Analysis

In-Depth Analysis

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

TURKISH CYPRIOT LEADERS CAUTIOUS ON NEW PEACE EFFORTS
Deciphering Turkish Diplomacy Jul 17, 2026

TURKISH CYPRIOT LEADERS CAUTIOUS ON NEW PEACE EFFORTS

“Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan will have several bilateral meetings in the margins of the NATO summit; yet all of them will be very short. His longest meeting will be with Antonio Costa and Ursula Von Der Leyen,” a Turkish diplomat told a European expert at a side event that took place in Ankara.

Barçın Yinanç 6 min
COMPLIMENTS THAT CHILL ANKARA: TRUMP ON BRUNSON AND IRAN
Foreign Affairs Jul 9, 2026

COMPLIMENTS THAT CHILL ANKARA: TRUMP ON BRUNSON AND IRAN

Paying an official visit to President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan ahead of the NATO Summit and signaling movement on the F-35 and the Kaan's F110 engines, US President Donald Trump also touched on two subjects that sent a chill through Ankara: the release of American Pastor Andrew Brunson, and Turkey's stance in the US-Israeli war against Iran. Meant as praise, both stories cut deeper than they flattered.

Editorial Staff 4 min
ANKARA AWAITS POST-NATO POLITICAL STORM
Deep Dive Jul 9, 2026

ANKARA AWAITS POST-NATO POLITICAL STORM

Turkey's political agenda is expected to pivot sharply from diplomacy to domestic maneuvering as post-NATO scenarios dominate the discussion from July 9 onward. The conclusion of the NATO Ankara Summit, widely seen as an international success for Turkey and President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan personally, has triggered intense political speculation amid increasing pressure on dissidents.

Editorial Staff 16 min
ŞATAFAT / POMP
Word of the Week Jul 9, 2026

ŞATAFAT / POMP

The word of the week is şatafat, and Ankara supplied the visual aid. At the NATO summit, Turkey received its guests with the full vocabulary of Erdoğan-era grandeur: mehter music, ceremonial guards, a turquoise carpet that seemed designed less for walking than for being recorded, and the Erdoğan couple standing before the vast Presidential Complex, its doors polished to a shine usually reserved for furniture showrooms. There was also the choreography.

Nazlan Ertan 3 min
TRUMP ARRIVES IN ANKARA WITHOUT MELANIA
Foreign Affairs Jul 3, 2026

TRUMP ARRIVES IN ANKARA WITHOUT MELANIA

US President Donald Trump will arrive in Ankara at around 2 p.m. on July 7. Although more than a thousand people will accompany him, his wife Melania will be absent, Turkey in Depth has learned.

Editorial Staff 3 min