Türkiye, Syria defence ministers held the first high-ranking meeting in Moscow along with intelligence officers on December 29, Turkish Defence Ministry announced. The meeting was attended by Turkish Defence Minister Akar, Intelligence Chief Hakan Fidan, Russian Defence Minister Sergei Shoigu and Syrian Defence Minister Ali Mahmoud Abbas, along with Russian and Syrian intelligence chiefs. “Syrian
The government is systematically attacking Istanbul Metropolitan Municipality, said the mayor, Ekrem İmamoğlu, on December 28 in response to a recent terror investigation filed against the mayoralty following the mayor’s conviction on insult charges. “Attacks against us are carried out within a certain timetable and discipline. These are not ordinary incidents. Whether they are judges
The leaders of the six opposition parties that have formed an alliance against President Tayyip Erdoğan in the upcoming elections marked the start of their election campaign on December 15 with a large rally in Istanbul in support of Istanbul Metropolitan Mayor Ekrem İmamoğlu. After the mega city’s mayor was sentenced to prison and faced
The İstanbul Metropolitan Mayor Ekrem İmamoğlu was sentenced to 2 years 7 months in prison over false insult charges, and he was barred from engaging political activities in a clearly political case on December 14. As I say it was political, the aim was not only to remove İmamoğlu from politics or eliminate a strong
The ruling Justice and Development Party (AKP) has been hinting at rescheduling the 2023 elections before its due date of June 18 for some time. There are some drawbacks to doing so, especially in light of President Recep Tayyip Erdoan’s reelection and the AKP maintaining its parliamentary majority. There have been discussions about moving the
Turkish President Tayyip Erdoğan began addressing Kemal Kılıçdaroğlu, the leader of the main opposition Republican People’s Party (CHP), as “Mr. Kemal” (Bay Kemal). By using this condescending tone, he was aiming to evoke an alienating effect on his constituency. The term “Mr.” or “Bay” was also a reference to honorifics introduced during the founding years
There has been no answer yet to the questions “where, when, or under what conditions will Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan meet Syrian President Bashar Assad.” Another question without an answer is whether Interior Minister Süleyman Soylu, who accused the United Arab Emirates (UAE) of supporting the thwarted July 15, 2016 coup attempt through US-based
Türkiye’s six opposition parties that formed an alliance against President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan and his ruling “People’s Alliance” announced their draft constitutional amendment proposal that they promised to bring to parliament in the event that they came to power. While the members of the commission that drafted the 84-article constitutional amendment proposal were reading out
Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan reiterated Ankara’s determination to continue cross-border military operations into Syria and Iraq, hinting once more that a land incursion might follow ongoing air operations in his speech on November 23. “While we continue our air strikes without interruption, we will strike against terrorists from the ground at the most convenient
The six Turkish opposition parties that have formed an alliance against the ruling Justice and Development Party (AKP) and President Tayyip Erdoğan for the upcoming elections in a bid to “restore the parliamentary regime” have been regularly meeting for the last six months. The six parties’ leaders held their last meeting on November 14, as