ANALYSIS
"Why Turkey Likes NATO Again", The Economist
Nervous about America’s waning commitment to NATO, other alliance members are eager to keep Turkey onside. Europe is indulging Mr Erdogan even as he continues to snuff out Turkey’s democracy. (Mr Trump never pretended to care.) Other than Germany, no NATO government has addressed, let alone condemned, Mr Erdogan’s lawfare against his opponents. On May 21st a Turkish court ousted the leader of the country’s main opposition group, the Republican People’s Party. Europe was silent.
Turkey’s role in NATO has become more important as concern grows that America may leave the alliance. Should that happen, some European members would want to take over the existing structure. Others are advocating security arrangements within the EU, or some new alliance. Turkish officials refuse to be drawn on their contingency plans, but the country’s preference is clear. Turkey is a member of NATO, whereas its longstanding candidacy for EU accession is moribund. In a NATO without America, Turkey would at least retain a seat at the table. Under an EU or other European arrangement, it would be stuck on the outside looking in.
"Uneasy Allies: The Real Relationship Between Turkey and Syria’s New Rulers" by Elizabeth Tsurkov, New Lines Magazine
Turkey’s relationship with Syria’s new leadership has undergone a startling evolution. What began, prior to the fall of Bashar al-Assad, as an uneasy partnership of necessity, fraught with mutual distrust, has matured into a formal alliance. Yet it remains a bond defined more by friction than unison. This is not a relationship of subservience, but a partnership defined by mutual dependence, whereby an increasingly assertive Damascus frequently charts its own course — at times in direct defiance of Ankara. Yet Syria’s efforts to broaden its alliances and increase its room for maneuver, and thus its independence, are consistently met by a hard reality: The new Syrian regime remains tethered to Turkish support. Ultimately, Ankara’s role in the security sector remains the essential guarantor of Syria’s stability.
"Next Steps Toward Peace After the Armenian Elections" by Alper Coşkun and Garo Paylan, The Carnegie Endowment for International Peace
Türkiye has a special role to play. Ankara has long linked normalization with Armenia to progress between Armenia and Azerbaijan. That logic is understandable, but it should now be refined. Progress on one track should reinforce the other. Opening the Türkiye-Armenia border to third-country nationals and trade would not be a concession to Armenia. It would be an investment in regional stability, the Middle Corridor (a network of road, rail, and sea routes linking Europe to Central Asia via the South Caucasus and Türkiye), and Türkiye’s own strategic influence. It would also give Azerbaijan an opportunity to support a step that strengthens the peace process without requiring it to abandon its core negotiating positions.
Ankara can become more than the venue of a NATO gathering in July. It can also be the scene of a pivotal moment when the leaders most invested in the region’s future commit to a clear and actionable road map: translating diplomatic progress into tangible steps through the opening of borders, accelerated work on TRIPP, and the launch of a broader compact for trade, transport, energy, digital infrastructure, and investment.
POLITICS
Rival CHP Meetings Deepen Opposition Crisis in Turkey
The ousted head of Turkey's main opposition party on June 9 urged lawmakers to resist what he described as a bid to eliminate the party, while its court-appointed new leader pledged at a rival meeting to "cleanse the party of dirt", deepening an internal crisis within the Republican People's Party (CHP).
Both factions had planned to address the CHP's weekly parliamentary meeting, and lawmakers backing Ozgur Ozel gathered there several hours beforehand. Kemal Kilicdaroglu later announced a separate meeting at party headquarters.
Addressing CHP lawmakers, Ozel stated that they were paying a price for the sake of Turkish democracy. "What this is about is eliminating the CHP entirely - along with its candidate and leadership - and sustaining Erdogan's rule," he stated.
Speaking at the party's headquarters in Ankara after Ozel finished his speech in parliament nearby, Kilicdaroglu stated he would remove those involved in any wrongdoing from the CHP. "I will cleanse the party of dirt," he told supporters at the headquarters. "Those who buy the will of delegates cannot exist in this party - and they will not."
Kilicdaroglu stated that he would purge the party of corruption, pointing to cases involving CHP-run municipalities.
Kilicdaroglu seeks expulsion of nine CHP lawmakers
Kemal Kilicdaroglu, appointed by court order to lead Turkey's main opposition CHP, has moved to refer nine people to the party's High Disciplinary Board with a request for their expulsion.
Following a meeting of the Central Executive Committee chaired by Kilicdaroglu, party spokesperson Muslim Sari announced that the nine MPs had been unanimously referred to the disciplinary board.
