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NEW TURKISH CYPRIOT PRESIDENT WARNS AGAINST RUSHED PEACE TALKS
Foreign Affairs Dec 10, 2025

NEW TURKISH CYPRIOT PRESIDENT WARNS AGAINST RUSHED PEACE TALKS

Tufan Erhürman, the newly elected president of Northern Cyprus, voiced guarded expectations ahead of his first trilateral meeting on Dec. 11 with Greek Cypriot figure Nikos Christodoulides and UN envoy María Ángela Holguín. Speaking to Turkish journalists, Erhürman said that shifting regional dynamics and a long record of unsuccessful rounds make a rapid return to substantive talks unrealistic — particularly without agreed-upon parameters.

Editorial Team
MINIMUM WAGE PANEL FACES STRUCTURAL CHANGE AS RAISE SCENARIOS EMERGE
Economy and Finance Dec 5, 2025

MINIMUM WAGE PANEL FACES STRUCTURAL CHANGE AS RAISE SCENARIOS EMERGE

Turkey’s Minimum Wage Determination Commission is preparing for its first major structural overhaul in 50 years after unions said the current system blocks fair representation. The Labor Ministry has proposed an “interim formula” that would cut the government’s seats from five to one, reducing the 15-member body to 11 while keeping five worker and five employer representatives.

Editorial Team
ANKARA LEADS IN CREDIT DEBT, KARAMAN TOPS IN UNPAID LOANS
Economy and Finance Nov 7, 2025

ANKARA LEADS IN CREDIT DEBT, KARAMAN TOPS IN UNPAID LOANS

Turkey’s Banking Regulation and Supervision Agency (BDDK) released new data covering the first nine months of 2025, revealing the country’s debt landscape by province. The capital, Ankara, recorded the highest total credit debt, while the central Anatolian province of Karaman had the largest share of citizens unable to repay their loans and facing collection proceedings.

Editorial Team
THREE DECADES IN THE MAKING: ALTAY TANK FINALLY ROLLS OUT
Security and Defense Oct 31, 2025

THREE DECADES IN THE MAKING: ALTAY TANK FINALLY ROLLS OUT

The first Altay tank was delivered to the army on Oct. 28, crowning a three-decade push to develop and produce a domestic main battle tank. The project, launched by a 1996 decision of the Defense Industry Executive Committee, aimed to build an indigenous tank using locally developed technologies. However, the finalized model relies on South Korean-made engines and transmission systems.

Editorial Team
REPUBLIC DAY MARKED BY NEW POLITICAL ALIGNMENTS AND ABSENTEES
Inside Turkey Oct 31, 2025

REPUBLIC DAY MARKED BY NEW POLITICAL ALIGNMENTS AND ABSENTEES

Turkey marked the 102nd anniversary of the Republic with fresh signs of political realignment — reminiscent of the symbolic gestures seen during Parliament’s opening earlier this month. While the chairs of Gelecek Party and DEVA Party, both breakaway movements from the AKP, attended the Presidential Palace reception for the first time, the MHP opted to stay away. Talks on a possible merger among conservative parties are also ongoing.

Editorial Team
PROTEST AT THE THEATER
Portrait of the Week Oct 10, 2025

PROTEST AT THE THEATER

The State Theaters have recently come under the spotlight due to a protest. The incident took place during the traditional Afife Jale Awards ceremony. Who was Afife Jale? In the early 20th century, when Istanbul was still under occupation, she became the first Turkish woman to appear on stage. The awards are presented every year in her memory.

Anonymous
NOT A DRAMA, BUT REALITY: 248 DAYS IN PRISON
Portrait of the Week Oct 3, 2025

NOT A DRAMA, BUT REALITY: 248 DAYS IN PRISON

Who is Ayşe Barım? Those who should know her, don’t. The people of this country—who have lived all their lives below the poverty line, and not even all of them, only a few—first heard her name in the news bulletins. When? Exactly 248 days ago, when she was arrested. They didn’t know Ayşe Barım, but in the evenings they gathered with their families or friends, cracking sunflower seeds and watching TV dramas with excitement. Yet those viewers had no idea what was happening behind the screen. Behind the mesmerizing shows they watched so devotedly stood an unknown figure. Under the headlines “Çağlayan Courthouse / Silivri Prison,” Ayşe Barım was forced—by the hand of the judiciary, not by her own will—to step onto the stage from behind the curtains.

Anonymous