Hello again! Today is April 8.Turkey has undergone weeks of massive protests following the arrest of Ekrem İmamoğlu, Istanbul Mayor and the opposition's presidential candidate.İmamoğlu had his university diploma revoked on April 18, disqualifying him from running for president. At the time, this seemed as a new low for Turkish democracy, using an alleged technicality to remove a political opponent. However, since then, each day brought with it new reasons to lament the state of Turkey's democracy, as well as just as many reasons to be confident in it, hopeful.&nbsp;<ul fr-original-style="padding-inline-start: 20px;" style="padding-inline-start: 20px; margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 1em; box-sizing: border-box;"><li fr-original-style="" style="box-sizing: border-box;">Things were moving fast, so we put together a&nbsp;timeline of events breaking down what happened day-by-day since March 18.</li></ul>The mood is mixed: Turkey's opposition is experiencing a crackdown unparalleled in recent history, perhaps ever, but opposition supporters are also coming together in a show-of-unity that is inspiring more people each day. The government says that the double trials facing İmamoğlu and more than a 100 associates are legitimate, while many call the trials a sham.<ul fr-original-style="padding-inline-start: 20px;" style="padding-inline-start: 20px; margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 1em; box-sizing: border-box;"><li fr-original-style="" style="box-sizing: border-box;">Who are the protestors? Yes, there are many who fill the square with their political party affiliations, cvil society organizations and so on. But there are also a staggering number of young people who are there by themselves asking for a change. Our reporter Ayça Örer lets them take the stage and tell us who they are and what they are protesting for.</li></ul>The demonstrations are the largest since Gezi Protests of 2013. Starting with Gezi, when the police brutally suppressed the protests, Erdoğan's AK Party turned increasingly more authoritarian. For many, the current protests are, similarly, a critical juncture: It's too early to say what happens next but we do know that something is about to change in a substantial way.Alp

This newsletter offers a comprehensive overview of global events from each continent, curated from diverse international media sources. On Mondays, you will receive Aposto World in your inbox and we will give you only the relevant information on just the important stuff, from an Istanbul perspective.

Global news, every Monday, from an Istanbul perspective.

Aposto World

İmamoğlu arrested. Massive demonstrations. Judicial crackdown. Police brutality and tear gas. Biggest protests in a decade. General boycott. CHP leader re-elected, announces rallies.

🌓 İmamoğlu's arrest, historic protests

Hello again! Today is March 17.Istanbul Mayor Ekrem İmamoğlu is touring Turkey to rally support for his presidential bid. As the main opposition party CHP’s candidate, he faces a series of legal challenges, with new cases emerging almost weekly. A potential political ban or disqualification could have far-reaching consequences, not just for the elections but also for the democratic process itself. The weight of these legal battles is palpable in the public’s mood.Meanwhile, crucial diplomatic negotiations are shaping the global landscape. This week, long-standing conflicts and alliances are at a turning point—decades of hostilities between Armenia and Azerbaijan may finally come to an end, while peace in the Balkans teeters on the edge. A potential ceasefire in Ukraine is under discussion, and a deal between Syria's interim government and the SDF has been reached.Here are the headlines&nbsp;from this week's bulletin:🇦🇿🇦🇲 Deal to end decades of conflict 🚧 Tariffs and consequences 📰 Independent journalism vs Google🎵 Tunes for the read, and for the rest of the week: <a fr-original-style="" href="https://open.spotify.com/album/1hvLeIVO5s6PvhsoE7Fxqf?si=KCiPe14dTdidrCOFloXl4A" rel="noopener noreferrer" style="color: rgb(9, 9, 9); text-decoration: none; background-color: transparent; outline: none; cursor: pointer; transition: color 0.3s; touch-action: manipulation; user-select: auto; box-sizing: border-box;" target="_blank">Hal Hal</a>Have a good week, an easy read, and see you next week.&nbsp;Alp

Turkey's opposition candidate İmamoğlu faces disqualification. Russia-Ukraine ceasefire. Turkey-EU reproachment. Biggest protests in Serbia. Historic peace deal on the table between Armenia and Azerbaijan. Tariff wars.

