Analysis

In-Depth Analysis

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

A ‘NEW PARTY’ IS ABOUT TO BE BORN
Deep Dive Jul 17, 2026

A ‘NEW PARTY’ IS ABOUT TO BE BORN

Özgür Özel, ousted as CHP chair by a court ruling, is preparing to set up a new party even as legal threats mount against him and his allies. The party is likely to be called Yeni Party (New Party), Özel said. 'We are working on the name and the logo. The name has started to become clear. There is a generally accepted name, while the logo is still being worked on. For now, let's call it 'Yeni Party.' Until there is a new name, let's say Yeni Party,' Özel told SZC TV. 'The statute and the program are being written. The official step will be taken at the end of July or the beginning of August,' Özel told the channel at parliament ahead of a special session marking the 10th anniversary of the failed coup attempt.

Editorial Staff 17 min
DEM PUSHES RULING ALLIANCE TO PASS PEACE PROCESS FRAMEWORK LAW BEFORE RECESS
Inside Turkey Jul 17, 2026

DEM PUSHES RULING ALLIANCE TO PASS PEACE PROCESS FRAMEWORK LAW BEFORE RECESS

The DEM Party is intensifying pressure on the AKP/MHP ruling alliance to pass the framework law underpinning Turkey's Kurdish peace process before parliament enters for its summer recess — even as the party struggles to extract details of the draft from the AKP. The push has produced a flurry of contacts. İmralı Delegation members Pervin Buldan and Mithat Sancar, together with Faik Özgür Erol, met AKP Deputy Chair Efkan Ala and AKP Group Chair Abdullah Güler on July 15, and MHP Chair Devlet Bahçeli at his office in parliament the following day. Asked about the talks, Buldan declined to elaborate: 'We will not give information on the content.'

Editorial Staff 5 min
WHERE’S THE PARTY?
Poetic Licence Jul 16, 2026

WHERE’S THE PARTY?

CHP tears itself in two, Özel ponders a new party; Stay till the end, he says, and take it back, hearty; But should the courts not bend, he's got a backup plan: 110 MPs, and himself as the new man.

Nazlan Ertan 1 min
CONFISCATION ECONOMY: THE PURGE THAT PAYS
Economy and Finance Jul 16, 2026

CONFISCATION ECONOMY: THE PURGE THAT PAYS

Ten years after the failed coup, the crackdown on Gülenist-owned businesses has become a revenue stream: the state has collected $1.5 billion from selling off seized firms — and the state fund managing them has grown into one of the country's largest conglomerates, its reach now extending far beyond the Gülenists.

Editorial Staff 2 min
TEN YEARS ON, JULY 15 IS STILL AN OPEN FILE
Inside Turkey Jul 14, 2026

TEN YEARS ON, JULY 15 IS STILL AN OPEN FILE

Ten years after tanks rolled onto the Bosphorus Bridge and F-16s bombed parliament, Turkey marks the anniversary of the failed July 15 coup attempt with a holiday named 'Democracy and National Unity Day' — in a country more polarized, less democratic and no closer to answering the fundamental questions of that night than it was a decade ago.

Editorial Staff 16 min
COURT ENDS FIRST İMAMOĞLU TRIAL SESSION WITHOUT HIS DEFENSE
Inside Turkey Jul 9, 2026

COURT ENDS FIRST İMAMOĞLU TRIAL SESSION WITHOUT HIS DEFENSE

The four-month-long first session of the Istanbul Municipality trial ended on July 8 without the testimony of its main defendant: Ekrem İmamoğlu, the jailed Istanbul mayor and ousted CHP administration's presidential candidate, who is accused of being the leader of an alleged criminal organization.

Editorial Staff 8 min
FOUR STARS AND A FUNERAL
Poetic Licence Jul 3, 2026

FOUR STARS AND A FUNERAL

Four stars descended from the EU in full dress, Kallas, Kos, Brunner, Dombrovskis, no less, Suitcases of talking points, Customs Union too, Connectivity, the new buzz-word, gathering diplomatic dew.

Nazlan Ertan 1 min
TURKEY COURTS IRAQ AND SYRIA AT CRITICAL MOMENT FOR PEACE PROCESS
Foreign Affairs Jul 3, 2026

TURKEY COURTS IRAQ AND SYRIA AT CRITICAL MOMENT FOR PEACE PROCESS

Turkey made simultaneous overtures to Iraq and Syria at a critical moment for the peace process, as the government prepares to submit the bill to parliament before the summer recess. National Intelligence Organization (MİT) chief İbrahim Kalın completed a three-day tour of Iraq while Interior Minister Mustafa Çiftçi held security talks in Damascus.

Editorial Staff 3 min