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ERDOĞAN SKIPS TRUMP’S BOARD OF PEACE MEETING BUT STOPS SHORT OF WITHDRAWING TURKEY
Foreign Affairs Feb 20, 2026

ERDOĞAN SKIPS TRUMP’S BOARD OF PEACE MEETING BUT STOPS SHORT OF WITHDRAWING TURKEY

President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan opted not to attend the inaugural meeting of the U.S.-led Board of Peace in Washington — much like he previously declined to travel to Davos for the initiative’s launch — signaling a calibrated diplomatic balancing act. While Erdoğan is among the few leaders known to have a personal rapport with U.S. President Donald Trump, he refrained from participating in both events hosted by Trump. Instead, Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan represented Turkey on both occasions.

Editorial Team
BAHÇELI MOVES TO STEADY TURKEY’S PEACE PROCESS AMID SYRIA SHOCKS
Inside Turkey Jan 30, 2026

BAHÇELI MOVES TO STEADY TURKEY’S PEACE PROCESS AMID SYRIA SHOCKS

As the Turkish peace process with Kurds enters a period of turbulence following shifting dynamics and territorial changes in Syria, MHP Chair Devlet Bahçeli, who initiated the process, has stepped up efforts to prevent it from unraveling even as rhetoric hardens between the ruling bloc and the DEM Party.

Editorial Team
KEDİ
Word of the Week Sep 26, 2025

KEDİ

The word of the week is kedi, or cat, the agile, intuitive feline who is supposed to have nine lives. The Turkish word kedi ultimately goes back to Late Latin cattus (“cat”), with an intermediate form in Byzantine Greek gati (γ α τί, “kitten”) from which it passed into Ottoman Turkish as kedi. So why is it the word of the week? Because of the Istanbul Biennial, the must-see flagship event of the Istanbul Foundation for Culture and Arts (IKSV) that continues until the end of November.

Nazlan Ertan
TURKISH DEFENSE INDUSTRY DEBUTS AT TEKNOFEST
Security and Defense Sep 19, 2025

TURKISH DEFENSE INDUSTRY DEBUTS AT TEKNOFEST

The 13th Teknofest, Turkey’s Aviation, Space, and Technology Festival, is taking place at Istanbul Atatürk Airport from Sept. 17 to 21. The event is organized by the T3 Foundation (Turkey Technology Team) and the Ministry of Industry and Technology.

Editorial Team
SYRIAN CONUNDRUM AND KURDISH PROCESS
Guest Voices Sep 5, 2025

SYRIAN CONUNDRUM AND KURDISH PROCESS

Events in Syria have taken an unprecedented turn. Until the last few weeks, Turkey and the U.S., as well as a coalition of Western and Arab states, were advocating a centralised and unitary state under Ahmed Al Sharaa’s leadership. Now this basic tenet of international support seems to be in question after U.S. special representative for Syria Thomas Barrack backtracked from the idea.

Editorial Team
ERDOĞAN VOWS RESOLVE ON PEACE PROCESS
Inside Turkey Sep 5, 2025

ERDOĞAN VOWS RESOLVE ON PEACE PROCESS

President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan warned that whoever tries to sabotage the Terror-Free Turkey process will face the consequences. Erdoğan emphasized that recent events have shown that Turkey has been most affected by the unrest in Syria.

Editorial Team
TURKEY RESHAPES OIL TIES WITH IRAQ
Foreign Affairs Jul 25, 2025

TURKEY RESHAPES OIL TIES WITH IRAQ

After a decision to terminate the 1973 crude oil pipeline agreement with Iraq as of July 27, 2026, Turkey started negotiations with the Iraqi central government for a more comprehensive agreement on the transportation of Iraqi oil. The move is not a withdrawal from the partnership but a strategic reset. Under the 1973 agreement and its supplementary protocols, either party must notify the other at least one year before expiry if it intends to terminate the deal. If no such notice is given, the contract automatically renews for five years. Turkey has now officially informed Iraq of its intent to withdraw, preventing automatic renewal and opening space for renegotiation.

Editorial Team
CO-CHAIR: DEM WILL REMAIN IN OPPOSITION REGARDLESS OF PROCESS OUTCOME
Inside Turkey Jul 25, 2025

CO-CHAIR: DEM WILL REMAIN IN OPPOSITION REGARDLESS OF PROCESS OUTCOME

Ahead of CHP’s hesitations to join the parliamentary commission, DEM Party Co-Chair Tuncer Bakırhan said that the party will maintain its opposition identity even if the process is successful. Bakırhan stated that the matter will eventually be brought before the DEM and that they will not approve the constitutional amendment if it does not satisfy their demands regarding the Kurdish issue, democratization, women's rights, youth, Alevis' right to equal citizenship, economic justice, and the environment.

Editorial Team
GROK
Word of the Week Jul 11, 2025

GROK

The word of the week is Grok — not a Turkish word by birth, but one that, thanks to recent events, has become a household name from Izmir to Iğdır.

Nazlan Ertan
SYRIA WAR REIGNITES; WHAT’S IN IT FOR TURKEY?
Deciphering Turkish Diplomacy Dec 6, 2024

SYRIA WAR REIGNITES; WHAT’S IN IT FOR TURKEY?

The turn of events in Syria is related to three evolving issues: the war in Ukraine, the war in the Middle East, and the upcoming Trump 2.0. Bashar al-Assad survived the civil war thanks to his powerful allies, Russia, Iran, and Lebanese Hezbollah, which have all been weakened.

Barçın Yinanç
CIVIL SOCIETY WANTS TURKEY TO HOST COP31, BUT CHANCES ARE SLIM
Guest Voices Nov 22, 2024

CIVIL SOCIETY WANTS TURKEY TO HOST COP31, BUT CHANCES ARE SLIM

As the world anticipates the outcome of the COP29 summit, which will end this week in Baku, Turkish audiences expect to hear the results of the COP31 bids. Turkey has announced its bid to host the 31st session of the climate summit in 2026. Yet the path to securing the event remains challenging, with its competitor, Australia, currently viewed as the frontrunner. At COP29 in Baku, Turkish officials are making an effort to capitalize on the familiar environment to secure a favorable decision on hosting COP31. While it remains unclear whether the host of COP31 will be decided at this summit, Ankara is actively lobbying for its candidacy, leveraging its proximity to Azerbaijan to strengthen its bid.

Editorial Team