2023
- 14 May : LIVE: Turkey decides between Erdoğan and KılıçdaroğluCoverage of election day and election night on May 14 with results and analysis
- 26 April : Election podcast #8: Erdoğan’s healthRumours abound about the Turkish president's health just two-and-a-half weeks before election day, and just hours before Turkish citizens overseas begin voting.
- 12 April : Election podcast #7: Understanding the ’other’ oppositionThere's more to Turkey's opposition than the centrist movement led by Kemal Kılıçdaroğlu. Who makes up the leftist alliance, and what are their chances?
- 7 April : Election podcast #6: Confidence in nationalist numbersThe hard-right MHP becomes the first party to announce their 600 candidates for parliament. Is it a sign of confidence, or bravado? And with men making up the vast majority of the list, Michael also considers the party's problem with women – and whether it even cares.
- 31 March : Election podcast #5: The lady’s not for turningMeral Akşener is typically defiant after gunshots are fired at the headquarters of her İYİ Party in Istanbul.
- 30 March : Election podcast #4: Three is a magic numberTurkey's election authorities will rule today on opposition to Recep Tayyip Erdoğan's bid for a third term. The outcome is not really in doubt, but what's the argument about?
- 29 March : Election podcast #3: Is Turkey’s oldest nationalist party in trouble?The MHP rejects a joint electoral list with the AK Party. Is that a show of confidence, or concealing weakness?
- 28 March : Election podcast #2: The proud man who wants to be presidentMuharrem İnce, the runner-up in Turkey's last presidential election, fancies another run – to the dismay of the centre-left
- 27 March : Election podcast #1: A colossal backwards step for womenTurkey's governing party forms an alliance with a movement that believes women should be seen not as individuals, but as part of a family
- 10 January : Meral Akşener: the Erdoğan rival who won’t stand against himShe's ruled herself out of the running, but there's still an outside chance that the İYİ leader will be on the ballot paper
- 10 January : Mansur Yavaş: how many people know what he really thinks?The Mayor of Ankara has run a stealth campaign to become the opposition's candidate for president. The trouble will start if he's actually selected
- 10 January : Kemal Kılıçdaroğlu: hope in the man who’s never beaten ErdoğanThe CHP leader can’t claim a national election victory in his 13 years at the helm, but entered 2023 as the top opposition candidate for president
- 10 January : Ekrem İmamoğlu: the impulsive Istanbul mayor hoping to face ErdoğanThe Mayor of Istanbul was plucked from obscurity barely four years ago. He could soon be Turkey's most powerful man
- 9 January : When will Turkey’s next election be held?The next general election must be held by June 2023, although many believe it will happen much sooner
2022
- 13 December : What’s in a name? A year of being told it’s ‘Türkiye, not Turkey’With a few exceptions here and there, Turkey's rebrand exercise hasn't caught on in the media
- 13 September : WATCH NOW: Milli Görüş – making the country more Islamic | Turkey’s politics explained (2)The second of a five-part miniseries on how Turkey's political parties became what they are today
- 6 May : WATCH NOW: Turkey’s politics explained (1): Why does the CHP still even exist?The first of a five-part miniseries on how Turkey's political parties became what they are today
2021
- 10 February : What would a ‘strengthened’ parliamentary system mean for Turkey?Ignoring President Erdoğan's call for a ‘new’ civilian constitution, the Turkish opposition is pushing forward with plans of its own
2020
- 29 December : What hope for Turkish journalism when we can’t even scrutinise the tourism minister?It's been an awful month: a broadcaster closed after 26 days, a newspaper editor jailed for 27 years, and a reporter held for 24 hours without charge
- 17 November : The struggle for MeralPolls suggest Meral Akşener’s İYİ party is now Turkey’s third largest. Little wonder the others are trying to court her
- 6 October : Is Turkey bringing back the death penalty?Supporters of the death penalty, which was abolished in 2004, have become increasingly vocal in Turkey since the July 2016 coup attempt.
- 2 October : How many mayors does the pro-Kurdish HDP have left?It has taken barely 15 months for Turkey's pro-Kurdish party to be stripped of most of its mayors elected in March 2019
- 25 August : Can Recep Tayyip Erdoğan run for a third term as president?The referendum that inflicted an executive presidency on Turkey means another term depends on who calls the election
- 24 August : Disney’s hold over the future of Turkish journalismThe fate of Turkey's only independent-minded broadcaster rests with the company that brought us Mickey Mouse
- 4 August : The Muharrem İnce Party that no one is asking forThe former presidential candidate's conduct came short on election night 2018 — and the CHP has now moved on to someone better
- 4 June : The injustice wrought on Kurdish mayorsTurkey's most successful Kurdish party is fighting to survive after 50 of its 65 elected mayors were unseated by government order
- 22 April : How Erdoğan continues to struggle with Atatürk’s legacyThere is still plenty of rancour about the decisions Turkey's first president put into motion when he opened parliament a century ago
- 2 January : A century later, Turkey is set to return to North AfricaTurkey's plan to join the fighting in Libya is a military risk and a public opinion gamble
2019
- 21 November : Yaşar Büyükanıt, the last Turkish general to threaten a coupThe former Turkish chief of the general staff will always be remembered as the man who threatened the AK Party — and helped it swell
- 3 August : For the Good of Turkish peopleMeral Akşener’s tweets are genuinely witty but, despite what she says, she is not the much-awaited successor to Erdoğan
- 11 July : Can Ali Babacan’s movement dent the AK Party behemoth?The former deputy prime minister has interesting plans, but needs to attract far more prominent figures besides himself
- 25 June : Ekrem’s promise, Ekrem’s destinyEkrem İmamoğlu‘s impressive victory has triggered huge expectations for his future. He must now demonstrate he is worthy of them
- 16 June : As it happened: the Ekrem İmamoğlu vs Binali Yıldırım TV debateHow Turkey's first major political TV debate in 16 years unfolded
- 10 June : Binali Yıldırım’s gambleThe former prime minister has more to lose by challenging Istanbul mayoral rival Ekrem İmamoğlu to Turkey's first televised political debate in 17 years
- 1 April : Not a new dawn, but first lights?Turkey's opposition has run its most effective campaign and election night in a decade and a half
- 31 March : Election live 2019: Turkey votes in local electionsUpdates throughout the day on 31 March 2019 as Turkey votes in local elections
- 16 March : Turkey’s new-found obsession with New ZealandAn atrocity half a world away has a profound impact on campaigning in mayoral elections
- 11 March : Ankara mayoral candidate Mansur Yavaş’s ‘legal troubles’ are not what they may seemThe top contender to create an electoral upset on March 31 finds himself on the receiving end of a bizarrely complicated lawsuit
2018
- 21 September : What is wrong with Turkey’s Euro 2024 bid?European football's governing body UEFA says there are several problems with the Turkish plans — and it's not just about human rights
- 13 August : I remember how brutal Turkey’s last dollar crisis was. So does ErdoğanThe last crisis was cruel to my family, but far worse for others in Turkey — JamesInTurkey.com's Michael Daventry remembers 2001
- 23 June : LIVE: Turkey votes June 2018Updates throughout the day on 24 June 2018 as Turkey decides in its first ever simultaneous presidential and parliamentary election
- 22 June : Is Erdoğan’s ‘coalition’ remark an admission that he is about to lose?For the first time ever, Turkey’s president has talked about coalitions without trying to disparage them.
