Turkish Domestic Politics: Analysis and forecast on all relevant developments and insight about Turkish politics with its repercussions in its neighboring countries
Turkish President Tayyip Erdoğan complained on March 24 that the participation to his “Great İstanbul Again” rally ahead of the March 31 local elections was less than the half of what he had expected. In fact, he should be grateful that hundreds and thousand of his supporters were there despite the disappointment of the ongoing
We were chatting with an American diplomat, who held high positions in the US State Department while on duty, during the coffee break of an important meeting in Marrakesh. Stating that in the critical period we are in, the USA has been acting as if it has discarded Türkiye. In contrast, new dynamics have emerged
On one hand the accelerating race for the local elections on March 31st seems more like a competition to get a share of the corrupt municipal pie than to serve the public. On the other, judicial authorities, not to mention the government, refuse to comply with a judicial decision just as the Court of Cassation
Last weekend, Murat Karayılan, one of the leaders of the outlawed Kurdistan Worker’s Party (PKK), announced that he would deliver “good news” soon, which drew attention to what he would reveal. On one hand, Newroz was approaching, and Kurdish-issue focused People’s Equality and Democracy Party (DEM) had organized rallies spreading throughout the week, while on
The Central Bank of the Republic of Türkiye’s Monetary Policy Committee (MPC) will convene on Thursday, March 21, and announce whether it will maintain the policy interest rate at its current level. At the January 25th meeting, the policy rate had been raised to 45 percent; however, at the February 22nd meeting, the policy rate
Ever since Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan launched the election campaign with the motto “reconquering Istanbul,” it has been clear that the real competition in the upcoming March 31 local elections will be for the Istanbul Metropolitan Municipality. Now, with almost a week left until the election, this race is neck and neck. It is
Turkish Airlines (THY) has announced that it will enforce additional measures to control passengers traveling to South American destinations amidst concerns over the surge in the number of Turkish citizens attempting to seek asylum in the US through Mexico and Canada. In a written statement published on March 15, Türkiye’s prominent airline stated that it
Top-level Turkish security delegation’s visit to Baghdad on March 14 should be considered as a significant step towards a comprehensive Türkiye Iraq agreement ahead of Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan’s expected visit to Iraq in April after 12 years. The rapprochement and establishment of strategic political and economic relations between Türkiye and Iraq appear to
On March 11th, Monday, the Turkish Lira hit a record low against the US dollar; at one point, 1 dollar surpassed 32 lira. Similarly, the British Pound exceeded 41 lira, and the Euro went over 35 lira, prompting a statement from the Treasury and Finance Minister Mehmet Şimşek. There was no apparent reason for
The time has come to ask whether President Tayyip Erdoğan is pursuing a “lifelong” rule. No, not only because of his statement during the peak of the ruling Justice and Develpment Party’s (AKP) election campaign, saying, “This is my last election.” This wasn’t the first time Erdoğan had uttered “This election is my last,” subtly