🎓 Syria's state-building, İmamoğlu's diploma

Hello again! Today is March 10.Something alarming is unfolding in Syria, yet there is no consensus on its cause. Some view Syria’s interim leader, Ahmad al-Sharaa—also known by the nom de guerre Abu Mohammad al-Julani, designated as a terrorist for his leadership of HTS—as a hardline figure with ambitions that could deepen sectarian divisions. Others attribute the massacres to Assad loyalists exploiting long-standing sectarian tensions. Most agree that these developments are reshaping the dynamics of international power politics, as key regional actors seek to expand their influence in a new Syria.In Turkey, March 8 saw an impressive display of strength by the country’s women’s rights movement, as tens of thousands marched in multiple cities during the evening hours despite a heavy police presence aimed at restricting and controlling the protests. This year’s annual march carried added significance, as the government declared 2025 "The Year of the Family," signaling a push toward a more traditional view of family. This was further underscored by the leak of a new legislative proposal, reportedly containing severe penalties targeting the LGBT+ community and those challenging traditional gender roles.<ul fr-original-style="padding-inline-start: 20px;" style="padding-inline-start: 20px; margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 1em; box-sizing: border-box;"><li data-end="514" data-start="145" fr-original-style="" style="box-sizing: border-box;">Constitutional scholar Serkan Köybaşı analyzed the new proposal and its political implications, drawing comparisons to other cases where anti-LGBT+ laws were introduced amid democratic backsliding.</li></ul>Here are the headlines&nbsp;from this week's bulletin:🇷🇴 Romania's critical moment 🚧 Tariffs and consequences 📰 Press freedom report, Turkey🎵 Tunes for the read, and for the rest of the week: <a fr-original-style="" href="https://open.spotify.com/album/29eSlagTBImYFNGV1xzZY9?si=QA3047eLQiiKEMKMs1LIOQ" rel="noopener noreferrer" style="color: rgb(9, 9, 9); text-decoration: none; background-color: transparent; outline: none; cursor: pointer; transition: color 0.3s; touch-action: manipulation; user-select: auto; box-sizing: border-box;" target="_blank">Güvercinleri de Vururlar</a>Have a good week, an easy read, and see you next week.&nbsp;Alp

İmamoğlu launches campaign. New proposal targets LGBT+ community in Turkey. Massacres in Syria. Israel cuts off electricity in Gaza. Romania bans frontrunner from election. New phase in diplomacy. Pressure on Rwanda.

🎡 Syria massacres, megaphone diplomacy

Hello again! Today is March 3.Outlawed Kurdish group the PKK has declared a ceasefire with Turkey after its jailed leader Abdullah Öcalan called on the movement to lay down its arms and dissolve. It is too soon to say how the process will affect Turkey's internal politics but analysts are expecting an eventful couple of weeks.The world is witnessing a new stage regarding Russia's war in Ukraine. Attempts at finding a deal to end the war are taking place with different actors, and the fallout from the spectacular collapse of talks between Ukraine and the US that took place in the Oval Office is being played out in Europe.Here are the headlines&nbsp;from this week's bulletin:🇺🇸🇺🇦Unprecedented outburst in the Oval Office 🇪🇺 Europe's support for Kyiv 🕊️ Peace process in Turkey gains momentum following call🎵 Tunes for the read, and for the rest of the week: <a fr-original-style="" href="https://open.spotify.com/album/3SJqv0xkyZ70OHsOXSgiER?si=poPRFEH5RPOmw7r0ZI_v7w" rel="noopener noreferrer" style="color: rgb(9, 9, 9); text-decoration: none; background-color: transparent; outline: none; cursor: pointer; transition: color 0.3s; touch-action: manipulation; user-select: auto; box-sizing: border-box;" target="_blank">Türküler Yanmaz</a>Have a good week, an easy read, and see you next week.&nbsp;Alp

PKK leader Öcalan's historic call. White House fiasco. Europe's support for Kyiv. London summit. Five Eyes. Starving Gaza. Lavrov in Istanbul and Tehran.

🕊️ Call to disarm, burst of anger

Hello again! Today is February 24.CHP’s Ekrem İmamoğlu, the Mayor of Istanbul, announced that he would compete in his party’s primary to determine the main opposition candidate for the next presidential election. While he is widely expected to win, concerns are mounting over the growing number of judicial investigations and cases against him, some of which carry prison sentences and political bans.These fears are further exacerbated by the judiciary’s increasing prosecution of those who criticize the government—or the judiciary itself. This has led to some ironic situations, such as top officials of a business association condemning the politicization of the judiciary, only to find themselves under criminal investigation.Meanwhile, Trump’s presidency, which began at full speed, continues to surprise Americans, allies, and rivals alike. This week, Putin is preparing for the return of American companies to Russia, Zelensky is under pressure to hand over Ukraine’s mineral resources to the US as payment for past debt, and federal US employees have been given 48 hours to justify their employment.Here are the headlines&nbsp;from this week's bulletin:🇺🇸🇺🇦Asking for repayment, in the form of minerals 🇩🇪 Germany's choice 🇧🇷 Former president accused of coup and poisoning attempt🎵 Tunes for the read, and for the rest of the week: <a fr-original-style="" href="https://open.spotify.com/album/6b1CfOvDGHZOCL0MfnPEcg?si=SQxxIZeEQimKYmQ5Oj8tQw" rel="noopener noreferrer" style="color: rgb(9, 9, 9); text-decoration: none; background-color: transparent; outline: none; cursor: pointer; transition: color 0.3s; touch-action: manipulation; user-select: auto; box-sizing: border-box;" target="_blank">Sattas Reggaegband</a>Have a good week, an easy read, and see you next week.&nbsp;Alp

AK Party's new transfers. Hamas' peace offer. Israel's Syria occupation. Possible Iran-US mediation. Zelensky targeted by Trump. Biggest crypto theft. Brazil joins OPEC+. US boycotts G20 summit.