- 21 June : Election 2018 round-up: will we see a second round?Sunday will be all about the number of Erdoğan supporters the opposition can convert, but the story doesn't end there
- 14 June : How Turkish voting patterns have shifted in recent electionsSee how the parties have competed for different voter groups since 2002
- 14 June : The parties’ 2018 manifestosThe main Turkish political parties have released their manifestos for the 24 June election. We compare their pledges in some policy areas here
- 3 June : Might the Fenerbahçe ‘giant-killing’ portend a shock poll result?The election result in one of Turkey's biggest football clubs could have parallels across the country
- 5 May : What happens when you keep the HDP out of the gameExcluding Turkey's Kurdish party from an opposition electoral alliance could gift Recep Tayyip Erdoğan a majority
- 28 April : Abdullah Gül most likely to bow out of Turkey’s presidential race todayBarring a major surprise, the former president is not expected to challenge Recep Tayyip Erdoğan
- 22 April : Why 15 Turkish MPs resigned, switched parties, but will be back in a weekA stunt with parliamentary arithmetic sets the tone for Turkey's snap election campaign
- 21 April : Is the İyi Parti entitled run in the 2018 Turkish election?Turkey’s new centre-right movement may fall foul of rules for recently-founded political parties
- 18 April : The election no-one expectedPresident Erdoğan did not have to call this election now. That shows how confident he is of victory
2017
- 29 October : No-one is sorry to see you goMelih Gökçek’s resignation only evokes sympathy for the other mayors that were forced to go along with him
- 25 October : Good move, or just good intentions?As Meral Akşener’s new party finally launches, this website examines the policies it is laying before the people of Turkey
- 10 October : Unconcealed diplomatic warfareThis visa dispute between Turkey and the United States is the gravest crisis between them since 1975
- 5 October : Metal fatigue or a Great Purge?A operation to clean the governing AK Party of unwanted local politicians is underway - and some are very senior indeed
- 24 September : Kadir Topbaş outIn another opaque act of AK Party fratricide, Istanbul's mayor suddenly and unexpectedly resigns
- 3 September : The end of Turkey’s EU prospectsGermany's chancellor blinks first and ends a once fruitful, now rotten saga
- 23 August : Party Five: Good timing, but light on the policiesMeral Akşener’s new party made a star signing this week, but it’s too early to tell what it actually stands for
- 19 July : The 2017 cabinet reshuffleWho wins and who loses? A snapshot of Turkish ministers' fate as the government completes its post-referendum reshuffle
- 17 July : How Turkey could reinstate the death penaltyWe have had an uncomfortable year of talk about the noose. But how would the government bring it back and what crimes would be covered?
- 15 July : My country has never been so dividedOn the anniversary of a traumatic night when sections of the military tried to stage a coup, some personal thoughts on the state of Turkey today
- 10 July : In search of a Turkish MacronKemal Kılıçdaroğlu is not the man who can defeat President Erdoğan, but he’s laying the ground for someone who could
- 14 June : CHP calls protests nationwide over Berberoğlu convictionTurkey's main opposition party announces nationwide protests after one of its MPs is jailed on espionage charges
- 11 June : Come home or lose your passport – even if you’re deadTurkey has summoned 130 of its nationals home to face terrorism charges. But with one of them confirmed killed last year, has it actually done its research?
- 30 May : Unasked questions in General Akar’s 15 July coup testimonyEveryone wants to know what precisely happened to Turkey's top general on the night of 15 July. He doesn't tell us much and sadly no-one will ask further.
- 12 May : That Qriously poll: what went wrong, what went rightAs Turkey continues to digest the results of the referendum, Qriously have released a statement
- 8 May : In Turkish politics, regicide is the hardest wordOpposition leader Kemal Kılıçdaroğlu, again the subject of plenty of rebellious muttering, will not be easy to topple
- 8 May : Kickstarter update: our podcast plansMeeting our target means JamesInTurkey.com can grow in ways we hadn't expected
- 25 April : Turkey’s referendum: three main outcomesErdoğan's AK Party membership, the judiciary and the cabinet will be the first to change when the official referendum results are published this week
- 16 April : LIVE: Turkey votes April 2017Updates throughout the day on 16 April 2017 as Turkey decides whether to switch from a parliamentary system to an executive presidency
- 14 April : Yes still ahead but watch out for IstanbulThe last Qriously poll published on JamesInTurkey.com retains a solid Yes lead, but the regional breakdown could generate surprises on Sunday
- 14 April : A request for a moment of your timeJamesInTurkey.com has launched a Kickstarter campaign to fund its future. Any contributions gratefully received.
