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ÖZEL FIRES BRIBERY ALLEGATIONS ON AKP ANNIVERSARY
Deep Dive May 29, 2026

ÖZEL FIRES BRIBERY ALLEGATIONS ON AKP ANNIVERSARY

CHP Chair Özgür Özel sparked a political storm by accusing a senior AKP figure of bribing a businessperson to testify against Istanbul Mayor Ekrem İmamoğlu. The CHP leader also suggested that the AKP had used dirty tricks to push CHP Aydın Mayor Özlem Çerçioğlu to transfer to the AKP on the 24th anniversary of the ruling party. Just two hours before the AKP’s celebrations, Özel said that former AKP Central Decision and Executive Board member and lawyer Mücahit Birinci asked imprisoned businessperson Murat Kapki to pay $2 million and promised his release in return for signing a false statement.

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BALL IS IN PARLIAMENT’S COURT
Deep Dive May 29, 2026

BALL IS IN PARLIAMENT’S COURT

Turkey’s newly formed National Solidarity, Brotherhood and Democracy Commission—tasked with preparing the framework for the PKK’s disarmament—has held its first meeting thanks to a rare cross-party consensus in parliament. The eight-hour session marked a symbolic start to what could become a historic process.

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YAKIŞIR
Word of the Week May 29, 2026

YAKIŞIR

Some Turkish words are as sharp and clear as a gleam of a knife. Others confuse you. Yakışır is a particular gem in the latter category. Literally, it means “befitting” or “suits well.” But intonation does all the heavy lifting here. With a twinkle in the eye, yakışır becomes high praise: a friend gets a long-deserved promotion? “Yakışır!” A suave female CEO in her sixties starts dating a younger man with abs and ambition? “Yakışır vallahi!” But delivered with a dry brow and pursed lips, the very same yakışır morphs into biting derision, the sort you might lob at a corrupt bureaucrat who gets caught rigging tenders again or the son of one of the president’s close allies landing an ambassadorial job.

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TURKEY-CHINA RELATIONS: INEVITABLE TANGO
Guest Voices May 29, 2026

TURKEY-CHINA RELATIONS: INEVITABLE TANGO

Although NATO remains the cornerstone of Turkey’s security architecture and the European Union still accounts for roughly half of its foreign trade, Ankara’s relationship with Beijing has become increasingly complex, strategic, and — in many respects — inevitable.

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FELAKET TELLALLARI
Word of the Week May 29, 2026

FELAKET TELLALLARI

Before Twitter, there was the tellal: the Ottoman town crier. Walking and shouting past the wooden houses of the empire, he announced fermans (imperial edicts), grain prices, and fresh recruitments for the wars to come. Among these more theatrical criers was the felaket tellalı—literally, “disaster crier.” Think of him as a roaming mashup of breaking news, folk panic, and your neighbourhood uncle who thinks every cloud means war.

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ALTAN ÖYMEN: FAREWELL TO THE MAN WITH TWO UMBRELLAS
Portrait of the Week May 29, 2026

ALTAN ÖYMEN: FAREWELL TO THE MAN WITH TWO UMBRELLAS

Altan Öymen passed away this week at the age of 93. Throughout his long life, he always carried two umbrellas—journalism and politics. He journeyed nearly 75 years under both. One could have said “he wore two hats,” but “umbrella” suits Altan Öymen’s life better. A hat is for one person alone; an umbrella is something under which many can take shelter, from the sun and rain. That’s why Öymen chose not hats, but umbrellas. And under his umbrella, there was always room for more than just himself.

Anonymous
EUROFIGHTERS: A STOPGAP WITH STRINGS
Deciphering Turkish Diplomacy May 29, 2026

EUROFIGHTERS: A STOPGAP WITH STRINGS

The German government has dropped its veto on the sale of 40 Eurofighter Typhoon jets to Turkey, thanks to the requests of the Turkish opposition, claimed Özgür Özel, the head of the CHP. While Berlin has been dragging its feet on talks for the warplanes, which are built by a consortium of Germany, Britain, Italy, and Spain, a news report suggested in April that the German government had decided to keep blocking the sale due to the arrest of Istanbul Mayor Ekrem İmamoğlu on March 19. While such a decision was never officially confirmed, İmamoğlu tweeted from his prison cell, objecting to the veto and Özel kept the issue on the agenda during talks with his German counterparts.

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PARLIAMENTARY PEACE COMMISSION HITS DELAY
Deep Dive May 29, 2026

PARLIAMENTARY PEACE COMMISSION HITS DELAY

Hopeful for the disarmament of the PKK after the ceremonial burning of arms, the Turkish government is observing developments on the ground while efforts to establish a commission in the parliament look set to drag into next week. Parliament Speaker Numan Kurtulmuş visited MHP and CHP chairs, but the commission’s structure and name were not finalized. Now, he is expected to meet once again with the parliamentary group deputy chairs. The meeting, initially planned for July 25 is expected to be postponed to July 28 at the earliest. After the framework is set, commission members will be appointed. While the head of Turkish intelligence, İbrahim Kalın, toured all the party groups in the parliament, the media tracked a tempest in a teapot after MHP Chair Devlet Bahçeli confirmed reports that he proposed appointing two vice presidents—one Kurdish and one Alevi.

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BAHÇELİ STANDS BY VICE PRESIDENT PROPOSAL AMID FAILED-STATE MODEL DEBATE
Inside Turkey May 29, 2026

BAHÇELİ STANDS BY VICE PRESIDENT PROPOSAL AMID FAILED-STATE MODEL DEBATE

Amid renewed calls for unity during the ongoing peace efforts with the PKK, and following President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan’s recent emphasis on solidarity among Turks, Kurds, and Arabs, MHP Chair Devlet Bahçeli has confirmed reports that he proposed appointing two vice presidents—one Kurdish and one Alevi—in a closed-door party meeting.

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FROM FIRE TO LEGAL FRAMEWORK: PARLIAMENT BEGINS PEACE PROCESS TALKS
Deep Dive May 29, 2026

FROM FIRE TO LEGAL FRAMEWORK: PARLIAMENT BEGINS PEACE PROCESS TALKS

In a symbolic act seen by many as the first step toward a “terror-free Turkey,” a 30-member group affiliated with the PKK ceremonially burned their weapons and gear in front of a fire sacred to Kurds, initiating a process expected to proceed through mutual steps. In response, Parliament Speaker Numan Kurtulmuş invited political party representatives to a July 18 meeting to discuss forming a parliamentary commission tasked with drafting the legal framework for this new peace initiative.

Editorial Team