Analysis

In-Depth Analysis

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

PROSECUTOR KILLED IN ISTANBUL
Inside Turkey Sep 5, 2025

PROSECUTOR KILLED IN ISTANBUL

Public Prosecutor Ercan Kayhan, who worked at the Istanbul Courthouse, was killed. Kayhan was stabbed in the throat by Mustafa Can Gül at a restaurant in Ömerli, Çekmeköy, Istanbul, at around 9:15 p.m. on Sept. 3.

Editorial Team
TELE1 TO FACE FIVE-DAY BLACKOUT
Media, Internet and Culture Aug 28, 2025

TELE1 TO FACE FIVE-DAY BLACKOUT

A higher court has upheld a Radio and Television Supreme Council (RTÜK) penalty that will take TELE1 off the air for five days starting the night of Aug. 31, unless the broadcaster’s latest appeal succeeds.

Editorial Team
İMAMOĞLU CLEARED OF ‘TARGETING’; RECEIVES PRISON SENTENCE FOR ‘THREAT’ AND ‘INSULT’
Inside Turkey Jul 16, 2025

İMAMOĞLU CLEARED OF ‘TARGETING’; RECEIVES PRISON SENTENCE FOR ‘THREAT’ AND ‘INSULT’

Jailed Istanbul Metropolitan Mayor Ekrem İmamoğlu was acquitted of charges of “targeting public officials involved in counterterrorism” but was convicted of “publicly insulting a public official due to his duty” and “making threats” in the case concerning Istanbul Chief Public Prosecutor Akın Gürlek. The court sentenced İmamoğlu to one year and five months in prison for the insult charge and an additional two months and 15 days for the threat charge, totaling one year and eight months. If upheld by the appeals court, the ruling could result in a political ban.

Editorial Team
AFTER ISTANBUL, IT IS IZMIR'S TURN
Deep Dive Jul 4, 2025

AFTER ISTANBUL, IT IS IZMIR'S TURN

A new front has been opened in the judicial assault on the main opposition CHP, shifting the focus from Istanbul to the party’s stronghold in Izmir. The latest set of raids came as Izmir fought off forest fires and as the CHP prepared to hold a major rally in Saraçhane—home to Istanbul's Municipality—marking the 100th day of Mayor Ekrem İmamoğlu’s pre-trial detention. They also followed hard on the heels of a court hearing that could have annulled the party’s 2023 congress.

Editorial Team
TATİL
Word of the Week Jun 13, 2025

TATİL

In Turkey, tatil (holiday) is a prism through which one can observe culture, class, and politics. It conjures images of mosque courtyards and family dinners or bustling resort towns thrumming with booked-out hotels and overpriced beaches.

Nazlan Ertan