Analysis

In-Depth Analysis

Smart, independent reporting on Turkey's politics, economy and foreign affairs.

All Inside Turkey Foreign Affairs Economy and Finance Security and Defense Deep Dive Media & Culture Media, Internet and Culture Deciphering Turkish Diplomacy Portrait of the Week Word of the Week Guest Voices Capital Currents Erospolis The Third Desk Poetic Licence
ONCE A TOP TAXPAYER, ARREST WARRANT ISSUED FOR CINER
Media, Internet and Culture Oct 3, 2025

ONCE A TOP TAXPAYER, ARREST WARRANT ISSUED FOR CINER

The money laundering investigation into Can Holding has now expanded to the Ciner Group. The probe, which includes charges of fraud, money laundering, smuggling, and forming a criminal organization, now focuses on the $350 million sale of media outlets — including Habertürk, Show TV, and Bloomberg HT — from the Ciner Group to Can Holding. According to Sabah daily, the funds were allegedly transported in suitcases and deposited in banks as cash. Turgay Ciner, once among Turkey’s top taxpayers and currently residing abroad, is now the subject of an arrest warrant.

Editorial Team
FINDING THE RIGHT BALANCE BETWEEN DETERRENCE AND PROVOCATION IN THE BLACK SEA
Deciphering Turkish Diplomacy Oct 3, 2025

FINDING THE RIGHT BALANCE BETWEEN DETERRENCE AND PROVOCATION IN THE BLACK SEA

When a European expert based in Bulgaria received an invitation to a conference in Tbilisi, he decided to take the maritime route, boarding the ferry from Burgaz to Batumi. At one stage of the 64-hour crossing, while sailing in the open sea, the ferry shut its transponder and turned off its lights. A Russian fuel tanker approached and docked with the ferry to provide fuel to the ship, which is mainly used by trucks. The expert later found out that Russia sold the fuel 30 to 40 percent less than the market price. The captain of the ferry confessed he had all the official documents proving that the fuel was purchased from Romania.

Barçın Yinanç
RESIGNATIONS ROCK AKP ELAZIĞ BRANCH
Inside Turkey Oct 3, 2025

RESIGNATIONS ROCK AKP ELAZIĞ BRANCH

After eight AKP provincial heads stepped down from duty, all members of the Elazığ Provincial Executive Committee, including the newly appointed acting head, İbrahim Sencer Selmanoğlu, resigned.

Editorial Team
AYŞE BARIM FACES HOSPITALIZATION AND RE-ARREST
Media, Internet and Culture Oct 2, 2025

AYŞE BARIM FACES HOSPITALIZATION AND RE-ARREST

Talent manager Ayşe Barım, on trial for allegedly attempting to overthrow the government in connection with the 2013 Gezi Park protests, was briefly granted conditional release under judicial supervision—until an upper court overturned the ruling and issued a new arrest warrant just as she was about to undergo a medical procedure.

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
THE CHP IN GENERAL, AND ‘ÖZEL’ IN PARTICULAR
Portrait of the Week Sep 26, 2025

THE CHP IN GENERAL, AND ‘ÖZEL’ IN PARTICULAR

“In every heart hides a lion.” This is a common folk saying. And in every CHP member’s heart and mind lies the thought: “One day I could be chair of the party.” A sort of “Why not?” sentiment. Let’s put aside the phrase “every CHP member” as it might be an exaggeration—but still, 90% of them live with this mindset, something unseen in any other party. No matter their place inside the party—ordinary member or deputy chair—it makes no difference. What fuels this thought is not what has happened so far, but the fact that names keep surfacing for the chairmanship. The reasoning is: “If he can do it, why can’t I?”

Anonymous
EIGHT AKP PROVINCIAL CHAIRS STEP DOWN: WHAT DOES THE SHAKE-UP MEAN?
Capital Currents Sep 26, 2025

EIGHT AKP PROVINCIAL CHAIRS STEP DOWN: WHAT DOES THE SHAKE-UP MEAN?

As politics remains focused on CHP, the resignation of eight provincial chairs from the ruling AKP has prompted the question: What is happening on the government side? The resignations of the provincial chairs of Çanakkale, Niğde, Adıyaman, Elazığ, Muğla, Ordu, Bitlis, and Tunceli—submitted within just 48 hours—were followed by statements from the party headquarters stressing that this was merely a “change of duties to take the party forward” and that “no criminal situation is involved.”

Nergis Demirkaya
ADDITIONAL TARIFFS ON U.S.-MADE PRODUCTS REMOVED
Economy and Finance Sep 26, 2025

ADDITIONAL TARIFFS ON U.S.-MADE PRODUCTS REMOVED

President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan removed additional tariffs on certain U.S.-made products, including automobiles, ahead of his meeting with U.S. President Donald Trump. The Presidential Decree was published in the Official Gazette, saying that no additional taxes will be imposed on imports of U.S.-origin products such as passenger cars, cosmetics and skin care products, leaf tobacco, and alcoholic beverages.

Editorial Team