Analysis – Turkey In Depth – Smart, informed focus on the stories that matter

Guest Voices May 29, 2026

TRUMP’S BOARD OF PEACE MAY HAVE FATAL IMPLICATIONS FOR TURKEY

This year’s Munich Security Conference (MSC) held lively discussions on the global security environment, especially in Europe, and the collapse of the rules-based international order. Strained transatlantic relations, the Ukrainian War, and Iran, all burning matters for Turkey, were on the agenda. Figures such as Marco Rubio, Friedrich Merz, Emmanuel Macron, and Volodymyr Zelenskyy reached global audiences from the MSC. Turkey was not heard.

Editorial Team

Portrait of the Week May 29, 2026

ORHAN PAMUK: THE LINE BETWEEN CRITICISM AND LYNCHING

Adapted from the novel of the same name by Orhan Pamuk. “The Museum of Innocence.” A television series. With its release, months later, the public agenda shifted. Justice, legal troubles, and the deepening, ever more painful economic crisis were suddenly pushed aside. This series — along with the book of the same name and its author, Orhan Pamuk — took center stage, especially on social media.

Anonymous

Deep Dive May 29, 2026

TENSE OATH CEREMONY SIGNALS SHARPER POLITICAL ERA IN ANKARA

President Recep Tayyip Erdoğıan’s decision to appoint Akın Gürlek, a bogeyman for the main opposition CHP, as justice minister is the clear indication of a more bruising domestic politics ahead. The first sign of that came during the oath ceremony in Parliament. For the first time, a minister took the oath of office amid scuffles that escalated into pushing and shoving. AKP lawmakers formed what opposition deputies described as a “human wall” to shield the podium.

Editorial Team

Inside Turkey May 29, 2026

SEARCH FOR A THIRD WAY WIDENS AMONG CONSERVATIVE AND RIGHT-WING PARTIES

Efforts by conservative and right-wing parties to build a “third way” outside the ruling and main opposition blocs are gaining momentum, as Saadet Party and YRP — both rooted in Turkey’s first political Islamist tradition, the National View (Milli Görüş) shaped by Necmettin Erbakan — step up talks on election cooperation. The renewed contacts signal a shift in relations between the two parties, which had previously been at odds over the movement’s legacy following the founding of YRP in 2018. This time, the talks focus on bringing together Saadet Party, YRP, Gelecek Party and DEVA Party under a common framework, with a broader alliance that could also include the İYİ Party.

Editorial Team

Inside Turkey May 29, 2026

PARLIAMENT SETS MINIMUM PENSION AT 20,000 LIRA

Parliament approved legislation raising the minimum monthly pension to 20,000 lira ($460), an 18.4% increase, with effect from January. The bill, benefiting about 4.9 million retirees, was adopted by the Parliament with the support of the MHP lawmakers amid barbed debate.

Editorial Team

Capital Currents May 29, 2026

PEACE PROCESS UNDER SYRIA’S SHADOW

The expected has happened. The “new peace process,” now more than a year old, has fallen under the shadow of Syria. Map-altering clashes between the new Damascus government and the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF), whose backbone is formed by Kurds, have driven a wedge between the AKP-MHP ruling bloc and the DEM Party in Turkey.

Editorial Team

Inside Turkey May 29, 2026

ALEPPO CLASHES DEEPEN FAULT LINES IN ANKARA

An operation by the Syrian army targeting Kurdish neighborhoods in Aleppo has fueled tensions in Ankara between the two main actors of Turkey’s peace process, even as President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan says he remains optimistic for a resolution in the southern neighbor.

Editorial Team

Foreign Affairs May 29, 2026

SECURITY TALKS BETWEEN ISRAEL, GREECE, AND CYPRUS STOKE EAST MED TENSIONS

The two consecutive meetings between the leaders of Cyprus’s Turkish and Greek communities, held after a five-year hiatus, generated cautious optimism about the prospects for renewed engagement. Yet this momentum is overshadowed by parallel efforts to consolidate trilateral cooperation among Israel, Greece, and Greek Cyprus.

Editorial Team

Deep Dive May 29, 2026

TURKISH LAWMAKERS POISED FOR HISTORIC TRIP TO MEET ÖCALAN AS COMMISSION SCRAMBLES FOR LAST-MINUTE CONSENSUS

The parliamentary commission tasked with advancing the new peace process between the PKK and Turkey is heading toward a landmark meeting on Nov. 21, when it is expected to decide whether to visit Abdullah Öcalan on İmralı Island, where he has been serving a life sentence since 1999. Although the outcome in the 51-member body initially appeared certain — with the AKP, MHP, DEM, TİP and EMEP signaling support for the visit — shifting political dynamics have pushed discussions toward avoiding a formal vote altogether, according to last-minute reports ahead of the meeting. The move is seen as a way to ease pressure on parties — particularly the AKP and CHP, both facing internal sensitivities — even though initial reports had suggested the commission would hold a vote on whether to visit Öcalan.

Editorial Team

Portrait of the Week May 29, 2026

WHAT DOES ALİ BABACAN WANT TO DO?

In a political climate marked by constant clashes and shifting agendas — sometimes several in a single day — how did Ali Babacan manage to stand out? He attended both the opening of Parliament and the Republic Day reception, posing for photographs with President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan. Suddenly, all eyes were on him. “Is he returning to his old party?” people asked. Some even claimed he was poised to become a minister again. He firmly denied those claims. Yet when similar criticism came from the CHP, he shot back sharply: “Come off it.”

Anonymous

Inside Turkey May 29, 2026

NET TIGHTENS AROUND İMAMOĞLU IN FINANCIAL CRIMES INQUIRY

The pressure is mounting on Istanbul Mayor Ekrem İmamoğlu and his party CHP, with investigations about the corruption allegations now extending to his immediate family and allied journalists, as CHP Chair Özgür Özel tries to challenge the government by divulging the misdoings of Istanbul Chief Prosecutor Akın Gürlek.

Editorial Team

Deep Dive May 29, 2026

PHOTOS REVEAL RIVALRY BETWEEN AKP AND CHP OVER OTHER OPPOSITION PARTIES

The photos taken at the start of the new legislative year, in which President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan posed with chairs of opposition parties, including AKP breakaways, in the absence of the CHP, revealed the contest between the AKP and the CHP to win their support. After the images went viral, Erdoğan renewed his call for a new constitution more forcefully, while his ally, MHP Chair Devlet Bahçeli, insisted that the parliamentary commission visit PKK leader Abdullah Öcalan in İmralı and urged Öcalan to call on the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) to lay down arms. The same day, slogans in Kurdish for Öcalan’s freedom — “Biji Serok Apo” — were chanted at the DEM Party’s group meeting. The party, which holds the third-largest number of seats in parliament, could significantly alter the political dynamics if it supports a constitutional change. While the photos of opposition figures with Erdoğan drew sharp criticism in the opposition media, concerned about alienating them, CHP Chair Özgür Özel personally called all opposition party chairs to ease the row.

Editorial Team

In-Depth Analysis