Analysis

In-Depth Analysis

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

COURT TO RULE ON İMAMOĞLU’S DIPLOMA CASE WITHIN 15 DAYS
Inside Turkey Jan 16, 2026

COURT TO RULE ON İMAMOĞLU’S DIPLOMA CASE WITHIN 15 DAYS

An administrative court is expected to issue a ruling within 15 days in the case filed by jailed Istanbul Mayor Ekrem İmamoğlu challenging Istanbul University’s revocation of his university diploma — a decision that will determine his eligibility to run as a presidential candidate.

Editorial Team
DP PULLS OUT OF COMMISSION, PROTESTS İMRALI VISIT
Inside Turkey Nov 28, 2025

DP PULLS OUT OF COMMISSION, PROTESTS İMRALI VISIT

Democrat Party (DP) Izmir Deputy Haydar Altıntaş has announced the party's withdrawal from the National Solidarity, Brotherhood, and Democracy Commission, citing objections to the delegation’s visit to İmralı where PKK leader Abdullah Öcalan has been jailed since 1999.

Editorial Team
DEMİRTAŞ: “NO ONE SPEAKS FOR ME”
Inside Turkey Nov 21, 2025

DEMİRTAŞ: “NO ONE SPEAKS FOR ME”

Jailed former HDP co-chair Selahattin Demirtaş rejected remarks by former Parliament Speaker Bülent Arınç suggesting Demirtaş wished to meet President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan and tell him he held no resentment. After a visit to Edirne Prison, Arınç said Demirtaş wanted to tell Erdoğan, “I hold no grudge against you.” Demirtaş responded with a handwritten note, saying he never expressed such a thought. “What troubles me most is being associated with words and ideas I never hinted at,” he wrote.

Editorial Team
FROM SOMALIA TO BURKINA FASO, TURKEY BUILDS PARTNERSHIP OVER PATERNALISM
Guest Voices Aug 21, 2025

FROM SOMALIA TO BURKINA FASO, TURKEY BUILDS PARTNERSHIP OVER PATERNALISM

For the past decade, Turkey’s Africa policy has favored partnership — co-designed projects, capacity building, and trade — over extractive habits associated with colonial legacies. Two countries once written off as “failed states,” Somalia and Burkina Faso, illustrate this shift. Both are edging back toward firmer state capacity under locally led agendas, with Turkey positioned as a security and development partner rather than a patron.

Editorial Team
A NEW CHAPTER IN CAUCASUS - IF IT HOLDS
Guest Voices Aug 11, 2025

A NEW CHAPTER IN CAUCASUS - IF IT HOLDS

The Caucasus is undergoing a fundamental transformation that could reshape the region’s geopolitical landscape. After decades of failed attempts—such as the 2001 peace process between Armenia and Azerbaijan or the 2009 Armenia–Turkey Zurich Protocols—Armenia and Azerbaijan have now initialed agreements that could pave the way for a historic breakthrough.

Guest Voices
CHP’S RELENTLESS RALLIES FAIL TO SWAY CORRUPTION PROBE
Inside Turkey Aug 1, 2025

CHP’S RELENTLESS RALLIES FAIL TO SWAY CORRUPTION PROBE

Since Istanbul Mayor Ekrem İmamoğlu’s detention on March 19, the CHP has held 40 rallies despite no upcoming elections, yet failed to shift the political agenda. The party opened İmamoğlu’s first campaign office in its Çankaya stronghold in Ankara, only to see its provincial chair dismissed days later. Though operations against Istanbul Municipality slowed, confessions from businessperson Aziz İhsan Aktaş continue to dominate headlines. A fresh wave of arrests targeted subsidiaries ISFALT and IETT, as well as tender officials.

Editorial Team
SAVINGS IN PUBLIC SECTOR TARGET COME TO NOTHING
Economy and Finance Jul 25, 2025

SAVINGS IN PUBLIC SECTOR TARGET COME TO NOTHING

The government's push for austerity in the public sector has failed to deliver results. Despite promises to cut costs—particularly through the disposal of surplus vehicles—public institutions spent 161.2 million lira on new vehicle purchases in the first half of 2024, while generating just 5.1 million lira in sales.

Editorial Team