TURKEY AND GREECE: MANAGING DIFFERENCES, NOT RESOLVING THEM
The planned meeting of the Turkish–Greek High-Level Cooperation Council (HLC) in Ankara Feb. 9–13 comes when the calm in relations between Ankara and Athens conceals numerous fragilities.
Analysis
In-Depth Analysis
Smart, independent reporting on Turkey's politics, economy and foreign affairs.
AKP’S ELECTION BILLS ON THE WAY
With the “Terror-Free Turkey” process on one hand and the row over operations targeting CHP-run municipalities on the other, it’s easy to forget that the country’s main problem is deepening poverty and social decay.
‘THE RIGHT TO HOPE’ AND SINGER TARKAN
MHP Chair Devlet Bahçeli raised the bar this week in the Kurdish peace process he launched in October 2024. He proposed the “right to hope” for Abdullah Öcalan. What do we mean by the right to hope?
OFFICIAL STATEMENTS DIVERGE ON FLIGHT DATA IN LIBYAN AIRCRAFT CRASH
The cockpit voice recorder (CVR) from the aircraft that crashed near Haymana, Ankara, in late 2025 had been decoded, but it provides information that clashes with the prosecutor’s file and the Interior Ministry’s statement on the lethal crash.
GÖRGÜN SKIPS EXPORT TARGET, SETS PROJECT MILESTONES FOR 2026
Head of the Defense Industries Presidency (SSB) Haluk Görgün refrained from announcing a total export target for the defense industry, instead outlining project-based goals for 2026.
CRACKDOWN ON HAIR-BRAIDING CAMPAIGN
A symbolic protest emerged after images circulated on social media showing the cut hair of a woman allegedly killed in Syria, in areas formerly under the control of the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF). The images sparked a wave of solidarity in Turkey, where activists, health workers, and even a football club adopted hair-braiding as a form of protest—prompting legal and political repercussions.
SYRIA, SDF EXTEND CEASE-FIRE AS U.S., TURKEY STEP UP DIPLOMACY
The interim Syrian government and the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) have again agreed to extend a cease-fire in northern Syria by an additional 15 days, postponing the implementation of recent arrangements, as diplomatic engagement involving Turkey has intensified.
TURKEY SEEKS TO EASE U.S.–IRAN TENSIONS AS REGIONAL RIVALRIES EVOLVE
Turkey is seeking to position itself as a mediator between the United States and Iran as threats of attacks rise and diplomatic engagement intensifies, with the Turkish foreign minister set to host his Iranian counterpart in Istanbul on Jan. 30.
EFFORTS TO BAN SOCIAL MEDIA FOR CHILDREN UNDER 15
The Family and Social Services Ministry has finalized a draft bill that would impose a ban on social media use for children under the age of 15.
BAHÇELI MOVES TO STEADY TURKEY’S PEACE PROCESS AMID SYRIA SHOCKS
As the Turkish peace process with Kurds enters a period of turbulence following shifting dynamics and territorial changes in Syria, MHP Chair Devlet Bahçeli, who initiated the process, has stepped up efforts to prevent it from unraveling even as rhetoric hardens between the ruling bloc and the DEM Party.
HALDUN DORMEN: GOODBYE, MY SWEET
This week, a century-old star of the stage passed away. He was 98. He had spent 70 of those years performing. The theater has bid farewell to one of its last great masters, Haldun Dormen. Despite this being a death, I chose a title that contains no word of mourning: “Goodbye, my sweet.” It may not appeal to everyone, but it suits Dormen.
AS TIME GOES BY … IN DAVOS
The Casablanca line everyone remembers wrong is: “Play it again, Sam.” The film doesn’t actually include that. What Ilsa Lund says in the movie is quieter and more revealing: “Play it, Sam… Play ‘As Time Goes By.’”