CRASHES IN TURKISH ARMY CONTINUE: FIRST CHINOOK JOINS THE LIST
A series of aircraft crashes related to the Turkish Armed Forces over the past six months has sparked debate over whether there was external interference.
Analysis
In-Depth Analysis
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SİGARA / CIGARETTE
Sigara (and its unruly cousin, cigara) comes to Turkish via Italian — a linguistic clue that matches the prevailing historical account: tobacco reached the Ottoman Empire in the 17th century through Genoese trade routes, though some credit goes to the British. Origins aside, the word now points to a habit so entrenched it once traveled abroad as cliché: “smoke like a Turk.”
NOT A QUORUM CRISIS, BUT A SYSTEMIC ONE
“The opposition called for a quorum check, and when the required majority was not met, parliament was adjourned.” In recent months, this recurring news in parliament is not merely a simple quorum crisis. Behind it lie both structural problems inherent in the presidential system and the power struggle between the government and the opposition, spilling into parliamentary proceedings.
İŞBANK CEO CALLS FOR END TO GOVERNMENT’S INFLATION PROGRAM
The CEO of Turkey’s largest private lender, İşbank, called for an immediate departure from the government’s economic program, saying that global conditions have made the fight against inflation impossible.
FOUR JOURNALISTS SENTENCED TO PRISON
Two Turkish courts have handed down prison sentences to four journalists who were facing the same accusation of 'spreading information misleading to the public,' under Article 217/A of the penal code.
NEPOTISM, OR HOW TO DISMANTLE A FOREIGN MINISTRY
Each time political appointments in diplomacy are criticised in Turkey, the same defence appears with the reliability of a reflex: “Other countries do it too”. Perhaps they do. But mediocrity does not become wisdom once imported.
DEFINING RECIPROCITY AND THE MADE IN EUROPE CHALLENGE
Concerned by the risk of being excluded from trade with Europe, the AKP government is planning to amend the public procurement law.
TENSION PERSISTS WITHIN MHP FOLLOWING DEPUTY CHAIR’S EXIT
The MHP, a key partner of the ruling alliance under the leadership of the AKP, has seen a new wave of internal restructuring as the party leadership dissolved multiple regional organizations following the high-profile departure of Deputy Chair İzzet Ulvi Yönter.
DEFENDANTS CONTINUE CHALLENGING CORRUPTION INDICTMENT ON İMAMOĞLU CASE
The sixth week of the mass corruption trial of Istanbul Mayor Ekrem İmamoğlu and more than 400 co-defendants produced some of its most dramatic courtroom exchanges. İmamoğlu and the presiding judge continued sharp exchanges while the municipality’s housing company, KİPTAŞ, chair Ali Kurt implicated senior government figures in a land scheme, and the European Court of Human Rights formally demanded answers from Ankara.
AKP-DEM TENSION ESCALATES AMID STALLING PEACE PROCESS
The question of whether Turkey's Kurdish peace process — officially dubbed 'Terror-free Turkey' — has hit a deadlock is being asked more frequently, as tensions between the ruling AKP and DEM Party escalate over who bears responsibility for the lack of progress.
MISSING STUDENT CASE BACK IN SPOTLIGHT: COVER-UP ALLEGATIONS IMPLICATE OFFICIALS, PUT GÜRLEK UNDER PRESSURE
The reopening of a six-year-old cold case involving a missing university student has reignited the main opposition’s anger towards Justice Minister Akın Gürlek, as the recent reports show then–Tunceli governor Tuncay Sonel played a critical role in covering up the case of the missing young woman Gülistan Doku.
NEW COMMANDO BRIGADES TO BE ESTABLISHED
Turkey will assume command of NATO's Allied Reaction Force starting in 2028, and the TAF plans to increase the number of its commando brigades from 25 to 40 within the next three years.