The leaders of Turkey, Saudi Arabia and Pakistan signed the Mecca Joint Defense Agreement on August 7, declaring that an armed attack on any one of the three countries would be treated as an attack on all. The agreement is open to other countries, with Egypt and Qatar among the states that could potentially join.

On August 7, 2026, Turkey, Saudi Arabia, and Pakistan signed a trilateral defense pact in Mecca, each committing to treat an attack on one as an attack on all. Coming amid the Iran-US war and a renewed Houthi threat to Saudi Arabia, the agreement has drawn immediate comparison to NATO's Article 5. Our experts weigh in.

Turkey stands closer to ending its four-decade war with the PKK. A draft framework law, the product of more than two years of negotiations with the imprisoned PKK leader Abdullah Öcalan, reached parliament this week, and a plenary vote is expected soon. An end to the armed conflict would benefit Turkey and the wider region. The way the government has drafted the law and managed the process, however, carries several warning signs that temper such optimism.

Challenging the official coup attempt narrative is a red line in Turkey. Revelations about the night could shake the foundations of the current political order. This explains the lack of interest among the politicians and journalists in the coup trials. Nevertheless, the path to return democracy and rule of law for Turkey is still hidden in the darkness of that night.

The NATO summit held in Ankara on July 7 and 8 produced few surprises. By the standards of the alliance in its current condition, a summit that ends without a scandal counts as a success, and Ankara delivered one. Participants across delegations described a flawlessly organized event in which every need had been anticipated, a sentiment the summit declaration itself echoed in recording the allies' appreciation for Turkey's hospitality.

Turkey crossed another threshold in Africa this week. On June 30, Turkish F-16 fighter jets struck Al-Shabaab positions in Somalia in the first publicly acknowledged combat use of Turkish warplanes in the country. According to Somalia's Ministry of Defense, the strikes, conducted in support of the Somali National Army, targeted caves, weapons depots, and hideouts, killing approximately 35 militants and seriously wounding more than 20 others.

It has been five years since the failed coup attempt in Turkey and no one has any clear idea yet what actually happened that night. While the complete narrative and evidence about the failed coup have yet to be clarified, the scope of the reaction by the Turkish government to the coup attempt was quite horrifying.

In the past year, through our various publications, analyses and podcasts, instituDE has strived to shed light on Turkey; its domestic politics, economy, foreign policy and human rights situation. We have worked to provide valuable information and comments on Turkey for the foreign observers as well as the Turkish public. We put effort into raising awareness on the human rights violations and authoritarian practices in Turkey.