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Turkish lawyer detained over anti-Sharia social media posts

Turkish lawyer Feyza Altun was detained Monday (February 19) following several anti-Sharia social media posts. Refuting charges that she had attacked anyone’s religion or lifestyle, Altun doubled down on her criticism of Sharia, referencing Afghanistan’s Taliban government. Altun, who has frequently received attention for her provocative social media posts, landed in hot water this week following […]

Wife of imprisoned Kurdish leader announces she will not run as candidate in Istanbul’s upcoming mayoral election

Başak Demirtaş, wife of imprisoned Kurdish leader Selahattin Demirtaş, announced Wednesday (February 7) that she will not stand as a candidate in İstanbul’s upcoming mayoral election on March 31. Demirtaş’s potential candidacy for the pro-Kurdish DEM Party, rumored since December, had been seen as a major threat to the reelection chances of incumbent opposition mayor […]

Exclusive: Turkish government-linked lobby groups spent $10 million in the United States in a single year

In 2023, Turkey spent nearly $18 million on lobbying activities in the United States. While Turkey’s ruling Justice and Development Party (AKP) spent approximately $4.5 million dollars, the majority of lobbying dollars were spent by two government-linked organizations: TÜRGEV and Ensar Foundation. Together, the two foundations spent more than $10 million (approximately 306 million Turkish Liras) […]

The ECHR 2023 report: Turkey has the highest number of applications, totaling 23,400

According to the ECHR 2023 report, Turkey leads in pending cases, with 23,400 applications out of a total of 68,450. This accounts for over a third of all applications to the court, highlighting a significant number of Turkish nationals seeking judgment from the continent’s highest court amidst repeated accusations of eroding the rule of law […]

Fighters for favors: Turkish Parliament approves Sweden NATO bid

After months of stonewalling, the Turkish Parliament finally approved a directive issued by Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan for Sweden’s NATO bid on Tuesday, January 23rd, leaving Hungary as the last holdout. Just a day after the resolution, President Joe Biden issued a letter to Congress, announcing his intention to initiate the sale of F-16 […]

Instagram account reported as belonging to Turkish astronaut revealed to be fake

An instagram account thought to belong to Alper Gezeravcı, a Turkish astronaut who last week became the country’s first citizen to reach outer space, has been revealed to be a fake account belonging to a fan.  Since Gezeravcı entered the International Space Station last Friday (January 19), an Instagram account with the handle alpergezeravci had been sharing posts related to life […]

First Turkish astronaut quotes country’s founder Atatürk in first words from orbit

Turkey’s first astronaut, Alper Gezeravcı, reached outer space in a spacecraft belonging to SpaceX early last Friday (January 19). In Gezeravcı’s first words from the spacecraft, the astronaut opened with a quote commonly attributed to Turkey’s founder, Mustafa Kemal Atatürk, saying, “The future is in the skies.” Following a lift-off from Florida’s Kennedy Space Center […]

Controversial Turkish TV series cancelled following multiple fines

The airing of the third episode of Kızıl Goncalar (Scarlett Carnations), a controversial Turkish TV series, has been cancelled following multiple fines from Turkey’s Radio and Television High Council (RTÜK). The series focuses on differences between secular and conservative lifestyles, and had already made headlines in late December for a double-fine it received from RTÜK […]

AKP announces İstanbul mayoral candidate for upcoming local elections

President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan’s Justice and Development Party (AKP) has announced its candidate for İstanbul mayor. Turkey’s local elections are scheduled to take place on March 31, when Turkish voters will go to the polls to choose their mayors in provinces across the country. In opposition hands since Mayor Ekrem İmamoğlu’s victory in 2019, Turkey’s […]

Major trial starts for 26 children slain in collapsed hotel in 2023 Turkey earthquakes

This week saw the start of a high-profile trial of 11 defendants related to the collapse of a hotel in Adıyaman province that occurred during last February’s devastating earthquake in southeastern Turkey. The hotel collapse killed 72 victims including 26 children, 4 teachers and 5 parents in town for a volleyball tournament. While the defendants […]

Controversy regarding joint declaration following deaths of 12 Turkish soldiers in Northern Iraq

12 Turkish soldiers have been killed in clashes with militants associated with the Kurdish Workers Party (PKK) in Northern Iraq, according to press releases from Turkey’s Defense Ministry released last Friday and Saturday (December 22-23). Following the deaths of the soldiers, Turkey’s domestic political realm has erupted with controversy regarding a joint declaration signed in […]

Earthquake survivors discover that their properties were seized four months ago

The Turkish government is currently seizing properties in the earthquake-ravaged Samandağ district of Hatay province to incorporate into a reserve zone, following a similar land grab in Antakya and Defne districts. According to a directive issued for various districts in September, the ownership of certain plots has been transferred to the Treasury. A number of […]