- 13 April : Confusing Turkish nationalists with federalismWith three days until referendum day, at least part of the nationalist vote is still up for grabs
- 7 April : Yes still ahead, but gap narrows in new Turkish referendum pollThe results of Qriously's second poll for this website, as others suggest a narrow advantage for Yes
- 4 April : Sriously? A few thoughts on our poll last weekJamesInTurkey.com crashed repeatedly after we published a poll suggesting a 61% Yes victory
- 31 March : A fortnight before Turkey votes, Yes votes soar highThe Yes campaign in Turkey’s executive presidency referendum is cruising to a comfortable victory next month, a survey released to JamesInTurkey.com says.
- 29 March : The Turkish opposition’s stress ball strategyThe leader of the No side is fighting this referendum campaign on the right
- 13 March : How Turkey suddenly changed its Dutch datesIn the space of five days, Turkey brought forward its Netherlands referendum event to before the Dutch election
- 11 March : Turkey’s referendum clash with EuropeShould Turkish leaders be allowed to campaign in Europe? Absolutely. Could Turkey have waited six days until the Dutch election was over? You bet.
- 28 February : Hürriyet’s editor: gone in mere minutesSedat Ergin's departure shows the Turkish government’s grip over the country’s news media is supreme and terrifying
- 28 February : Opinion polling ahead of the 2017 Turkish referendumA few words on Turkish polling as this website resurrects the opinion poll tracker for the April referendum
- 21 January : Turkey calls a referendum on an executive presidencyPlans to grant President Erdoğan sweeping new powers will be put to a public vote in April
- 11 January : Track Turkey’s executive presidency bill through parliamentFollow as MPs vote on each clause of proposals to grant President Erdoğan sweeping executive powers
- 10 January : Amid surveillance, Turkish MPs debate more powers for ErdoğanVoter intimidation and opposition excitement dominate first full day of parliament debate on executive presidency system
- 9 January : Will the MHP back Erdoğan’s executive presidency?Nationalist leader Devlet Bahçeli is trying to force through a reform unpopular with his party’s grassroots
2016
- 20 December : Turkey’s massive security problem is now internationalMore than 500 people have died in terror attacks in Turkey since last June. Now a Russian ambassador has joined them
- 12 December : Explainer: Turkey’s presidential systemA comprehensive briefing on Recep Tayyip Erdoğan's plans to introduce an executive presidency to Turkey
- 22 November : Erdoğan the impartialUnusually, Turkey’s president uses the ceremonial trappings of his office to urge consensus
- 22 November : Explainer: Decriminalising sexual abuse in TurkeyIt is hard to spot the good intentions in the AK Party’s attempt to keep young families together
- 4 November : HDP operation: which MPs have been arrested?Live spreadsheet listing the status of MPs from the pro-Kurdish Peoples' Democracy Party (HDP) following Friday morning's wave of arrests
- 2 November : ‘Tayyip Erdoğan is finished’A newspaper headline about the future Turkish president that got it so, so wrong
- 31 October : Warrants, arrests for Cumhuriyet’s editor and boardTurkey's most consistent opposition newspaper appears to be on the verge of being seized
- 19 September : Turkey centralises 28 mostly Kurdish local authoritiesAn interactive map of the councils seized by Turkish authorities under state of emergency powers
- 1 September : An interior minister bows outEfkan Ala's departure illustrates the direction in which power flows within Turkey's cabinet
- 9 August : The demographic that took to the streetsA pollster finds Turkey's pro-democracy demonstrators are also overwhelmingly pro-government
- 8 August : Turkey’s toothy smile of unityIgnoring the country’s most successful Kurdish party does not bode well for peace in the southeast
- 2 August : Gone: Hakkari and ŞırnakTurkey’s government is planning a wholesale reorganisation of the two provinces in the country’s far southeast, according to proposals laid before parliament
- 1 August : A step back from the death penaltyTentatively, cautiously, we can say that Turkey is dropping talk of reinstating capital punishment
- 28 July : The newspapers and TV channels that are no moreTurkey announces the closure of 131 news outlets. Which are the major ones?
- 3 June : Turkey’s stubborn isolationThose hoping the Bundestag’s decision will knock some sense into Turkish attitudes are hopelessly naïve
- 29 March : What is the news like on Turkish TV?The state of Turkey's newspapers receives extensive attention abroad, but little is known about the television news bulletins watched by tens of millions each night
- 20 March : PKK, TAK and the sea of confusionLike any war, Turkey’s conflict with the PKK has nuances that are not straightforward to unpack
- 14 March : If this is the PKK, it is a game changerNot for decades have Kurdish militants struck civilians on a mass scale. That may have changed on Sunday
- 5 January : A new face for nationalismHow toppling Turkish nationalist leader Devlet Bahçeli is easier said than done
2015
- 25 November : And what about the women?Ahmet Davutoğlu's ministerial selection shows that women continue to be disgracefully underrepresented in the Turkish cabinet
- 25 November : All the king’s horsesTurkey’s new cabinet clearly signals the shift in power from the prime minister to the president
- 12 November : Turkey’s free and unfair electionLast Sunday's result astonished us all, even though it was what the people of Turkey voted for. That doesn't mean it was fair.
