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
Turkish National Intelligence Organization’s (MİT) Legal Counsel Fuat Midas explains the concept of “Influence Espionage” through examples, without naming specific countries: “Consider a scenario where someone plans to assassinate a foreign national in a third country. They’re trafficking explosives and materials through our country from another country in the East. They intend to use our
The situation in Lebanon has taken a precarious turn, as highlighted by Israel’s recent attacks on Hezbollah. The country finds itself at risk of descending into a more complex and potentially bloodier conflict than it has seen before. This escalation is pushing Lebanon to its limits, with the potential for spillover effects reaching as far
U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken called Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan on August 12 and, summarizing from the American State Department’s statement, asked Türkiye to use its influence to get Hamas to return to the negotiation table with Israel on August 15. Fidan, as I summarize from Foreign Ministry Spokesperson Öncü Keçeli’s statement, told him
As the world rapidly returns to a period defined by traditional power balances and violence, it is imperative that we strengthen ourselves across all domains, from the economy and military power to science, technology, art, culture, and the quality of human capital. To achieve this, we must urgently resolve our internal issues and focus on
The Middle East has long been a stage for wars, assassinations, massacres, and occupations. As long as I can remember, the region has been ensnared in a spiral of violence, with no signs of improvement in the foreseeable future. On the contrary, the question arises whether the Third World War will be ignited from this
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