Analysis

In-Depth Analysis

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

AKKUYU NUCLEAR PLANT CLOSER TO LAUNCH AFTER CRITICAL TEST
Economy and Finance Jun 12, 2026

AKKUYU NUCLEAR PLANT CLOSER TO LAUNCH AFTER CRITICAL TEST

Engineers at Turkey's first nuclear power plant have finished a critical test as part of preparations for the launch planned by the end of 2026, the Energy Ministry said. Technicians successfully loaded 163 simulated fuel assemblies into the reactor pressure vessel of the first unit at the Akkuyu Nuclear Power Plant. The operation is a major milestone in the launch of the country’s first nuclear power facility.

Editorial Team 2 min
TOWARDS HYPER WAR CAPABILITY
Security and Defense May 29, 2026

TOWARDS HYPER WAR CAPABILITY

The Turkish Armed Forces has been testing joint operations capabilities after a rapid increase in the number of national defense industry products in its inventory, primarily electronic warfare and air defense systems, warships, and unmanned aerial vehicles. Baykar's AI-powered mini cruise missile Kemankeş-1 continues to undergo firing tests from the strategic-class Bayraktar Akıncı UCAV. “The Kemankeş smart munitions integration and testing activities carried out with the Akıncı strategic UAV platform, capable of flying at an altitude of 40,000 feet, provide serious indications of Turkey's hyper warfare capacity development,” Dr. Can Kasapoğlu, senior researcher at the Hudson Institute, said.

Editorial Team
MERZ: A CHANCELLOR IN SEARCH OF STABILITY
Guest Voices May 29, 2026

MERZ: A CHANCELLOR IN SEARCH OF STABILITY

Friedrich Merz’s visit to Ankara marks a new phase in German-Turkish relations — the trip served domestic power dynamics in Berlin in political terms rather than through concrete agreements. The chancellor did not come because Turkey has fundamentally changed, but because Germany finds itself in deep economic and political uncertainty. By Ozan Demircan

Editorial Team
A STORY OF POLITICAL ‘BROTHERHOOD’
Portrait of the Week May 29, 2026

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.

Anonymous