- 1 November : LIVE: Turkey votes November 2015Live coverage of the voting, results, trends and reaction to Turkey's parliamentary election on 1 November 2015
- 31 October : Turkey votes againOur final predictions: slightly stronger AK Party, stronger CHP, slightly weaker nationalists, a Kurdish party in third place
- 29 October : The expatriate factorVotes cast by Turkish nationals abroad could swing more results in this election than ever before
- 22 October : A fifth Turkish political party?Gossip about a fifth party in the next Turkish parliament is still just gossip - for the moment
- 9 October : The manifestos compared: president or parliament?Despite new references to "fairer representation" in politics, the AK Party's executive presidency proposals are unchanged
- 7 October : How will they vote this time?As Turkey's voters are dragged to ballot box for the second time, how do opinion polls say they will vote?
- 6 October : How the election happened againRelive the summer that never was and remember how Turkey tried - and failed - to form a coalition government after the June general election
- 28 July : Optimism in Turkish coalition talksGiven that Turkey has declared war on ISIS and the PKK, coalition talks between its two largest parties couldn’t possibly be going well – could they?
- 20 July : Where they clashTurkey's two largest parties have chasms to bridge before they can partner in government
- 1 July : Surprises in the Turkish speaker’s electionA near-identical race for the Turkish speaker took place in 1999 - and the enigmatic Devlet Bahçeli was there then as well
- 23 June : Who shall speak unto nation?The 2015 election ends and the Great Coalition Scramble begins by voting for the new parliament speaker
- 16 June : Abdullah Gül: will he? Won’t he?A political memoir causes a buzz in Ankara and offers hints - but only hints - that the Turkish ex-president's gardening leave isn't permanent
- 9 June : Davutoğlu’s momentThe prime minister should use this election result to wrest control of Turkey's most successful centre-right party
- 8 June : What on earth is Devlet Bahçeli thinking?The nationalists hold the key to Turkey’s first coalition government this century. They want to throw it away.
- 7 June : LIVE: Turkey votes 2015Live coverage of the voting, results, trends and reaction to Turkey's parliamentary election on 7 June 2015
- 6 June : Turkey’s coalition optionsIf the pro-Kurdish HDP crosses the 10% electoral threshold tomorrow, we could be facing the exciting prospect of multi-party government in Turkey.
- 5 June : Violence in DiyarbakırTwo explosions strike the largest Kurdish party in the largest Kurdish city
- 5 June : The cost of foodOne factor that will affect Turkish voting intention this weekend is how much voters pay to feed themselves
- 2 June : That ORC poll – and whether it means anythingA government-friendly pollster has flouted Turkey's ban on opinion polls - as it said it would. The results are still interesting.
- 1 June : Turkey’s dancing, smiling, singing TV electionThis campaign has some of the most inspiring - and the most bizarre - television spots of any Turkish election. Here's what stood out the most.
- 1 June : How the stocks reactedInspired by an Economist graphic following last month’s British election, we ask: do Turkish general election results have a big impact on the country’s stock market?
- 28 May : Our first predictions for the Turkish electionAs the final opinion polls are published, JamesInTurkey.com makes its first calls for the Turkish general election
- 26 May : Is Abdullah Gül coming back?Rumours abound that the former president will be drafted in to shore up the governing party’s vote
- 25 May : Turkey’s cruel election threshold: a crash courseThe central question of this year’s election is whether the HDP can muster enough votes it needs before it can win any seats.
- 22 May : Can we trust Konda?A leaked survey from a long-standing pollster appears to confirm what we already know about Turkey's approaching general election
- 18 May : Campaigns in concertPresident Erdoğan and Prime Minister Davutoğlu are proving effective at coordinating their diaries
- 17 May : Turkey can’t even get its sex scandals rightPrudish Turkey loves a good sex tape, but the rubbish spouted about Meral Akşener will only backfire
- 11 May : The elusive resultWith four weeks until election day, Turkish opinion polls aren't showing much movement. Maybe the campaign will change that.
- 5 May : HDP complains about partisan ErdoğanThe opposition complains over the president's lack of neutrality
- 24 April : Is Kemal Kılıçdaroğlu xenophobic?Kemal Kılıçdaroğlu wants to rid Turkey of the hundreds of thousands of Syrian refugees who fled north to escape the civil war
- 23 April : What is the Turkish position on the Armenian genocide?The events of 1915 are ripe for historical research. Let’s pick at it before it goes completely rotten.
- 19 April : Where the race will be foughtWith 50 days to go, we look at the districts that will be most contested in the upcoming Turkish election
- 14 April : Seductive glamour of Turkish opinion pollsThe pollsters do have their uses, but don't bet on them to call this summer's election result
- 9 April : Parties in allianceA two-party alliance ahead of this summer's election could spell trouble for right wing parties
- 7 April : The March of the WomenTurkey's political parties are (mostly) scrambling over each other to nominate more women.
- 4 April : Regional poll suggests AK Party woesThere are further signs that support for Turkey’s governing party is sliding
- 31 March : Kemal’s CHPThis could Kemal Kılıçdaroğlu’s last election. Whatever the result, he will be remembered for making his party electable again.
- 28 March : Briefing: the CHP’s primariesKemal Kılıçdaroğlu gives his party’s members a voice where no other leader dares
- 26 March : Foreshadows of AK’s leadership disputeThe prime minister may have quelled unrest for now, but there's a catalogue of it building up in Turkey's governing party
- 23 March : The cracks in AKIf you were ever looking for signs of tension in the ranks of Turkey’s governing party, the deputy prime minister delivered with gusto
- 6 March : Counting down to the big dayIn three months, Turkey will hold its last election until 2019. If it actually happened tomorrow, what result would each party be happy with?
- 16 February : Principles in the face of an atrocityLawyers refuse to defend an alleged murderer and a minister calls for the death penalty. What principles does Turkey actually stand for?
