Analysis
Smart, independent reporting on Turkey's politics, economy and foreign affairs.
Next month Antalya hosts COP31, Nov. 9-20. Ankara has sent two invitations to Cyprus: one, through the conference organizers, to the president of the Republic of Cyprus, and one, from President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, to the president of the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus.
Presidential Chief Legal Advisor Mehmet Uçum once again said that the next presidential election is set for March or April 2028, coinciding with renewed efforts to draft a new constitution.
A check allegation pits Medya A.Ş. executives against each other, while Istanbul Mayor Ekrem İmamoğlu is expected to deliver his main defense next week, by the end of the second session of the Istanbul municipality corruption trial.
Ankara may nominate Feridun Sinirlioğlu for UN secretary-general, a Turkish official told Turkey in Depth, but the move hinges on a tentatively expected color-coded straw poll expected next week: if a permanent member signals a veto against frontrunner Rebeca Grynspan, Turkey is likely to propose its candidate.
Turkey and the United States have signed a grant agreement to evaluate next-generation nuclear energy technologies, expanding bilateral cooperation in the energy sector.
Recep Tayyip Erdoğan met with Ankara Mayor Mansur Yavaş for the first time since the opposition took control of the capital amid rumors the mayor could be the next target of the judicial assault on opposition municipalities.
The first concrete step has been taken in the PKK's disarmament process, a subject Turkey has been discussing for nearly 22 months. The law that will form the legal groundwork for the group's disarmament passed parliament with what has been called a 'historic consensus.' Next comes implementation. But the real question is will this process, dubbed 'Terror-Free Turkey,' contribute to the country's democratization?
Osman Kavala will turn 70 next year. He has been in prison for nine years. During those nine years, the European Court of Human Rights (ECHR) has ruled three times that his detention and conviction violated his rights and called for his “immediate release.” Most recently, just three days ago, the ECHR once again called on Turkey to “release him.”
Following the framework law's acceptance by a high vote of 467 in parliament — legislation expected to end a half-century-long conflict in relation to the Kurdish issue— now eyes are on the next steps the government will take.
Based on his experience as the British government’s Cyprus coordinator, Lord David Hannay once said: “No one has ever lost money betting against a Cyprus settlement.”
NATO Allies announced on July 7 that over $40 billion will be invested in counter-drone capabilities over the next five years.
Since the court voided the CHP's 2023 party congress, the main opposition has been unable to untangle the knot — and each new court decision pulls it tighter. The question is whether the party can hold an extraordinary congress to break the deadlock. But the forces shaping what comes next run deeper: when and how the CHP headquarters under Kemal Kılıçdaroğlu, 77, will move to press disciplinary charges, expelling some figures; whether the parliamentary immunity of ousted chair Özgür Özel, 51, and his allies — implicated by recent testimonies from Antalya and Uşak — will be lifted; and when a new party will be established.