🛫 Merz victory, İmamoğlu candidacy

Hello again! Today is February 17.European leaders are meeting today in an emergency summit in Paris, just days after the Munich Security Conference made it clear—to them and the rest of the world—that the decades-long relationship between the US and Europe is set to change. This could mark the beginning of a new epoch in international relations.Meanwhile, another summit is taking place in Riyadh, where high-level US-Russia talks aim to broker a deal to end the war in Ukraine. However, Kyiv remains absent from the negotiations, underscoring the true power dynamics at play.In Turkey, pressure on the opposition is mounting. The prosecution of critics over the state of the rule of law has now extended to a powerful business group, while lawsuits against President Erdoğan's potential rival, Ekrem İmamoğlu, continue to pile up.Here are the headlines&nbsp;from this week's bulletin:🇺🇸🇷🇺 Ukraine peace deal ⚖️ Turkey's judiciary targets the opposition 🇪🇺 Europe's security, reconsidered🎵 Tunes for the read, and for the rest of the week: <a fr-original-style="" href="https://open.spotify.com/album/6b1CfOvDGHZOCL0MfnPEcg?si=SQxxIZeEQimKYmQ5Oj8tQw" rel="noopener noreferrer" style="color: rgb(9, 9, 9); text-decoration: none; background-color: transparent; outline: none; cursor: pointer; transition: color 0.3s; touch-action: manipulation; user-select: auto; box-sizing: border-box;" target="_blank">Sattas Reggaegband</a>Have a good week, an easy read, and see you next week.&nbsp;Alp

Fallout from Munich. Europe meets in Paris, US and Russia summits at Riyadh. Turkey's peace process, ongoing. Javier Milei's cryptocurrency blunder. Attacks in West Bank. Sudan's day-after.

⚠️ Europe's emergency, Turkey's choice

Hello again! Today is February 10.Turkey is experiencing a political acceleration with regards to two processes that have been unfolding for some time now: The peace process&nbsp;to end decades of conflict with the PKK, and an increased judicial pressure on the opposition. The latter subject drives the news with new arrests each week of journalists and indictments against politicians. The main opposition party CHP is dealing with its own internal conflicts as leading figures compete for the party's presidential nominations, even as the general election is planned for 2028.The world is experiencing the effects of a Trump presidency which is off to fast start. Some tariffs are going into effect, some are suspended, and more are to come. Ceasefire in Gaza is holding for now but what the future looks like is contested. In another front, both Moscow and Kyiv seem open to the prospect of a deal.Here are the headlines&nbsp;from this week's bulletin:🇺🇦🇷🇺 Ready to talk about peace terms ⚖️ Turkey's judiciary targets the opposition 🇺🇸 US turns its back on the UN🎵 Tunes for the read, and for the rest of the week: <a fr-original-style="" href="https://open.spotify.com/album/6Pck74JfHDGsFPCgfxoRJE?si=wviuxM00TB2nM0Q88I1mjQ" rel="noopener noreferrer" style="color: rgb(9, 9, 9); text-decoration: none; background-color: transparent; outline: none; cursor: pointer; transition: color 0.3s; touch-action: manipulation; user-select: auto; box-sizing: border-box;" target="_blank">Lafıma Gücenme</a>Have a good week, an easy read, and see you next week.&nbsp;Alp

Important stretch in Turkey's peace process. Increased pressure on the opposition. The new Syria. Tariffs. ICC sanctions. EU's defense troubles. Nicaragua's controversial constitution. Ceasefire in Congo.

💬 Relocating Gaza, peace call

Hello again! Today is February 3.World leaders and markets are responding to a new stage in looming&nbsp;trade wars. Trump decided to slap neighboring Mexico and Canada with 25% import taxes, as well as 10% on goods from China. He announced his intention to hit the EU with tariffs as well. As all these countries related plans to retaliate, markets are turning downwards and consumer prices are expected to rise.Here are the headlines&nbsp;from this week's bulletin:🇨🇩 Peacekeepers, Congolese killed in rebels advance ⚖️ Turkey's opposition faces multiple legal battles 🇺🇸 A new era: Trade wars and layoffs🎵 Tunes for the read, and for the rest of the week: <a fr-original-style="" href="https://open.spotify.com/album/7iPHHGdxDwwwRqDlgaj970?si=g6WKRiUBSnus34YY1MPPlw" rel="noopener noreferrer" style="color: rgb(9, 9, 9); text-decoration: none; background-color: transparent; outline: none; cursor: pointer; transition: color 0.3s; touch-action: manipulation; user-select: auto; box-sizing: border-box;" target="_blank">Food In The Belly</a>Have a good week, an easy read, and see you next week.&nbsp;Alp

Tariffs on China, Mexico, Canada; more in sight. More arrests in Turkey. Europe's defence spending. Germans march against "unruly alliance". Syria's new president, with a new name. Bibi in DC. Panama Canal pressure.

