About ten years ago, caricatures of “Sultan Erdoğan” were popular in the Western European press. President Tayyip Erdoğan, who was trying to pull the Turkish Republic into the orbit of Russia and Iran with a neo-Ottoman and political Islamist policy, was seen as the antithesis of the West. The antipathy was so strong that, during
A debate over Rare Earth Elements (REEs) continues between Turkish President Tayyip Erdoğan and the main opposition CHP leader Özgür Özel. The issue entered the domestic political agenda of Türkiye following Erdoğan’s meeting with U.S. President Donald Trump at the White House on September 25, 2025. Özel accuses Erdoğan of “selling off” rich Turkish REE
The Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus (TRNC) ushered in a new era Sunday evening, a new political reality — one that is less about revolution than restoration. With Tufan Erhürman’s sweeping victory — 62.8 percent of the vote to 35.8 percent for incumbent Ersin Tatar — the island’s northern half has decisively rejected polarisation, theatrics,
Tufan Erhürman, the leader of the opposition Republican Turkish Party (CTP), won the presidential election in the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus (TRNC) by a significant margin. According to unofficial results, Erhürman received 62.8% of the votes in the October 19 election, which saw a turnout of 63%, while incumbent President Ersin Tatar remained at
The upcoming Oct. 19 presidential election in the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus (TRNC), has long ceased to be a mere leadership contest. It has become a referendum on identity and direction: whether the Turkish Cypriot community will consolidate its pursuit of sovereign equality and the two-state model, or re-engage with the United Nations framework
My generation learned about energy geopolitics through oil. We witnessed oil wars, embargoes, tanker crises, the political power of OPEC, and how the United States reshaped the world through energy. Then came natural gas. It was called a “transition fuel,” but it quickly turned into a new tool of strategic dependency. Today, however, we stand
On October 13, Turkish President Tayyip Erdoğan signed a Declaration of Intent in Sharm El Sheikh, Egypt, alongside U.S. President Donald Trump, Egyptian President Abdel Fattah el-Sisi, and Qatari Emir Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani, pledging a commitment to “joint implementation.” The ceasefire between Israel and Hamas—achieved with Trump’s assertive involvement on behalf of the