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A NEW TONE, OLD REALITIES, AND A HARD ROAD AHEAD IN CYPRUS
Guest Voices Oct 31, 2025

A NEW TONE, OLD REALITIES, AND A HARD ROAD AHEAD IN CYPRUS

The election of Tufan Erhürman as president of Northern Cyprus rekindled hopes for renewed negotiations with the Greek Cypriots.Erhürman’s opening statements — stressing democratic tolerance, representation and the need to reopen talks under UN auspices with political equality as his “red line” — set a constructive tone: “There are no losers in this election. The Turkish Cypriot people won, our children won, our brotherhood won.” Yet those words of unity sit alongside firm warnings: political equality cannot be treated as a bargaining chip, and any new process must have meaningful limits and commitments from the outset.

Guest Voices
STARMER’S $10.7 BILLION JET DEAL AND MERZ’S EU MESSAGE: DIFFERENT TACTICS, SAME DISTANCE
Deciphering Turkish Diplomacy Oct 31, 2025

STARMER’S $10.7 BILLION JET DEAL AND MERZ’S EU MESSAGE: DIFFERENT TACTICS, SAME DISTANCE

Nearly a decade after the migration deal that was signed between the EU and Turkey under the leadership of Germany, the arrangement that succeeded in stopping migrants entering Europe via Turkey remains the backbone of the transactional relationship between Ankara and Berlin. However, although Turkey continues to be seen as a buffer zone stopping the migration flows, there is also a renewed discovery among European capitals of the country’s value as a strategic asset.

Barçın Yinanç
THREE DECADES IN THE MAKING: ALTAY TANK FINALLY ROLLS OUT
Security and Defense Oct 31, 2025

THREE DECADES IN THE MAKING: ALTAY TANK FINALLY ROLLS OUT

The first Altay tank was delivered to the army on Oct. 28, crowning a three-decade push to develop and produce a domestic main battle tank. The project, launched by a 1996 decision of the Defense Industry Executive Committee, aimed to build an indigenous tank using locally developed technologies. However, the finalized model relies on South Korean-made engines and transmission systems.

Editorial Team
$10.7 BILLION FIGHTER DEAL WITHOUT CONCRETE DETAILS
Security and Defense Oct 31, 2025

$10.7 BILLION FIGHTER DEAL WITHOUT CONCRETE DETAILS

Following lengthy negotiations, an agreement for Turkey to procure 20 Eurofighter Typhoon Tranche 4 fighter jets from the UK was signed in Ankara on Oct. 27. Turkey will increase the number of aircraft in its Eurofighter fleet to 44 by procuring 12 second-hand Typhoons each from Qatar and Oman. The $10.7 billion (£8 billion) payment to the U.K. under the agreement has become a subject of debate in Turkish domestic politics, as the details of the package were not announced.

Editorial Team
CHP’S WAR FOR POWER: NEW FRONTS ON EVERY SIDE
Capital Currents Oct 24, 2025

CHP’S WAR FOR POWER: NEW FRONTS ON EVERY SIDE

With the “change” endorsement from Istanbul Mayor Ekrem İmamoğlu, Özgür Özel became CHP chair and will mark his second year in office in just ten days. Many see this as the “most difficult two years” in the party’s 102-year history, as policies were revised and key positions changed. While also battling lawsuits to annul its congress and ongoing operations against municipalities, the CHP seems poised to fight on new fronts—starting with the possible lifting of parliamentary immunities—as the election calendar nears.

Nergis Demirkaya
BERLIN’S DEFENSE TURN WARMS TIES WITH ANKARA, COOLS CONCERN FOR DEMOCRACY
Deciphering Turkish Diplomacy Oct 24, 2025

BERLIN’S DEFENSE TURN WARMS TIES WITH ANKARA, COOLS CONCERN FOR DEMOCRACY

Turkish democracy is the casualty of Europe’s rediscovery of Turkey’s strategic value. To better understand the context of German Chancellor Friedrich Merz’s visit to Ankara next week, one has to go back to the end of the Cold War. Whereas European countries have benefited from the peace dividend, the contrary happened for Turkey in the aftermath of the fall of the Iron Curtain. After enjoying the relative stability of the bipolar order of the Cold War era, Turkey found itself in the midst of several conflict zones. While most European countries downsized their defense budgets, Turkey had no such luxury. The fight against separatist terrorism, the turbulence created by the Gulf War, and regional conflicts like the ones in the Caucasus dictated the maintenance of a big and well-equipped army.

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VETERAN KURDISH POLITICIAN ACQUITTED
Inside Turkey Oct 24, 2025

VETERAN KURDISH POLITICIAN ACQUITTED

Veteran Kurdish politician Ahmet Türk of the DEM Party has been acquitted of charges of promoting terrorist propaganda over a 2011 speech in Siirt, which had formed the legal basis for his replacement by a trustee as mayor of Mardin.

Editorial Team
CERTAIN WEIGHT OF BAHÇELİ AND FUTURE OF PEOPLE’S ALLIANCE
Capital Currents Oct 10, 2025

CERTAIN WEIGHT OF BAHÇELİ AND FUTURE OF PEOPLE’S ALLIANCE

During a party debate, veteran AKP politician Bülent Arınç once distinguished himself from his comrades by declaring, “I have a certain weight of my own.” Though Arınç’s own weight has faded over the past decade, if one were to search for true “political weight” in today’s Turkey, one name stands out above all: Devlet Bahçeli. Having led the MHP for 28 years, Bahçeli has always been a force shaping Turkish politics—but in recent years, as part of the ruling People’s Alliance, he has become almost the determining factor in many critical decisions.

Nergis Demirkaya
LAWYER ASSASSINATED IN FEUD BETWEEN DALTON AND CASPER GANGS
Inside Turkey Oct 10, 2025

LAWYER ASSASSINATED IN FEUD BETWEEN DALTON AND CASPER GANGS

Serdar Öktem, a lawyer and a key defendant in the murder case of former Grey Wolves leader Sinan Ateş, was shot by masked assailants armed with long-barreled weapons in Istanbul traffic. Öktem died in hospital Oct. 6 from his injuries. Initial findings suggest the attack was carried out by the criminal group known as the Daltons.

Editorial Team