TURKEY DRAFTS ITS FIRST MARITIME JURISDICTIONS LAW
The legislation comes amid disagreements with Greece and Israel in the Aegean Sea and the Eastern Mediterranean.
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TURKEY PASSES TAX BREAKS TO SMOOTH PATH FOR COP31 IN ANTALYA
Parliament has passed sweeping tax exemption measures for goods, services, and imports tied to the country's hosting of the 31st Conference of the Parties (COP31) to the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change, scheduled to take place in Antalya from November 9–20.
CTP SPILLS THE BEANS IN NORTHERN CYPRUS: FAVORS FEDERATION
Following Tufan Erhürman’s landslide victory in the presidential election with almost 63% of the vote in Northern Cyprus, the Republican Turkish Party (CTP)—which Erhürman formerly led—is preparing to take power in the upcoming general elections, expected by January 2026 at the latest. Sıla Usar İncirli, 54, the CTP’s new and first female chair, said that the party favors a federation model as part of the search for a solution in Cyprus, and they have begun drafting their government program.
FIDAN BRIEFS LOYALIST MEDIA OFF THE RECORD — BUT TO WHAT END?
Journalist Deniz Zeyrek writes about a closed-door briefing organized by AKP's media and communications chief Faruk Acar, at which Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan spoke to senior editors and Ankara bureau chiefs from pro-government outlets about Turkey's foreign policy. Zeyrek identifies three problems with the meeting.
TURKEY, NATO SECRETARIAT SHAPE SUMMIT AGENDA AND GUEST LIST
Turkey is preparing to host a NATO Summit for the first time in 22 years, and is working to finalize both the list of invitees beyond member states and the summit's agenda in consultations with the NATO Secretariat through a series of meetings.
İMAMOĞLU BREAKS DOWN IN TEARS IN COURT
The 34th day of the corruption trial targeting Istanbul Mayor Ekrem İmamoğlu and dozens of officials linked to the CHP and Istanbul Municipality saw the mayor in tears as he questioned a defendant — soon after he declared that the allegations in the indictment were collapsing one by one.
THE PEACE NEXT DOOR
This week, Yerevan is not a distant capital at the edge of Europe’s map. Armenia has hosted the European Political Community summit at a moment when its political direction, its European ties and the regional peace process are all under scrutiny at once.
NEW TAX AND INVESTMENT BILL SUBMITTED TO PARLIAMENT AMID SKEPTICISM OVER LEGAL SECURITY
The AKP submitted a 15-item proposal to parliament as it pushes ahead with incentives to lure foreign investment and cash repatriation.
BOSCH MOTHER’S DAY COMMERCIAL SPARKS CRISIS OVER FAMILY VALUES
A Mother’s Day-themed TV commercial by the German appliance brand Bosch was taken off the air after an outcry from the government, conservative circles and pro-government media outlets over family values.
TURKISH AND AMERICAN FIRMS SIGN AGREEMENT DESPITE CAATSA
TA that signed engines agreement with GE is currently developing the Kaan and Hürjet aircraft.
EU BAN ON DESTROYING UNSOLD CLOTHING COULD BENEFIT TURKEY
The European Union will begin implementing a ban on the destruction of unsold clothing as of July 19, 2026, and the Turkish textile sector, due to its geographic proximity and flexible production capabilities, expects the ban could be beneficial.
COURT KEEPS ENVIRONMENTAL ACTIVIST BEHIND BARS
Esra Işık, an activist from the village of İkizköy in Muğla’s Milas district who has spent years fighting to save her community's olive groves and farmland from coal mining expansion, was brought to her first court hearing on April 27 in handcuffs, escorted by gendarmerie officers from Şakran Prison in İzmir — more than 100 miles from her hometown where her case is being tried.