❄️ Trade wars, trouble in Congo

Hello again! Today is January 27.It has been exactly one week since Trump took office and he has scored some notable wins. These include a score of executive orders on immigration, climate, diversity, and economy; as well as having his critical appointments being confirmed by the Senate. His stand-off with Colombia's President, Gustavo Petro, ended with another win for Trump, signaling to the world that his new administration is willing put forward threats and follow through with them.In Turkey, there is a grim mood following the deadly fire this week. People, angered, demand accountability and change.<ul fr-original-style="padding-inline-start: 20px;" style="padding-inline-start: 20px; margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 1em; box-sizing: border-box;"><li fr-original-style="" style="box-sizing: border-box;">There has been 24 big-scale disasters resulting in loss of lives under Erdoğan and his party's 22-year rule. In total, more than 5,000 people have been killed in these instances but there have been no resignations from the government.</li></ul>The increased pressure on the opposition contributes to the general upset. Istanbul Mayor Ekrem İmamoğlu, who is seen as the most likely contender against President Erdoğan, faces new chargers each week; bar association members are charged with terrorism, far-right party leader Ümit Özdağ is arrested.Here are the headlines&nbsp;from this week's bulletin:🚒 Deadly fires in Turkey's Kartalkaya ski resort ⚖️ Turkey's opposition faces multiple legal battles 🇺🇸🇨🇴 Trump's face-off with Colombia's Petro🎵 Tunes for the read, and for the rest of the week: <a fr-original-style="" href="https://open.spotify.com/album/3l8pa7mvg6zp66uremwyc2?si=mA3fjGCjQeinHPJ9tI4-Cw" rel="noopener noreferrer" style="color: rgb(9, 9, 9); text-decoration: none; background-color: transparent; outline: none; cursor: pointer; transition: color 0.3s; touch-action: manipulation; user-select: auto; box-sizing: border-box;" target="_blank">Radio Ringo</a>Have a good week, an easy read, and see you next week.&nbsp;Alp

Strong start for Trump. Turkey grieves fire loss. Turkey's peace process with Kurds. Same-sex marriage in Thailand. First African BRICS nation. Congo vs Rwanda. Fragile ceasefires.

⬛️ Deadly fire, Trump's first week

Hello again! Today is January 20.Donald Trump is starting his second term as the President of the US today. Many comparisons are being made to the start of his first term, and the consensus seems to be that he is more confident and has the open backing of more actors at home and abroad.Meanwhile in Turkey, after a week of legal pressure on opposition actors, the Istanbul Chief Public Prosecutor's Office has opened an&nbsp;investigation into Ekrem İmamoğlu, the Mayor of Istanbul and potentially President Erdoğan's strongest political opponent.Turkey is simultaneously undergoing a peace process&nbsp;with pro-Kurdish armed group PKK to end a half-century of violence and prosecuting political opponents of President Erdoğan.Here are the headlines&nbsp;from this week's bulletin:⌛︎ Fragile ceasefire takes effect ⚖️ Turkey's opposition faces multiple legal battles 🇺🇸 Trump takes office, again🎵 Tunes for the read, and for the rest of the week: <a fr-original-style="" href="https://open.spotify.com/album/2KWjneqCyMbvEvp7QayR2l?si=t6fBDDAHSIygs_JmPtbOVw" rel="noopener noreferrer" style="color: rgb(9, 9, 9); text-decoration: none; background-color: transparent; outline: none; cursor: pointer; transition: color 0.3s; touch-action: manipulation; user-select: auto; box-sizing: border-box;" target="_blank">Yol</a>Have a good week, an easy read, and see you next week.&nbsp;Alp

Trump's second term. Ceasefire. Russia-Iran partnership. South Korea's President arrested. Cuba prisoner deal. TikTok's Trump leverage. Farewell to Biden. İmamoğlu faces probe.

🥊 Trump again, İmamoğlu crackdown

Teknoloji hakkında yayımlanmış makaleler ve yayınlar

Teknoloji

Politika hakkında yayımlanan makaleler ve yayınlar

Politika

İş dünyası hakkında yayımlanan makaleler ve yayınlar

İş Dünyası

Ekonomi hakkında yayımlanmış makalaler ve yayınlar

Ekonomi

Following the arrest of opposition presidential candidate Ekrem İmamoğlu, Turkey is undergoing weeks of political protests that are shaking up the country's political landscape.

Weeks of turmoil, crackdown and protests: A day-by-day account after İmamoğlu’s arrest

There are people who could not find a place for themselves under the political party flags that filled Saraçhane—the heart of the protests that erupted following the arrest of the opposition’s presidential candidate and Istanbul Mayor Ekrem İmamoğlu. We are talking about a community that defies labels: people carrying ultranationalist symbols, people waving Turkish flags, people holding humorous, Gen-Z-style placards, and others whose signs read “Revolutionary children of conservative families”... But when the police crackdown began, this diverse group—one that requires a sociological explanation for how it came together—stood united. We asked the protestors, who now share a voice and a set of concerns: What brought you to the streets?

