In Türkiye, as main opposition CHP leader Özgür Özel called on the masses who filled İstanbul’s Saraçhane Square despite police batons, pepper spray and threats of arrest to resist the “one-man regime”, US President Donald Trump endorsed Erdoğan as “a good leader”. Trump gave this support during a meeting on March 25 at the White
At its March 27 meeting, the Turkish Radio and Television Supreme Board (RTÜK) imposed the heaviest fines ever on TV channels that do not toe the government line. With the fines, Sözcü TV received a 10-day blackout penalty, and the cancellation of its broadcasting license is now imminent. According to RTÜK member İlhan Taşçı, who
The İmamoğlu Crisis continues. Not only on the Turkish domestic political front, but also in terms of its effects on the economy. Foreign investors, preoccupied with the Russia-Ukraine crisis, noticed the Türkiye bleep on their radar screens by the detention of İstanbul Metropolitan Mayor Ekrem İmamoğlu on March 19. Following his arrest by the court,
Türkiye stands at a critical juncture in its political journey. The legal actions, political pressures, and the arrest and imprisonment of İstanbul Metropolitan Mayor Ekrem İmamoğlu on March 23rd yesterday not only aim to block his path to the presidency but are poised to reshape the country’s political landscape in profound ways. This issue, originally
İstanbul Metropolitan Municipality (İBB) Mayor Ekrem İmamoğlu was arrested on March 23rd by an İstanbul Court on duty on charges of “bid rigging, recording personal data, bribery and establishing an organization of interest”. İmamoğlu was not arrested on charges of aiding the PKK within the framework of the “urban reconciliation” with Kurdish politicians but nevertheless
The informal five-party Cyprus conference held on March 17-18, 2025, in Geneva once again highlighted the profound differences between the sides. UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres announced that the process would continue, with a new informal conference scheduled for July. However, despite extended discussions, no common ground was found for launching comprehensive negotiations. The conference’s most
Our short visit (*) to Armenia with a group of journalists from Türkiye allowed us to interview Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan and talk to the country’s leaders. It is possible to summarize Pashinyan’s policy as ‘If you don’t have a big brother, it is best to make peace with the people in your neighborhood’. If
İstanbul’s opposition CHP member Metropolitan Mayor (IBB) Ekrem İmamoğlu was detained from his home on the morning of March 19. At 06:15 in the morning, the police arrived with a force of 20 vehicles at his official residence in Rumelihisarı district. They detained İmamoğlu within the framework of the investigation opened by the Istanbul Chief
On March 17 and 18, Geneva will host an international gathering again that promises all the grandeur of a high-stakes negotiation but none of the actual progress. The so-called “informal” Cyprus talks will bring together Greek and Turkish Cypriot leaders, along with the three guarantor powers—Greece, Türkiye, and the United Kingdom—under the watchful eye of
When I say hypocrisy of the European Union’s suggestion to Türkiye, I am not referring to the proposal by Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk to President Tayyip Erdoğan in Ankara on March 12. Tusk wants Turkey to take a leading role in the Russia-Ukraine talks. But this is not just in the hands of Poland,
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