FOUR STARS AND A FUNERAL
Four stars descended from the EU in full dress, Kallas, Kos, Brunner, Dombrovskis, no less, Suitcases of talking points, Customs Union too, Connectivity, the new buzz-word, gathering diplomatic dew.
Analysis
In-Depth Analysis
Smart, independent reporting on Turkey's politics, economy and foreign affairs.
EVEN TRANSACTIONALISM FAILS TO REVIVE EU–TURKEY TIES
Akın Gürlek, the prosecutor who has overseen several high-profile cases involving members of the CHP, became justice minister four days after European Commissioner for Enlargement Marta Kos visited Ankara.
HAPPY BIRTHDAY DIPLOMACY
Birthday diplomacy continued between Turkey and Greece as Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis congratulated President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan on turning 72.
ATHENS–ANKARA DEADLOCK: NO BREAKTHROUGH, BUT DIALOGUE REMAINS
Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan and Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis met in Ankara on the 30th anniversary of the Kardak (Imia) crisis, serving as a reminder that the fundamental disagreements that nearly brought the two NATO allies to war 30 years ago remain unresolved.
ERDOĞAN AND MITSOTAKIS TO MEET IN BID TO MANAGE, NOT RESOLVE, DIFFERENCES
The planned meeting of the Turkish–Greek High-Level Cooperation Council (HLC) in Ankara on February 11 comes when the calm in relations between Ankara and Athens conceals numerous fragilities. That’s just one reason why the meeting between President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan and Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis is unlikely to produce a breakthrough. Rather, the meeting aims to keep communication channels open while both sides pursue sharply divergent agendas in the Aegean and Eastern Mediterranean.
DIALOGUE OF THE DEAF: WHY KOS TALKS WILL CHANGE LITTLE
European Commissioner for Enlargement Marta Kos succeeded in angering both the government and the opposition with her stance towards the arrest of Istanbul Mayor Ekrem İmamoğlu on March 19, 2025.
NO MOMENTUM IN SIGHT FOR CYPRUS TALKS AS LEADERS MEET
Turkish and Greek Cypriot leaders met under the facilitation of United Nations Secretary-General’s personal envoy, María Angela Holguín Cuéllar, on Dec. 11. Tufan Erhürman and Nikos Christodoulides reportedly agreed to expedite a series of confidence-building measures. Talks to resolve the decadeslong Cyprus issue are unlikely to gain traction before mid-2026, as both the north and south prepare for critical elections.
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.
CHANGE OR CONTINUITY IN TURKISH-GREEK RELATIONS?
Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan’s upcoming visit to Athens comes at a moment of some confusion about Turkey’s relations with Greece. The status of bilateral ties came under scrutiny after President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan met Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis of Greece on the sidelines of annual UN summit in New York in September.
CYPRUS TALKS: WHAT TO EXPECT WHEN YOU EXPECT NOTHING
NICOSIA—The New York dinner hosted by UN Secretary-General António Guterres for Greek Cypriot leader Nikos Christodoulides and his Turkish Cypriot counterpart Ersin Tatar managed to bring the two leaders together around a table, but reunification still seems a very distant prospect. “There wasn’t much on the menu,” quipped Tatar, speaking to Turkish journalists, including Turkey in Depth, in Nicosia after his return to the island. “Guterres himself said the main advantage of the meal at the UN headquarters was the view. I told him the view from the Turkish House [the headquarters of multiple Turkish diplomatic missions in the Big Apple] was far better.”