Opinions - Turkey

Ankara Eyes Opportunities Amid Syria’s Turmoil

Ankara Eyes Opportunities Amid Syria’s Turmoil

by Enes Esen, published on 1 December 2024
Syrian rebel forces launched their largest offensive against the Assad government in years on Wednesday, capturing Aleppo and advancing south toward Hama. While it is clear that Ankara had prior knowledge of the Syrian opposition’s offensive, dubbed "Stopping the Aggression," it appears to have underestimated the scale and rapidity of the regime’s collapse in Aleppo.
Turkish-American Relations in the Biden Era: A Pragmatic Stability

Turkish-American Relations in the Biden Era: A Pragmatic Stability

by Haşim Tekineş, published on 28 November 2024
The Biden administration marked in a period of relative stability for Turkish-American relations, despite limited personal engagement between President Biden and Turkish President Erdoğan. While the absence of direct presidential rapport marked a significant departure from the Trump era’s personal diplomacy, institutional ties under Biden remained resilient and productive.
The Intelligence Community’s Growing Hold on Turkey’s Foreign Ministry

The Intelligence Community’s Growing Hold on Turkey’s Foreign Ministry

by Mustafa Enes Esen, published on 16 November 2024
Under the leadership of Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan, Turkey's Ministry of Foreign Affairs is seeing a noteworthy shift, with a growing number of senior positions now occupied by National Intelligence Organization (MIT) officers and political appointees. This transformation is reshaping the ministry’s traditional role, aligning it more closely with intelligence and security functions than with conventional diplomatic practices.
The Turkish House: Buildings Don’t Make Diplomacy

The Turkish House: Buildings Don’t Make Diplomacy

by Haşim Tekineş, published on 28 October 2024
In September 2022, Turkey opened the Turkish House (Turkevi) in New York City, right across from the United Nations Headquarters. This impressive 35-story building was meant to enhance Turkey's diplomatic efforts and serve as a hub for international dialogue during major global events, particularly the UN General Assembly, typically hold in September. However, the question remains: has Turkevi somehow transformed Turkey's diplomatic engagement, or has it simply become just another skyscraper on New York City's skyline?
Turkey's Syria Calculations Amid U.S. Troop Withdrawal from Iraq

Turkey's Syria Calculations Amid U.S. Troop Withdrawal from Iraq

Mustafa Enes Esen
Washington and Baghdad have reportedly agreed on the withdrawal of U.S. forces from Iraq, aligning with the U.S.'s broader tendency of disengaging from the Middle East. Under the proposed plan, the US troops are expected to leave Iraq by the end of 2026, with phased withdrawals that will likely have ripple effects beyond Iraq's borders. Turkey is likely to welcome the U.S. withdrawal from Iraq, viewing it as a gain that could expedite the U.S.'s exit from Syria.
Yeni Bir Savaşın Eşiğinde

Yeni Bir Savaşın Eşiğinde

by Haşim Tekineş, published on 24 September 2024
Gazze’deki şiddetin yoğunluğu göreceli olarak azalırken Orta Doğu Lübnan-İsrail sınırında yeni bir savaşın eşiğine geldi. Aslında geçen sene 7 Ekim’de Hamas’ın gerçekleştirdiği terör saldırısının ardından Hizbullah ve İsrail arasında da yeni bir çatışma başlamıştı.

Reports - Turkey

MODERNIZING THE TURKEY–EU CUSTOMS UNION: ISSUES AND PROSPECTS

MODERNIZING THE TURKEY–EU CUSTOMS UNION: ISSUES AND PROSPECTS

by instituDE, published in March 2025
The Turkey–EU Customs Union, established in 1995, has been a defining feature of trade relations between Turkey and the European Union. Over the past three decades, the global economic landscape has evolved significantly, necessitating a modernization of the agreement to address new trade realities, regulatory developments, and emerging geopolitical challenges.
TURKEY‘S MASS PURGE AS VIOLATIONS OF THE RIGHT TO PARTICIPATE IN PUBLIC SERVICE IN ICCPR

TURKEY‘S MASS PURGE AS VIOLATIONS OF THE RIGHT TO PARTICIPATE IN PUBLIC SERVICE IN ICCPR

by instituDE, published on 23 October 2024
'A gift from God' was one of Erdoğan's first descriptions related to coup attempt in July 15. At first no one realized that God's gift meant a chaotic environment in which he needed to declare a national emergency with no checks and balances and then transform Türkiye’s parliamentary democracy into an executive presidency.
JUDICIAL CORRUPTION IN TÜRKİYE

JUDICIAL CORRUPTION IN TÜRKİYE

by instituDE and Arrested Lawyers, published on October 2024
This submission to the Universal Periodic Review (UPR) highlights severe issues undermining the integrity of Türkiye's judiciary, particularly focusing on rampant judicial corruption and impunity as well as human rights abuses which they facilitate. Based on the most recent incidents of corruption concerning members of the judiciary who serve in courts in Istanbul, Izmir and Ankara, this report seeks to examine the high-level corruption within the judiciary and the Turkish government’s failure or even willful ignorance in addressing it.
TURKEY'S GROWING ROLE IN GLOBAL COCAINE TRAFFICKING

