LAST-MINUTE CONSENSUS

The parliamentary commission tasked with advancing the new peace process between the PKK and Turkey is heading toward a landmark meeting on Nov. 21, when it is expected to decide whether to visit Abdullah Öcalan on İmralı Island, where he has been serving a life sentence since 1999. Although the outcome in the 51-member body initially appeared certain — with the AKP, MHP, DEM, TİP and EMEP signaling support for the visit — shifting political dynamics have pushed discussions toward avoiding a formal vote altogether, according to last-minute reports ahead of the meeting. The move is seen as a way to ease pressure on parties — particularly the AKP and CHP, both facing internal sensitivities — even though initial reports had suggested the commission would hold a vote on whether to visit Öcalan.

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DEADLOCK OVER COMMISSION’S VISIT TO ÖCALAN CONTINUES
Deep Dive May 29, 2026

DEADLOCK OVER COMMISSION’S VISIT TO ÖCALAN CONTINUES

The parliamentary commission formed to pave the way for a new Kurdish peace process remains stuck over whether its members should visit jailed PKK leader Abdullah Öcalan. A planned session of the commission has been postponed once again, even as hopes rise for the release of imprisoned Kurdish politician Selahattin Demirtaş following a third ruling by the European Court of Human Rights (ECHR).

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PHOTOS REVEAL RIVALRY BETWEEN AKP AND CHP OVER OTHER OPPOSITION PARTIES
Deep Dive May 29, 2026

PHOTOS REVEAL RIVALRY BETWEEN AKP AND CHP OVER OTHER OPPOSITION PARTIES

The photos taken at the start of the new legislative year, in which President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan posed with chairs of opposition parties, including AKP breakaways, in the absence of the CHP, revealed the contest between the AKP and the CHP to win their support. After the images went viral, Erdoğan renewed his call for a new constitution more forcefully, while his ally, MHP Chair Devlet Bahçeli, insisted that the parliamentary commission visit PKK leader Abdullah Öcalan in İmralı and urged Öcalan to call on the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) to lay down arms. The same day, slogans in Kurdish for Öcalan’s freedom — “Biji Serok Apo” — were chanted at the DEM Party’s group meeting. The party, which holds the third-largest number of seats in parliament, could significantly alter the political dynamics if it supports a constitutional change. While the photos of opposition figures with Erdoğan drew sharp criticism in the opposition media, concerned about alienating them, CHP Chair Özgür Özel personally called all opposition party chairs to ease the row.

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A STORY OF POLITICAL ‘BROTHERHOOD’
Portrait of the Week May 29, 2026

A STORY OF POLITICAL ‘BROTHERHOOD’

Exactly 18 years ago — the summer of 2007. Then-Prime Minister Erdoğan raised Abdullah Gül’s hand in the air, and called him “my brother,” as he announced his candidacy for president. That summer, Gül was elected as Turkey’s 11th president — the first president to emerge from within the AKP. A new era was beginning, with the party’s two most powerful figures holding the posts of president and prime minister.

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BILAL ERDOĞAN HEADS AKP DELEGATION IN SYRIA VISIT
Inside Turkey May 15, 2026

BILAL ERDOĞAN HEADS AKP DELEGATION IN SYRIA VISIT

Bilal Erdoğan, son of President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan and chair of the İlim Yayma Foundation, visited Syria on May 14 alongside a senior AKP delegation that included Deputy Chair and Head of Foreign Relations Zafer Sırakaya, parliamentary group deputy chair Abdulhamit Gül, and Gaziantep Mayor Fatma Şahin.

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DEM PUSHES FOR A NEW STATUS AND HOME FOR ÖCALAN
Inside Turkey Apr 2, 2026

DEM PUSHES FOR A NEW STATUS AND HOME FOR ÖCALAN

The DEM Party is pushing the government to take legal steps to clarify PKK leader Abdullah Öcalan’s status, including the allocation of a house on İmralı Island, yet the government is buying time without providing clarity on the transition law.

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TWO CRITICAL MONTHS IN KURDISH PROCESS
Inside Turkey Mar 6, 2026

TWO CRITICAL MONTHS IN KURDISH PROCESS

Parliament will take up legislation in response to the PKK’s decision to dissolve and lay down its arms agenda after the Ramadan holiday. PKK leader Abdullah Öcalan has called for the adoption of “peace laws” as a condition for transition. While the DEM Party insists that the legal framework should be adopted before the end of March, President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan has pointed to April, saying he expects the PKK to take more concrete steps.

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U.S. SEIZURE OF MADURO RAISES “INTERNAL FRONT” CONTROVERSY IN TURKEY
Deep Dive Jan 9, 2026

U.S. SEIZURE OF MADURO RAISES “INTERNAL FRONT” CONTROVERSY IN TURKEY

The abduction of Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro by the United States has reignited a fierce debate in Turkey over the concept of the “internal front,” a term increasingly used by the government to call for national unity amid shifting global dynamics. The notion of “fortifying the internal front” — defined by the government as acting in unison on national issues — gained prominence alongside changes in the international order. It was President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan who first introduced the phrase in August 2024, and has repeatedly emphasized it over the past year as a shield against foreign policy challenges and a necessity for “national survival.”

Editorial Team