Turkey elections

Ozgur Ozel, head of Turkey's main opposition Republican People's Party (CHP), gestures toward supporters during a rally in support of arrested Istanbul Mayor Ekrem Imamoglu in Ankara, April 23, 2025.

Turkish prosecutors probe main opposition leader Ozel, oust mayors

The probes, following Ozel's criticism of the judiciary, come amid five additional district mayors' dismissal from their duties.

ATTILA KISBENEDEK/AFP via Getty Images

Turkey's Erdogan angles to retain power despite denying plans for third term

As Turkey's president touts democratic reform, critics say he’s laying the groundwork to bypass term limits.

Medin

Turkey convicts Swedish journalist of insulting Erdogan with terror trial next

Joakim Medin will remain behind bars awaiting prosecution on terror-related charges that press freedom groups say aim to silence the free press.

Ballot papers are counted after members of the Istanbul Metropolitan Municipal Council cast their votes to elect an interim deputy mayor.

Turkey deports BBC reporter as detentions near 1,880 amid protest crackdown

A BBC journalist was deported as Turkish authorities widened their media crackdown, with around 250 people having been detained pending trial during protests.

Latest News

Turkey's opposition elects acting mayor as Imamoglu remains detained, protests persist

Newly elected interim mayor of Istanbul, Nuri Aslan of CHP, waits to speak to the media on March 26, 2025, in Istanbul, Turkey.

Imamoglu's arrest triggers emergency market measures as Turkey stocks plunge

Protesters clash with Turkish riot police using tear gas and water cannon during a demonstration following the arrest of the mayor of Istanbul in Ankara, on March 22, 2025.

Analysis

Turkey’s shaky economy early casualty of Imamoglu’s arrest on terror charges

University student wave Turkish national flags as they gather in protest in Besiktas district in Istanbul on March 20, 2025 following Istanbul metropolitan Mayor Ekrem Imamoglu's detention over a corruption probe.

Amberin Zaman

By Amberin Zaman

Reporting on geopolitics, minorities, human rights, culture

Analysis

Erdogan’s enduring grip over Turkey assured with Imamoglu's arrest

Supporters of Istanbul metropolitan mayor Ekrem Imamoglu hold a poster of him as they demonstrate outside Istanbul townhall against his detention over a corruption probe in Istanbul on March 19, 2025.

Amberin Zaman

By Amberin Zaman

Reporting on geopolitics, minorities, human rights, culture

Ekrem Imamoglu

Turkish university revokes Imamoglu's degree, jeopardizing presidential bid

The decision came days before the primary to be held on Sunday, when the Istanbul mayor was highly likely to be chosen as the presidential candidate of Turkey's main opposition party.

Turkey's president, Recep Tayyip Erdogan, attends the third session of the G20 Leaders' meeting in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, on Nov, 19, 2024.

Analysis

2024 turnaround: Assad fall grants Turkey’s Erdogan electoral rebound

Despite facing a historic defeat in local elections, Erdogan’s foreign policy wins, including Turkish-backed rebels’ victory in Syria, appear to have bolstered his domestic support.

Ezgi Akin

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

Supporters of the pro-Kurdish Peoples DEM Party attend a rally for the Turkish Municipal elections to be held on March 31, in Esenyurt Square, in Istanbul on Feb. 25, 2024.

Exclusive

Turkey mulls peace talks with Kurds amid fears of Israeli strike on Iran

Three well-placed sources told Al-Monitor that exploratory talks for a possible resumption of negotiations between the Turkish government and imprisoned PKK leader Abdullah Ocalan were already underway.

Amberin Zaman

By Amberin Zaman

Reporting on geopolitics, minorities, human rights, culture

Turkey's right-wing Nationalist Movement Party leader Devlet Bahceli greets the crowd during the party's 12th Ordinary Grand Congress in Ankara, on March 18, 2018.

Analysis

A surprise handshake in Turkey's parliament: Nationalist-Kurdish thaw or political maneuver?

The escalating conflict in the region — among other considerations — has prompted unexpected handshakes between two foes in Turkey: pro-Kurdish DEM Party lawmakers and Nationalist Movement Party leader Devlet Bahceli.

Ezgi Akin

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

An animal activist pats a stray during a rally to protest against a bill drafted by the government that aims to remove stray dogs off the country's streets, in Istanbul on July 23, 2024.

Activists warn of tourism boycott as Turkey pushes through controversial stray dog bill

A government-led parliamentary committee this week approved a bill that could result in the mass culling of millions of street dogs, and fury at the legislation has spread beyond Turkey’s borders.

Amberin Zaman

By Amberin Zaman

Reporting on geopolitics, minorities, human rights, culture

A stray dog sits in front of the Blue Mosque in Istanbul, Aug. 23, 2022.

Analysis

Turkey’s opposition fears political motives behind stray dog bill

As Turkey inches closer to passing a bill that could lead to the mass culling of stray dogs, some critics argue that it will provide a mechanism for the government to turn up the heat in opposition-held municipalities.

Ezgi Akin

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

Turkey’s Erdogan replaces 2 ministers in first cabinet shuffle since local poll setback

The move marks the first cabinet-level change since the local elections in which the Turkish president’s ruling party suffered a historic setback.

Turkey's president, Recep Tayyip Erdogan, looks on during a joint statement to the media in Baghdad on April 22, 2024.

What’s behind Erdogan’s pardoning of generals jailed over Turkey’s 1997 coup?

The move comes after a landmark meeting between the Turkish president and the main opposition leader that sparked hopes for political reforms in the country.

A boy waves a flag of jailed PKK leader Abdullah Ocalan as tens of thousands of Kurds gather during a rally of the DTP.

Turkey hands Kurdish leaders heavy sentences, dimming hopes of democratic change

Selahattin Demirtas, co-leader of the pro-Kurdish Peoples' Democratic Party (HDP), and others were sentenced to a combined 375 years in Turkish prisons. Demirtas has remained in prison since 2016.

People are gathered to protest cooperation between Turkey and Israel.

Turkey, Israel tangle in fresh row over trade ban

The fresh tensions between the two regional powers seem to be stemming from a Turkish directive sent to companies that were doing business with Israel to introduce a three-month adjustment period for implementation of the trade ban.

Chairman of the main opposition Republican People's Party (CHP) in Turkey, Ozgur Ozel, delivers a speech during a rally by members of the Confederation of Revolutionary Trade Unions (Disk) calling for economic justice and protesting against the increasing tax burden on workers in Ankara on Nov. 17, 2023.

'Landmark' talks between Turkey’s opposition leader, Erdogan spark hopes for reform

A "historic" meeting between Turkey's president and Ozgur Ozel may mark the beginning of a budding political relationship — but that remains to be seen.

Newly re-elected Istanbul Mayor Ekrem Imamoglu.

In Turkey, Istanbul mayor faces backlash after calling Hamas a ‘terrorist organization’

Turkey's president is notably staying mum over the comments made by Istanbul’s popular mayor.