Analysis

In-Depth Analysis

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

TEN YEARS ON, JULY 15 IS STILL AN OPEN FILE
Inside Turkey Jul 14, 2026

TEN YEARS ON, JULY 15 IS STILL AN OPEN FILE

Ten years after tanks rolled onto the Bosphorus Bridge and F-16s bombed parliament, Turkey marks the anniversary of the failed July 15 coup attempt with a holiday named 'Democracy and National Unity Day' — in a country more polarized, less democratic and no closer to answering the fundamental questions of that night than it was a decade ago.

Editorial Staff 16 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
CENTRAL BANK HOLDS MAIN INTEREST RATE AT 37 PERCENT
Economy and Finance Jun 12, 2026

CENTRAL BANK HOLDS MAIN INTEREST RATE AT 37 PERCENT

The central bank kept its benchmark policy rate unchanged at 37% for the third consecutive meeting on June 11, matching the consensus forecast of economists. The Monetary Policy Committee also held its overnight lending rate at 40% and its borrowing rate at 35.5%. The central bank last altered its policy rate in January with a 100-basis-point cut.

Editorial Team 1 min
ANKARA SENDS MIXED SIGNALS AFTER PASHINYAN ELECTION WIN
Foreign Affairs Jun 11, 2026

ANKARA SENDS MIXED SIGNALS AFTER PASHINYAN ELECTION WIN

Questions about the future of Turkey-Armenia normalization have grown after Turkish Foreign Ministry removed key wording from its statement on Armenian elections, putting pressure on Armenia rather than also pushing Azerbaijan and it took President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan four days to congratulate the Armenian prime minister on his election win.

Editorial Team 3 min
ÖZEL HAS THE CROWD, KILIÇDAROĞLU HOLDS THE SEAL, THE EXIT IS ANYONE'S GUESS FOR THE CHP
Inside Turkey Jun 1, 2026

ÖZEL HAS THE CROWD, KILIÇDAROĞLU HOLDS THE SEAL, THE EXIT IS ANYONE'S GUESS FOR THE CHP

Turkey's oldest and main opposition party, the CHP, is now effectively divided in two after a court annulled the party's November 2023 congress and reinstated former chair Kemal Kılıçdaroğlu in place of Özgür Özel. The split became more visible when both camps held rallies simultaneously at 2 p.m. on May 30. Kılıçdaroğlu returned to party headquarters to chants of 'Kılıçdaroğlu, the people's hope' — a stark reversal from just days earlier, when another crowd had branded him a 'traitor' and 'the AKP's hope' on May 24, reacting to the court-ordered change in the party leadership carried out with police support. The first head-to-head show of strength between the two camps laid bare a simple reality: Özel commands greater grassroots support, but Kılıçdaroğlu holds the formal authority to run the party.

Editorial Team 15 min