Incidentally, I am not sure that all this so-called exclusive information is really exclusive. For exemple, as early as May 2025, Turkish columnist Okan Müderrisoğlu was already mentioning the possibility that Ankara might send PKK commanders to third countries. www.sabah.com.tr/galeri/haber...

Turkey preparing law to let PKK fighters return "The sources disclosed details that have not previously been reported, including proposals for returns to take place in separate waves of civilians and fighters, and for commanders to be sent to third countries" www.reuters.com/business/med...

As part of the investigation targeting the opposition-led Istanbul Metropolitan Municipality, the ‘suspects’ who were questioned and then released have had 1) their mobile phones confiscated, 2) been placed under judicial supervision, and 3) been banned from leaving the country.

"By attacking the sources of illicit revenue (illegal betting) and simultaneously purging the channels used for money laundering (digital finance firms), the Turkish state aims to bring significant portions of the informal economy back into the legal, taxable sphere" www.paturkey.com/news/2025/a-...

A powerful opinion piece by Gunol Tol, which has already been exploited and distorted by Turkish media outlets close to the Palace, such as Sabah, which sees it as nothing more than praise for Turkey's growing assertiveness on the international stage. m.sabah.com.tr/galeri/dunya...

A powerful opinion piece by Gunol Tol, which has already been exploited and distorted by Turkish media outlets close to the Palace, such as Sabah, which sees it as nothing more than praise for Turkey's growing assertiveness on the international stage. m.sabah.com.tr/galeri/dunya...

"A Turkish source familiar with Ankara’s position told MEE that the draft appears to be outsourcing Israeli security to Arab and Muslim troops. “This text treats the stabilisation force as a domestic security agency rather than as peacekeepers"" www.middleeasteye.net/news/egypt-a...

In a sign of changing times, pro-government Turkish media outlets now have no difficulty justifying and even supporting the release of Selahattin Demirtaş, whom they previously labelled a terrorist. Here is an example from Nur Tuğba Aktay. www.turkiyegazetesi.com.tr/kose-yazilar...

Reading the Turkish press, it would appear that two issues related to the peace process have not been completely resolved: 1) the timing/relevance of a visit by the parliamentary commission to İmralı, 2) the scope/limits of the peace commission + www.cumhuriyet.com.tr/turkiye/akp-...

"A Turkish source told Middle East Eye that Turkey is planning to increase its support for the Sudanese army. “We were already planning to send more systems, but the el-Fasher pogroms have only strengthened our resolve,” the source said" www.middleeasteye.net/news/egypt-a...

"Kerem Altıparmak said he believed there is now a “legal obligation” to free Demirtaş. When asked if a release order may be extended to Yüksekdağ and other Kobani trial defendants, he responded: “It would be very optimistic … even if the court decides to release Demirtaş""

The #AKP government has long made control of information and speech one of its key instruments. The operation against the Istanbul Metropolitan Municipality illustrates this well: (abusive) detention of journalists, seizure of opposition media, etc.

🔴 16 maddede Cumhur İttifakı… 📌 Bahçeli’nin Öcalan ve Demirtaş çıkışları, MHP’nin söyleminde esneklik sinyali verse de bu esneklik AKP ile olan ittifakı daha da kırılganlaştırabilir ✍️ Zeynel Lüle'nin yazısı... t24.com.tr/yazarlar/zey...

I spoke too soon. Many pro-government Turkish columnists mentioned the Demirtaş case this morning, and the lines seem to be shifting: Yücel Koç: www.turkiyegazetesi.com.tr/kose-yazilar... Okan Müderrisoğlu: www.sabah.com.tr/yazarlar/mud... Abdulkadir Selvi : www.hurriyet.com.tr/yazarlar/abd...

Osman Sert : it is too early to consider Demirtaş's [former HDP co-chair] release as a lever for the country's broader democratisation [...] It does not take much thought to see that Erdoğan does not perceive democratisation as a general standard www.karar.com/yazarlar/osm...

