The Demirtas case clearly shows the extent to which the Turkish justice system has been politicized. In a normally functioning country, nothing would have prevented the Kurdish leader from being released. Here, however, the courts seem to be waiting for Ankara's decision.

The latest ruling by the ECHR concerning Kurdish Leader Selahattin Demirtaş has been under review by the 22nd Criminal Chamber of the Ankara Regional Court of Appeal since 4 November. After more than 50 days, no decision has been made regarding his release. www.kurdistan24.net/en/story/873...

Turquie : la recrudescence de la criminalité juvénile mobilise la société civile This is indeed a major topic in Turkish public debate. www.la-croix.com/internationa...

A very comprehensive report showing how growing inequalities in Turkey are reshaping the political landscape. Definitely worth reading. istanpol.org/post-turkiye...

For some time now, the case of Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan has been the subject of much discussion in the Turkish media close to the opposition, with speculation rife about his alleged role in the post-Erdogan race: - www.cumhuriyet.com.tr/yazarlar/meh... - medyascope.tv/2025/12/17/a...

To me, the most interesting thing going on in Turkish foreign policy right now is Ankara's cooperation with the Saudis in creating a post-Gaza order regional order Israel is one target, of course. But the relationship between these efforts and the UAE's regional policy is even more interesting

"Turkey’s Blue Homeland strategy and its position in the EastMed go beyond right-wing and Islamist populism; they are integral to a broader, grand strategic vision and maritime identity" www.tandfonline.com/eprint/TRNPT...

Intéressant : La dynamique kurde en Syrie dans le contexte géopolitique de l’après-Assad lerubicon.org/la-dynamique...

Turkish Defense Minister Yaşar Güler targeted the SDF and issued a threat of intervention, saying that the SDF should integrate into the Syrian army “not as a unit, but individually.” english.anf-news.com/rojava-syria...

The reports submitted by the pro-Kurdish DEM and the CHP to the peace commission indicate (unsurprisingly) that the two Turkish opposition parties disagree on a few key points, particularly historical (Lausanne) and political (the relevance of the nation-state form). www.nefes.com.tr/yazarlar/ayt...

Key points from the report submitted by the #AKP to the peace commission ; the document is a reminder of the main points that structure the Turkish government's vision on the Kurdish opening: 1) this is not a process of negotiation or bargaining but of liquidation,👇

"Still, Erdogan and his lieutenants express satisfaction with Barrack, who is a fierce and vocal advocate of the Turkish leader and, most critically, has unfettered access to Trump" www.al-monitor.com/originals/20...

"The “Terror-Free Turkey” report reflects a state-centered and tightly managed approach rather than an open-ended negotiation framework [...] The AK Party appears intent on maintaining firm institutional control over the process" www.paturkey.com/news/2025/er...

Questions mounting in Turkey over lack of progress in Chinese electric vehicle giant BYD’s investment, despite a $1bn deal to build a factory signed in 2024. www.ntv.com.tr/galeri/otomo...

"U.S. officials are still exploring whether Ankara could play any role at all in Gaza, despite Israel's categorical opposition to Turkish involvement, including in humanitarian aid or reconstruction" www.haaretz.com/gaza/2025-12...

"Turkish authorities launched a operation early Friday morning, targeting 26 companies and several financial advisors [...] In a related development that has sparked significant public interest, prominent journalist Levent Gültekin was detained by police" www.paturkey.com/news/2025/da...

"Alongside these explanations, another argument — less openly discussed but increasingly prominent — has begun to surface: the idea that the [Turkish] government is seeking to consolidate a business elite whose political loyalty is beyond doubt" www.paturkey.com/news/2025/un...

👇 www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10....

"White House envoy Steve Witkoff will meet Friday in Miami with senior officials from Qatar, Egypt and Turkey to discuss the next phase of the agreement for ending the war in Gaza, according to a White House official and two additional sources with direct knowledge" www.axios.com/2025/12/18/w...

Same idea here. The report submitted by the pro-Kurdish DEM party to the peace commission is perceived, due to its 'maximalist' stance, as likely to hinder coordination with the AKP and the MHP. This lack of alignment could ultimately derail the Kurdish opening. www.yenisafak.com/yazarlar/tur...

A very comprehensive summary by Ceren Bayar of the report submitted by the CHP to the peace commission. As expected, the party placed great emphasis on democratization, and the ruling bloc is likely to reject most of the proposals put forward in the document (which challenge the regime's red lines)

This program (which aired last October) is excellent for better understanding the background behind the legal proceedings against entities and figures close to the AKP. Kemal Can mentions a factor that is sometimes overlooked: the anarchy caused by the introduction of the presidential system.

Turkey’s S-400 missile defense system is back in the news. Again. With David Banks, we offered a symbolic politics explanation of why the Russian-made purchase would repeatedly pop up as a foreign policy stumbling block. AND not cover Turkey’s air defense gap. www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.1...

Reporting that Erdogan wants Putin to take back S-400s. And my question is why would Putin agree to that? The benefits of keeping Turkey and the US at odds is, intrinsically, a win. And was from the moment that Erdogan agreed to purchase them.

📌 Pleased to share our new @istanpol.bsky.social report, co-authored with @selvinkorkmaz.bsky.social and Edgar Sar! 🇹🇷🇪🇺 “Managed Pragmatism: #EU–#Türkiye Relations Without a Shared Vision – Insights from #Brussels” istanpol.org/en/post-mana...

