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EASTERN MEDITERRANEAN: TURKEY AND EGYPT AS THE TWO BASTIONS
Guest Voices Aug 8, 2025

EASTERN MEDITERRANEAN: TURKEY AND EGYPT AS THE TWO BASTIONS

The Eastern Mediterranean has always been shaped by the interplay of northern and southern powers. From the time of the Hittites and Ancient Egyptians to the Ottomans and Mamluks, and through to the present day, control or influence over this region—from Mesopotamia to North Africa—has often rested with one or the other. When Turkey and Egypt were aligned, a degree of order and stability was possible. When they clashed, chaos ensued. History shows us that these two centers of power matter—and they still do today.

Guest Voices
'BAHÇELİ SHOULD KEEP HIS PROMISE'
Inside Turkey Aug 8, 2025

'BAHÇELİ SHOULD KEEP HIS PROMISE'

Mustafa Karasu, a leading figure in the PKK, has said MHP Chair Devlet Bahçeli should keep his promise regarding the “right to hope” for PKK leader Abdullah Öcalan.

Editorial Team
TURKEY GRAPPLES WITH CAPTURED E-STATE PASSWORDS
Inside Turkey Aug 7, 2025

TURKEY GRAPPLES WITH CAPTURED E-STATE PASSWORDS

With checks and balances eroded and power increasingly centralized, Turkey is facing what may be one of the biggest digital scandals in its history. The online signatures of high-level bureaucrats have been compromised, allowing a criminal network to appoint public servants via the e-State (e-Devlet) system, issue fake diplomas and licenses, forge English proficiency test results and sell properties— raising serious concerns about fraudulent graduates.

Editorial Team
QUESTIONS MOUNT OVER SOLDIER DEATHS
Security and Defense Aug 1, 2025

QUESTIONS MOUNT OVER SOLDIER DEATHS

Twelve Turkish soldiers died from gas exposure in a PKK-used cave in northern Iraq on July 6, and two more from excessive fluid loss in Hatay on July 25, but key questions about both incidents remain unanswered.

Editorial Team
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
NO NEW LAW, NO MASS RELEASES: GOVERNMENT RESPONDS TO SÖZCÜ HEADLINES
Media, Internet and Culture Jul 25, 2025

NO NEW LAW, NO MASS RELEASES: GOVERNMENT RESPONDS TO SÖZCÜ HEADLINES

Ahead of renewed hopes for a peace process, Sözcü — known for its opposition stance — has stirred controversy with successive headlines alleging the mass release of PKK-linked prisoners. The Justice Ministry has twice rejected the newspaper’s reports, which first claimed 200 prisoners had been released and later suggested an additional 700 would follow.

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
TRUSTEE AT İMAMOĞLU FAMILY FIRM ALSO IN OVER 20 SEIZED COMPANIES
Economy and Finance Jul 25, 2025

TRUSTEE AT İMAMOĞLU FAMILY FIRM ALSO IN OVER 20 SEIZED COMPANIES

Enis Güçlü Şirin, the trustee appointed to İmamoğlu İnşaat—the family business of Istanbul Mayor Ekrem İmamoğlu—holds positions on the boards of more than 20 other companies. All the firms where Şirin serves are under the administration of Turkey’s Savings Deposit Insurance Fund (TMSF) which operates firms that have been seized by the state often because of bankruptcy, tax debts, or links to the Gülenist movement.

Editorial Team