"Turkey will hold another round of meetings with defense giant Lockheed Martin Corp. to resolve a price dispute over new multibillion-dollar F-16 fighter jet orders, according to people familiar with the matter" www.bloomberg.com/news/article...

"In response to the finalized ruling, Demirtaş’s lawyers filed a new application for his release with the Ankara Regional Court of Justice. President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan commented on the issue today, saying that "we'll comply with whatever the judiciary says"" bianet.org/haber/turkey...

There are many interesting points here regarding the peace process in Turkey: the differences in vision/perception between the ruling bloc and the Kurdish movement (and even within these groups), the (real) possibilities of Selahattin Demirtaş's release. www.turkeyrecap.com/p/the-next-p...

My best guess is that the push on EU membership is really a push on more realistic goals - SAFE cooperation and a revised customs union - that are both, in themselves, hard to achieve but at least in the ballpark of reality. EU accession is not and the Turks are no dummies.

Two new papers examine the new challenges facing Turkish-European relations, the first addressing defence issues and the second focusing on the economy. - www.su.se/institute-fo... - istanpol.org/en/post-unlo...

While there is much talk of a ‘government crisis’ in Turkey, Kemal Can offers a very pertinent analysis, stating in essence that the conflicts within Turkey's ruling alliance are structural and even driving forces. medyascope.tv/2025/11/05/k...

Some AKP members, such as Bülent Arınç and Hüseyin Çelik, publicly supported Bahçeli's call to release Demirtaş. One might nevertheless question the significance of this support, given the limited influence that Erdoğan's party has on the peace process. kisadalga.net/haber/gundem...

Burak Bilgehan Özpek : 1) Through his recent statements, Erdoğan's main ally Bahçeli is seeking to put pressure on the Turkish President in order to force him to take concrete decisions on the peace process. 2) More broadly, Bahçeli is using the process to structurally recalibrate the regime.

An interesting article, which highlights the different views of the major political forces (government, CHP, pro-Kurdish DEM, nationalists) in Turkey on the peace process. One small caveat, however: the AKP and MHP do not seem to share the same vision or expectations regarding the process.

The pro-government newspaper Yeni Şafak is promoting a poll indicating that a majority of Turks surveyed are against a visit by the parliamentary commission to İmralı. As a reminder, several leaders of the Turkish ruling bloc have spoken out in favour of such a meeting with Öcalan.

This morning, there is almost complete silence from pro-government Turkish columnists in the print media regarding the call by Erdogan's ally Bahçeli to release Demirtas. The only exception is Abdulkadir Selvi, who nevertheless does not dwell on the subject. www.hurriyet.com.tr/yazarlar/abd...

Interesting commentary by Reha Ruhavioğlu. Contrary to some analyses, he believes that the Imralı-Edirne dichotomy is exaggerated, as Öcalan and Demirtaş have complementary roles, with the former exerting influence on the elite and the latter communicating with the public.

A very comprehensive article by Gulsen Solaker on the assumptions surrounding a struggle within the Turkish regime for the post-Erdoğan era. According to Nurettin Kalkan, #Turkey may have entered a preparatory phase for this potential leadership race + www.dw.com/tr/akpde-hak...

Berk Esen : "Bahceli's remarks mark a striking U-turn", but does not mark "a broader political liberalisation or democratisation" [given that both the CHP and Kurdish political movement face continued legal pressure] www.reuters.com/world/erdoga...

It is important to note, particularly to provide some context, that Feti Yıldız is known for some of his statements in favour of the rule of law (whether he is sincere is another question). www.karar.com/yazarlar/tah...

While Erdoğan's main ally Devlet Bahçeli called this morning for the release of former HDP co-chair Selahattin Demirtaş, Gökçer Tahincioğlu reviews the case in 40 points. Worth reading.

Trip down memory lane: Back in October last year, Bahceli objected to involvement by Demirtas ("Edirne") and the PKK ("Kandil") and called for direct communication between Ocalan and the DEM Party to bring the armed conflict to an end.

Demirtas was the first to oppose Erdogan's efforts to consolidate his power. While releasing him would be logical to build trust, it goes against the logic of power politics. Bahceli knows this.