The lawmakers referred for permanent expulsion are Ensar Aytekin, Ali Mahir Basarir, Gokhan Gunaydin, Nurhayat Altaca Kayisoglu, Ozgur Karabat, Umut Akdogan, Veli Agbaba, Turan Taskin Ozer and Burhanettin Bulut.
Sari also stated that the board had decided to remove them from all their current positions within the party.
He added that the evaluation and expulsion process regarding the referral of ousted CHP leader Ozgur Ozel to the disciplinary board would be addressed at a later stage.
Ozel Allies Quit CHP Assembly, Seeking Congress After Expulsion Move
The team of Ozgur Ozel, the ousted leader of Turkey's main opposition Republican People's Party (CHP), has resigned from the party assembly, his office stated on June 11, adding the step should legally trigger an extraordinary congress to elect a new chairman. The resignations came a day after Kemal Kilicdaroglu sought the expulsion of nine CHP members aligned with Ozel, including four party assembly members and lawmakers.
Ozel's office announced that 28 members of the 57-seat assembly had resigned, a move it said amounted to the collapse of the party assembly and required a congress to be held within 45 days. Zeynel Emre, a spokesperson for Ozel, stated that it would now be a crime not to convene the congress, as the party assembly and the central executive committee no longer meet the minimum membership threshold.
After Kilicdaroglu chaired a party assembly meeting on June 11, his spokesperson, Muslim Sari, stated that the court-appointed CHP leadership would work on a roadmap for a congress, but no date could be set because the court ruling on the annulment had not yet been finalised.
Police Detain Opposition District Mayor, 16 Others in Corruption Probe
Security forces detained the mayor of Istanbul's Silivri district, run by the main opposition Republican People's Party (CHP), and 16 others on June 12 as part of a corruption investigation.
Silivri Mayor Bora Balcioglu, municipal officials and businesspeople were detained in simultaneous operations carried out by financial crimes police early on June 12 as part of an investigation launched by the Silivri Chief Public Prosecutor's Office. Police also searched the Silivri Municipality building.
The prosecutor's office said the investigation focuses on allegations that municipal procedures were used to secure improper benefits, including in hiring, zoning, licensing, the sealing of businesses or construction sites, illegal construction, property acquisitions and the sale of municipal real estate.
ECONOMY
Turkey Central Bank Keeps Key Interest Rate at 37 Percent
Turkey’s central bank kept its key interest rate unchanged at 37 percent on June 11, in line with market expectations.
The central bank announced that its Monetary Policy Committee, chaired by Governor Fatih Karahan, decided to leave the one-week repo rate, its main policy rate, at 37 percent.
The bank also kept the overnight lending rate steady at 40 percent and the overnight borrowing rate at 35.5 percent.
Turkey Finance Minister Says War Adds 5 Points to Inflation Outlook
Turkey's Treasury and Finance Minister Mehmet Simsek, speaking on CNN Turk, said the conflict had disrupted energy and raw material supplies, weakened global growth and tightened financial conditions.
Simsek noted that the direct and indirect effects of the war, based on oil prices markets expect for the full year, had added at least 5 percentage points to Turkey's inflation outlook.
"If inflation was initially going to be 21 percent, it is now rising to 26 percent," he stated.
Despite the impact, Simsek emphasized that the downward trend in inflation would continue and that the government would press ahead with its efforts to tackle the cost of living.
Turkey Warns BYD May Repay Tax Breaks as Plant Delays Mount
BYD will start assembling cars at its new plant in Hungary in the fourth quarter of this year, while work on a planned plant in Turkey has been put on hold as the company focuses on production in Europe, a top executive stated on June 9.
"Hungary is the number one priority right now," Executive Vice President Stella Li told Reuters at the company's UK headquarters in west London. Li also noted that BYD has not yet begun construction of the plant in Turkey and that the project is on hold, adding that the automaker has no timeline for starting production in Turkey.
The pause has been a setback for the Turkish government, which had offered generous tax breaks on BYD car sales in Turkey to attract the company before construction began. Those incentives, combined with a new commercial strategy, helped BYD's sales in Turkey exceed 45,000 vehicles in 2025. Experts estimate BYD may already have earned between $500 million and $1 billion in additional profits from the Turkish market due to the tax advantages.
A Turkish source familiar with the matter told Middle East Eye that penalties included in the agreement were unlikely to cover all tax losses, though the amounts could still be substantial.
