CONSTITUTIONAL COURT OVERTURNS SENTENCE DEFERRAL IN TORTURE CASES
The Constitutional Court has annuled a provision allowing the deferral of sentences for public officials convicted of torture or ill-treatment.
Analysis
In-Depth Analysis
Smart, independent reporting on Turkey's politics, economy and foreign affairs.
DAMASCUS–SDF INTEGRATION TALKS ENTER CRITICAL PHASE
The integration of the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) into the Syrian armed forces has entered a critical phase, emerging as one of the central pillars of Syria’s fragile transition following the overthrow of Bashar Assad on Dec. 8, 2024. Syrian Defense Minister Murhaf Abu Qasra said Syria has formally delivered a 13-point roadmap outlining the integration of the SDF into the new administration, with further details expected in the coming days.
SOUTH CYPRUS SEEKS U.S. AND EU WEAPONS AS MILITARY TIES WITH ISRAEL DEEPEN
South Cyprus is seeking large-scale military support from both the United States and the European Union, while expanding defense cooperation with Israel, in a move raising concerns in Ankara and Northern Cyprus.
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.
SOMEONE CALLED FURKAN
Furkan Karabay, 29, is a journalist and has been detained three times in the past two years. On the 201st day of his latest imprisonment, he was sentenced but released. He refused to present a defense, tearing up the indictment in the courtroom.
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.
DEFENSE MINISTRY BUDGET UP 31.9% EXCLUDING EUROFIGHTER DEAL
The Defense Ministry’s budget, 623.9 billion lira in 2025, is set to increase 31.9% to 822.9 billion lira in 2026, according to figures released during parliamentary budget talks Nov. 26. This allocation does not cover Turkey’s latest procurement of Eurofighters.
PRELIMINARY INVESTIGATION INTO C-130 CRASH WILL TAKE TWO MONTHS
The tail broke off first, and then the fuselage split into three pieces, according to preliminary findings in the C-130 transport plane that crashed in Georgia on Nov. 11, Defense Minister Yaşar Güler said.
BETTING SCANDAL IN FOOTBALL INVOLVES PLAYERS
The Turkish Football Federation (TFF) has provisionally referred 1,024 footballers to the Professional Football Disciplinary Committee on grounds of betting and has published a list of their names.
DEMİRTAŞ, STRASBOURG, AND THE NEVER-ENDING POLITICAL DRAMA SERIES
Selahattin Demirtaş has long been more than a defendant; he is a barometer of how politics manages law, another act in a long-running political drama in Turkey. This is not a scripted series that keeps millions guessing on Thursday nights; it is a real-world production about the country’s future.
HAKEM /REFEREE
In Turkish, the word hakem conjures, for the average football fan, the image of a man with a whistle — revered when he blows it in your favor, reviled when he doesn’t. Yet the word has a far deeper pedigree. Hakem comes from the Arabic ḥakam, meaning “one who judges,” sharing roots with hakim (judge or ruler) and hikmet (wisdom). The referee is, linguistically at least, meant to be a wise arbiter among impassioned players and fans — no small task given the layers of expectation and resentment attached to every call.
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.