There by themselves, united: Why did Turkey's youth take to the streets?

The dismissal of historian of the Ottoman Empire Cemal Kafadar from his position as Director of Harvard University's Center for Middle Eastern Studies, and the detention of Rümeysa Öztürk, a PhD student at Tufts University in Massachusetts, are the latest links in a chain that began in the pre-Trump era at US universities, which sees Palestine as an “exception” to freedom of expression and academic freedom. What is happening at US universities?

The Palestine exception to academic freedom: What is happening in US universities?

Siber Güvenlik Kanun Teklifi, TBMM’de kabul edildi. Cumhurbaşkanı’nın onayına sunulan teklif, temel hak ve özgürlükler üzerinde çeşitli risk ve tehditler barındırıyor. Peki kanun teklifi neden hazırlandı, süreç nasıl gelişti, teklif neler barındırıyor, riskleri ne, hangi tartışmalar yaşandı ve yürürlüğe girerse hayatımızda neler değişecek?

Siber Güvenlik Kanun Teklifi: Neden hazırlandı, riskleri ne, neleri değiştirecek?

In under 24 hours, Turkey witnessed a political earthquake as the opposition’s presidential candidate Ekrem İmamoğlu, Istanbul Mayor, had his university diploma revoked and was detained along with more than 100 others.On Tuesday afternoon, deep-rooted Istanbul University’s (IU) executive board issued a statement revoking the diploma of Ekrem İmamoğlu and dozens of others who transferred to IU from other universities.Why does it matter? Turkey’s electoral law requires the president to have a valid university diploma. Erdoğan himself has faced <a fr-original-style="" href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Recep_Tayyip_Erdo%C4%9Fan_university_diploma_controversy" rel="noopener noreferrer" style="color: rgb(9, 9, 9); text-decoration: none; background-color: transparent; outline: none; cursor: pointer; transition: color 0.3s; touch-action: manipulation; user-select: auto; box-sizing: border-box;" target="_blank">questions</a> over the validity of his university diploma, claims that he dismissed.Legal scholars maintained that İmamoğlu’s transfer was lawful, and added that the university’s executive board did not have the authority to cancel the diploma, saying that only the faculty that issued the diploma has the right.Regardless, as things stood on Thursday evening, İmamoğlu was effectively barred from standing against the candidate of AK Party, which has ruled for over 20 years under Erdoğan’s leadership.<ul fr-original-style="padding-inline-start: 20px;" style="padding-inline-start: 20px; margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 1em; box-sizing: border-box;"><li dir="ltr" fr-original-style="" style="box-sizing: border-box;">Recommended read: <a fr-original-style="" href="https://aposto.com/s/who-will-be-turkeys-next-president" rel="noopener noreferrer" style="color: rgb(9, 9, 9); text-decoration: none; background-color: transparent; outline: none; cursor: pointer; transition: color 0.3s; touch-action: manipulation; user-select: auto; box-sizing: border-box;" target="_blank">Turkey’s main opposition party to determine its presidential candidate in March</a> | Aposto World</li></ul>In the early hours of Wednesday morning, the police raided the homes of İmamoğlu and 100 others to detain them. These names included İmamoğlu’s close advisors, business associates, and other mayors working under Istanbul Municipality.These simultaneous detentions were made under two separate investigations: In the first investigation, İmamoğlu was described as the “leader of a criminal organization” and accused of corruption along with 99 other people. In the second investigation, an arrest warrant was issued for İmamoğlu and 6 others on charges of “aiding a terrorist organization”.Imamoğlu posted a video on Wednesday morning apparently reacting to the move, with the caption “A blow to the will of the nation”.Looking ahead: If İmamoğlu is convicted under terror charges, the Interior Ministry will appoint a new trustee-mayor.<h2 dir="ltr" fr-original-style="" style="margin: 0px; color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.85); font-weight: 500; padding: 0px; box-sizing: border-box;">State of emergency</h2>The governor’s office issued a statement at the same time as the arrests:<blockquote fr-original-style="color: rgb(9, 9, 9);" style="color: rgb(9, 9, 9); margin: 0px 0px 1em; border-left: 2px solid rgb(94, 53, 177); padding-left: 5px; box-sizing: border-box;">“All kinds of meetings, demonstrations and press statements have been banned for 4 days between March 19-23 in order to maintain public order throughout the province and to prevent any provocative actions that may occur.”