A version of this blog appeared on Carnegie Endowment
On May 9, Slovak Prime Minister Robert Fico met Russian President Vladimir Putin in Moscow to discuss energy cooperation and the war in Ukraine. The meeting highlights a broader trend in Central and Eastern Europe: Even after Viktor Orban’s fall from power in Hungary, several regional leaders continue to engage with Russia in search of economic...
Turkey’s path to the dictatorship
The first phase of Erdoğan’s plan to neutralize the main opposition party — carried out in cooperation with former CHP leader Kemal Kılıçdaroğlu — has been completed. The crisis escalated when figures close to Kılıçdaroğlu, along with individuals linked to organized crime, made their way to CHP headquarters. It intensified further after Kılıçdaroğlu submitted a petition to the Ankara Police...
The Weekly Turkey Report: The End of May
Recep Tayyip Erdoğan has once again declared his intention to remain president for life. To legitimize this...
The Weekly Turkey Report: 4th Week of May.
President Erdoğan is adopting methods reminiscent of Stalin’s propaganda tactics to erase Istanbul Mayor Ekrem İmamoğlu—the main...
The Weekly Turkey Report: 3rd Week of May
In terms of political operations, Turkey increasingly resembles a softened version of Stalin’s Russia. The regime periodically purges...
The Weekly Turkey Report: 1st Week of April
Following the events after March 19, one could say that Turkey experienced one of its relatively calmest...
False Peace and an Increasingly Repressive Regime
Turkey's agenda remains constant yet tense. This week’s key topics included the PKK’s disarmament, Erdoğan’s meeting with DEM...