Turkey has suspended import tax exemptions for the Chinese electric vehicle maker over delays in a planned $1 billion factory investment and warned BYD it may have to repay incentives if it fails to carry out the project, Nikkei Asia reported on June 11, citing an unnamed official from Turkey's Industry and Technology Ministry.
"As there has been no progress for some time, we have suspended since the beginning of 2026 the incentives the company had been using," the official stated.
"If the investment is not completed, companies are obliged to pay back the incentives, based on the legal arrangements and commitments they have made," the official added.
ADB Approves 645.83 Mln Euro Loan for New Rail Line in Turkey
The Asian Development Bank (ADB) has approved a 645.83 million euro loan ($750 million equivalent) to help finance the construction of a 127-km greenfield railway line in Turkey, the bank announced. The line, which will bypass central Istanbul, aims to ease a supply chain bottleneck on a double-tracked and electrified route designed to carry both passengers and freight.
"This flagship rail project will reinforce Turkey's strategic role as a key link between Asia and Europe by providing faster, high-capacity, and more reliable movement of freight," ADB Director General for Central and West Asia Leah Gutierrez stated. She added that the project would also connect the country's two main airports to the rail network.
In addition to ADB and World Bank financing, the project is expected to receive co-financing from the Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank, the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development, the Islamic Development Bank, and the Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries Fund for International Development. Total project cost is expected to be $8.27 billion.
EIB Resumes Turkey Financing with 200 Mln Euro Clean Energy Deal
The European Investment Bank (EIB) signed a 200-million-euro financing package with the Development and Investment Bank of Turkey and Turk Eximbank to support clean energy and energy efficiency investments by Turkish businesses.
The two lenders will on-lend the funds to Turkish small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) and mid-caps for renewable energy and energy efficiency projects. The EIB financing is expected to back investments that cut greenhouse gas emissions, strengthen supply chains and energy security, boost climate resilience and create new green jobs in Turkey.
"We welcome the EIB's return to Turkey," Turkish Treasury and Finance Minister Mehmet Simsek stated. "This financing will help our businesses invest in clean energy, improve efficiency and strengthen their competitiveness."
The EIB delegation also visited Hatay to observe reconstruction efforts in the region, which was heavily affected by the 2023 earthquakes.
Turkey Fund Puts Assan Defense Assets Up for Sale for $416.5 Mln
Turkey's Savings Deposit Insurance Fund (TMSF) has put the assets of defense contractor Assan Group up for sale for $416.5 million after the company was placed under state trusteeship as part of an "espionage" investigation in 2025.
According to a tender notice published in the Official Gazette, the package includes real estate used in the company's defense operations, allocated land, machinery and equipment, fixtures, assets subject to financial leasing agreements, trademarks, domain names and existing contracts.
The TMSF set the asking price at $416.5 million and will require bidders to deposit $41.65 million to participate.
The tender will be held in U.S. dollars using a combination of sealed bids and an open auction. The auction is scheduled for July 8 at the TMSF headquarters in Istanbul's Esentepe district. If the highest bid is below the asking price, the fund's board may continue the process through negotiations on July 10.
Turkey Appoints Trustees to Major Poultry Firms in Price-Fixing Probe
Turkish authorities detained 32 individuals on June 12 as part of an investigation into alleged unfair price increases within the poultry industry, while supervisory trustees were assigned to 13 companies, including several of the nation's largest producers.
The firms placed under trustee supervision include Banvit, Akpilic, Bakpilic, Aspilic, Bupilic, Erpilic, Gedik Pazarlama, Hastavuk, Keskinoglu, Senpilic, Orvital, Aypi, and Lezita.
Justice Minister Akin Gurlek announced in a statement on X that the operation was conducted simultaneously across eight provinces under the coordination of the Istanbul Chief Public Prosecutor’s Office.
Those taken into custody include senior executives and company officials, such as Banvit CEO Tolga Gunduz and Akpilic Chairman Mustafa Fahrettin Aksoy.
The investigation focuses on allegations that company representatives colluded to disrupt the poultry market, inflate prices, and harm consumers, according to the details shared by Gurlek. The Justice, Interior, Trade, and Treasury and Finance ministries are working in coordination on the case, the minister added.
Authorities stated that the supervisory trustees were appointed to the 13 firms to prevent disruptions in the supply chain of a staple food product.
HUMAN RIGHTS
EU Parliament Report May Urge Sanctions on Turkish Justice Minister
A European Parliament report scheduled for a vote on June 17 is set to call on the European Union to consider targeted human rights sanctions against Turkey's Justice Minister Akin Gurlek.
