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TURKEY EASES ARMENIA TRADE EMBARGO AS PASHINYAN SEEKS MANDATE FOR REGIONAL PEACE PUSH
Foreign Affairs May 29, 2026

TURKEY EASES ARMENIA TRADE EMBARGO AS PASHINYAN SEEKS MANDATE FOR REGIONAL PEACE PUSH

One of the most concrete steps yet in the normalization process between Turkey and Armenia—launched in 2021—has been taken with a move toward direct trade between the two countries. Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan is heading into a June 7 election widely seen as a vote of confidence on his parallel agendas of steering the country toward the West while pursuing peace with Azerbaijan and normalization with Turkey. Turkish Foreign Ministry spokesperson Öncü Keçeli announced on X on May 13 that bureaucratic preparations for the launch of direct trade between Turkey and Armenia had been completed as of May 11.

Editorial Team
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.

Editorial Team
END OF ALİ KOÇ ERA AT FENERBAHÇE
Media, Internet and Culture May 29, 2026

END OF ALİ KOÇ ERA AT FENERBAHÇE

Ali Koç, a member of Turkey’s wealthiest business family, lost control after seven years at soccer club Fenerbahçe, ousted by businessperson Sadettin Saran. Saran became the 38th president of the yellow-and-blue club, winning 12,325 of 24,393 valid votes at the Extraordinary Elective General Assembly.

Editorial Team
CTP SPILLS THE BEANS IN NORTHERN CYPRUS: FAVORS FEDERATION
Foreign Affairs May 8, 2026

CTP SPILLS THE BEANS IN NORTHERN CYPRUS: FAVORS FEDERATION

Following Tufan Erhürman’s landslide victory in the presidential election with almost 63% of the vote in Northern Cyprus, the Republican Turkish Party (CTP)—which Erhürman formerly led—is preparing to take power in the upcoming general elections, expected by January 2026 at the latest. Sıla Usar İncirli, 54, the CTP’s new and first female chair, said that the party favors a federation model as part of the search for a solution in Cyprus, and they have begun drafting their government program.

Editorial Team
CONCEPT OF THE YEAR: DIGITAL CONSCIENCE
Media, Internet and Culture Jan 2, 2026

CONCEPT OF THE YEAR: DIGITAL CONSCIENCE

Culture and Tourism Minister Mehmet Nuri Ersoy said, “digital conscience” was selected as the Word/Concept of the Year for 2025 following a public vote organized by the Turkish Language Association (TDK), despite the term not being widely used in daily language.

Editorial Team
THE THIRD ‘HOCAM’ ERA IN NORTHERN CYPRUS
Portrait of the Week Oct 24, 2025

THE THIRD ‘HOCAM’ ERA IN NORTHERN CYPRUS

Tufan Erhürman became the new president of Northern Cyprus in Sunday’s election—winning twice as many votes as incumbent Ersin Tatar. Erhürman is a familiar name among Turkish Cypriots but not to the Turkish public. A seasoned politician who has served both as prime minister and party leader, he joins a line of Cypriot leaders whose names rarely surface in Turkey outside moments of crisis. Yet, like some of his predecessors, Mehmet Ali Talat and Mustafa Akıncı—both presidents from the same social-democratic tradition—his story also crosses paths with Ankara’s academic and political world.

Anonymous
CYPRUS VOTE TRIGGERS NATIONALIST FURY IN TURKEY
Foreign Affairs Oct 24, 2025

CYPRUS VOTE TRIGGERS NATIONALIST FURY IN TURKEY

Recent election results in Northern Cyprus have stirred visible unease within Turkey’s ruling alliance, particularly in the far-right MHP, even as the AKP maintained a controlled response, delivering expected statements despite its apparent preferences.

Editorial Team
NOT A DRAMA, BUT REALITY: 248 DAYS IN PRISON
Portrait of the Week Oct 3, 2025

NOT A DRAMA, BUT REALITY: 248 DAYS IN PRISON

Who is Ayşe Barım? Those who should know her, don’t. The people of this country—who have lived all their lives below the poverty line, and not even all of them, only a few—first heard her name in the news bulletins. When? Exactly 248 days ago, when she was arrested. They didn’t know Ayşe Barım, but in the evenings they gathered with their families or friends, cracking sunflower seeds and watching TV dramas with excitement. Yet those viewers had no idea what was happening behind the screen. Behind the mesmerizing shows they watched so devotedly stood an unknown figure. Under the headlines “Çağlayan Courthouse / Silivri Prison,” Ayşe Barım was forced—by the hand of the judiciary, not by her own will—to step onto the stage from behind the curtains.

Anonymous
TURKEY’S MAIN OPPOSITION CHP, ERDOĞAN’S CHIEF CHALLENGER, SEEKS LEGAL SHIELD THROUGH CONGRESS
Inside Turkey Sep 20, 2025

TURKEY’S MAIN OPPOSITION CHP, ERDOĞAN’S CHIEF CHALLENGER, SEEKS LEGAL SHIELD THROUGH CONGRESS

Turkey’s main opposition party, the CHP, is convening an extraordinary congress today in a bid to resolve ongoing legal challenges stemming from vote-buying allegations tied to its 2023 ordinary congress. CHP Chair Özgür Özel, who took the party’s helm during that same 2023 congress, is expected to reaffirm his leadership for the third time. No challenger is anticipated.

Editorial Team