CHESSBOARD IN THE EASTERN MEDITERRANEAN
Developments in recent weeks underscores just how increasingly complex the picture in the Eastern Mediterranean has become.
Analysis
In-Depth Analysis
Smart, independent reporting on Turkey's politics, economy and foreign affairs.
ROUND UP THE USUAL PARTNERS
“Casablanca” ends on a fogbound airfield. The plane to Lisbon has gone, and the idealists with it. What remains is a cynic and a prefect of police, each of whom has just discovered how useful the other might be. “Louis,” says Rick, “I think this is the beginning of a beautiful friendship.”
CALLS FOR CONSTITUTIONAL COURT TO OVERTURN INTERNET BLOCKS
Scores of journalists, activists, and politicians gathered outside the Constitutional Court Oct. 7 to protest censorship of social media accounts.
THE MAN INSIDE THE COAT
Nasreddin Hoca, the wise and witty Turkish folk hero, once arrived at a dinner in his ordinary clothes and discovered that nobody thought him worth much attention. He went home, put on his finest fur coat and returned. This time he was welcomed warmly, seated at the table and offered the best food. So Hoca began dipping the sleeve of his coat into the dishes.
NO MORE TAX BREAKS
The government will discontinue its 'sliding scale' fuel tax offset mechanism at the end of 2026, shifting focus toward boosting budget revenues ahead of potential elections in 2027 or early 2028.
PROSECUTORS LAUNCH CRACKDOWN ON PRODUCE WHOLESALERS
Authorities have launched a judicial operation against major produce distributors, detaining scores of executive-level figures for artificially inflating wholesale fruit and vegetable prices amid high food inflation.
CRITICS QUESTION TURKEY'S RECORD PISA RESULTS
The Education Ministry hailed the latest educational achievement results as a 'historic success,' reporting that the nation became the fastest-climbing OECD country across all subjects, surpassing average scores in the 2025 Program for International Student Assessment (PISA) assessment of science and reading.
MEDIA FIGURES SPEAK OUT ABOUT POLICE MISCONDUCT
Reports of police mistreatment and physical abuse during police detention are rising, as figures, such as journalists and comedians after detentions or arrests speak louder.
PEACE PROCESS AWAITS THE LAW, THE LAW AWAITS ANSWERS
The peace process, dubbed the Terror-Free Turkey, now awaits the 'framework law,' expected to be submitted before parliament goes into its summer recess. There appears to be no consensus, however, on the bill's exact timing, scope and the conditions on the ground. While the process remains in the waiting room, the Interior Ministry took a concrete step, lifting thousands of search points and checkpoints in the terror-affected region. The pro-Kurdish DEM Party, through all its spokespeople, is asking 'what the law is waiting for.' But reading between the lines of AKP and DEM Party statements reveals disagreements at the draft stage.
CAN FORWARD MANSUR YAVAŞ SCORE THE GOAL?
In the CHP, rapidly heading toward a split after the absolute nullity ruling, one of the key questions people are looking to answer is what stance Ankara Mayor Mansur Yavaş will take.
FIDAN MEETS PUTIN IN RUSSIA AHEAD OF NATO’S ANKARA SUMMIT
Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan made a high-profile, two-day visit to Russia, sitting directly across from President Vladimir Putin to signal stable bilateral ties amid speculation that Turkey was distancing itself from Moscow.
CYPRUS BECOMES A HOT SPOT
The war in Gaza has already changed the dynamics in the Middle East. Before the region was able to digest all these changes, another front emerged: the confrontation involving the United States, Israel, and Iran that expanded in geographic and political scope.