Analysis
Smart, independent reporting on Turkey's politics, economy and foreign affairs.
Engineers at Turkey's first nuclear power plant have finished a critical test as part of preparations for the launch planned by the end of 2026, the Energy Ministry said. Technicians successfully loaded 163 simulated fuel assemblies into the reactor pressure vessel of the first unit at the Akkuyu Nuclear Power Plant. The operation is a major milestone in the launch of the country’s first nuclear power facility.
Everything was going smoothly, as it had for a hundred years. Koç Holding, Turkey's largest industrial conglomerate, was marking its centennial.
Nikol Pashinyan’s election victory on June 7, his third in a row since 2018, confirmed the strong desire of the Armenian people to live in peace and prosperity in a functioning democracy as part of the Western World.
Cyprus is preparing for a summer of diplomatic activity unseen for a long time, as UN Secretary-General Antonio Gueterres makes a last push to solve the decades-old problem before the end of his tenure in December.
After the toppling of Nicolás Maduro by the United States, Delcy Rodríguez, who was installed as Venezuela’s interim president, paid her fourth abroad visit to Turkey on June 8.
Questions about the future of Turkey-Armenia normalization have grown after Turkish Foreign Ministry removed key wording from its statement on Armenian elections, putting pressure on Armenia rather than also pushing Azerbaijan and it took President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan four days to congratulate the Armenian prime minister on his election win.
Allegations of ill-treatment, strip searches and prosecutorial threats dominated this week's hearings at the Istanbul Municipality corruption trial, as defendants described abusive detention conditions and coerced statements.
Three weeks have passed since Kemal Kılıçdaroğlu reclaimed the CHP chairmanship by a court order on May 21 and it appears he has consolidated control across all the organs of the party.
A critical milestone has been reached in the modernization project for F-16s with the completion of acceptance tests for mission planning software.
Before the government submits a bill to define Turkish zones of jurisdiction in the surrounding seas, Turkey and Greece have once again clashed off the coast of Cyprus.
In the latest episode of a legal battle between the central government and the opposition-led Istanbul municipality, a Turkish appeals court on June 4 temporarily blocked the transfer of the historic Basilica Cistern, a major tourist attraction of Istanbul, from the municipality to the Directorate General of Foundations.
The Turkish economy grew by 2.5% in the first quarter of 2026 compared to the same period last year, lower than the 2.7% growth expected by economists. TurkStat data showed that quarter-on-quarter GDP growth remained at 0.1%. Household consumption made the largest contribution to growth with 3.4 percentage points. However, industrial production contracted. Also, the negative contribution of net foreign trade expanded.