- 9 February : When MPs leave the chamberMore members of parliament have left the AK Party than any other in this session, but opposition lines haven't exactly held firm
- 6 February : Riches or desolation: can the HDP get more than 10%?Turkey's Kurdish party has ambitiously vowed to contest this summer's election. It's a risky decision that pitches the party between riches and desolation
2014
- 2 December : Dropping the gunCalls to abolish compulsory military service in Turkey are becoming increasingly mainstream
- 1 December : Three things that could ignite Turkey’s electionA series of important but low-key developments over the weekend could revolutionise Turkish politics in the seven months before next year's general election
- 26 November : Gül coy on future – for nowTurkey's former president is keeping his cards close to his chest
- 15 November : New parties start the silly seasonEmine Ülker Tarhan's new ulusalcı outfit - and the new supposedly Gülenist party - herald the start of the Turkish pre-election silly season
- 14 November : Small parties continue to fractureThere are intriguing parallels between resignations from a tiny nationalist party and Turkey's main opposition
- 4 November : To lose one ulusalcı is misfortunateKemal Kılıçdaroğlu's ambition to embrace the ulusalcı movement may have failed, but does not mean it can stand up on its own
- 9 October : Turkey’s Kurdish minefieldsSome say the conflict in Syria risks destabilising Turkey. In fact, it is already happening.
- 14 August : Two parties, two stylesBoth of Turkey's main two political parties haveannounced leadership contests - but with markedly different styles
- 10 August : What’s next?Erdoğan's elevation to the presidency triggers immediate questions about his succession and how much he will remain involved with it.
- 10 August : Presidential Election 2014 live bloggingJames in Turkey will be live blogging text updates Turkey’s 2014 presidential elections throughout Sunday, until the final result becomes clear.
- 9 August : Ekmeleddin’s exampleEkmeleddin İhsanoğlu provides an excellent opportunity to rebuild Turkish politics. He will not win this battle, but the war may not be lost
- 6 August : The strategy of Selahattin DemirtaşThe number three candidate for Turkish president has solid left-wing ideas and bounds of optimism. But he won't win, so why is he bothering?
- 31 July : Confused and expensive: the farce of Turkish overseas votingFor the first time, expatriates around the world can vote in a Turkish national election. The vast majority of their votes will be wasted.
- 29 July : With two weeks to go, what do the polls say?Polls show Ekmeleddin İhsanoğlu is failing to produce the Mansur Yavaş effect. That points to a first-round win for the prime minister.
- 10 July : Break bread with EkmeleddinThe campaign launch of Erdoğan’s main rival sent us all to sleep. How will he persuade people to vote for him?
- 16 June : The consensus man who needs more of itThe opposition candidate to become Turkey's next president is Muslim, unknown and not a politician. He could win, but it's really up to the Kurds.
- 15 May : Soma shows Erdoğan has lost itFor the first time, the cost of Erdoğan’s Turkey is being counted in bodies. No wonder the prime minister is on the defensive.
- 29 March : Can Mansur Yavaş win in Ankara?Four central districts and Turkey’s nationalist voters will define the battle for the country’s capital Can he do…
- 23 March : CHP’s Izmir is safeThe governing AK Party will not win Turkey's third largest city - and they've only got themselves to blame
- 20 March : The curious case of Ankara’s ironic postersFake posters attacking Ankara's main opposition candidate reveal even more skullduggery in a Turkish election campaign
- 17 March : An MHP car crash – including Manisa?This website predicts the Turkish nationalists will lose Manisa; the party seriously risks losing all their other big…
- 11 March : The farce of children’s rights in TurkeyIf Berkin Elvan’s killer cannot be found, hasn’t Recep Tayyip Erdoğan made Turkey a terrible place to be a child?
- 10 March : The cities that could go at the next electionOutside the biggest cities, wider boundaries and electoral maths suggests Turkey's governing AK party has some vulnerabilities
- 10 March : MHP ahead in Adana after Durak pulls outA popular candidate withdraws in favour of the incumbent party - but his name stays on the ballot
- 9 March : Building the BüyükşehirsIn 2012, AK Party government passed a law that changed local government for three quarters of Turkish residents.…
- 27 February : Understanding the İl Genel MeclisiTurkey operates two parallel systems of local government, making it appear labyrinthine even to most ordinary voters. The İl Genel Meclisi (special provincial authority) is the most confusing of the lot.
- 18 February : Seventh time lucky for Durak?The mayoral race in Turkey's fifth city, Adana, just got interesting
- 7 February : Will Gül veto Turkey’s internet law?Turkey's new internet law is a disgrace and should be scrapped - but will the president actually do it?
- 31 January : What to expect in Turkey’s local election?Forget the Erdoğan/Gülen melodrama for a moment: 2009 offers a far better crib sheet for Turks might vote in March
2013
- 14 December : Three reasons why the AK Party can win IzmirTurkey’s main opposition party should be very concerned about Binali Yıldırım’s mayoral bid. Izmir is the CHP’s stronghold. That…
- 8 December : A clearer picture in IstanbulWe now have a better idea of who’s running for the third most important job in Turkish politics…
- 28 November : This campaign is for realTurkish elections always produce some delightfully earnest campaign material. This video is a great early candidate. Those hoping…
- 26 November : Gökçek rides againAnkara’s erratic mayor is nominated for a fifth term – and will probably win When the Gezi Park…
- 10 November : Let the man rest in peaceAtatürk was a great leader, but so many followers are getting his legacy wrong
- 8 November : Arınç and Erdoğan: the Thatcherite riftBülent Arınç's comments expose more Thatcherite parallels in the Turkish prime minister's leadership
- 16 October : Analysis: how the electoral reform options workThere are two proposed two options to reform Turkey's election system, but as our leader piece argues both options would simply entrench his AK Party's position. Here is our analysis to explain why.
- 16 October : Erdoğan’s reform: how to kill the MHPThe prime minister's proposed electoral reforms are mainly designed to destroy Turkey's nationalist party
- 6 September : Turkey does not deserve the Olympic GamesAfter a disgraceful summer for Turkish democracy, the government does not deserve an Olympic prize.
