Among the contradictions Turkey faces ahead of the crucial 2023 elections is the gap between political activity that is in compliance with the Constitution and “realpolitik,” the German term for “politics in accordance with circumstances, not principles.” This is most evident in the question of whether President and ruling Justice and Development Party’s (AKP) leader
One of the most prominent questions in Turkish public debates about the upcoming 2023 presidential and parliamentary elections in Turkey is undoubtedly who will be the presidential candidates. Even though President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan has not yet announced his candidacy, his name is almost certain for his People’s Alliance. When it comes to the opposition,
Greece is adopting a hostile attitude against Türkiye and “it is time for NATO to put a stop to this spoilt behavior” Turkish Minister of National Defence Hulusi Akar said, at the 2022 evaluation press briefing at the Ministry’s headquarters in Ankara on December 24. In the meeting, the Turkish Minister made it clear that
“Imamoğlu is a big bite, he sticks in your throat. We would choke you, we will choke you” This is how main opposition Republican People’s Party (CHP) leader Kemal Kılıçdaroğlu called out Interior Minister Süleyman Soylu, who said that he could dismiss Istanbul Metropolitan Mayor Ekrem İmamoğlu from his position once the appeals courts would
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
The Turkish Minister of Interior Affairs, Süleyman Soylu, has been targeting the Istanbul Metropolitan Municipality for some time now. As he targeted main opposition Republican People’s Party’s (CHP) stronghold, İstanbul, CHP leader Kemal Kılıçdaroğlu targeted Soylu in his parliamentary speech on December 5 as if he is regarding him as the soft spot of President
Türkiye’s main opposition Republican People’s Party (CHP) leader Kemal Kılıçdaroğlu promised to bring a technocratic supra-political committee to advise the country’s policy-making efforts, as the party introduced its economy programme in a grand event dubbed “the call for the second century.” “Türkiye needs a radical change. It needs a system that works for everyone. Such