Analysis

In-Depth Analysis

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

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
NEW ROLE, NEW DEFINITION
Foreign Affairs Jun 5, 2026

NEW ROLE, NEW DEFINITION

Tom Barrack, now appointed as special envoy to Iraq in addition to his ambassadorial role in Turkey and special envoy role in Syria, described Iraq, Syria, and Turkey as 'the strategic fulcrum upon which any enduring Middle East stability must pivot,' calling for a single, consistent point of American contact across the three nations.

Editorial Team 3 min
MORE THAN A CONGRESS: HIDDEN BATTLEGROUNDS OF THE CHP CRISIS
Deep Dive Jun 5, 2026

MORE THAN A CONGRESS: HIDDEN BATTLEGROUNDS OF THE CHP CRISIS

Since the court voided the CHP's 2023 party congress, the main opposition has been unable to untangle the knot — and each new court decision pulls it tighter. The question is whether the party can hold an extraordinary congress to break the deadlock. But the forces shaping what comes next run deeper: when and how the CHP headquarters under Kemal Kılıçdaroğlu, 77, will move to press disciplinary charges, expelling some figures; whether the parliamentary immunity of ousted chair Özgür Özel, 51, and his allies — implicated by recent testimonies from Antalya and Uşak — will be lifted; and when a new party will be established.

Editorial Team 28 min
15 RELEASED IN ISTANBUL CORRUPTION CASE AS ERDOĞAN AND ÖZEL TRADE BLOWS
Deep Dive May 29, 2026

15 RELEASED IN ISTANBUL CORRUPTION CASE AS ERDOĞAN AND ÖZEL TRADE BLOWS

Fifteen more pre-trial defendants were released in the corruption case targeting the Istanbul Municipality, including Adem Soytekin, a businessperson who applied for leniency under Turkey's remorse law, as the war of words between President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan and main opposition CHP Chair Özgür Özel showed no signs of abating over the case.

Editorial Team
THE CHP'S MONTHS-LONG NIGHTMARE: THE "SPECTER OF ABSOLUTE NULLITY"
Deep Dive May 29, 2026

THE CHP'S MONTHS-LONG NIGHTMARE: THE "SPECTER OF ABSOLUTE NULLITY"

As the CHP’s criminal court case on its 2023 party congress nears, speculation that the former administration under Kemal Kılıçdaroğlu will replace the chairmanship of Özgür Özel has resurfaced. President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan’s remarks fueled the flames, as did Kılıçdaroğlu’s snub of Özel at a funeral.

Editorial Team