Turkey is all set to go for polls on June 24 to elect a head of state and a new parliament in what is widely seen as the most hotly contested and divisive poll in the country’s history, though it is a contest even many in the opposition privately admit will see incumbent Recep Tayyip…
Turkey is working to raise its profile across Africa, seeking to expand its trade, diplomatic ties and, significantly, its security profile throughout the continent — and especially in and around the Horn of Africa — to the discomfort of other regional powers concerned about a resurgent Turkish political and military presence. In the last days…
The past year has seen Turkey distance itself from some of its long-standing political alignments, easing away from the West and adopting a more Eastern-focused stance with regard to the Middle East, gravitating into an orbit that includes Iran, Qatar and Russia, though many analysts feel this shifting of poles is mere a matter of…
Long-simmering tensions between Turkey and Germany bubbled over this summer, with the once-strong ties approaching historic lows amidst exchanges over espionage, covert support of terrorism and allegations of economic blackmail. While conciliatory noises are coming out of Ankara, it may not be until late autumn or beyond before the temperature cools. The two countries risk…
Turkey will go to the polls on April 16 in what both the ruling party and the opposition describe as the most important vote in the country’s history, with the nation to decide on whether or not to change the very nature of its governmental system. On April 16, Turkish voters will be asked whether…
Turkey has threatened to turn its back on the European Union, abandoning a 50-year quest to join the bloc, even as Ankara’s relationship with the West cools amidst mutual accusations of poor faith, disinterest and incompatibility. Angered by what it sees as a lack of progress in its accession process, a perceived reluctance by the…
Turkey is engaged in an increasingly heated war of words on many fronts, even as its troops are engaged on the ground in Syria and are preparing to do battle in northern Iraq, against the express wishes of both Washington and Baghdad. The rift between Turkey and the US over Washington’s support of Kurdish rebel…
While Operation Euphrates Shield, the Turkish-led offensive into Syria to drive Islamic State of Iraq and Levant (ISIL) forces away from the border region, appears to have achieved strong initial success, occupying hundreds of square kilometers of Syrian territory, the longer-term objectives and the consequences of Turkey’s incursion remain unclear. On August 24, armored vehicles…
Battered by a rise in terrorist activity at home, cooling economies in many key markets and political controversy abroad, Turkey’s tourism industry is viewing 2016 as a lost year, with steep downturns in earnings, employment and arrivals affecting the sector and the broader economy. Tourism has become one of the most important industries in Turkey;…
What brought Turkish Airlines back into the spotlight? Ours is an interesting story. Turkish Airlines was established in 1933 with a fleet of five aircraft; today we are a Star Alliance member and a four-star airline with a fleet of 308 passenger and cargo aircraft. We fly to 285 destinations worldwide (236 international and 49…