- 3 September : Lessons from the past: Turkey’s parliament could veto Syria action too“Speaking after the government’s motion [in support of military action] was defeated, the prime minister said: ‘It is…
- 27 July : Would a CHP-MHP alliance work?The Turkish left says it’s possible a deal could be struck between Kemal Kılıçdaroğlu and Devlet Bahçeli It…
- 11 June : CHP surges in first post-protest opinion pollA survey conducted after the start of the Gezi uprising reads well for Turkey's main opposition party
- 7 June : Erdoğan’s hidden safety netThere’s plenty of speculation out there on the implications of the last eleven days for Prime Minister Recep…
- 1 June : From street battle to street partyA personal account of arriving in Istanbul - with my luggage - as the Gezi Park erupted in protest
- 31 May : Erdoğan’s Thatcher moment?It is hard not to be appalled by the scenes coming out of Taksim’s Gezi Park, where police…
- 21 May : Defining Turk: a constitutional barrier overcome?The pro-Kurdish party suggests a route that could assuage Turkish nationalist fears over the proposed civilian constitution
- 16 April : Fazıl Say, Emre Bukağılı and an unending conflict in Turkish societyAnother artist was persecuted for offending Turkey’s nouveau establishment this week when the pianist Fazıl Say was handed…
- 31 March : More than a quarter of Turkish voters are undecidedThe latest regular Konsensus survey for Haberturk might not appear to throw up any voting intention surprises on…
- 22 March : Turkey and Israel: the ambiguous peaceWhat a difference even an unpopular US president can make. Israel’s prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu made his first…
- 21 March : The first step of the peace process: a PKK ceasefireThe imprisoned PKK leader issues a call for peace to a crowd of thousands in Turkey's southeast
- 21 March : Erdoğan on anti-Semitism: is this really an apology?As Barack Obama tours Israel and the Palestinian territories, Turkish media has seized on Recep Tayyip Erdoğan’s remarks…
- 19 March : Erdoğan passes Menderes to become third-longest serving prime ministerCumulative days served as of 19 March 2013 Today Recep Tayyip Erdoğan marks his 3,658th day as Turkey’s…
- 9 March : Safe or stuffed? Who falls foul of AK’s three term ruleIf you look at article 132 of the by-laws that govern Turkey’s ruling AK Party, you will find…
- 8 March : Gezici poll shows slight drop in AKP supportA new general election opinion poll from Gezici Araştırma appeared in Vatan on Wednesday. The headline figures with…
- 1 March : What is a Turk? Which 1924 definition does Gül want?The Turkish president weighs in with a suggestion that could form a deal between Kurds and Turkish nationalists
- 1 March : Erdoğan on ZionismRecep Tayyip Erdoğan has never been the darling of the Jewish community, but his latest comments at a UN…
- 25 February : Erdoğan on British press freedomWhen a foreign leader descends on the Turkish capital for a working visit, the journalists from that country…
- 25 February : Talking to the prisonerNever before has Turkey been so far down the road towards peace with its Kurdish minority. In themselves,…
- 18 February : Turkey’s next election: the CHP’s challengeTo win the next election, Turkey’s opposition party has a mountain to climb Here’s a prediction that won’t…
- 14 February : The Turkey or the egg?Consider, if you will, the curious case of Turkey’s ambiguous name. It can mean one of two things.…
- 31 January : Who wants to be Kemal Kılıçdaroğlu?An opposition MP’s extraordinary racism outburst exposes the CHP leader’s troubles It all began when Birgül Ayman Güler,…
- 10 January : There is still hope for a Kurdish peaceThe news that three Kurdish women, including a co-founder of the PKK, were found shot dead in a…
- 7 January : Sarıgül’s fightOn Friday morning Mustafa Sarıgül, darling of the non-CHP Turkish left, braved the cold Ankara weather to hand…
- 7 January : Back to where we startedTurkey is due to hold three major elections in 36 months; the polls suggest the opoosition won't win any of them
2012
- 18 October : Playing politics with council boundariesSome AK Party leaders may think tweaking Istanbul council borders is a good idea, but it probably isn’t.…
- 12 June : The polls are wrong: one in two Turks won’t vote AKPA 52 percent poll lead does not mean one in every two Turks would vote AK tomorrow. A…
- 29 May : The two faces of Recep Tayyip ErdoğanComments made this week on abortion demonstrate a serious character flaw in Turkey’s prime minister. Last week, addressing…
- 27 March : Being gay in Turkey’s armyIf you haven’t seen it already, Emre Azizlerli from the BBC has produced a comprehensive and accurate account…
- 18 February : After ErdoğanThe prime minister's illness triggers thoughts of what might happen after he leaves office.
