Turkish Domestic Politics: Analysis and forecast on all relevant developments and insight about Turkish politics with its repercussions in its neighboring countries
The first tangible outcome of the “Öcalan Initiative” – which MHP leader Devlet Bahçeli initiated by shaking hands with DEM Party members at the Parliament’s opening on October 1 – materialized on December 28. With President Tayyip Erdoğan’s approval, Justice Minister Yılmaz Tunç granted permission for two DEM Party heavyweights, Pervin Buldan and Sırrı Süreyya
When President Tayyip Erdoğan began reciting the opening verses of Surah Al-Fath in Arabic during his Justice and Development Party (AKP) parliamentary group meeting on December 25, amid chants of “Conqueror of Syria,” I wrote in my notebook “We’re going into Syria.” However, launching an operation against the PKK/YPG in Syria is one thing; conquest
Turkish Interior Minister Ali Yerlikaya announced a sevenfold increase in the number of Syrian refugees voluntarily returning to their homeland in the last 15 days following the collapse of the 61-year-old Ba’ath regime in Syria and the flight of President Bashar al-Assad to Russia on December 8. Speaking to the Anadolu Agency (AA), Minister Yerlikaya
Last weekend, journalist Nevşin Mengü faced investigation over an interview, leading to her detention and subsequent release under judicial supervision with a travel ban. This weekend, journalist Özlem Gürses was investigated for a verbal slip during a live broadcast, resulting in detention, handcuffing, house arrest, and a travel ban. Additionally, news outlet T-24 came under
By Mehmet Öğütçü and Rainer Geiger The Middle East, scarred by years of political instability and economic upheaval, finds itself at a critical juncture. The crises in Syria and Lebanon lay bare the region’s fragility in stark terms. Yet, within this profound crisis lies a unique opportunity to rebuild the Middle East anew. No single
The US Military once again defies Trump on Syria. The Pentagon is pushing back against Donald Trump, who is set to take office on January 20th, after he questioned America’s presence in Syria. In response to Trump’s statement “we have nothing to do (in Syria)” Pentagon spokesperson Pat Ryder revealed that U.S. troop numbers in
Assad is gone, but I believe toughest challenge for Syria is just beginning. Israel has virtually obliterated the country’s military capabilities and occupied the Golan Heights and surrounding water and agricultural resources. The civil war has crippled infrastructure and production facilities. The Sunni majority, fractured into dozens of factions, has claimed power and prayed in
The Nationalist Movement Party (MHP) and Kurdish-issue focused DEM Party continue to confound their adversaries – and I mean this in a positive sense. Kurdish affairs have entered a new phase, particularly following the regime change in Syria. The most recent example of this shift was witnessed in the Turkish Parliament on December 17. DEM
Intelligence suggests that the operation to overthrow Assad’s regime in Syria was meticulously planned for over a year, with coordinated involvement from Türkiye, the United States, and several other nations. Through various statements by U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken, Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan, HTS leader Ahmed “Golani” al-Shara, and YPG commander Mazlum Abdi,
As a diplomat, businessman, and traveler, I have visited 135 countries. In many of them, I have lived and worked, observing different cultures, languages, social structures, and lifestyles firsthand. I reflected on these experiences in my book Life is a Journey. Wherever I went, the reality I encountered was the same: a large portion of