Opinions - Turkey

Kilicdaroglu Should Have a Strategy for Election Denialism

Kilicdaroglu Should Have a Strategy for Election Denialism

by Haşim Tekineş, published on 3 May 2023
As there are only days to Turkey’s general elections, the opposition candidate, Kemal Kilicdaroglu, is closer to a victory more than ever. Most polls show Kilicdaroglu ahead of Erdogan for months. Polls can always be misleading, but in Kilicdaroglu’s case, his nationwide popularity supports the numbers. Even in Van, an Eastern Anatolian city where the Republican Party has been historically weaker, an unprecedented crowd welcomed Kilicdaroglu. This is certainly good news for the opposition. But the question of election security still waits for an answer.
THE PROLIFERATION OF BAYRAKTAR TB2 DRONES AND THEIR RISKS

THE PROLIFERATION OF BAYRAKTAR TB2 DRONES AND THEIR RISKS

by Enes Esen, Engin Büker and Yüksel Akkale, published on 7 April 2023
Turkish armed drones, in particular, have become one of the most sought-after UAVs in recent years. The medium-altitude long-endurance (MALE) UAV Bayraktar TB2 drone, one of many produced by the Turkish arms industry, has been exported to 24 countries. Although the Turkish government has not publicly stated where Turkish armed drones have been exported, the list reportedly includes Qatar, Libya, Ukraine, Azerbaijan, Turkmenistan, Morocco, Ethiopia, Kyrgyzstan, Somalia, Pakistan, Djibouti, Burkina Faso, Rwanda, Togo, Niger, Nigeria, Polonia, Romania, Algeria, Iraq, the United Arab Emirates, Bangladesh, Tajikistan, and Senegal.
Netanyahu Erdoğan'ın el kitabını mı kullanıyor?

Netanyahu Erdoğan'ın el kitabını mı kullanıyor?

by Servet Akman, published on 3 April 2023
İsrail’de 2018-2022 yılları arasında yaşanan siyasi kriz nedeniyle dört yıl içinde toplam beş kere genel seçimler yapıldı. Yolsuzluk soruşturmalarıyla başı dertte olan Netanyahu, iki yıllık bir süre muhalefette kaldıktan sonra Kasım 2022 seçimlerinde başarılı oldu; seçimlere katılan aşırı sağcı ve dinci siyasi partilerle bir koalisyon kurup, yeniden Başbakanlık koltuğuna oturdu. Başbakan Netanyahu, göreve başlar başlamaz yargı sisteminde büyük değişiklikler öngören bir yargı paketi hazırlayıp İsrail parlamentosu Knesset’e sundu.
Suudi Arabistan’ın Türkiye’nin Suriye ve Mısır’la Normalleşme Süreçlerine Etkileri

Suudi Arabistan’ın Türkiye’nin Suriye ve Mısır’la Normalleşme Süreçlerine Etkileri

by Enes Esen, published on 29 March 2023
Türkiye’nin Suriye ve Mısır’la son dönemdeki normalleşme süreçlerini sadece ikili ilişkiler perspektifinden değerlendirmemek gerekiyor. Arap dünyasında lider konumunda olan Suudi Arabistan’ın bu ülkelerle ilişkileri ve Türkiye’ye yönelik tavrı bölge politikalarını doğrudan etkiliyor. Bu bağlamda, Suudi Arabistan’ın Mısır ve Suriye ile ilişkilerinde son dönemde önemli gelişmeler yaşanıyor.
Why Was the Meeting Between Turkey and Syria Cancelled?

Why Was the Meeting Between Turkey and Syria Cancelled?

by Enes Esen, published on 17 March 2023
The cancellation of the meeting can be interpreted as a snub to the Erdogan administration, especially since the abrupt nature of the cancellation did not allow Ankara to save face by providing a more reasonable excuse
ABD Dışişleri Bakanı Blinken’ın Türkiye Ziyaretinde Ne Beklenmeli?

