Opinions - Turkey

Turkey’s Security Approach in Northern Syria

Turkey’s Security Approach in Northern Syria

by Enes Esen, published on 19 December 2025
The Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) emerged as a dominant military and territorial actor in eastern Syria following the U.S.-led campaign against ISIS. Their control of large areas has created sustained tension with Turkey, which views the SDF as an extension of the PKK. Turkey’s opposition to an independent SDF military structure, alongside Damascus’s efforts to reassert authority in eastern Syria, has made the status of the YPG, the SDF’s armed wing, a central issue in the negotiations, including the most recent talks in December.
The Turkey Option: A Possible Exit for Maduro

The Turkey Option: A Possible Exit for Maduro

by İmdat Öner, published on 10 December 2025
The current negotiations and phone diplomacy have essentially boiled down to one key question: where Maduro will end up when he finally leaves power. Turkey has emerged as the most realistic destination for Maduro if he is pushed to leave power.
Turkey and South Korea: A Realistic Pathway to Middle-Power Security Cooperation

Turkey and South Korea: A Realistic Pathway to Middle-Power Security Cooperation

by Ju Hyung Kim, published on 25 November 2025
As geopolitical escalation intensifies across Eurasia, middle powers are facing more challenges—ensuring their national interests while not fixating on great powers’ shifting priorities. Situated far apart geographically, Turkey and South Korea rarely appear together in strategic discussions. However, the two countries share striking similarities. Both countries have built significant industrial capacities, face revisionist neighbors, act within the boundaries of the US-led alliance structure, yet maneuver more independently at the same time, pursuing strategic autonomy within the fragmented international order.
Turkish–Egyptian Cooperation With Boundaries

Turkish–Egyptian Cooperation With Boundaries

by Mustafa Enes Esen, published on 15 November 2025
The foreign ministers of Turkey and Egypt met in Ankara on Wednesday for the first session of the Joint Planning Group. Egyptian Foreign Minister Badr Abdelatty was also received by President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan. Such routine meetings, which Turkey holds with many countries, provide a useful moment to review where relations stand and how current dynamics may shape future cooperation.
Orta Asya’nın Yeni Ortak Arayışları

Orta Asya’nın Yeni Ortak Arayışları

by Mehmet Demirbaş, published on 8 November 2025
1990’ların başında Sovyetlerin dağılmasıyla birlikte, Türki cumhuriyetler bağımsızlıklarını kazandı ve Orta Asya yeniden jeopolitik bir hareketliliğe sahne oldu. Bu bölge artık yalnızca Rusya’nın değil, Çin’in, Amerika Birleşik Devletleri’nin ve hatta Türkiye’nin de ilgi alanında bulunuyor.
The Cost of Deteriorating Turkey–Israel Relations

The Cost of Deteriorating Turkey–Israel Relations

by Mustafa Enes Esen, published on 8 November 2025
The bilateral relationship between Turkey and Israel have experienced its ebbs and flows, but since the war in Gaza, the trajectory has remained mostly downward. The Trump administration has so far exerted pressure on Israel and Turkey to settle their differences. Yet this does not mean that the worsening of relations with Israel comes without costs for Turkey.

Reports - Turkey

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.
UNVEILING THE BRUTAL REALITY: SYSTEMATIC TORTURE OF FORMER DIPLOMATS

UNVEILING THE BRUTAL REALITY: SYSTEMATIC TORTURE OF FORMER DIPLOMATS

by instituDE, published on May 2024
This report offers an update to the United Nations Committee against Torture (the Committee) regarding the obstacles to implementing the Convention against Torture (the Convention) in Turkey. As a coalition formed by a collective of former Turkish diplomats, our focus is on the systematic torture faced by former diplomats detained at Ankara Police Headquarters. We delve into the Turkish context and present insights from our organization.
SUCCESSION: THE QUESTION OF POWER TRANSITION IN ERDOGAN’S TURKEY

SUCCESSION: THE QUESTION OF POWER TRANSITION IN ERDOGAN’S TURKEY

by Haşim Tekineş, published on 6 December 2023
His electoral victory in May 2023 gave President Erdoğan five more years to further consolidate his power, eviscerate institutions, fill the bureaucracy with yes-men and expand his corruption network. This, of course, raises questions about the Turkish political system’s chances of recovery, the prospects for democratization after Erdogan and the regime’s tolerance for his demise.
PERSECUTORY CONFISCATION AMOUNTING TO CRIMES AGAINST HUMANITY: CASE OF THE GÜLEN GROUP

PERSECUTORY CONFISCATION AMOUNTING TO CRIMES AGAINST HUMANITY: CASE OF THE GÜLEN GROUP

by Yasir Gökçe, Hakan Kaplankaya, Harun Reşit Halisoğlu and Mehmet Bozkaya, published on 6 November 2023
This report aims to reveal and analyze the criminal acts and/or omissions of the Turkish authorities against individuals alleged to be affiliated with, connected to, or members of the Gülen Group in the context of violations of the right to property as crimes against humanity.
EURASIANISTS IN TURKEY AND THEIR MEDIA ON THE WAR IN UKRAINE

EURASIANISTS IN TURKEY AND THEIR MEDIA ON THE WAR IN UKRAINE

by Enes Esen, Servet Akman, Ahmet Kalafat and Bahadır Gülle, published on 27 February 2023
Most of the Russian propaganda in Turkey is not overtly conducted by Russian state-affiliated media outlets. Eurasianists in Turkey carry out the Kremlin’s bidding to influence Turkish public opinion in favor of Russian war efforts. They blame the West, specifically NATO and the US, for instigating the war in Ukraine and causing regional instability. They also attack Turkey's political opposition for their milder views on NATO and the US and recommend that the Turkish government prioritize its relations with Russia.

Videos - Turkey

Ve Ticaret Savaşları Başladı!

March 5, 2025
by Mehmet Demirbaş and Haşim Tekineş, published on 5 March 2025
Amerikan Başkanı Donald Trump Kanada, Meksika ve Çin'e gümrük vergileri koydu. Trump AB'ye de vergi koyacağını belirtiyor. Bu vergiler Amerika'yı, dünya ekonomisini ve Türkiye'yi nasıl etkileyecek?

Why Is Erdoğan Unhappy with the US-Russia Talks?

February 20, 2025
by Haşim Tekineş, published on 20 February 2025
US President Donald Trump decided to initiate direct talks with Russia to end the war in Ukraine.

Turkey-Turkmenistan Gas Deal: Challenges and Opportunities

February 19, 2025
by Haşim Tekineş, published on 19 February 2025
The Turkish government announced this week a deal between Turkey’s state-owned #pipeline operator BOTAŞ and Turkmenistan’s Turkmengaz. Although it is an important deal, it has still significant challenges.

BM Akın Öztürk'ü Haklı Buldu!

February 14, 2025
by Hakan Kaplankaya and Haşim Tekineş, published on 14 February 2025
İnsan Hakları Uzmanı Hakan Kaplankaya ve instituDE Analisti Haşim Tekineş Birleşmiş Milletler Keyfi Tutuklamalar Çalışma Grubu'nun Akın Öztürk hakkında verdiği tutuklanmasının haksızlığına, keyfi olduğuna ve maddi temeli bulunmadığına dair ihlal kararını ele aldılar. Kararda insanlığa karşı suçlara ada atıf yapılması önemli.

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.