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Turkey

Turkey

July 25, 2026

Ankara 6:57 pm

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Ozgur Ozel

Analysis

What challenges await Erdogan’s new rival and Turkey’s new opposition party?

Ousted main opposition leader Ozgur Ozel's bid to challenge Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan depends on surviving a widening legal crackdown and reconciling deep ideological, nationalist and Kurdish divisions within his own coalition.

Halil Karaveli

By Halil Karaveli

Turkey’s main opposition Republican People's Party's (CHP) Ousted party leader Ozgur Ozel waves to supporters from atop a police water cannon vehicle after being forcibly evicted by police from his party’s headquarters on May 24, 2026 in Ankara, Turkey.

Top ally of Turkey’s Erdogan backs state funding for Ozel’s breakaway party

Devlet Bahceli’s suggestion exposes a more nuanced position within the country’s governing alliance over the ongoing legal crackdown against Turkey’s main opposition.

Latest News

Explainer

As Turkey rivalry heats up, Greece to acquire $4B Israeli air defense system

David's Sling.

Turkey to begin surveys for planned northern Cyprus gas pipeline

Turkey's servicemen stand at attention on a Turkish submarine as they participate in the live-fire phase of the Blue Homeland 2026 tactical military exercises in the eastern Mediterranean Sea, in Antalya on April 9, 2026.

Iran's Araghchi reveals Turkey's role in thwarting Kurdish offensive

Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi speaks during a joint press conference with his Iraqi counterpart following a meeting in Baghdad on June 28, 2026.

Samuel Wendel

Senior Market Research Analyst

In Washington, DC, reporting on regional business and tech

Amberin Zaman

Chief Correspondent

Reporting on geopolitics, minorities, human rights, culture

Jack Dutton

Chief Business Correspondent

In Bristol, reporting on regional business, climate change, AI, tech

Ezgi Akin

Associate Editor (Turkey)

In Ankara, reporting on diplomacy, EU-Turkey ties, NATO

Francesco Schiavi

In Bologna, reporting on security, defense, economy, governance

Barin Kayaoglu

In Ankara, reporting on geopolitics and national security

After cracking down on media, is Turkey going after academic freedom?

With a new regulation, Turkey’s private universities that are deemed as enemies of the state by the masters of the state may soon be confiscated by the state.

How renewed Turkey-PKK conflict threatens the KRG

The stability of Iraqi Kurdistan might again be at risk after the Turkish government, led by the AKP, launched its most extensive raids against PKK positions in years.

Why do some Turks approve of Islamic State terrorism?

Turkish football fans' disruption of moments of silence for victims of Islamic State attacks in Paris and in Turkey show support for IS and stem from the domestic and foreign policies of Recep Tayyip Erdogan.

A man stands in front of a building, which was damaged during the security operations and clashes between Turkish security forces and Kurdish militants, in Silvan, in the Kurdish-dominated southeastern Diyarbakir province, Turkey, November 15, 2015. A round-the-clock curfew ended in three districts of the town of Silvan after 12 days on Saturday. REUTERS/Sertac Kayar - RTS77Z6

How some southeast Turkey residents are struggling with mystery murders, urban warfare

Residents in the southeastern Turkish town of Silvan are angry with the state and the Kurdistan Workers Party for the destruction of their town.

Women were big losers in Turkey's elections

The number of women elected to parliament reached a new high in Turkey's June elections, but dropped in the Nov. 1 snap elections, especially in the victorious Justice and Development Party.

Will battle for Aleppo determine Syria’s fate?

Syrian government forces advance despite heavy resistance; Arab leadership missing in battle against Islamic State; Erdogan differs with United States and G-20 on next steps in Syria; Israel rethinks "Shiite axis."

Yazidis wary of going back to liberated Sinjar

Liberation of the Yazidi Iraqi town Sinjar from 16 months of IS occupation delighted everyone except thousands of Yazidi refugees who have no intention of going back.

Is the Islamic State going global?

The Islamic State is now in a position to decide to go global or stay regional, following the attacks in Paris.

After IS threat, Turkey’s Alevi community on alert

The Turkish police have disclosed intelligence of possible IS attacks on Alevi institutions but have yet to enforce protection measures.

Veiled women detained, handcuffed spark public outcry in Turkey

The latest controversy in Turkish society places people either in favor of or against the Justice and Development Party, in the ongoing fight of the "parallel state."

Refugees and migrants board the Turkish Coast Guard Search and Rescue ship Umut-703, off the shores of Canakkale, Turkey, after a failed attempt at crossing to the Greek island of Lesbos, November 9, 2015. REUTERS/Umit Bektas - RTS64LT

Some in Turkey still balk at EU's 'indecent proposal'

What's the real value of the EU's offer to pay Turkey 3 billion euros ($3.2 billion), ease visa restrictions and expedite accession negotiations in return for keeping refugees from entering Europe?

Members of the Tunisian parliament of Nidaa Tounes party gather during a news conference in Tunis, Tunisia November 9, 2015. Thirty two Tunisian lawmakers accused President Beji Caid Essebsi's son of meddling and resigned from the ruling party bloc in parliament on Monday, allowing Islamist rivals to become the largest party. "We decided to resign from the party's bloc today after the refusal to hold an executive committee meeting, which is the only legitimate structure of the party," Hassouna Nasfi, one of

Will Nidaa Tunis' troubles boost Muslim Brotherhood in Egypt?

The resignations of 32 Nidaa Tunis MPs makes Ennahda the largest parliamentary bloc, raising questions about a possible spillover effect for the Egyptian Brotherhood.