2011
- 23 October : Here we go againThe first signs are that some earthquake disaster relief lessons have been learned. In the last three hours,…
- 13 October : Printing the explicit photo of a woman stabbed by her husband was the right thing to do. Sadly, it didn’t work.The woman is topless, lying face down on a hospital bed. Out of her back, a little above…
- 12 June : Election 2011: timetable of eventsFollowing on from yesterday’s missive, a quick guide for when to expect what in Turkey’s election today. Let’s…
- 10 June : Golden Numbers of Election NightThe main figures to watch out for in this weekend's election
- 27 February : Erbakan: a leader who offered something new, and didn’t deliverThis Islamist ideologue should – but won’t – be remembered for siphoning millions from his party’s funds. Necmettin…
- 20 February : MHP crashes below threshold in opinion poll, but result is really a CHP victoryJust two parties are likely to cross the 10 percent threshold at the next Turkish election, according to…
- 18 February : This man is going home, but watch what he does nextMevlüt Çavuşoğlu isn’t a name that is instantly recognisable, neither in his native Turkey nor the many countries…
- 17 February : The democratic deficit in Turkey’s electoral systemThe Constitutional Court changes the way MPs are allocated across Turkish provinces Supporters of proportional representation rejoice! Turkish…
- 1 February : Did Erdogan tell Mubarak to go? Just a little bit.Amidst all the drama coming out of Egypt, there’s been a bit of a buzz about the Turkish…
- 25 January : MHP chauvinism: make your wife vote for usTurkey's nationalist party decides it's figured out how to increase support among women
- 16 January : Who will win Turkey’s next general election?Thoughts and predictions ahead of the next Turkish parliamentary vote Some astonishing news for you: Turkey’s parliament is…
- 13 January : Martians ‘invade Turkey’, Court dismisses casePeople power finally in action at Turkey’s constitutional court One of the amendments brought in by last September’s…
- 8 January : Time, gentlemen: Efes Pilsen, Turkey’s top basketball team, is forced off courtTurkey’s most successful basketball team found out yesterday that it must change its name or close down because…
- 6 January : Things we already knew: Kılıçdaroğlu better than BaykalThere’s been a smattering of coverage in the Turkish press of a public opinion survey that paints the…
- 5 January : Opinion poll suggests huge gains for CHP; hollow victory for AK PartyMetropoll’s latest opinion poll* just over a week ago asked, among other things, for voting intention. Here are…
2010
- 30 December : New Year cheer: how Top Gear offended TurkeyFans of the BBC’s popular motoring show Top Gear will be aware that their latest adventure saw them drive…
- 28 November : WikiLeaks revelations: Turkey snubbed over NATO dealTurkey had spoken loudly and resolutely against Anders Fogh Rasmussen taking the reins at NATO when the secretary-general…
- 28 November : Turkey aided al Qaida, apparentlyTurkish aid has gone directly to al Qaida in Iraq, while the United States has similarly assisted the…
- 20 November : Is Bursa a racist town?A sports presenter's comments exposes some uncomfortable truths about Turkish attitudes
- 17 November : Despicable journalism on Turkish televisionKanal D should be ashamed of its coverage of a lost toddler in Istanbul
- 9 September : What does Turkey’s referendum change? The Constitutional Court.Summary of the proposed referendum changes to the Constitutional Court
- 24 August : Turkey will say ‘yes’ in next month’s referendum, according to pollQuite in contrast to my predictions of a tight result at Turkey’s constitutional referendum on 12 September, GENAR have released…
- 21 August : Three things that can lose you a referendumTurkey prepares for its second referendum in three years
- 6 June : Poll shows first CHP lead in eight yearsThe week’s events in the Mediterranean have clouded many things, including an interesting set of opinion polls published…
- 2 June : Thoughts on yesterdayReading back on my entry yesterday, I feel I should make clear how appalling I have found the…
- 31 May : A latent fury at Israel shows its ugly head in TurkeyRelations between the two countries have never been this low
- 31 May : Israel storms aid shipA few points on the storming by Israeli forces of a flotilla of ships led by the Turkish…
- 21 January : Is drug smuggling a military offence?The AK Party bickers with judges over who should tried in military courts
- 21 January : Bombing mosques and war with Greece?Taraf yesterday began serialising what it calls the detailed plans for a coup in 2003 under the leadership…
- 19 January : Have we forgotten already?An earthquake 11 years ago seems too long ago to remember for some
- 16 January : AK support down in latest GENAR pollGENAR’s quarterly survey was published earlier this week. For national voting intentions, the headline percentages were (with changes…
- 14 January : Dangerous tantrums and casual antisemitismA television programme brings Turkish-Israeli relations to a newer low
2009
- 31 October : Haven’t you missed the boat?Today was really just a formality. Almost a quarter century after Turgut Özal tore his loyalties away from…
2008
- 30 July : A step back from the brinkTurkey's governing party won't be closed down, but the decision was agonisingly close
- 14 May : Bringing back Tansu ÇillerWhy, oh why, could anyone possibly think that this is a good idea?
- 18 February : A moment of hope for CyprusTassos Papadopoulos's elecotral failure could mean progress towards peace on the island
- 9 February : Headscarves at universitiesQuestions about secularism as the government tries to lift the headscarf ban
- 30 January : A crash course in Turkey’s headscarf debateConfused by all the knots and shapes? Here's our guide
- 29 January : What was the point?The nasty attack on an Armenian memorial reflects the level of debate on the events of 1915
2007
- 4 November : Polar oppositesThings turn nasty at the unveiling of an Armenian genocide memorial in Wales
- 10 October : This resolution is not the answerTurkey and America are at loggerheads over a resolution that the president opposes
- 10 September : The end of the CHPThe state of Turkey's main opposition party paints a woeful picture of left wing politics in the country
- 23 August : Wonderful censorshipMore and more websites are being blocked in Turkey on a routine basis
- 31 July : So, what’s next?Yesterday, Turkey's Electoral Commission officially confirmed the results of last Sunday's election.
- 23 July : A resounding victory that now needs moderationThis historic AK Party victory should not go unchecked; a credible opposition is a vital part of any democracy.
- 22 July : Vote 2007: The fall of the Turkish leftSome final thoughts at the end of election night 2007
- 22 July : Vote 2007: An AK sweep – alreadyWith a third of the votes counted, Turkey's governing party is comfortably home already
- 5 July : Onwards to referendumTurkey's Constitutional Court clears the final hurdle on a presidential referendum later this year
- 5 July : HiatusJames on Turkey has been taking a break for the last couple of weeks, owing to other commitments.…
- 15 June : Stop press: Annulments at the doorAdvice from the Constitutional Court rapporteur suggests a veto is imminent
- 15 June : Don’t hurry, it will happen soon enoughReforms to the presidency are to be put to Turkey's first referendum in two decades
- 10 June : What do journalists know, anyway?Journalism would not be journalism if it did not sometimes court controversy.