</blockquote>March 23 is especially important as this is the date that the main opposition party CHP was planning to hold its primary, formally announcing İmamoğlu as their candidate for the presidential election. Moreover, Turkey’s penal law allows for detentions to last up to 4 days. These mean that İmamoğlu could formally become the candidate while detained.The ruling AK Party took additional steps to prevent the masses from protesting the decision. Namely, bandwidth restrictions were applied to digital platforms such as X, Instagram, YouTube, Facebook, TikTok, Telegram, Signal. Access to WhatsApp is also restricted.<h2 dir="ltr" fr-original-style="" style="margin: 0px; color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.85); font-weight: 500; padding: 0px; box-sizing: border-box;">Markets react, Lira tumbles</h2>Markets reacted quickly to the news of early morning arrests. Lira, already suffering from years of hyperinflation and economic crisis, saw historic lows against foreign currency and gold. At one point, the USD to TRY exchange rate reached above 41, a sudden jump from yesterday’s 36. Making a statement after the sudden exchange rate movements, Treasury and Finance Minister Mehmet Şimşek said, “Everything necessary for the healthy functioning of the markets is being done. The economic program we are implementing continues with determination.”Bankers say at least $5 billion in foreign currency was sold by the central bank on Wednesday, but some calculate it may have already reached $10 billion for the day.The stock exchange also dropped significantly, forcing the Istanbul Exchange to apply circuit breakers and halt trading at intervals.&nbsp;<h2 dir="ltr" fr-original-style="" style="margin: 0px; color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.85); font-weight: 500; padding: 0px; box-sizing: border-box;">Reactions</h2>From political scientists to opposition MPs, many are likening today’s developments to a coup. CHP leader Özgür Özel said the following:<blockquote fr-original-style="" style="margin: 0px 0px 1em; border-left: 2px solid rgb(94, 53, 177); padding-left: 5px; box-sizing: border-box;">“Deciding in place of the people, using force to replace or prevent the will of the people is a coup d'état. At the moment, a force is in place to prevent the nation from electing the next president. We are facing a coup attempt against our next president.”</blockquote>Internationally, mayors from around the European Union are expressing support for Istanbul.<h2 dir="ltr" fr-original-style="" style="margin: 0px; color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.85); font-weight: 500; padding: 0px; box-sizing: border-box;">Many legal battles</h2>İmamoğlu clenched the powerful office of Mayor of Istanbul, one that Erdoğan himself used to hold, from the ruling AK Party back in the local elections of 2019. Since that first election, he was Erdoğan's primary target. In a scandalous decision, the election board asked for the Istanbul election to be repeated, and Imamoğlu won the second election with a much wider margin.He was elected as Mayor again in 2023 but his time in office is marked by a myriad of lawsuits directed against him, the municipality, and allies. In fact, he was put on trial for having insulted a public official. He was accused of calling the ones who canceled the Istanbul mayoral election of March 2019 "fools". The first hearing was in January 2022 and in December 2022 he was sentenced to 2 years, 7 months, and 15 days imprisonment and given a political ban in accordance with Article 53 of the Turkish Criminal Code. İmamoğlu has appealed the verdict, and his ban from politics does not apply as long as he is pending trial.His legal troubles are not limited to this by any means. Istanbul Chief Public Prosecutor's Office launched an investigation against Istanbul Mayor Ekrem İmamoğlu in January, saying that the popular mayor's remarks criticizing Istanbul Chief Public Prosecutor Akın Gürlek constituted a "threat."Recommended read: <a fr-original-style="" href="https://aposto.com/s/ekrem-imamoglu-under-investigation-amid-crackdown?utm_source=aposto" style="color: rgb(9, 9, 9); text-decoration: none; background-color: transparent; outline: none; cursor: pointer; transition: color 0.3s; touch-action: manipulation; user-select: auto; box-sizing: border-box;" target="_blank">Ekrem İmamoğlu under investigation amid crackdown</a> | Aposto World

