Erdoğan: ‘It’s not over until we say it’s over’
Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan made his first party speech in parliament on Wednesday (April 17) since Turkey’s local elections on March 31, which saw massive losses for his Justice and Development Party (AKP) in municipalities across the country. In his speech, he touched on the election results, arguing that his coalition had emerged from the elections […]
Van mayor-elect’s victory reinstated following controversial disqualification reversal
On Sunday’s local elections in Turkey, pro-Kurdish DEM Party candidate Abdullah Zeydan won mayorship in the eastern province of Van with 55.48% of the vote, besting second-place Justice and Development Party (AKP) candidate Abdulahat Arvas, who finished with 27.15%. Zeydan’s victory, however, was invalidated when it emerged that on March 29, two days before the election was […]
Recounts continue after Turkey’s local election, as ruling party refuses to go quietly into the night
A recount is currently underway in Istanbul’s Gaziosmanpaşa and Beykoz districts, where the main opposition Republican People’s Party (CHP) won Sunday’s local elections by a thin margin. In another close race in Kayseri’s Pınarbaşı district, CHP’s victory was overturned by Turkey’s Supreme Election Council (YSK), with a rerun election scheduled for June 2. Istanbul – Gaziosmanpaşa In Gaziosmanpaşa’s close race, CHP […]
Turkey local elections: Turmoil in former opposition partner following crushing defeat
After the local elections on Sunday (March 31st), the primary opposition party CHP secured the majority of votes, while its previous coalition ally, the İYİ Party, managed to obtain only 3.7%. With the decision of the party leader Meral Akşener to dissolve the coalition, the İYİ Party could only secure 23 districts and a single […]
Historic local elections in Turkey as opposition deals unprecedented blow to Erdoğan
Turkey’s main opposition party has achieved a historic victory against the nation’s 22-year ruling party as well as President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan. In a stunning turn of events, the opposition secured the majority of votes nationwide for the first time since 1977, prompting the two-decade de-facto ruler of Turkey to deliver his first-ever concession speech. […]
Revelation of Turkey’s Red Crescent selling tents following earthquake sparks outrage
The revelation that Turkey’s Red Crescent (Kızılay) organization sold tents to charitable non-governmental Ahbap in the days following the February 6 earthquake has resulted in widespread outrage throughout Turkey as the country experiences a shortage of tents in areas affected by the disaster. Red Crescent President Kerem Kınık later confirmed that 2500 tents had been […]
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 […]