Some important points here. While the conditions of detention for PKK leader Abdullah Öcalan are being significantly improved, Ankara is reportedly discussing the possibility of transferring some of the 200 PKK leaders currently in Iraq to İmralı prison. t24.com.tr/yazarlar/can...

"Turkey is seeking to return S-400 air defense systems it bought from Russia nearly a decade ago [...] Turkish President Erdogan raised the issue of the S-400s with his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin during a meeting in Turkmenistan last week" www.bloomberg.com/news/article...

According to Ahmet Şık, the arrest of Mehmet Akif Ersoy, a well-known TV journalist, reflects shifting balances within Turkey's ruling establishment. For Şık, Ersoy's long-standing connections—spanning intelligence circles, earlier high-profile investigations, and a + medyascope.tv/2025/12/14/a...

The report submitted by the pro-Kurdish DEM to the Turkish peace commission does not seem to have been very well received in pro-government circles. Nedim Şener argues in particular that the party's demands would pave the way for the division of Turkey. www.hurriyet.com.tr/yazarlar/ned...

"Turkiye continues to support Ukraine’s territorial integrity while keeping diplomatic channels with Russia open. This dual-track approach allows Ankara to stay aligned with its Western partners while also managing tensions in the Black Sea — a rare position of leverage" tepav.org.tr/en/blog/s/7708

Interesting survey by Research Istanbul. A few points: 1) Regarding the peace process, 35% of respondents do not trust any political figures; Erdoğan and Özel are the most trusted political leaders, with 28% and 15% respectively. These figures, which reflect current voting preferences 👇

A stimulating theoretical article examining the evolution of discourse surrounding the role of the armed forces in Turkey. Hakan Şahin sees the post-2016 period as a genuine epistemic break, with the armed forces losing their historical (central) position. serbestiyet.com/gunun-yazila...

At the 16th Ambassadors' Conference, President Erdoğan devoted a large part of his speech – as he has done for years now – to criticising the liberal international order, citing in particular the conflicts in Rwanda, Bosnia and, above all, Syria and Palestine. www.youtube.com/watch?v=kWAY...

The narrative about the need for a new constitution is taking shape in the pro-government Turkish press. Arguing that there is a crisis of confidence between citizens and the state, Ihsan Aktas believes it is legitimate for Ankara to work towards the adoption of a 'civil and inclusive constitution'.

Mali bought six Akıncı combat drones for $210m, but the contracting party (the state security agency ANSE) doesn't have the budget to pay for them. A "bienfaiteur étranger" likely committed to pay for at least part of the transaction.

Bilal Erdoğan, the son of Turkish President : “If we had made our president a little stronger, Israel would not have been able to carry out this genocide. But by giving space to internal discord and traitors among us, we reduced the president’s strength and energy and weakened Turkey’s power abroad"

“Turkey and Qatar are two countries that have a lot of leverage over Hamas. But organizations like Hamas, they have their own logic,” Tol said. “It will all boil down to what Hamas thinks about its own future.” foreignpolicy.com/2025/12/15/h...

"The fusion of constitutional reform, Kurdish outreach and regime endurance shows how regime security logic increasingly shapes Turkey’s electoral and identity politics, raising questions about the long-term credibility of recalibrated authoritarianism" www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10....

"Israel strongly opposes Turkey's involvement in postwar Gaza and the international force slated to oversee it. A Western diplomat and an Arab source close to Ankara confirmed to Haaretz that Turkey was not invited to the conference" www.haaretz.com/israel-news/...

"[Pro-Kurdish] DEM reportedly views peace as inseparable from democratization...MHP, by contrast, draws a sharp line between the two, insisting that “terror-free Türkiye” and democratization are separate issues and should not be pursued simultaneously" www.paturkey.com/news/2025/de...

Tolga Sardan looks back at the acceleration of judicial investigations that have been affecting Turkey since August. These investigations have resulted in: 1) renewed tensions within the AKP-MHP alliance, 2) renewed factional struggles within the AKP and an upheaval in the party's balance of power.

Two points in the latest column by pro-government Turkish commentator Müderrisoğlu: 1) he observes (and this is nothing new) a rapprochement between CENTCOM and Ankara, 2) in his view, CENTCOM's cooperation is essential to achieving progress in integrating the SDF into the Syrian army.

"Given the potential impact of such a Lebanese realignment on Türkiye’s East Mediterranean strategy, Ankara appears to be leveraging its influence in Damascus and Beirut to preempt any attempt to reshape Lebanon’s regional direction" carnegieendowment.org/middle-east/...

"“A deal of this kind [a maritime deal] with Syria would also serve Turkey’s interests,” Gonul Tol concurred. However, she added, “it is not realistic to expect Sharaa to be fully in Turkey’s corner.”" www.al-monitor.com/originals/20...

A Turkish perspective on the US NSS. The experts interviewed consider it to be rather positive for Ankara's foreign policy. www.globalpanorama.org/2025/12/abdn...

"The key is getting Turkey to agree to let Cyprus into the Partnership for Peace program, which is seen as a first step toward NATO membership. Cyprus would then gradually remove impediments to closer cooperation between the EU and Turkey" www.politico.eu/article/cypr...

An interesting article. Reports submitted by the pro-Kurdish DEM and the MHP to the peace commission reveal divergent views between the two political parties on several key issues: founding principles, Lausanne and mother tongue education. www.nefes.com.tr/yazarlar/ayt...

One of the most striking aspects of the interview with Ahmet Ozer is his excessive optimism (shared by some other opposition and Kurdish political actors) about the possibility that the MHP and its leader Devlet Bahceli could play a constructive role on issues of democracy.