A recent claim has set diplomatic circles abuzz. Ömer Önhon, Türkiye’s last ambassador to Damascus before ties were severed, suggested in an Arabic newspaper El Mecelle that President Erdogan might arrange a meeting between Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas and Hamas leadership in Ankara. Abbas is scheduled to address the Turkish Parliament on August 15. While
First and foremost, we must not leave unaddressed the audacity of Israel’s Foreign Minister Israel Katz, who suggested that President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan “is going down the path of Saddam Hussein,” of Irak. The political future of Erdoğan will be decided solely by the Turkish electorate through their votes. Katz, a minister under Benjamin Netanyahu,
Nationalist Movement Party (MHP) leader Devlet Bahçeli’s recent visit to the Police Special Operations Department (PÖH) on July 15 was an evidence that the Turkish government has not learned anything from the July 15 2016 coup attempt. The reason lies behind a scene where Süleyman Karadeniz, Head of the Police Special Operations, welcomed Bahçeli at
Turkish President Tayyip Erdoğan faces “serious personal dangers” claimed opposition Gelecek (Future) Party leader Ahmet Davutoğlu on July 12. During an interview with journalist Murat Sabuncu for the news site T24, Davutoğlu claims that there are “those within the state who think they are stronger than the state”. He said there is a danger of
It’s high time to say that the time has come and gone for opening a new chapter in Syria. Türkiye’s policy towards Syria since the outbreak of civil war in 2011 is no longer sustainable; all signs have appeared. Otherwise, it’s unlikely that a sexual harassment incident in Kayseri would quickly turn into anti-Türkiye demonstrations
Recent political developments in Türkiye and Cyprus reveal efforts to shift away from long-standing polarization towards a more normalized political environment. Following the local elections in Türkiye, a process has been initiated between the ruling AKP and the main opposition CHP. A similar process is taking place in Cyprus, where the AKP has re-established contact
I read on the Hürriyet newspaper’s website that the ruling Justice and Development Party (AKP) is working on a new communication strategy. To be honest, when I heard the term “communication strategy,” I briefly wondered if President Tayyip Erdoğan and the AKP officials had finally decided to change their view of the media. Would the
A long, hot summer is ahead of Türkiye. I’m not just talking about the rising temperatures, and the even more severe ones predicted for later this summer due to climate change. We are also going to face a very heated agenda both domestically and globally. Hot debates: Constitutional Court decisions The recent delayed decisions of
Devlet means state in Turkish and “Devlet (State) will come to the head of the state!” was one of the most striking slogans of the Nationalist Movement Party (MHP) before Devlet Bahçeli moved from the opposition ranks to the AKP government ranks via the People’s Alliance, supporting President Tayyip Erdoğan. It’s no longer used, but