As a reminder, last August, Turkish pro-government columnist Abdulkadir Selvi was already calling for Demirtaş' release in order to strengthen the process. Nevertheless, at the time, I wondered whether there was consensus within the ruling bloc on this issue. www.hurriyet.com.tr/yazarlar/abd...

Erdoğan and Bahçeli (the Turkish president's main ally) often play the “good cop-bad cop” game, but I wonder if Bahçeli's statement on Demirtaş' release is really coordinated this time: 1) Selahattin Demirtaş is the one who challenged Erdoğan and Turkish authoritarianism, 2) such a release could +

A crucial speech this morning from Erdoğan's main ally, Devlet Bahçeli. A brief summary: 1) he declared that the peace commission had completed its mission and that a roadmap must now be presented, leading to legal, political and democratic progress ; 2) he insisted that İmralı (Öcalan) and +

Abdullah Öcalan made a brief statement, and as is often the case, there is (partial) convergence with the Turkish ruling bloc: 1) a transitional process must be established, 2) the Turkish-Kurdish relationship, which has lasted for 1,000 years, must be recognized and restored.

Comments effectively repudiate the familiar argument that only democratisation, decentralisation, reforms can solve the Kurdish issue. That argument was recently voiced by jailed politician Selahattin Demirtas, who criticised the course of the peace bid. t24.com.tr/yazarlar/sel...

Syria’s Foreign Minister Asaad al-Shibani said on Sunday that no substantive progress had been achieved between his government and Kurdish officials in talks aimed at reintegrating the Kurdish-led autonomous administration and its military structures with Damascus. www.al-monitor.com/originals/20...

New talks took place today between the DEM Party delegation in Imralı and PKK founder Abdullah Öcalan. The meeting lasted five hours. mezopotamyaajansi35.com/tum-haberler...

A thorough study by Mitat Çelikpala on Turkey's connectivity initiatives, including some very useful illustrations. www.globacademy.org/wp-content/u...

"Turkey’s oil refiners have started cutting their purchases of Russian crude after the US sanctioned Moscow’s top two oil producers and are instead seeking extra barrels from nations including Iraq, Libya, Saudi Arabia and Kazakhstan" www.bloomberg.com/news/article...

Turkey set to rally Muslim allies over Gaza war www.al-monitor.com/originals/20...

"While the 20 UK-built Typhoons covered by the Oct. 27 deal are expected to arrive at intervals over the coming years, acquiring secondhand jets from Qatar and Oman could allow Ankara to field the aircraft much sooner — potentially within a year of final approval" www.al-monitor.com/originals/20...

Key points from the interview with veteran Kurdish politician Ahmet Türk in the pro-government newspaper Sabah: 1) Beyond Turkish-Kurdish brotherhood, the peace process will pave the way for democratisation in the Middle East (a teleological vision widely shared within the Kurdish political +

Two key pieces of information in Yıldıray Oğur's latest paper: 1) a delegation from the peace process commission is expected to visit İmralı to hear Abdullah Öcalan, 2) a MIT report confirming the PKK's disarmament could very soon be shared with the Cabinet and/or National Security Council +

As I hypothesised here, there was indeed hesitation within the AKP about a visit by the Turkey's peace commission to İmralı (Ocalan's place of imprisonment). However, final meetings at the presidential complex appear to have broken the deadlock. www.hurriyet.com.tr/yazarlar/abd...

Reading statements made by certain officials in Turkey's ruling bloc, as well as columns in the pro-government Turkish press, I get the impression that within the AKP in particular, there are differences of opinion on two issues related to the Kurdish opening: 1) the timing of a visit by +

The PKK is "holding meetings and discussions about what name and what kind of organization should be established to fit the new era. Since a final decision has not yet been made, the comrades found it appropriate to use that name [Kurdistan Freedom Movement]" www.rudaw.net/english/midd...

The democratically elected DEM Party co-mayors of Akdeniz district have been released from prison. t24.com.tr/haber/yerler...