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EASTERN MEDITERRANEAN: TURKEY AND EGYPT AS THE TWO BASTIONS
Guest Voices Aug 8, 2025

EASTERN MEDITERRANEAN: TURKEY AND EGYPT AS THE TWO BASTIONS

The Eastern Mediterranean has always been shaped by the interplay of northern and southern powers. From the time of the Hittites and Ancient Egyptians to the Ottomans and Mamluks, and through to the present day, control or influence over this region—from Mesopotamia to North Africa—has often rested with one or the other. When Turkey and Egypt were aligned, a degree of order and stability was possible. When they clashed, chaos ensued. History shows us that these two centers of power matter—and they still do today.

Guest Voices
MINISTRY DENIES RESPONSIBILITY FOR SOLDIERS WHO DIED IN CAVE
Security and Defense Aug 8, 2025

MINISTRY DENIES RESPONSIBILITY FOR SOLDIERS WHO DIED IN CAVE

The Defense Ministry has completed its investigation into the deaths of 12 soldiers who were exposed to methane gas in a cave in northern Iraq during a search operation on July 6, concluding that there was no evidence of negligence or misconduct on the part of the commanders involved in the incident.

Editorial Team
'BAHÇELİ SHOULD KEEP HIS PROMISE'
Inside Turkey Aug 8, 2025

'BAHÇELİ SHOULD KEEP HIS PROMISE'

Mustafa Karasu, a leading figure in the PKK, has said MHP Chair Devlet Bahçeli should keep his promise regarding the “right to hope” for PKK leader Abdullah Öcalan.

Editorial Team
TURKEY GRAPPLES WITH CAPTURED E-STATE PASSWORDS
Inside Turkey Aug 7, 2025

TURKEY GRAPPLES WITH CAPTURED E-STATE PASSWORDS

With checks and balances eroded and power increasingly centralized, Turkey is facing what may be one of the biggest digital scandals in its history. The online signatures of high-level bureaucrats have been compromised, allowing a criminal network to appoint public servants via the e-State (e-Devlet) system, issue fake diplomas and licenses, forge English proficiency test results and sell properties— raising serious concerns about fraudulent graduates.

Editorial Team
ÖZEL ALLEGES BRIBERY SCHEME IN ISTANBUL MUNICIPALITY LAWSUITS
Inside Turkey Aug 7, 2025

ÖZEL ALLEGES BRIBERY SCHEME IN ISTANBUL MUNICIPALITY LAWSUITS

CHP Chair Özgür Özel said he has evidence that some prosecutors and lawyers pressured defendants in the Istanbul Municipality cases to falsely confess to paying bribes in exchange for release. The following day, lawyer Mehmet Yıldırım was detained on the orders of the Istanbul Chief Public Prosecutor’s Office.

Editorial Team
HOW WILL THE PKK’S DISARMAMENT SHAPE POLITICS?
Capital Currents Aug 1, 2025

HOW WILL THE PKK’S DISARMAMENT SHAPE POLITICS?

The dissolution and disarmament of the PKK, so far managed through security institutions, will be brought to Parliament’s agenda next week through a newly established commission. Although framed as “above politics” and “beyond party interests,” the “process” is creating new political maneuvering room for all parties. From the government to the opposition, political actors are repositioning themselves and recalculating strategies with an eye on the 2028 elections.

Nergis Demirkaya
FIREFIGHTER’S HEART STOPS IN BURSA WILDFIRE
Portrait of the Week Aug 1, 2025

FIREFIGHTER’S HEART STOPS IN BURSA WILDFIRE

You wouldn’t know Ramazan Şaşkın. Likely, no one does beyond his family, friends, and the people in his town. In his 38 years, Ramazan Şaşkın only became news in death. The story goes like this: “While battling a fire in Bursa, a firefighter suffered a heart attack and died.”

Anonymous