With days left until confirmation of his presidential bid, Istanbul Mayor and President Erdoğan's key rival Ekrem İmamoğlu has been detained with dozens of others. Just a day earlier, he was effectively barred from running as a candidate.

Turkey’s pivotal moment: Presidential candidate İmamoğlu detained

How can we ensure AI remains a tool for amplifying human experience rather than diminishing it? That question lingered as I became part of the project’s early testing phase—watching my own thoughts, challenges, and hopes materialize within Behnaz Farahi’s vision.

Gaze to the Stars: A conversation with Behnaz Farahi on reimagining storytelling with AI

In recent years, right-wing populist governments, which also feed on religious elements to consolidate their supporters, have preferred to antagonize and oppress LGBTI+ persons. Russia is one of these countries. If the legal amendment proposal whose details have been leaked in fact is being prepared, it means that the AK Party has decided to board the train of Russia and join LGBTI+'s further marginalization and antagonization.

The anti-LGBTI+ tactic of populist regimes

DEM Party held a press conference on Thursday, following a third visit to İmralı Island—where PKK leader Abdullah Öcalan is jailed—to share with the public Öcalan's long-awaited call for the PKK to lay down arms.The DEM Party delegation related Öcalan's words first in Kurdish and then in Turkish. As expected, Öcalan called for the PKK and its offshoots to lay down arms and disband.The importance of the call cannot be overstated: the PKK is the longest-running armed insurgency in Turkey and has carried out terror attacks that have killed hundreds for over four decades.Some background: The PKK is recognized as a terrorist group by Turkey, the US, the UK, and the EU, among others. Öcalan, the group's leader, has been held in near-total isolation on the prison island of İmralı since 1999, with only rare communication with the outside world<h2 fr-original-style="" style="margin: 0px; color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.85); font-weight: 500; padding: 0px; box-sizing: border-box;">How did we get here?</h2>On the first day of the new legislative year, October 1, nationalist MHP leader Devlet Bahçeli shook hands with DEM Party MPs—a highly unusual gesture coming from a senior politician who has branded the Kurdish political movement as terrorists or terror supporters for decades.Bahçeli took the stage for his party's parliamentary meeting on October 22 and made a statement no one saw coming: he called for jailed PKK leader Öcalan's solitary confinement to end and for him to take part in a peace process that would end the decades-long clashes between the Turkish military and Kurdish armed forces.Only a few days after Bahçeli's unexpected speech, Öcalan was granted a visit for the first time in 43 months to meet with a family member on İmralı Island, where he is jailed. His nephew, an MP for the DEM Party, related Öcalan's reply to the recent developments:<blockquote fr-original-style="color: rgb(9, 9, 9); border-color: rgb(255, 225, 68); border-width: 4px; font-style: italic; padding-left: 10px;" style="color: rgb(9, 9, 9); border-color: rgb(255, 225, 68); border-width: 4px; font-style: italic; padding-left: 10px; margin: 0px 0px 1em; border-left-style: solid; box-sizing: border-box;">"The solitary confinement is still in effect. If the necessary conditions are met, I theoretically and practically capable of carrying this process from a platform of conflict and violence to one of law and politics."</blockquote>Over the past few months, a delegation from the DEM Party visited Öcalan on three occasions: December 24, January 22, and today, February 27. In between these visits, the delegation met with other political parties, organized grassroots meetings, and engaged with local and international actors, including the Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG) in Iraq. The delegation also visited jailed Kurdish political leaders such as Selahattin Demirtaş and Selçuk Mızraklı.<h2 fr-original-style="" style="margin: 0px; color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.85); font-weight: 500; padding: 0px; box-sizing: border-box;">Why now?</h2>Among political analysts and the general public, two scenarios have gained traction in explaining the governing right-wing coalition’s sudden shift in narrative on the Kurds.<ul fr-original-style="padding-inline-start: 20px;" style="padding-inline-start: 20px; margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 1em; box-sizing: border-box;"><li fr-original-style="" style="box-sizing: border-box;">New constitution: Erdoğan and his coalition have been vocal for months about their desire to draft a new constitution. The coalition lacks the parliamentary majority to achieve this without some support from the opposition. Gaining parliamentary support or public endorsement through a referendum could help achieve this goal, and reconciling with the Kurds could be a means to this end.</li><li fr-original-style="" style="box-sizing: border-box;">Geopolitics:&nbsp;There have been major paradigm shifts in the Middle East in the past few years: The end of Syria's civil war, US withdrawal from Iraq and Afghanistan, Iraq and the Kurdistan Regional Government, and of course, Israel's war with Iran-allied "Axis of resistance" that diminished Iran's regional influence to an extent. These set the scene for a number of ways in which its Turkey's national interest to increase political engagement with the Kurdish movement.</li></ul><h2 fr-original-style="" style="margin: 0px; color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.85); font-weight: 500; padding: 0px; box-sizing: border-box;">The statement</h2>Below is the complete text of Öcalan's call, as related by members of the DEM Party delegation:<blockquote fr-original-style="" style="margin: 0px 0px 1em; border-left: 2px solid rgb(94, 53, 177); box-sizing: border-box;">"Call for Peace and Democratic SocietyThe PKK was born in the 20th century, in the most violent epoch of the history of humanity, amidst the two World wars, under the shadow of the experience of real socialism and the cold war around the World. The outright denial of Kurdish reality, restrictions on basic rights and freedoms—especially freedom of expression—played a significant role in its emergence and development.The PKK has been under the heavy realities of the century and the system of real socialism in terms of its adopted theory, program, strategy and tactics. In the 1990s, with the collapse of real socialism due to internal dynamics, the dissolution of the denial of Kurdish identity in the country, and improvements in freedom of expression, led to weakening of the PKK´s foundational meaningfulness and resulted in excessive repetition.Throughout the history of more than 1000 years, Turkish and Kurdish relations were defined in terms of mutual cooperation and alliance, and Turks and Kurds have found it essential to remain in this voluntary alliance to maintain their existence and survive against hegemonic Powers.The last 200 years of capitalist modernity have been marked by primarily with the aim to break this alliance. The forces involved, in line with their class-based interests, have played a key role in furthering this objective. With monist interpretations of the Republic, this process has accelerated. Today, the main task is to restructure the historical relationship, which has become extremely fragile, without excluding consideration for beliefs with the spirit of fraternity.The need for a democratic society is inevitable. The PKK, the longest and most extensive insurgency and armed movement in the history of the Republic, found social base and support, and was primarily inspired by the fact that the channels of democratic politics were closed.The inevitable outcome of the extreme nationalist deviations - such as a separate nation-state, federation, administrative autonomy, or culturalist solutions—fails to answer the historical sociology of the society.&nbsp;Respect for identities, free self-expression, democratic self-organization of each segment of society based on their own socio-economic and political structures, are only possible through the existence of a democratic society and political space.&nbsp;The second century of the Republic can &nbsp;achieve and assure permanent and fraternal continuity only if it is crowned with democracy. There is no alternative to democracy in the pursuit and realization of a political system. Democratic consensus is the fundamental way.The language of the epoch of peace and democratic society needs to be developed in accordance with this reality.The call made by Mr. Devlet Bahçeli, along with the will expressed by Mr. President, and the positive responses from the other political parties towards the known call, has created an environment in which I am making a call for the laying down of arms, and I take on the historical responsibility of this call.As in the case with any modern community and party whose existence has not been abolished by force, would voluntarily do, convene your congress and make a decision; all groups must lay their arms and the PKK must dissolve itself.I convey my greetings to all those who believe in co-existence and who look forward to my call.February 25, 2025 Abdullah Öcalan"</blockquote>

