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Turkey

Turkey

July 25, 2026

Ankara 11:17 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

Is Turkey setting a Kurdish trap?

In the lead-up to Turkey's Nov. 1 parliamentary elections, skeptics of the government are wondering if Ankara will resort to something "extreme" in Syria.

Russia puts brakes on Turkey's truck traffic

Moscow responds to Ankara’s threats to cancel natural gas and nuclear power station contracts by closing its borders to Turkish trucks.

Turkey's shameful state of media freedom

Following new police raids against Ipek Media, home to two newspapers and two TV news channels, Turkey's media suffers another blow.

A member of security forces watches as Turkey's Prime Minister Tayyip Erdogan casts a shadow as he addresses to supporters in front of the party headquarters in Ankara August 10, 2014. Erdogan secured his place in history as Turkey's first directly elected president on Sunday, sweeping more than half the vote in a result his opponents fear heralds an increasingly authoritarian state. REUTERS/Murad Sezer (TURKEY - Tags: POLITICS ELECTIONS TPX IMAGES OF THE DAY) - RTR41WAO

When it comes to foreign policy, will Erdogan resort to 'wily Oriental means'?

The best-case scenario for President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, and the worst-case scenario for Turkey, could be the failure of possible coalition talks after the snap elections.

Turkey's President Tayyip Erdogan waits for the start of a meeting with European Council President Donald Tusk (unseen) at the EU Council in Brussels, Belgium October 5, 2015. Erdogan appeared to mock European Union overtures for help with its migration crisis as he arrived for a long-awaited state visit to Brussels and a string of meetings with EU leaders set to start on Monday. REUTERS/Francois Lenoir - RTS33VZ

Merkel's 'indecent proposal' to Erdogan

German Chancellor Angela Merkel's impromptu visit to Istanbul on behalf of the EU was highly criticized as a desperate gift to President Recep Tayyip Erdogan as Turkey's elections draw close.

Planning to rig an election in Turkey? You'd better think twice

A fast-growing civic movement has mobilized tens of thousands of volunteers to detect vote-rigging in Turkey’s critical parliamentary elections on Nov. 1.

Relatives of the Safwan family, that drowned on a boat carrying them from Turkey to Greece, mourn on their coffins during their funeral in Beirut's southern suburb of Ouzai, Lebanon October 22, 2015. Seven members of a Lebanese family who died trying to reach Greece by boat were buried on Thursday in Beirut and survivors described watching their loved ones perish before their eyes. Members of the Safwan family said the dead, who included a pregnant woman and two children, had left poor living conditions in

After its own citizens drown, Lebanese refocus on refugee crisis

The refugee crisis in Lebanon has again made headlines with the drowning deaths of Lebanese fleeing the border region due to the Syrian war and heading for Europe.

Who is behind violence against the Kurds?

Probes into a recent wave of mob violence against Kurds in Turkey suggest connivance between assailants, economic actors and the authorities.

Iraqi security forces hold an Islamist State flag which they pulled down at the University of Anbar, in Anbar province July 26, 2015. Iraqi security forces entered the University of Anbar in the western city of Ramadi on Sunday and clashed with Islamic State militants inside the compound, the joint operations command said in a statement. REUTERS/Stringer - RTX1LW6L

Is Russian intervention in Syria pushing 'moderate jihadis' toward Islamic State?

Russia's attacks on "moderate jihadi" groups appears to be pushing them to consider the possibility of uniting under the umbrella of the Islamic State.

A supporters of the Nationalist Movement Party (MHP), waves the party flag during an election rally for Turkey's general election on November 1, in Istanbul, Turkey October 18, 2015. REUTERS/Osman Orsal - RTS4Z02

What will Erdogan do if AKP fails again?

The prospect of yet another snap election in Turkey after the Nov. 1 polls should not be ruled out if the AKP fails again to clinch the parliamentary majority.

Turkish Foreign Minister Feridun Sinirlioglu (L), U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry (2nd L), Saudi Foreign Minister Adel al-Jubeir (3rd L) and Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov pose during a photo opportunity before a meeting in Vienna, October 23, 2015. REUTERS/Carlo Allegri - RTS5SVT

No breakthrough in Syria possible without Iran

Russian foreign minister dismisses rumors of a deal on Assad ahead of Syria talks; Hezbollah takes casualties in Hama; Turkey’s headache over US support for Syrian Kurds; days of rage in Gaza.

Will Black Sea cuisine be Erdogan's lasting legacy?

Once looked down on as bland and basic, Black Sea cuisine flourishes in Istanbul as a nutritional and exotic option.