WHO IS LEADING THE POLLS?
CHP Chair Özgür Özel and President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan’s latest disagreement is over which party is leading the polls. Since the March 2024 local elections, Özel has said the CHP is the most popular party.
Analysis
In-Depth Analysis
Smart, independent reporting on Turkey's politics, economy and foreign affairs.
A STORY OF POLITICAL ‘BROTHERHOOD’
Exactly 18 years ago — the summer of 2007. Then-Prime Minister Erdoğan raised Abdullah Gül’s hand in the air, and called him “my brother,” as he announced his candidacy for president. That summer, Gül was elected as Turkey’s 11th president — the first president to emerge from within the AKP. A new era was beginning, with the party’s two most powerful figures holding the posts of president and prime minister.
CAN THIS PARLIAMENT DELIVER A NEW CONSTITUTION?
The AKP’s desire for a new constitution has become something of a political legend—talked about endlessly since it came to power in 2002, but never completed.
LEADERSHIP BATTLE SHAKES CHP RANKS
A lawsuit seeking to annul the results of the CHP’s 2023 congress—based on allegations that delegates were bribed—has triggered a renewed power struggle between current Chair Özgür Özel and his predecessor, Kemal Kılıçdaroğlu.
AKP PREPARES TO LAUNCH ELECTION CAMPAIGN ON 25th ANNIVERSARY
The AKP has begun laying the groundwork for the 2028 presidential and parliamentary elections, with plans to formally launch its campaign on Aug. 14 — the 25th anniversary of the party’s foundation.
COURT RULING OUSTS ÖZEL, HANDS CHP BACK TO KILIÇDAROĞLU
A fresh blow has landed on the CHP as a court annulled the party's 2023 congress — the elective gathering at which the party leadership, including its chair, changed hands following an election defeat — ordering the party's administration to revert to its pre-congress configuration.
CHP MAYORS: SOME IN JAIL, SOME JOINING THE AKP
Burcu Köksal, the CHP mayor of Afyonkarahisar, joined the AKP this week. With her addition, the number of mayors who have left the CHP and joined the ruling party since the 2024 elections has reached 17.
TURKEY'S CLIMATE SUMMIT COMES WITH A STEEP BILL
Preparations for the COP31 climate summit, set to be held in Antalya on Nov. 9-20, are fueling controversy over costs, procurement methods and forced land seizures.
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.
INFLATION SURGES AS TARGETS SLIP OUT OF REACH
The government program against soaring prices faced a significant setback when new data revealed that inflation is already on the verge of exceeding year-end targets in the first four months of 2026.
AZİZ YILDIRIM ON THE ROAD BACK TO THE “FENERBAHÇE REPUBLIC”
Fenerbahçe, Galatasaray, Beşiktaş. The three clubs that come to mind when one speaks of football in Turkey. They are also known as the “Big Three.” In fact, all three are Istanbul clubs. But they have histories stretching back nearly 120 years. They are the teams with the most league titles.