Vladimir Prebilic, a Slovenian member of the Greens/European Free Alliance and a shadow rapporteur for the report, made the remarks in an interview with T24 columnist Cansu Camlibel.
Prebilic stated that Gurlek was included in the report because European lawmakers regard him as a key figure in what they describe as the politically motivated use of Turkey's judiciary.
According to Prebilic, Ismail Emrah Karayel, an MP from the ruling AK Party and co-chair of the EU-Turkey Joint Parliamentary Committee, asked what steps Ankara could take to have Gurlek's name removed from the document.
Prebilic noted that he told Karayel the name could not be removed through political bargaining and that only concrete actions by the Turkish government to strengthen democracy and the rule of law could lead lawmakers to reconsider their position.
Turkey Tops Ecthr Pending Cases with 23,050
Turkey accounted for 40.6% of all applications pending before the European Court of Human Rights (ECtHR) at the end of May, with 23,050 cases awaiting a decision, according to the court's latest figures. The court reported that the total number of applications awaiting examination by judges stood at 56,800 as of May 31.
The data indicate that more than four in 10 pending applications before the Strasbourg court concerned Turkey.
As of January 1, 18,450 applications related to Turkey were pending, representing 34.5% of the court's total caseload at the time. By the end of May, the figure had risen by about 4,600.
After Turkey, the countries with the highest numbers of pending applications were Russia (6,650), Poland (3,700), and Ukraine (3,400).
ECHR Rules Turkey Violated Rights of Kurdish Politicians Kışanak, Tuncel
The European Court of Human Rights (ECHR) has ruled that Turkey violated the rights of prominent Kurdish politicians Gultan Kışanak and Sebahat Tuncel during their 2016 pretrial detention on terrorism-related charges.
In a judgment made public on June 9, nearly nine years after the two women filed their applications, the Strasbourg court stated that prosecutors had failed to establish reasonable suspicion or provide sufficient grounds to keep them behind bars.
The court noted that the speeches cited against Kışanak and Tuncel were political in nature and did not incite violence. It also found that Tuncel's detention had been used to stifle pluralism and limit the freedom of political debate.
The court rejected the Turkish government's argument that the detention of the two politicians was justified by suspicions of membership in an armed terrorist organization.
The ECHR awarded each applicant 16,000 euros in non-pecuniary damages.
Security forces detain 80 in Gulen-linked education probe
Turkish prosecutors ordered the detention of several people on June 9 as part of an investigation into the alleged education network of the Gulen movement.
The operation was coordinated by the Izmir Chief Public Prosecutor's Office. Authorities carried out simultaneous raids across 12 provinces and detained 80 people, including 62 women, while one suspect remained at large.
Lawmaker and human rights activist Omer Faruk Gergerlioglu reported that 40 of those detained were female students. The students were reportedly questioned about activities including renting homes together, sharing expenses, meeting friends, and travelling abroad for tourism.
Thirty-nine students were referred to court after their detention. The court jailed 33 female students pending trial, while six were released under judicial supervision.
FOREIGN POLICY
Erdogan Says Israel A Threat to Turkey; Netanyahu Calls Him "Antisemitic Dictator"
Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan accused Israel of threatening Turkey and the wider region, while Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu called the Turkish leader an “antisemitic dictator,” in an escalating exchange between the two leaders.
Speaking to lawmakers from his ruling AK Party on June 10, Erdogan said Israel had become a threat “not only to the Middle East but also to humanity.” “The attacks by Netanyahu and his network of murder against Syria and Lebanon have reached a point where they threaten Turkey as well as these two brotherly countries,” President Erdogan said.
Erdogan also accused Israel of seeking to destabilize African countries and the Mediterranean region. “Let no one pursue adventures,” he said. “If the rights and interests of Turkey and the Turkish Cypriots are targeted in the eastern Mediterranean, our response will be clear and strong.”
Netanyahu responded in a statement on X, saying Erdogan was “the last person who can preach morality to the State of Israel.”
“The antisemitic dictator Erdogan, who commits genocide against the Kurds, supports the Hamas terrorist organization, oppresses his own people and imprisons political rivals, is the last person who can preach morality to the State of Israel,” Netanyahu said.
Erdogan responded on June 11 by accusing Netanyahu of “following the path of Hitler.” “Those who follow Hitler’s path should not forget their fate will be like that of other tyrants in history,” Erdogan said.
Trump Says Israel-Turkey Conflict Unlikely Under His Presidency
U.S. President Donald Trump told reporters at the White House on June 10 that he did not expect a conflict between Israel and Turkey while he is in office, citing his personal relationship with Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan.