- 25 May : Pay attention. It’s going to happenTurkey is not bluffing: it will send troops into Northern Iraq if it wants to
- 14 May : Take noteTwo million people would not gather in five cities over three weeks if they didn't have something to say.
- 1 May : This man is the real problemThe CHP leader is spouting scaremongering rubbish and shouldn't be taken seriously.
- 29 April : Is this really a crisis?The president election is taken to court, but doesn't this show the system is working?
- 27 April : The vote beginsParliament speaker Bülent Arınç rejects a CHP application for attendance to be taken.
- 24 April : Now we knowAn unexpected yet unsurprising choice for the Turkish governing party's presidential candidate
- 23 April : Is this Turkey’s new president?The Defence Minister emerges as a prominent AK Party candidate for Turkey's top job
- 21 April : Presidential nominations: day sixAs we cross the halfway point in the period to nominate candidates for Turkey's presidency, the number of contenders is still zero
- 12 April : Siamese observationsThe parliament speaker Bülent Arınç and army chief Yaşar Büyükanıt could not be more different
- 4 April : It’s fascism! It must be!A number of newspapers were taken aback by the surprise decision on Sunday to requisition the property of Ciner media group.
- 26 March : Presidential election: the candidates (part two)Revisiting the question of who is going to succeed Ahmet Necdet Sezer in two months' time
- 18 March : Presidential election: the candidatesWho is going to succeed Ahmet Necdet Sezer in two months' time?
- 3 March : Freedom for dictators to speakTurkey's former president - who led the last military coup - is investigated for proposing a state-based system of government
- 22 February : Election 2007: Being aware of the dangerThis blog has spent an awfully long time waiting for a supposed Islamic revolution. Where is it?
- 3 February : Thugs above the law: the Turkish police todayEveryone knows the Turkish police are brutal, but the government has no interest in doing anything about it
- 31 January : Not a very normal thresholdEurope's highest court throws out arguments that Turkey's electoral threshold, at 10%, is too high
- 29 January : Why, for once, I agree with Bülent ArınçThe speaker of Turkey's parliament hints this might not, yet, be Erdoğan's time to ascend
- 19 January : In a crowded street. On a busy morning.The murder of Turkish-Armenian journalist Hrant Dink was not an impulsive killing
- 14 January : Presidential Election: The Vox PopIt’s funny how these things turn out. Last week, I asked the blogging community at large what they…
2006
- 27 December : Presidential election: It is not Erdoğan’s time yetThis blog endorses Hikmet Çetin to become the next president of Turkey. Will anyone listen?
- 16 December : How skipping Antalya could help solve the Cyprus problemAn unlikely authority - British civil aviation - could help fix the Mediterranean's decades-old conflict
- 10 December : Reforming Republican PeopleTurkey's opposition party must change its leader if it wants any shot at government next year
- 26 November : Erdoğan to meet Pope (at baggage reclaim?)It appears the Prime Minister won't avoid meeting Benedict after all
- 12 November : So they chanted slogans. Who cares?The Prime Minister is jeered at Bülent Ecevit's funeral, but secularists are wrong to say his end is nigh
- 8 November : As the progress report looms…Europe isn't expected to go easy on the pace of Turkey's reform programme
- 6 November : A dove takes flightObituary: The tragedy of Bülent Ecevit, five-time Turkish prime minister, whose time in office was marked more by disaster than success
- 18 October : Election 2007: Early beginningsOne party leader's call for a PKK amnesty marks the start of the election campaign
- 12 October : Armenia: French bills and Nobel laureatesFrance and Orhan Pamuk have different ideas on how to approach the Armenian issue. Orhan Pamuk is right.
- 3 October : Armenia: New cards at playA Turkish concession to Armenia that isn't quite historic, but which could lead to greater things
- 28 September : Southeast Turkey: Ceasing fire. Again.Speculation has been mounting that the Kurdistan Workers' Party, the PKK, is on the verge of unilaterally declaring a ceasefire.
- 21 September : Article 301: Victory, but beware the nationalistOnly one person has been successfully prosecuted under a law that criminalises insulting Turkishness. Surely it's time to scrap it?
- 20 September : Article 301: Cracks in the AKP?Senior figures in Turkey's governing party appear divided over a law that criminalises insulting Turkishness
- 19 September : Formula One: A deserved punishmentIt is right to fine Turkey for its Cyprus stunt, but is it fair for Turkish motorsport to shoulder the burden?
- 18 September : The Pope, and whether he has a big mouthBenedict XVI's remarks on Islam ruffle feathers in Turkey too
- 13 September : Article 301: Release Michael DickinsonA British artist is in police custody for 'insulting the dignity' of Turkey's prime minister
- 6 September : Troops to Lebanon: An approvalMinisters were heckled, briefcases were hurled, but Turkey's parliament has voted to send troops to the Middle East
- 28 August : Talat on Formula 1Turkey uses a motorsport event to stage an utterly pointless Cyprus stunt
- 26 August : Troops to Lebanon: a presidential wade-inPresident Ahmet Necdet Sezer placed himself firmly in the “no” camp yesterday over the matter of sending Turkish…
- 23 August : Sending Turkish troops to LebanonThe possibility of a Turkish contribution to the UN’s peacekeeping force Interesting article in today’s Sabah: Foreign Minister Abdullah Gül met the…
- 20 August : Trying Orhan Pamuk – yes, I daresay?I spent a hurried few minutes this afternoon in Istanbul’s İstiklal street, buying a few CDs ahead of…
- 14 August : Hope is in the airBülent Arınç, the speaker of Turkey’s parliament, has waded into the discussion over the election threshold. He slated…
- 13 August : Will the electoral threshold ever fall?As it stands, any political party hoping to send MPs to Ankara must win at least 10% of…
- 9 August : Shrinking ArmiesDay one, post two, and something interesting has happened already. The newly-appointed chief of the General Staff, General…