Turkey

Under pressure from economic crisis, the rigid political status quo in Turkey is shifting – and the once frustrated opposition scents an opportunity. Turkey’s political landscape used to be likened to a frozen scene from the Ice Age. Across the political spectrum, voting behaviour seemed locked in a status quo …

Egyptian Foreign Minister Sameh Shoukry on Tuesday said a solution to the dispute in ethnically divided Cyprus must follow the UN-endorsed road map for reunification of the island in a federal framework, and be based on international law rather than promoting “aggressive activities or expansionist tendencies.” His remarks, seen as …

As Turkey’s battered lira pushes to new lows against the dollar, all eyes turn to Thursday’s central bank meeting and critical talks on the minimum wage. Turks woke Monday to watch their currency plunge to 14 against the dollar early in the morning, then go past it to 14.62 until …

Qatar is enhancing its presence in the eastern Mediterranean that is rich in oil and gas reserves at a time when tensions are ripping through the region over the maritime borders and excavation rights. Qatar has strengthened its presence in the eastern Mediterranean, which is rich in oil and gas …

Erdoğan’s biggest political rival ahead of the 2023 presidential elections seems to be — poverty. The first decade of Erdoğan’s rule actually brought relative prosperity to Turks. Per capita GDP rose sharply from $3,688 in 2002 to $11,796 in 2012… Since 2013, however, reckless nepotism, increasing authoritarianism, corruption and economic …

A local Yazidi armed group linked to the Kurdistan Workers Party and affiliated with the government-incorporated Popular Mobilization Units has been targeted as part of stepped-up Turkish cross-border operations. Turkey has targeted members of a local Yazidi armed group linked to the Kurdistan Workers Party (PKK) in northern Iraq and …

Turkey’s President Recep Tayyip Erdogan is pressed by a collapsing national currency, falling domestic popularity, and regional competition. Erdogan’s fiscal policies have arguably worsened the domestic economic situation Opponents of Erdogan might defeat him in the next election, particularly if Turkey’s economic problems continue to linger and potentially worsen. Turkey’s …

Aysel Tugluk, who defended PKK leader Abdullah Ocalan in his trial decades ago, is now suffering from advanced dementia behind bars, despite widespread calls for her release. Aysel Tugluk, a slight brunette with high cheekbones, eagle eyes and long, dark hair, garnered much curiosity during the courtroom trial of Abdullah …

In cutting interest rates amid spiralling inflation, the Turkish government under President Erdogan has thrown economic orthodoxy out the window. The poor face getting poorer. Recep Tayyip Erdogan’s plan to turn around the Turkish economy has a new victim in Finance Minister Lutfi Elvan, who resigned on December 2. But …

Lebanon is witnessing one of the biggest waves of emigration in its history as the country faces its worst socio-economic conditions amid a worsening political crisis; Turkey, Armenia and Georgia have become new destinations. Western European countries, the United States, Australia and Gulf states have been Lebanese’s top migration destinations …