Presidential Elections

PM Erdoğan Dragging Turkey into Sectarian Fights: Kılıçdaroğlu (1)-(2)-(3)-(4)-(5) Murat Yetkin analyzes the presidential candidacies of Erdoğan, İhsanoğlu, and Demirtaş.  

Erdoğan May Become President But Next Prime Minister Unclear Semih İdiz reports that uncertainty over who will succeed Erdoğan has caused disquiet in the AKP`s ranks.

The AK Party, the Constitution, and the Presidential Election Etyen Mahçupyan refutes the assertion that the AKP does not want a new constitution and it will pass a new constitution only to implement the presidential system.

If Erdoğan Wins Presidency, What Next? According to Henri Barkey, Erdoğan’s victory in the presidential elections could mark the rise of a one-man state.

The Day After the Presidential Election Yahya Bostan reports that it is estimated that Erdoğan will have fifty-two to fifty-three percent of the votes, while İhsanoğlu is estimated to have thirty-five percent and Demirtaş is estimated to have ten percent.

The ‘Politics of Friends and Enemies` Orhan Oğuz Gürbüz argues that Erdoğan’s presidential campaign relies on the “politics of friends and enemies” to polarize society.

Demirtaş: The Birth of New Politics… (1)-(2)-(3) Ali Bayramoğlu comments on the election campaigns and slogans of Demirtaş, İhsanoğlu, and Erdoğan.

“Parallel State” Operations against Police

Twenty Policemen Arrested, More Set Free amid Growing Protests, Criticism As part of a government-backed operation targeting the “parallel-state,” twenty police officers were arrested while more than one hundred police officers were detained.

Erdoğan`s Dirty Coalition Emre Uslu argues that the recent operation against the police was a witch hunt that targets the Gülen community and aims to threaten other religious communities in Turkey.

Who Calls the Political Shots? According to Ali Yurttagül, operations were not geared only toward shaping public perceptions about the bribery and corruption scandal; they also sought to take revenge for graft operations.

Justice System, Can You Hear Me? Lale Kemal complains about the lack of fair, transparent, and impartial trials in the wake of the corruption scandal and the arrest of police officers who have investigated the corruption scandal.

Erdoğan`s Police Purge Claims Former Allies Commenting on police operations, Mustafa Akyol argues that the police force is not the hunt for the “parallel state.”

A Propitious Investigation… Ali Bayramoğlu finds the operations very important as they fight against the arbitrary wiretappings of the “parallel structure.”

Gaza Crisis

Cease-Fire Initiatives Pit Turkey against Egypt Semih İdiz argues that the crisis in Gaza is seen to further fuel tensions between Turkey and Egypt.

Gaza Crisis Overshadows Soured US-Turkey Relations Cengiz Çandar argues that Turkey-US relations may have been overshadowed by the Gaza crisis but cannot be concealed.

Turkey in Talks with Israel, Egypt over Gaza Serkan Demirtaş emphasizes that although it accuses Israel of committing genocide and Egypt of tyranny, Turkey continues its diplomatic relations with both parties.

Hearts in Turkey are Beating for Palestine, But… According to Murat Yetkin, although Turkey has demonstrated the strongest reactions against Israel`s latest operations, Turkey’s moral support is not enough for Palestinians in Gaza.

Gaza and Mosul: Where Is the Connection? Was there a link between the kidnapping of the three Israeli boys one day after ISIL raided the Turkish Consulate General in Mosul? asks Murat Yetkin.

Iraq, Kurds, Regional Politics

Fleeing Atrocities, Iraqi Turkmens Turned Away at Turkey`s Border Tülin Daloğlu reports that Turkey did not open its borders to the Iraqi Turkmens after the seizure of Mosul while allowing entry to more than 1.5 million Syrians.

Shining Crescent Yusuf Kanlı criticizes Turkey’s foreign policies in the wake of the developments in Libya, Syria, and Iraq.

The End of Century-Long Mistake in Turkish-Kurdish Relations Yahya Bostan analyzes Barzani’s visit to Ankara under the light of ISIL’s attacks in Iraq and the Gaza crisis.

$8 Million: Too Little for Oil, Very Precious for Kurds Murat Yetkin reports that one purpose of Barzani’s visit to Ankara is to discuss the Iraqi Kurdistan Regional Government’s share of the oil money that was sold through Turkey without the consent of the central al-Maliki government in Baghdad.

A Conversation with Barzani’s Aide (1)-(2) Verda Özer finds a rapprochement betweeen the PKK and Barzani likely as the strategic interests of Arbil and Rojava fully overlap under the current developments.

No Monitoring of the ISIL Militants at the Most Crucial Time Yalçın Doğan criticizes the fact that no monitoring of the ISIL militants is possible due to the collapse of the wiring and tracking system at the Directorate of Telecommunication (TIB) in Turkey.

Other Pertinent Pieces

Turkey’s Syrian Refugee Problem Spirals out of Control Semih İdiz reports that Syrian refugees in Turkey are increasingly subjected to hostilities by locals.  

Turkey`s Rapid Museum Expansion Riada Asimoviç Akyol argues that Turkey`s tourism sector is being galvanized by a museum boom as the government invests in promoting its Ottoman heritage.

Turkey’s LGBT Fight Uphill but not Hopeless Battle Semih İdiz comments on this year’s Gay Pride in Istanbul and LGBT rights in Turkey.

Will Foreign Investment in Turkey Return to Pre-Crisis Levels? Mehmet Cetingüleç argues that foreign direct investment is expected to reach the pre-2008 crisis level of twenty billion dollars.

And Then There’s Cyprus Mustafa Akyol comments on the negotiations between Greek and Turkish Cypriots on the fortieth anniversary of the “Cyprus Peace Operation”.

40 Years After Division, Future of Cyprus Still Unclear Barın Kayaoğlu reports that despite some positive diplomatic negotiations, the future is not yet rosy for Cyprus.