Author: Yusuf Ziya Durmus

When 2024 began, few people could anticipate the unprecedented developments in the months to come in Turkish politics where stalwarts and alliances were rarely shifted for years. The year began on a sad note with the killing of nine soldiers in northern Iraq in an attack by the PKK terrorist group. It was the highest death toll in recent years in a PKK attack against Turkish soldiers. The aftermath of the attack was a sign of a deep divide between parties as the opposition was reluctant to join a joint declaration for commitment to counterterrorism. Although ruling and opposition parties…

Addressing his ruling Justice and Development Party’s (AK Party) parliamentary group meeting on Wednesday, President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan condemned the main opposition Republican People’s Party (CHP) for exploiting a number of issues, from a debate on day care centers to the fate of unruly graduates of a military school. Erdoğan also voiced his support for the People’s Alliance the AK Party formed with the Nationalist Movement Party (MHP), especially in the fight against terrorism. The AK Party and the CHP have been longtime rivals but experienced a thaw in relations following the March 31 municipal elections. Erdoğan, who held several…