ABD Dışişleri Bakanı Blinken’ın Türkiye Ziyaretinde Ne Beklenmeli?

by Enes Esen, published on 19 February 2023
Göreve yaklaşık iki yıl önce başlayan ABD Dışişleri Bakanı Antony Blinken 19 Şubat’ta Türkiye’ye ilk resmi ziyaretini düzenleyecek. İnsani diplomasi kapsamında yürütülen ABD’nin deprem yardım faaliyetlerini yerinde görmek dışında Blinken’ın gündeminde kuvvetle muhtemel İsveç ve Finlandiya’nın NATO’ya tam üyeliği ile Ukrayna Savaşı konuları bulunuyor.

Reports - Turkey

Electrifying Turkey's Roads: EV Adoption Scenarios & Their Impact on Oil Imports

Electrifying Turkey's Roads: EV Adoption Scenarios & Their Impact on Oil Imports

by Baki Kaya, Ömer Güler, Harun Güngör, and Mustafa Enes Esen, published on 10 September 2025
This study evaluates, through long-term projections to 2053, the potential impact of increased EV penetration on Turkey’s energy landscape. It provides a comparative assessment of how changes in the share of EVs within the total vehicle fleet, across several scenario frameworks, could influence fuel demand and petroleum import volumes. A second, closely related objective is to measure the scale of Turkey’s oil dependency in order to establish a basis for examining its policy implications.
Geopolitical Constraints of Turkey's Energy Hub Ambitions

Geopolitical Constraints of Turkey's Energy Hub Ambitions

by Mustafa Enes Esen, published on 8 July 2025
This study focuses on the geopolitical dimensions and constraints shaping Turkey’s ambition to become a natural gas hub. The emphasis is on Turkey’s diplomatic relations with key supplier countries, the political instability across the wider Middle East, and the limited capacity of neighboring states to produce and export gas reliably—factors that collectively can make or undermine Turkey’s hub ambitions.
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.

Videos - Turkey

Türkiye-Venezuela Benzeşmasi

January 15, 2024
by İmdat Öner, published 15 January 2024
Türkiye ve Venezuela ne kadar benzeşiyor?

Türkiye'de mülkiyet hakkının ihlali insanlığa karşı işlenen suç kapsamında

January 15, 2024
by Hakan Kaplankaya, published on 15 January 2024
İnsan hakları uzmanı Hakan Kaplankaya katıldığı programda Türkiye'de Gülen Hareketi'ne yönelik işlenen mülkiyet hakkı ihlallerini ve bunların insanlığa karşı suçlar düzeyine ulaştığını konuya ilişkin raporumuz çerçevesinde anlattı.

PERSECUTORY CONFISCATION AMOUNTING TO CRIMES AGAINST HUMANITY IN TURKEY

December 24, 2023
by Yasir Gökçe, published on 24 December 2023
instituDE Director Dr. Yasir Gokce eloborated on the widespread and systematic nature of property rights violations in Turkey as a part of CrimesAgainstHumanity targeting Gülen Movement, with reference to the recent instituDE report thereon.

Ne Af Ne Zaman Aşımı

December 23, 2023
by Hakan Kaplankaya, published on 23 December 2023
instituDE üyesi ve insan hakları uzmanı Hakan Kaplankaya katıldığı programda Yalçınkaya kararının yansımalarını, AİHM'in bu hafta 1000 başvuruyu daha komünike etmesini ve AİHM kararlarını uygulamamanın yargıçlar için sonuçlarını anlattı.

AİHM İhlal Musluğunu Tamamen Açtı

December 17, 2023
by Hakan Kaplankaya, published on 17 December 2023
İnsan hakları uzmanı Hakan Kaplankaya katıldığı programda Yalçınkaya kararının iç hukuktaki yansımalarını ve alınan yeni ihlal kararlarını değerlendirdi

ABD-Çin Rekabeti, Orta Doğu ve Yalpalayan Türkiye

November 27, 2023
By Ömer Murat and Haşim Tekineş, published on 27 November 2023
#DışGündem'in yeni bölümünde Haşim Tekineş'in konuğu dış politika ve siyaset uzmanı ve eski diplomat Ömer Murat oldu. Büyük güçler ve yükselen güçler arası rekabeti, mevcut küresel şartlar ile 1. ve 2. dünya savaşları öncesindeki koşullara benzerliklerini, Çin ve Hindistan'ın küresel konumunu, Orta Doğu ülkeleri ve sorunlarının bu mücadeledeki yerini Türkiye'nin dış politika yalpalamalarını ele aldılar.