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WHAT DOES ALİ BABACAN WANT TO DO?
Portrait of the Week May 29, 2026

WHAT DOES ALİ BABACAN WANT TO DO?

In a political climate marked by constant clashes and shifting agendas — sometimes several in a single day — how did Ali Babacan manage to stand out? He attended both the opening of Parliament and the Republic Day reception, posing for photographs with President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan. Suddenly, all eyes were on him. “Is he returning to his old party?” people asked. Some even claimed he was poised to become a minister again. He firmly denied those claims. Yet when similar criticism came from the CHP, he shot back sharply: “Come off it.”

Anonymous
FÜZE / MISSILE
Word of the Week Mar 12, 2026

FÜZE / MISSILE

Few Turkish words arrive with less subtlety than füze. Borrowed from the French fusée, it sounds clipped, metallic and modern. It is a word that pierces a sentence rather than softly enters it, except when used in slang. In the mid-20th century, füze was slang for breasts that projected upward; the opposite of pide, or flat, breasts. It is a small linguistic reminder of how the male gaze has long blended the language of warfare with that of desire.

Nazlan Ertan
SANCAR ARMED USV ENTERS SERVICE
Security and Defense Feb 26, 2026

SANCAR ARMED USV ENTERS SERVICE

The armed unmanned naval vehicle Sancar, jointly developed by Havelsan and Yonca Shipyard, was commissioned into the Navy at a ceremony attended by President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan on Feb. 24.

Editorial Team
FROM NEWSROOMS TO FOOTBALL CLUBS, TURKEY’S DRUG PROBE WIDENS
Deep Dive Jan 2, 2026

FROM NEWSROOMS TO FOOTBALL CLUBS, TURKEY’S DRUG PROBE WIDENS

The drug-using operation that started with artists in October, then extended to sports, media, business and politics, continues with the unlawful sharing of private conversations and denials of drug use despite forensic reports. The names of some prosecutors, politicians and advisers appeared in the investigation early on, yet media coverage has so far remained silent about them.

Editorial Team
2026 OPENS WITH UNCERTAINTY OVER KURDISH PEACE PROCESS
Inside Turkey Jan 2, 2026

2026 OPENS WITH UNCERTAINTY OVER KURDISH PEACE PROCESS

With the start of 2026, the future of the peace initiative on the Kurdish issue remains uncertain. The mandate of the National Solidarity, Brotherhood and Democracy Commission, which includes representatives from all parliamentary parties except the İYİ Party, was extended by two months, and the commission has once again delayed finalizing its report, now expected in January.

Editorial Team
RULING AKP OPENS DOOR TO SCRAPPING TRUSTEE SYSTEM IN KURDISH PEACE TALKS
Inside Turkey Dec 4, 2025

RULING AKP OPENS DOOR TO SCRAPPING TRUSTEE SYSTEM IN KURDISH PEACE TALKS

A key lawmaker, Mustafa Şen, from Turkey's ruling AKP suggested that the government should discontinue the practice of appointing state trustees to replace elected mayors. 'The terrorist organization has concluded its activity. Therefore, if a trustee was appointed to a municipality for that reason, we believe the practice should now be ended,' Şen stated.

Editorial Team
REPUBLIC DAY MARKED BY NEW POLITICAL ALIGNMENTS AND ABSENTEES
Inside Turkey Oct 31, 2025

REPUBLIC DAY MARKED BY NEW POLITICAL ALIGNMENTS AND ABSENTEES

Turkey marked the 102nd anniversary of the Republic with fresh signs of political realignment — reminiscent of the symbolic gestures seen during Parliament’s opening earlier this month. While the chairs of Gelecek Party and DEVA Party, both breakaway movements from the AKP, attended the Presidential Palace reception for the first time, the MHP opted to stay away. Talks on a possible merger among conservative parties are also ongoing.

Editorial Team