Turkey issues condemnation of Israel at ICJ hearing
Today (February 26) marked the final day of a week of hearings at the International Court of Justice (ICJ) in the Hague that saw numerous countries speak out against Israel’s ongoing occupation of Palestine. In a presentation on the final day of the event, Turkish Deputy Foreign Minister Ahmet Yıldız articulated Turkey’s criticisms, saying “Israel is […]
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) […]
Incarcerated representative-elect Can Atalay stripped of parliamentary status
Incarcerated parliamentary member Can Atalay, whose case threw Turkey’s judiciary into a constitutional crisis following competing decisions released in November, has officially been stripped of parliamentary status. Parliamentary member Leyla Şahin Usta, a member of President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan’s Justice and Development Party (AKP), announced the decision Today (Tuesday, January 30th). Can Atalay from the […]
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 […]
Turkish man jailed in Germany for synagogue attack
© Agence France-Presse A German court on Tuesday sentenced a Turkish man to two years and nine months in prison for attempting to set fire to a synagogue in the southern city of Ulm. The 47-year-old was found guilty of serious arson and damage to property for the incident in June 2021, described by judges […]
Turkey fines Somalia president’s son over deadly crash
© Agence France-Presse A Turkish court on Tuesday fined the son of Somalia’s president less than $1,000 for accidentally knocking over and killing a delivery driver in Istanbul, local media reported. The court found Mohammed, the son of Somalia’s President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud, guilty of causing death by negligence when the car he was driving […]
Turkey starts charging foreign tourists to visit Hagia Sophia
© Agence France-Presse Turkey on Monday started charging foreign tourists a hefty fee to visit Istanbul’s famed sixth-century monument Hagia Sophia, which was controversially converted into a mosque in 2020. The new fee of 25 euros per person was displayed on a side entrance where foreigners were directed. The main entrance is now reserved for […]
