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
NEED FOR RULE OF LAW BECOMES MORE EVIDENT WITH THE START OF İMAMOĞLU TRIAL
Deep Dive May 29, 2026

NEED FOR RULE OF LAW BECOMES MORE EVIDENT WITH THE START OF İMAMOĞLU TRIAL

The trial of Istanbul Mayor Ekrem İmamoğlu on corruption charges began on March 9, with the main defendant’s plans to challenge the legitimacy of the trial muzzled by the court and the media. After waiting nearly a year, İmamoğlu and 402 co-defendants — 107 of whom are under pre-trial detention — finally got their day in court. The hearings began with a confrontation between the court and İmamoğlu over his desire to make his case. He was allowed to deliver only a short statement on the second day and may have to wait at least until mid-April — in the best-case scenario — to present his full defense.

Editorial Team
CYPRUS BECOMES A HOT SPOT
Guest Voices May 29, 2026

CYPRUS BECOMES A HOT SPOT

The war in Gaza has already changed the dynamics in the Middle East. Before the region was able to digest all these changes, another front emerged: the confrontation involving the United States, Israel, and Iran that expanded in geographic and political scope.

Editorial Team
NATO, U.S. SAY TURKEY WAS TARGET; ANKARA HOLDS BACK
Deep Dive May 29, 2026

NATO, U.S. SAY TURKEY WAS TARGET; ANKARA HOLDS BACK

The intended target of the ballistic missile launched from Iran and intercepted on Turkish airspace on March 4 remains disputed. While Turkey said the missile was heading toward the eastern Mediterranean, NATO said the target was Turkey, and U.S. officials pointed to the location, Incirlik Air Base. Iran, however, denied that Turkey was the intended target.

Editorial Team
AT A DEMOCRATIC THRESHOLD, MIXED JUDICIAL SIGNALS
Deep Dive May 29, 2026

AT A DEMOCRATIC THRESHOLD, MIXED JUDICIAL SIGNALS

In peril since the breakdown of the first Kurdish peace process in 2015, Turkish democracy is at a new threshold. On the one hand, the Parliament is expected to take up legislative measures to address the Kurdish problem and, on the other hand, the appointment of Akın Gürlek as the minister of justice suggests judicial suppression and anti-democratic measures are here to stay.

Editorial Team
TRUMP’S BOARD OF PEACE MAY HAVE FATAL IMPLICATIONS FOR TURKEY
Guest Voices May 29, 2026

TRUMP’S BOARD OF PEACE MAY HAVE FATAL IMPLICATIONS FOR TURKEY

This year’s Munich Security Conference (MSC) held lively discussions on the global security environment, especially in Europe, and the collapse of the rules-based international order. Strained transatlantic relations, the Ukrainian War, and Iran, all burning matters for Turkey, were on the agenda. Figures such as Marco Rubio, Friedrich Merz, Emmanuel Macron, and Volodymyr Zelenskyy reached global audiences from the MSC. Turkey was not heard.

Editorial Team
ORHAN PAMUK: THE LINE BETWEEN CRITICISM AND LYNCHING
Portrait of the Week May 29, 2026

ORHAN PAMUK: THE LINE BETWEEN CRITICISM AND LYNCHING

Adapted from the novel of the same name by Orhan Pamuk. “The Museum of Innocence.” A television series. With its release, months later, the public agenda shifted. Justice, legal troubles, and the deepening, ever more painful economic crisis were suddenly pushed aside. This series — along with the book of the same name and its author, Orhan Pamuk — took center stage, especially on social media.

Anonymous
TENSE OATH CEREMONY SIGNALS SHARPER POLITICAL ERA IN ANKARA
Deep Dive May 29, 2026

TENSE OATH CEREMONY SIGNALS SHARPER POLITICAL ERA IN ANKARA

President Recep Tayyip Erdoğıan’s decision to appoint Akın Gürlek, a bogeyman for the main opposition CHP, as justice minister is the clear indication of a more bruising domestic politics ahead. The first sign of that came during the oath ceremony in Parliament. For the first time, a minister took the oath of office amid scuffles that escalated into pushing and shoving. AKP lawmakers formed what opposition deputies described as a “human wall” to shield the podium.

Editorial Team
HOPES INCREASE IN PEACE PROCESS AS IT MOVES FROM RHETORIC TO LEGAL GROUND
Deep Dive May 29, 2026

HOPES INCREASE IN PEACE PROCESS AS IT MOVES FROM RHETORIC TO LEGAL GROUND

Following the consensus between Syria’s interim government and the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF), momentum has returned to Turkey’s long-running efforts to end the decades-long armed conflict and address the Kurdish question through political and legal channels. This renewed dynamic has also pushed the “right to hope” for PKK leader Abdullah Öcalan back to the center of the political agenda.

Editorial Team
SEARCH FOR A THIRD WAY WIDENS AMONG CONSERVATIVE AND RIGHT-WING PARTIES
Inside Turkey May 29, 2026

SEARCH FOR A THIRD WAY WIDENS AMONG CONSERVATIVE AND RIGHT-WING PARTIES

Efforts by conservative and right-wing parties to build a “third way” outside the ruling and main opposition blocs are gaining momentum, as Saadet Party and YRP — both rooted in Turkey’s first political Islamist tradition, the National View (Milli Görüş) shaped by Necmettin Erbakan — step up talks on election cooperation. The renewed contacts signal a shift in relations between the two parties, which had previously been at odds over the movement’s legacy following the founding of YRP in 2018. This time, the talks focus on bringing together Saadet Party, YRP, Gelecek Party and DEVA Party under a common framework, with a broader alliance that could also include the İYİ Party.

Editorial Team