Trump was responding to a reporter who noted that Erdogan had been threatening Israel and asked whether there was a chance of conflict between Israel and Turkey.
"I don't think that will happen with Turkey, not as long as I'm president because he respects me and I respect him," Trump said.
Trump added that he had not heard Erdogan's latest remarks but would call him if needed.
US Justice Department Asks Judge to Dismiss Halkbank Case
The U.S. Department of Justice formally asked a federal judge on June 10 to dismiss its criminal case against Halkbank, stating it has no intention of prosecuting the Turkish state-run lender. The move followed a March agreement between Halkbank and the U.S. federal government to end the long-running case.
After the deal was announced, U.S. District Judge Richard Berman in Manhattan paused the case for 90 days to allow Halkbank to show compliance with the terms of the agreement. The bank hired Ernst & Young to review its compliance policies.
In a court filing on June 10, following the end of the 90-day period, prosecutors from the Manhattan U.S. Attorney's Office stated that the review had not identified any areas of noncompliance by Halkbank and asked Berman to approve their motion to dismiss the case.
The Justice Department has noted that dropping the prosecution would serve U.S. interests in curbing support for Iran.
Sharaa May Attend NATO Summit in Turkey, Trump Meeting Under Review
Syrian President Ahmed al-Sharaa is expected to attend next month's NATO summit in Ankara, while a possible meeting with U.S. President Donald Trump on the sidelines is under consideration, according to reports citing a Syrian official.
Rudaw English reported that a Syrian official confirmed al-Sharaa would attend the summit in Turkey and said a meeting with Trump was under consideration, though "no final decision has been made."
Turkey's state-run Anadolu news agency separately reported that al-Sharaa had been invited to the summit, but noted that his schedule had not yet been finalized. Anadolu cited a Syrian official as saying a possible meeting with Trump in Ankara was under discussion.
Venezuela's Acting President Meets Erdogan in Istanbul
Venezuela's acting president, Delcy Rodríguez, met with Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan in Istanbul on June 8. Erdogan welcomed Rodriguez with an official ceremony at the Dolmabahce presidential office before the two sides held bilateral and delegation-level talks. The meeting lasted about one hour.
"It was an honor to hold a cordial working meeting with President Erdogan, where we discussed cooperation in energy, transportation, mining, air connectivity, science and technology, industry, electricity, and trade," Rodriguez wrote on X.
She stated that she expressed Venezuela's gratitude to Erdogan for his "friendship" and noted that the two countries had agreed to convene the V. Joint Cooperation Commission in November to strengthen ties further.
Turkey, Saudi Arabia Sign Rail Cooperation Deal
Turkey and Saudi Arabia signed a railway cooperation memorandum of understanding in Riyadh on June 9, advancing plans to revive a modern Hejaz Railway through a rail corridor linking Saudi Arabia with Turkey via Jordan and Syria.
The agreement was signed by Turkey's Transport and Infrastructure Minister Abdulkadir Uraloglu and Saudi Arabia's Minister of Transport Saleh bin Nasser Al-Jasser.
"In this context, we are launching a new phase that will strengthen the exchange of expertise and technical cooperation across a wide range of areas, from logistics centers to modern applications," Uraloglu said.
The long-term vision includes extending the line toward Oman and the Indian Ocean, creating a route that bypasses the Strait of Hormuz.
Turkey Says France-Cyprus Defence Deal Violates International Law
Turkey's Defence Ministry stated on June 11 that a defence agreement signed by France and Cyprus allowing for the presence of French forces on the divided Mediterranean island violates international law and the 1960 treaties that established Cyprus's constitutional order.
Ankara has sharply criticised the deal, warning it could upset what it called the island's fragile balance.
The ministry also warned that Turkey would respond forcefully to any threat against Turkish Cypriots, adding that the Turkish Armed Forces had "the capability and determination to respond in the strongest terms to hostile actions that threaten the security of the Turkish Cypriots."
Turkey, Canada to Launch Free Trade Agreement Talks
Turkish Trade Minister Omer Bolat and Canada's International Trade Minister Maninder Sidhu met and agreed to launch exploratory discussions to conclude a free trade agreement, according to a joint ministerial statement issued on June 9.
The ministers identified energy as a promising area for expanded cooperation and agreed to explore opportunities in renewable energy and nuclear energy, including the potential use of Canadian CANDU technology to support Turkey's diversification goals, the statement stated.
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