Turkey ranks first in Europe for income inequality Turkey now holds the unwelcome title of Europe’s most unequal country in terms of income distribution. According to recent data, the richest 20 percent of the population receive nearly half of the nation’s total income, while the poorest 20 percent survive on less than 6 percent. The … Read more
Well, it depends on one and only person… Selahattin Demirtaş, former Co-Chair of the pro-Kurdish Peoples’ Democratic Party (HDP), has faced multiple trials and legal challenges since his arrest in November 2016. The most significant trial, known as the Kobani case, resulted in a severe sentence of 42 years in prison in May 2024. This … Read more
Two photos that were shared by the Turkish presidency’s X account this week, after a reception for the opening of the new legislative year, drew attention. There appears to be a reconfiguration or re-engineering in Turkish politics, as the CHP, the leading party in recent opinion polls, remains the legitimate main opposition, while the rest … Read more
Global reactions to Israel’s interception and attack on the Global Sumud Flotilla have been overwhelmingly critical, with widespread condemnation, protests, and calls for accountability from governments, international organizations, and civil society across multiple continents.wikipedia+2 Continuously updated Wikipedia entry: Global Sumud Flotilla Widespread Protests Protests erupted immediately in cities across Europe (including Rome, Berlin, Barcelona, Brussels, and … Read more
Intentionally or not, Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan has publicly blamed US congressional restrictions for stalling the delivery of the necessary engines, threatening to delay serial production of the KAAN jet, which was promoted as another artifact of the Turkish sovereign defense industry. Although experts were already aware of the engine issue, many lay citizens … Read more
Gönül Tol (@gonultol) said: Expanding its LNG portfolio and investing in new infrastructure has been a smart play for Turkey, strengthening its push to diversify energy suppliers. The latest deal carries an extra advantage: it doubles as a sweetener for the Trump administration, which may press Ankara to (https://x.com/gonultol/status/1971311587009962295?t=vTGIry1JN0DOu7jZDmNW4Q&s=03) Trump’s joint press conference with … Read more
The British spymaster’s farewell speech in İstanbul—delivered by outgoing MI6 chief Richard Moore—was significant both for its symbolism and content, reflecting Türkiye’s central geopolitical role and the evolution of global intelligence priorities.turkiyetoday+2 I agree with some commentators that Moore is a legendary figure in global intelligence history. He built up his career in Türkiye, speaks … Read more
CHP leader Özgür Özel revealed at a rally in Bahçelievler, Istanbul, on September 17, 2025, that Donald Trump Jr. secretly met with President Erdoğan at the Dolmabahçe Palace working office on September 13, 2025. According to Özel’s claims, Trump Jr. was listed in the presidential log as an anonymous “businessman” without his name being recorded. … Read more
Turkey’s main opposition party faces police blockade as court appoints new leadership in İstanbul … and our internet connections are allegedly throttled (I cannot watch YouTube properly at the moment), so that citizens cannot be informed. There’s never peace of mind in this country. Here is background for tonight’s chaos: Turkey’s main opposition party, the … Read more
I have been hearing about this for a while from many Kurdish friends. Now I see it is on the news: Abdullah Öcalan stated that Selahattin Demirtaş’s famous 2015 slogan “Seni başkan yaptırmayacağız” (“We will not let you become president”) was a mistake.turkiyekhabar+3 Details of Öcalan’s Comments Öcalan criticized Demirtaş’s choice to use the slogan … Read more
Recent Friday sermons by the Diyanet (Turkey’s Directorate of Religious Affairs) have faced significant criticism from various segments of Turkish society for several reasons that will be listed below. Besides, I quote an X user who analysed the last 30 Friday sermons at the end of this post. Main Criticisms Gender and Inheritance Rights Opposition … Read more
As far as I know, the core idea against Mr. Ulukaya is that he appeared right in the middle of the government’s Kurdish peace process to give support to the process in some way. Whatever the real political motivations, businessmen from Turkey who got rich in the US tend to show off back in Turkey- … Read more
Well, the Kaan Jet is still in the development stage, so Turkey still needs jets. Why Turkey Wants to Buy Eurofighters Despite Defense Industry Progress Turkey’s rapid progress in its defense industry—especially in drone technologies—has been notable. However, the decision to buy Eurofighter Typhoon jets is informed by several strategic, operational, and geopolitical factors. Strengths of … Read more
Unlike the previous attempts, the ceremony occurred after a long series of negotiations behind the doors so that no parties would be humiliated (remembering the Habur gate incident). This, of course, does not stop nationalists fuming. They may be right on some points, but peace is still better than not. Full text: PKK statement during … Read more
Öcalan released a 7-minute video. This is historic and provides food for thought for commentators on TV and YouTube. But I feel like people have already moved on to the other issues. There was much talk about the brand of the T-shirt Öcalan was wearing, rather than political debates on social media – of course, … Read more