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Reflections from our correspondents on the ground in the Turkish capital.
ISTANBUL BLOG: Making a fool of law
January 28, 2025
Turkey continues to simply ignore European court rulings not to its liking.
ISTANBUL BLOG: “Dog bites man” story as Erdogan arrests more mayors, but there’s more here than meets the eye
January 15, 2025
Two issues to watch: shape-shifting opposition politician Imamoglu and sad sight of boomers failing to solve Kurdish question.
ISTANBUL BLOG: After “conquering” Damascus, Erdogan turns his eye to the Kurds
December 9, 2024
US controls eastern Euphrates airspace. Will Trump White House return mean Kurdish forces lose their air cover? In wider picture, fears Syria will become “second Afghanistan” are all too real.
ISTANBUL BLOG: As Syria rancour rises, Putin deadpans “congratulations” to Turkey on nailing 50% official inflation
December 6, 2024
The golden rule is that whoever does business with Erdogan eventually pays through the nose. Russia’s leader is no exception to this rule.
ISTANBUL BLOG: Has Turkey “re-conquered” Aleppo?
December 5, 2024
HTS militia that led attack dwells near Turkish border under Erdogan regime patronage, while FSA was directly established by Ankara. And both are not Syrian “rebels”, they are foreign mercenaries.
ISTANBUL BLOG: How smugglers give the lie to Simsek's "golden glamour"
December 3, 2024
Finance minister’s hailed fixing of current account gap might be said to lose its sheen when Turkey’s hidden gold imports are considered.
ISTANBUL BLOG: How Ankara’s American embassy came to stand on “Ataturk” land illegally granted by Erdogan
November 30, 2024
In neat parallel, new Turkish House consulate in New York beset by FBI bribery investigation.
ISTANBUL BLOG: Stupid as it gets
November 29, 2024
Turkey’s main opposition chair asks for spymaster’s help in preventing Gulenist infiltrations.
ISTANBUL BLOG: Erdogan ally Bahceli has been posing with a gangster again
November 27, 2024
Soner Ergin turns up at MHP leader’s office on a mission to free his killer brothers.
ISTANBUL BLOG: One in four law faculty deans at Turkey’s public universities have no law degree
November 13, 2024
It’s symptomatic of a higher education system that is on its knees.