Analysis
Smart, independent reporting on Turkey's politics, economy and foreign affairs.
Amid renewed clashes between the Syrian government and Kurdish-led militia in Aleppo, the Turkish Defense Ministry said that the Turkish army would support the operation if Damascus requested assistance.
The “new peace process” began with convention-shattering moves such as granting the “right to hope” to PKK leader Abdullah Öcalan and, after 15 months, is now not even back where it started. In fact, it has probably moved backward.
The drug-using operation that started with artists in October, then extended to sports, media, business and politics, continues with the unlawful sharing of private conversations and denials of drug use despite forensic reports. The names of some prosecutors, politicians and advisers appeared in the investigation early on, yet media coverage has so far remained silent about them.
Culture and Tourism Minister Mehmet Nuri Ersoy said, “digital conscience” was selected as the Word/Concept of the Year for 2025 following a public vote organized by the Turkish Language Association (TDK), despite the term not being widely used in daily language.
A war of words broke out in the pro-government media, as prominent figures from the Demirören Group, which owns Hürriyet and CNN Türk, started questioning why they have been speaking on behalf of the ruling AKP.
Broadly defined unemployment in Turkey has climbed close to 12 million, according to a December 2025 report by DİSK-AR, the research branch of the Confederation of Progressive Trade Unions of Turkey.
The Turkish Statistical Institute (TurkStat) released its Poverty and Living Conditions Statistics for 2025, showing a limited decline in the relative poverty rate while material deprivation and social exclusion remain widespread, meaning millions are unable to meet basic needs such as heating.
Turkey will grant visa-free entry to Chinese citizens for tourism and transit travel, following a presidential decree published in the Official Gazette.
A large crowd gathered on Galata Bridge early Jan. 1 for a march in support of Palestinians, organized under the Humanity Alliance and the National Will Platform, chaired by Bilal Erdoğan, son of President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan.
The Constitutional Court has annuled a provision allowing the deferral of sentences for public officials convicted of torture or ill-treatment.
The European Court of Human Rights (ECHR) will give priority to a review of Istanbul Mayor Ekrem İmamoğlu's detention.
With the start of 2026, the future of the peace initiative on the Kurdish issue remains uncertain. The mandate of the National Solidarity, Brotherhood and Democracy Commission, which includes representatives from all parliamentary parties except the İYİ Party, was extended by two months, and the commission has once again delayed finalizing its report, now expected in January.