Author: Turkiye Scoop

The West’s perception of the Syrian wing of the PKK, the YPG, remains unchanged, even as Türkiye is stepping up its operations against the terrorist group in Iraq or increasing coordination with its NATO ally the U.S. The terrorist organization is hailed by the West, especially the U.S., after the group was used as a “fighting force against Daesh.” Indeed, several states were actively engaged in the fight as Daesh threatened not only Syria and Iraq but rendered every country a potential target for terrorist attacks. As Daesh made increasing territorial gains, the U.S. in 2014 launched a coalition against…

Debates on Sunday’s election outcomes are vividly ongoing in Türkiye, where the ruling Justice and Development Party has suffered a significant setback while the main opposition has surprised everyone by increasing its votes since last May. The election commission will announce the official results on April 14. The main puzzle that political parties currently discuss is whether the success of the Republican People’s Party (CHP) is an emerging trend that will grow until the general elections in 2028 or whether the election results were an outcome of a temporary reaction toward the AK Party. Two days after the election, President…

Ten months after the presidential elections, Türkiye will once again go to the polls, this time to choose their local administrators. Although public attention is not as high as the May polls, political parties have set their ambitions high and will continue their harsh rivalry until the last day. After determining their candidates and drafting their election manifestos, parties have flooded the field to introduce and promote their candidates. The People’s Alliance, formed by the ruling Justice and Development Party (AK Party) and the Nationalist Movement Party (MHP), this time does not face a rival alliance since the opposition’s May…

Türkiye’s efforts to revive a crucial 2022 grain deal that helped fight off a global food crisis in the aftermath of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine seem futile. As the conflict continues fiercely, the warring sides remain far away from the idea of coming together and signing new agreements more than ever. President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan earlier this month voiced Ankara’s intention to discuss the continuation of the Black Sea grain deal which the U.N. and Türkiye brokered with the parties to ensure safe navigation of commercial vessels in the Black Sea. When the initial agreement expired in July 2023, Moscow…

A deal between Ethiopia and Somaliland has sent waves of debates throughout the region, has even raised questions about the stability of the Horn of Africa and resulted in a similar deal struck between Somalia and Türkiye recently. However, arguments that the region might fall into turmoil due to Ethiopia’s move are overstated. Addis Ababa, with the deal, only eyes goals concerning trade and economy rather than political gains. The Landlocked country of more than 100 million with an impressive growth record has long been bent on access to the sea to boost its economy further. “Ethiopia’s quest for access…

As Türkiye nears critical local elections at the end of this month, in which parties will race to make gains in cities and districts, the country’s potent youth will again play a strategic role. Local elections are slated for March 31, and Türkiye’s main parties have already entered fierce competition. Much like in general elections, the young population is a paradigm shifter, and political parties have been adapting their campaigns according to this knowledge. Social media and using Gen Z-friendly language while addressing the youth’s main concerns in daily life have become prominent during rallies and speeches. Around half of…

Nation branding has gained pace in Türkiye in recent years with a special emphasis on diplomacy, culture and defense besides the already popular tourism sector. Being a strategy that results from an effort to stand out on the international scene, the upcoming years will see Ankara focus on enhancing a positive perception while branding its strengths. Although Türkiye currently ranks 37th out of 60 countries in the Anholt-Ipsos Nation Brands Index of 2023, the country is set on increasing its rank and has created the Türkiye Brand Office within this scope in 2022. Ankara’s branding effort can potentially boost economic…

Having been the predominant lands of the Ottoman Empire for centuries, Türkiye and the Balkans region enjoy significant historical and cultural ties. However, in the past decades, these two old partners have forgotten how to healthily advance mutually beneficial cooperation and must reexplore dialogue. In the early years of the republic and following the dissolution of the Ottoman Empire, Türkiye refrained from engaging in any kind of territorial claims in the Balkans but rather started to establish official ties with the new states. In 1934, it also signed the Balkan Entente with the focus of ensuring regional peace, restore stability…

For the first time in over a decade, President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan is heading to Egypt on Feb. 14 for a meeting with his Egyptian counterpart Abdel-Fattah el-Sissi that could normalize long-strained ties and ultimately help ease increasingly alarming tensions in their immediate region. Intensifying communication and cooperation between Türkiye and Egypt, the two power players of the Middle East, would both help reduce regional tensions and establish a permanent, sustainable framework for true regional stability, according to Ferhat Pirinççi, an expert on the Middle East, Turkish foreign policy and a professor of International Politics at Uludağ University. “Normalization is…

A crucial visit by Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan to Libya highlights the continuing importance Türkiye attaches to the North African country and that it aims to reinvigorate efforts for unification. Türkiye’s Libya policy entered a new phase after normalization processes with several countries that had been involved in the oil-rich country. Especially the resuming of ties with Egypt, which shares a 1,115-kilometer (693-mile) border with Libya, and the United Arab Emirates (UAE), which sponsored Gen. Khalifa Haftar, in recent years, have significant implications for future policies. Noteworthy is also that following Fidan’s visit, President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan will visit these…