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ERDOĞAN AND MITSOTAKIS TO MEET IN BID TO MANAGE, NOT RESOLVE, DIFFERENCES
Guest Voices Feb 9, 2026

ERDOĞAN AND MITSOTAKIS TO MEET IN BID TO MANAGE, NOT RESOLVE, DIFFERENCES

The planned meeting of the Turkish–Greek High-Level Cooperation Council (HLC) in Ankara on February 11 comes when the calm in relations between Ankara and Athens conceals numerous fragilities. That’s just one reason why the meeting between President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan and Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis is unlikely to produce a breakthrough. Rather, the meeting aims to keep communication channels open while both sides pursue sharply divergent agendas in the Aegean and Eastern Mediterranean.

Guest Voices
TURKISH OPPOSITION VICTORY SHAKEN AS CHP CHAIR’S IMAGE TAKES A HIT, DOMINO FEARS GROW
Inside Turkey Feb 9, 2026

TURKISH OPPOSITION VICTORY SHAKEN AS CHP CHAIR’S IMAGE TAKES A HIT, DOMINO FEARS GROW

The Turkish main opposition, the CHP, has been shaken by the resignation of Ankara’s Keçiören Mayor Mesut Özarslan, who is expected to join the ruling AKP soon. The move has added to growing signs that the CHP’s post-election momentum is under strain, compounded by profane WhatsApp messages sent by party Chair Özgür Özel shortly before the resignation was announced and later leaked online.

Editorial Team
ALTUN EXPECTED TO BE NAMED TURKEY’S VATICAN AMBASSADOR
Foreign Affairs Feb 6, 2026

ALTUN EXPECTED TO BE NAMED TURKEY’S VATICAN AMBASSADOR

Fahrettin Altun, who was removed in July from the Directorate of Communications he founded and from his role at the Center for Combating Disinformation, is expected to be appointed Turkey’s ambassador to the Vatican, according to several diplomatic sources.

Editorial Team
ADANA MAYOR FREED AS LEGAL CASES AGAINST CHP CONTINUE
Inside Turkey Feb 6, 2026

ADANA MAYOR FREED AS LEGAL CASES AGAINST CHP CONTINUE

Legal pressure on the main opposition CHP continued as allegations of drug use were expanded to include relatives of Ekrem İmamoğlu’s wife, while prosecutors finalized a separate “political espionage” indictment against the imprisoned presidential candidate. At the same time, an Istanbul court ordered the release of a high-profile mayor held on corruption charges, marking a notable shift in the broader judicial process. As a significant development in the ongoing corruption trials, the court ordered the release of Adana Mayor Zeydan Karalar, who had been in detention since July. Karalar became the first CHP mayor to be freed since the start of the Aziz İhsan Aktaş case on Jan. 27. Eight other employees of several municipalities were also released.

Editorial Team
AKP’S ELECTION BILLS ON THE WAY
Capital Currents Feb 5, 2026

AKP’S ELECTION BILLS ON THE WAY

With the “Terror-Free Turkey” process on one hand and the row over operations targeting CHP-run municipalities on the other, it’s easy to forget that the country’s main problem is deepening poverty and social decay.

Nergis Demirkaya
CRACKDOWN ON HAIR-BRAIDING CAMPAIGN
Media, Internet and Culture Jan 30, 2026

CRACKDOWN ON HAIR-BRAIDING CAMPAIGN

A symbolic protest emerged after images circulated on social media showing the cut hair of a woman allegedly killed in Syria, in areas formerly under the control of the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF). The images sparked a wave of solidarity in Turkey, where activists, health workers, and even a football club adopted hair-braiding as a form of protest—prompting legal and political repercussions.

Editorial Team