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U.S. SEIZURE OF MADURO RAISES “INTERNAL FRONT” CONTROVERSY IN TURKEY
Deep Dive Jan 9, 2026

U.S. SEIZURE OF MADURO RAISES “INTERNAL FRONT” CONTROVERSY IN TURKEY

The abduction of Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro by the United States has reignited a fierce debate in Turkey over the concept of the “internal front,” a term increasingly used by the government to call for national unity amid shifting global dynamics. The notion of “fortifying the internal front” — defined by the government as acting in unison on national issues — gained prominence alongside changes in the international order. It was President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan who first introduced the phrase in August 2024, and has repeatedly emphasized it over the past year as a shield against foreign policy challenges and a necessity for “national survival.”

Editorial Team
ANKARA TO LEAD BLACK SEA SECURITY AS FRANCE AND BRITAIN BOOST SECURITY GUARANTEES AMID GREENLAND THREAT
Foreign Affairs Jan 8, 2026

ANKARA TO LEAD BLACK SEA SECURITY AS FRANCE AND BRITAIN BOOST SECURITY GUARANTEES AMID GREENLAND THREAT

France, Britain and Ukraine signed a joint “statement of intent” after a meeting of the Coalition of the Willing in Paris, where nearly 30 Western leaders gathered. According to the statement, Britain and France will deploy troops to Ukraine in case of a peace agreement with Russia. Turkey is envisaged to take the lead in maritime security elements in the Black Sea.

Editorial Team
S-400 DECISION LOOMS IN U.S.-TURKEY DEFENSE RESET
Security and Defense Dec 12, 2025

S-400 DECISION LOOMS IN U.S.-TURKEY DEFENSE RESET

U.S. Ambassador to Turkey Tom Barrack said that the United States is close to lifting restrictions imposed on Turkey since 2017 after Turkey purchased S-400 systems from Russia. However, the conditions under which the sanctions will be lifted remain unclear.

Editorial Team
MÜLKİYE AT 166: LONG MEMORY OF THE STATE
Guest Voices Dec 11, 2025

MÜLKİYE AT 166: LONG MEMORY OF THE STATE

The opening line of the anthem of Mülkiye, the prestigious Political Science Faculty of Ankara University, declares a single mission: we exist so that the state does not collapse, so that the country does not cry. The “we” here is not a party or a leader’s entourage. It is a cadre trained to answer to something longer than a parliamentary term.

Guest Voices
RULING AKP OPENS DOOR TO SCRAPPING TRUSTEE SYSTEM IN KURDISH PEACE TALKS
Inside Turkey Dec 4, 2025

RULING AKP OPENS DOOR TO SCRAPPING TRUSTEE SYSTEM IN KURDISH PEACE TALKS

A key lawmaker, Mustafa Şen, from Turkey's ruling AKP suggested that the government should discontinue the practice of appointing state trustees to replace elected mayors. 'The terrorist organization has concluded its activity. Therefore, if a trustee was appointed to a municipality for that reason, we believe the practice should now be ended,' Şen stated.

Editorial Team
TURKEY’S 2026 BUDGET MISSES £5.4B EUROFIGHTER COST
Security and Defense Dec 2, 2025

TURKEY’S 2026 BUDGET MISSES £5.4B EUROFIGHTER COST

Under the agreement signed between Turkey and the U.K., the £5.4 billion payment to the Eurofighter consortium for 20 Typhoon fighter jets was not included in either the Defense Ministry’s budget or the Defense Industry Presidency's (SSB) budget. The Defense Industry Support Fund (SSDF) can be used as a source of funding for this project, but the cost of the Typhoons is approximately double the annual amount transferred to the fund from taxes collected by the state.

Editorial Team
REALIGNING CORRIDORS: U.S. ENERGY DIPLOMACY AND TURKEY’S STRATEGIC CROSSROADS
Guest Voices Nov 13, 2025

REALIGNING CORRIDORS: U.S. ENERGY DIPLOMACY AND TURKEY’S STRATEGIC CROSSROADS

In early November 2025, two gatherings revealed the evolving architecture of Eurasian energy and resource corridors: the “3+1” Energy Ministerial in Athens, bringing together Greece, Cyprus, Israel, and the United States, and the C5+1 Summit in Washington between the United States and the five Central Asian republics—Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan, Turkmenistan, Kyrgyzstan, and Tajikistan.

Guest Voices
WOUNDS BANDAGED, SCARS REMAIN: WHERE IS THE PEOPLE’S ALLIANCE HEADED?
Capital Currents Nov 7, 2025

WOUNDS BANDAGED, SCARS REMAIN: WHERE IS THE PEOPLE’S ALLIANCE HEADED?

Excluding their early courtship phase, the AKP and MHP have now completed seven years of formal partnership. In their partnership, branded the “People’s Alliance,” the two parties have gone through five electoral contests — one referendum, two general elections, and two local elections. Like any relationship, this one has had its ups and downs. Many of the rifts that the public interpreted as “cracks” or “crises” within the alliance were quickly smoothed over through mutual statements. But, the crisis of the past two weeks has been among the deepest since the alliance was formed.

Nergis Demirkaya
A NEW TONE, OLD REALITIES, AND A HARD ROAD AHEAD IN CYPRUS
Guest Voices Oct 31, 2025

A NEW TONE, OLD REALITIES, AND A HARD ROAD AHEAD IN CYPRUS

The election of Tufan Erhürman as president of Northern Cyprus rekindled hopes for renewed negotiations with the Greek Cypriots.Erhürman’s opening statements — stressing democratic tolerance, representation and the need to reopen talks under UN auspices with political equality as his “red line” — set a constructive tone: “There are no losers in this election. The Turkish Cypriot people won, our children won, our brotherhood won.” Yet those words of unity sit alongside firm warnings: political equality cannot be treated as a bargaining chip, and any new process must have meaningful limits and commitments from the outset.

Guest Voices