Turkish Domestic Politics: Analysis and forecast on all relevant developments and insight about Turkish politics with its repercussions in its neighboring countries
People who are not Iran watchers often get confused when Iranian soldiers are mentioned. In Iran, there are two armies. The first one is the “conventional” one, the Artesh. There is also Sepah Pasdaran, or the Revolutionary Guards (IRGC). It was established by Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini, who did not trust the army from the time
At first glance, it seems that the row over bureaucracy started with a Twitter video message by Kemal Kılıçdaroğlu, the leader of the Turkish main opposition Republican People’s Party (CHP). He called on bureaucrats on October 16, with a slightly threatening tone that from October 18, Monday on they should not sign the “illegal requests”
The attention Pandora Papers received since early October demonstrates the rising international sensibility towards corruption. Biden’s speech at the NATO summit in June where he called member states to act against corruption, thereby moving the issue from the realm of law to the realm of politics and international security, had also marked the beginning of
The postures and looks in the photograph taken during President Tayyip Erdoğan’s meeting with the Turkish Central Bank (CBRT) Governor Şahap Kavcıoğlu on the evening of October 13, actually sum up the situation. Following that meeting Erdoğan dismissed three policymakers of the CBRT which was followed by a further depreciation of the Turkish lira; 1
Turkey is becoming a country targeted by politicians who have domestic concerns like winning an election. For Western leaders who do not want to mess with China or Russia, President Tayyip Erdoğan’s Turkey is portrayed as “the other”, or the “enemy of choice”. Erdoğan and his narrow circle may regard this as proof of their
Due to climate change, Springs are getting shorter while summers and winters are extending. It seems that Turkish-Greek relations are also affected by global warming. The warm climate which came after a painful year will not last long. Following the end of summer, as a result of NAVTEXES issued by both parties, the harsh rhetoric
These days, both the government and the opposition in Turkey speak of the promise of change.For the ruling Justice and Development Party (AKP), and its supporter Nationalist Movement Party (MHP), change means a change in the electoral law and the Constitution to maintain power.For the opposition, the change is not only the removal of President
The foreign policy implemented unilaterally by one man is inherently difficult to predict and grandfathers great risks. If President Tayyip Erdoğan had consulted with career foreign policy officers, he would have known the risks of personally trying to play the United States and Russia against each other, and that it would have been much wiser
The Turkish Parliament is to resume legislative work after summer recess next week. The political outlook is as follows. Opposition leaders, Kemal Kılıçdaroğlu of the Republican People’s Party (CHP) and Meral Akşener of the Good Party (İYİ) have started to ruin President Tayyip Erdoğan’s game plan for the next elections with their outbursts in the