TURKEY'S GROWING ROLE IN GLOBAL COCAINE TRAFFICKING

by Dr. İmdat Öner, Halil Çavuş, Ömer Güler and Mustafa Enes Esen, published on 17 September 2024
This report focuses on Turkey's prominence as an emerging market for cocaine trafficking and organized crime in the last decade. Cocaine production in Latin America has dramatically increased since 2013, and Turkey’s status as an emerging market has attracted the attention of Latin American government officials on the front lines of the cocaine trade.
WEAPONIZING FINANCIAL SYSTEMS: ERDOĞAN'S TRANSNATIONAL REPRESSION TO MUZZLE DISSIDENTS ABROAD

WEAPONIZING FINANCIAL SYSTEMS: ERDOĞAN'S TRANSNATIONAL REPRESSION TO MUZZLE DISSIDENTS ABROAD

by Dr. Yasir Gökçe, Mayra Russo and Sara Kezia Heinonen, published on 29 August 2024
This report sets out to provide a comprehensive analysis of the tactics employed by the Erdoğan administration to achieve repressive goals abroad and the vulnerabilities and how they are enabled by the AML and CFT regulation in place.
ENFORCED DISAPPEARANCES BY THE ERDOGAN GOVERNMENT

ENFORCED DISAPPEARANCES BY THE ERDOGAN GOVERNMENT

by instituDE, published in June 2024
This submission highlights the ongoing systematic actions and omissions by Turkish authorities against the so-called members of the Gulen Group, framed as crimes against humanity. It demonstrates the violations of recommendations that even Türkiye has supported.

Videos - Turkey

AİHM'den Yunanistan Puschbacklerine İhlal Kararı | Yasak Başvurusu Büyük Dairede

January 8, 2025
by Haşim Tekineş and Hakan Kaplankaya, published on 8 January 2025
Bu yayınımızda insan hakları uzmanı Hakan Kaplankaya ve instituDE analisti Haşim Tekineş AİHM'in Yunanistan'ın Türkiye'ye geri ittiği sığınmacılar hakkında verdiği yeni ihlal kararını, Yasak başvurusunun Büyük Daire'ye sevkedilmesini ele aldılar.

Halep Düştü! Dengeler Değişti, Türkiye’yi Ne Bekliyor?

December 2, 2024
Halep'in düşmesi ne anlama geliyor? Suriye yeniden dünya gündemine oturdu. Esad rejimi son yıllarda elde ettiği kazanımları kaybetmiş oldu. Peki bu Türkiye'nin hesaplamalarını nasıl etkileyecek? Ankara - Şam normalleşme girişimleri bu gelişmeden nasıl etkilenecek? Türkiye - Rusya ilişkileri ve Türkiye - İran ilişkileri nereye evrilecek? Bu gelimeleri ve daha fazlasını instituDE'den Dış Politika Analisti Haşim Tekineş sizler için analiz etti.

Erdoğan'dan Trump Hazırlıkları

November 22, 2024
instituDE'nin bu yayınında Ali Dinçer ve Haşim Tekineş, ABD Başkanlık seçimlerini kazanan Yeni Başkan Donald Trump'la şekillenecek ABD dış politikasında ne gibi değişiklikler olacağını, Ortadoğu'daki ülkelerin Trump'a yönelik politika değişiklerini, Erdoğan'ın da Trump yönetimine yönelik dış poliitika hazırlıklarını, İsrail-Hamas ekseninde Türkiye'nin duruşunu ve Rusya-Ukrayna savaşında son dönemde yaşanan gelişmelerle savaşan taraflara dışardan verilen destekleri ve olası sonuçlarını ele aldılar.

İran'a Karşı Türkiye-İsrail Cephesi mi?

October 31, 2024
Bu yayınımızda Ali Dinçer ve Haşim Tekineş Türkiye'de güdeme gelen gelişmeleri okumanın ve anlamlandırmanın güçlüğünü, çözüm süreci konuşuluyorken Tusaş'a yönelik PKK saldırısı yaşanması ve CHPli Esenyurt Belediye Başkanı'nın gözlatın alınarak yerine kayyum atanmasını, bu gelişmelere dair dış etkenleri, İran'ı zayıflatan gelişmeler karşısında Türkiye'nin konumlanma ve yeni olgulara hazırlanma olasılığını, İsrail'in İran'a yönelik misilleme saldırısını ve 5 Kasım'da yapılacak ABD başkanlık seçimlerinde son durumu ele aldılar.

Ankara'nın Göbeğinde Terör

October 24, 2024
instituDE'nin bu yayınında Ali Dinçer ve Haşim Tekineş, TUSAŞ'a yönelik terör saldırısını, Türkiye'nin BRICS üyelik başvurusunu ve İsrail'in Hamas ve Hizbullah'a yönelik savaşlarına dair vaziyeti ele aldılar.

Erdoğan ve Bahçeli Cepheyi Mi Guçlendiriyor?

October 18, 2024
by Ali Dinçer and Haşim Tekineş, published on 18 October 2024
Bu hafta Ali Dinçer ve Haşim Tekineş Türkiye'de yeniden konuşulmaya başlayan çözüm süreci mevzuunu, konunun Orta Doğu'daki şiddet sarmalı ile irtibatını, AB finansmanı ile Türkiye'deki geri gönderme merkezlerinde yaşanan hak ihlallerini ve Kanada-Hindistan arasındaki diplomatik krizi ele aldılar.