FUND CRISIS HITS MARKETS
The Borsa Istanbul’s benchmark BIST 100 index entered a technical bear market at the end of September, marking its worst monthly performance since the 2008 global financial crisis.
Analysis
In-Depth Analysis
Smart, independent reporting on Turkey's politics, economy and foreign affairs.
TURKEY’S DIPLOMATS LEARN TO COOK: INSIDE FIDAN’S NEW RULES
Turkey’s diplomatic network has grown from 163 missions in 2002 to over 260 missions, making it the third largest diplomatic network in the world.
MASSIVE ARREST WAVE HITS ANKARA AHEAD OF NATO SUMMIT
More than 200 people were detained in police raids ahead of the upcoming NATO summit scheduled for July 7-8 in Ankara. Following the sweeping operations launched by the Ankara police on June 23, courts have already ordered the formal arrest of 103 individuals out of 129 referred to the judiciary.
A STORY OF POLITICAL ‘BROTHERHOOD’
Exactly 18 years ago — the summer of 2007. Then-Prime Minister Erdoğan raised Abdullah Gül’s hand in the air, and called him “my brother,” as he announced his candidacy for president. That summer, Gül was elected as Turkey’s 11th president — the first president to emerge from within the AKP. A new era was beginning, with the party’s two most powerful figures holding the posts of president and prime minister.
CAN THIS PARLIAMENT DELIVER A NEW CONSTITUTION?
The AKP’s desire for a new constitution has become something of a political legend—talked about endlessly since it came to power in 2002, but never completed.
IS AKP PUTTING THE LAST NAIL IN HAMAS’ COFFIN?
When the AKP came to power it had to prove to the outside world that it was not an Islamist party. The way to convince Western capitals went through luring in Israel and the Jewish lobby. By 2008, the party had consolidated power internally and received a high degree of acceptance from the Western capitals, which led to overconfidence. When the Arab Spring began, the AKP did not have to hide its true ideological leaning. Convinced that the moment for political Islam had finally come, the AKPs ruling elites did not hide their ambition to lead Muslim Brotherhood to power in Middle Eastern countries.
UNCERTAINTY CONTINUES OVER ALTAY TANK MASS PRODUCTION
The setbacks and delays encountered in the Altay tank project, launched in 2007, have become a subject of political debate, while uncertainty remains over whether it will go into mass production.
BAYKAR’S TB2T-AI UCAV BREAKS 40,000-FOOT ALTITUDE RECORD
Baykar Aviation announced that its new-generation Bayraktar TB2T-AI unmanned combat aerial vehicle (UCAV), equipped with a turbo engine and artificial intelligence, reached an altitude of 40,023 feet (12,200 m) during a performance test on Aug. 23. The milestone marked a new altitude record in its class.
A NEW CHAPTER IN CAUCASUS - IF IT HOLDS
The Caucasus is undergoing a fundamental transformation that could reshape the region’s geopolitical landscape. After decades of failed attempts—such as the 2001 peace process between Armenia and Azerbaijan or the 2009 Armenia–Turkey Zurich Protocols—Armenia and Azerbaijan have now initialed agreements that could pave the way for a historic breakthrough.
NO NEW LAW, NO MASS RELEASES: GOVERNMENT RESPONDS TO SÖZCÜ HEADLINES
Ahead of renewed hopes for a peace process, Sözcü — known for its opposition stance — has stirred controversy with successive headlines alleging the mass release of PKK-linked prisoners. The Justice Ministry has twice rejected the newspaper’s reports, which first claimed 200 prisoners had been released and later suggested an additional 700 would follow.
TURKEY EYES EU DEFENSE FUNDS, BUT TRUST ISSUES LOOM
A few days after the new U.S. envoy to Germany took up office in Berlin in 2013, news broke out that Washington had been spying on German Chancellor Angela Merkel’s phone since 2002.
REAL TURKEY – EU DIRTY DEAL IS ON ITS WAY
Every time Turkey takes a big step backward and away from democratic rule, those familiar with Turkish-EU relations tend to also blame the Merkel-Sarkozy duo, who reined back Turkey’s accession talks in the mid-2000s at a time when the AKP was undertaking sweeping reforms to reach universal standards. It was the most serious and bitter wake-up call for those who still had faith in European values, that no matter what Turkey would do, it would never be considered a member of the European family, despite its NATO and Council of Europe membership.