Ukraine–Russia Peace Talks in Istanbul: No Ceasefire, But Largest Prisoner Exchange Agreed Summary of Ukraine-Russia Peace Talks in Istanbul (as of 18 May 2025) Key Developments First Direct Talks in Three Years: On May 16, 2025, Russian and Ukrainian delegations met in Istanbul for the first high-level, direct peace talks since early 2022, shortly after … Read more
German, Swiss, and UK consulates collaborated for an Eurovision viewing party in the historical German consulate last night. Sinem and I stopped by the party for a while. Before the party, I was in the Marmara Cafe, at the entrance of the Marmara Hotel, right in the Taksim Square. Before walking to the consulate, I … Read more
An Indian friend of mine sent me this visual that is circulating in the Indian X-sphere. I checked out the official channels and could not find any evidence. Then I asked Perplexity: There is still no confirmation that the Turkish Ministry of Tourism or any official Turkish government body released the statement shown in your … Read more
In early May 2025, the Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK) held its 12th Congress in northern Iraq and announced it would dissolve its organizational structure and end its armed struggle. This unprecedented declaration – effectively disbanding the PKK after 40+ years of insurgency – ignited intense public reactions and debates across Turkeyreuters.comreuters.com. All segments of Turkish … Read more
The mood is calm, not much excitement, but this is historic in any case. The PKK’s decision to disband after four decades of conflict represents a potential turning point in Turkish-Kurdish relations and regional stability. While the announcement has been met with cautious optimism from various stakeholders, there is widespread acknowledgment that this is just … Read more
It is funny that I could not find a suitable image for this post. An image that includes Öcalan or PKK imagery may be risky if the negotiations turn sour; the AI produced some fictional images where the Turkish and PKK flags were of equal size, which may trigger nationalist reactions. I decided to publish … Read more
As Turkey ranks 21st from the bottom in the press freedom index, the European Parliament issued a statement in early May 2025: Latest European Parliament Statement on Turkey’s EU Membership Process The European Parliament made a new and significant statement regarding Turkey’s EU accession process in early May 2025. This statement came in the form of … Read more
X (formerly Twitter) blocked Ekrem İmamoğlu’s account in Turkey following a legal demand and court order issued by Turkish authorities. The official reason given was that posts on his account, particularly one from April 24, allegedly incited people to commit crimes and amounted to “propaganda for a criminal organization.” Authorities cited concerns over public order … Read more
I did not have the honor of meeting Mr. Önder, who died after 18 days in intensive care. Despite a lifelong struggle, days of torture and imprisonment, he was not trapped in ressentiment. That’s how I will remember him. Both the Turkish and Kurdish opposition miss an irreplaceable person. This is a (deepl-translated) letter to … Read more
After 45 days in prison, Ekrem İmamoğlu’s first photo from the prison as his family visits him. The photo was first broadcasted by OdaTv. Allegations Against Ekrem İmamoğlu Ekrem İmamoğlu, the mayor of Istanbul and a leading opposition figure, was arrested on March 19, 2025, and formally detained on March 23, 2025, facing a series … Read more
I used ChatGPT’s deep research with proper prompts to collect all pro and counterarguments and issues related to the state of the city. Historical Overview of the Project Early Ideas: The concept of a canal connecting the Black Sea (Karadeniz) to the Sea of Marmara (Marmara Denizi) is not new. Ottoman sultans as far back … Read more
Mahmut Tanal has recently earned fame among a younger generation of Turkish citizens, but he has been dedicated to advocacy for a long time. Mahmut Tanal repeated several times alongside the students as the intervention with the TOMA continued: “What is the TOMA doing at ODTÜ?” Mahmut Tanal: A Timeline of Rights Advocacy and Activism … Read more
Mr. Önder is going through a life-threatening heart issue at the moment, and as one of the key persons in ongoing peace negotiations with the PKK, this might even be endangering the process. What I like about him is his resourcefulness, positivity, and leadership in many critical situations. Sadly, his lifelong hardships have taken a … Read more
High School Student Protests in Turkey (April 2025) In April 2025, Turkey saw- and is still seeing- a wave of high school student protests in response to controversial teacher reassignments at elite public high schools known as “proje okulları” (“project schools”). These schools – some of the country’s most prestigious, exam-selective institutions – were … Read more
On April 11, 2025, he appeared in court at the Silivri Open Penal Institution for a trial related to allegations that he threatened Istanbul Chief Public Prosecutor Akın Gürlek. The case involves charges that could result in a prison sentence of up to seven years and four months, as well as a political ban. İmamoğlu … Read more