Opinions - Turkey

The Prospects for the Talks between Turkey and Syria

The Prospects for the Talks between Turkey and Syria

by Enes Esen, published on 19 August 2022
The issue of Syrian refugees is one of the leading problems in Turkey, according to supporters of every major political party in the country. The Turkish government, which faces a tight election prospect within a year, has been making statements to show that they are aware of the problem and are handling the issue of refugees. To this end, the negotiations between Turkey and Syria that have been underway for quite some time have apparently reached a certain point of development.
Why will Turkey participate in the Shanghai Cooperation Organization summit?

Why will Turkey participate in the Shanghai Cooperation Organization summit?

by Enes Esen, published on 15 August 2022
On his way back from Russia to Turkey on August 5, Erdogan announced that Russian President Putin personally invited him to the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) summit, which will be held in Uzbekistan in September. He said he was planning to attend the summit to meet the leaders. Although Erdoğan expressed on several occasions his intentions to use the SCO as an important counterbalance against the West in the past, Turkey never actually took part in any SCO meeting before.
High Expectations, Low Results in Turkey’s Diplomatic Overture

High Expectations, Low Results in Turkey’s Diplomatic Overture

by Enes Esen, published on 25 June 2022
It was a busy week in Ankara in terms of high-level diplomatic visits. President Erdoğan received Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman in Turkey on Wednesday. This was for the first time in years when a high-level Saudi leader paid a visit to Turkey. US Treasury Deputy Secretary Wally Adeyemo also arrived on Wednesday in Ankara to meet Turkish officials in order to warn them about the dire consequences of helping Russia to get around the Western sanctions. On Thursday, Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlüt Çavuşoğlu met his Israeli counterpart Yair Lapid, who is about to become Israel's Prime Minister in the upcoming days with the collapse of the Israeli government.
İran Neden İsrail’e Misilleme İçin Türkiye’yi Tercih Ediyor?

İran Neden İsrail’e Misilleme İçin Türkiye’yi Tercih Ediyor?

by Enes Esen, published on 19 June 2022
Onlarca ülkede İsrail diplomatik misyonu bulunmasına ve İsraillilerin turist olarak dünyanın birçok ülkesine gidiyor olmasına rağmen, İran’ın bu suikastlere misilleme yapmak için Türkiye’yi tercih etmesinin çeşitli nedenleri bulunuyor.
Turkey's Plans for a New Offensive in Syria

Turkey's Plans for a New Offensive in Syria

By Enes Esen, published on 29 May 2022
The military operations carried out by the Turkish armed forces in Syria and Iraq play an important role in securing not only the country’s borders but also shaping Turkey’s domestic politics. On the one hand, Turkish generals want to extend the buffer zone between Turkey and YPG, an entity with a close relationship with the PKK, whenever an opportunity arises.
How to Make Sense of Turkey’s Objection to Finland and Sweden?

How to Make Sense of Turkey’s Objection to Finland and Sweden?

by Enes Esen, published on 21 May 2022
NATO member countries are seeking clarity on Turkey's view of the accession of Finland and Sweden to NATO. If it is taken at face value, accusing Sweden and Finland of being a nest of terrorist organizations may not make much sense. It is more likely that their bid to join NATO is collateral for Erdoğan’s long demands from the US government.

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.