Jailed PKK leader Abdullah Öcalan made a historic call, asking the terrorist organization and its offshoots to lay down arms and dissolve themselves. 

Öcalan urges PKK to disarm in historic call

Turkey's ruling AK Party held its 8th regular party congress in Ankara, where President Erdoğan was unanimously reelected as party leader as the sole candidate.Hundreds of delegates cast their votes to reshape the AK Party’s leadership, electing members to its influential Central Decision and Executive Board (MKYK) and Central Executive Board (MYK). The candidate list for the MKYK included 75 names, blending seasoned party veterans with notable newcomers. Among them were economist Abdülkadir Develi, former football star Mesut Özil, who previously chose to represent Germany’s national team, and Kürşad Zorlu, a lawmaker who recently defected from the opposition İYİ Party. Long-serving figures like Erkan Kandemir, a key congress organizer and AK Party deputy chair, and Eyyüp Kadir Inan, former head of the party’s youth wing, also featured prominently.&nbsp;<ul fr-original-style="padding-inline-start: 20px;" style="padding-inline-start: 20px; margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 1em; box-sizing: border-box;"><li fr-original-style="" style="box-sizing: border-box;">Of the candidates, 39 were fresh faces, including 7 members of parliament who switched allegiance from opposition parties over the past year, and 29 were current AK Party parliamentarians.</li></ul>The congress unveiled three new MYK boards dedicated to relations with Turkic states, health policies, culture and arts, raising the number of deputy chairs from 16 to 19.Erdoğan framed the event as the culmination of a renewal process sparked after last year’s municipal election upset, which saw the party lose key strongholds and nearly every major city. Provincial congresses launched last autumn paved the way, with nearly three-quarters of provincial chairpersons and two-thirds of district leaders replaced in an effort to restore confidence in the party.&nbsp;“The AK Party has continuously succeeded in renewing, changing, developing, and elevating itself,” Erdoğan told the crowd, pointing to its 24-year dominance in Turkish politics since its founding in 2001. He boasted that the party ranks among the top five globally in membership, underscoring its grassroots strength.<h2 fr-original-style="" style="margin: 0px; color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.85); font-weight: 500; padding: 0px; box-sizing: border-box;">AK Party, with open arms</h2>The congress also served as a platform to showcase high-profile defectors from rival parties, underscoring the AK Party’s ability to co-opt opposition figures and former critics. Among those officially inducted were former football coach Ünal Karaman, veteran politician Mehmet Salim Ensarioğlu, and constitutional scholar Serap Yazıcı Özbudun—who resigned from the Gelecek Party just a day earlier. In a symbolic display of unity and loyalty, they posed alongside Erdoğan.<ul fr-original-style="padding-inline-start: 20px;" style="padding-inline-start: 20px; margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 1em; box-sizing: border-box;"><li fr-original-style="" style="box-sizing: border-box;">These defections drew criticism from constituents of the parties the MPs were originally elected from. Voters expressed their disappointment on social media, directing their anger at the MPs for running under opposition parties only to defect to the ruling AK Party after being elected.</li></ul>The AK Party’s ultranationalist ally, MHP, sent a delegation, while its leader, Devlet Bahçeli—sidelined by surgery—symbolically marked the occasion with a lavish floral tribute. His gift included 1,071 roses (a nod to the Battle of Manzikert, which initiated the Turkification of Anatolia), 1,453 clovers (symbolizing the Ottoman conquest of Constantinople, now Istanbul), and 23 orchids representing the AK Party’s 23 years in power. In contrast, the main opposition CHP maintained a low profile, sending only two deputy chairs.<h2 fr-original-style="" style="margin: 0px; color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.85); font-weight: 500; padding: 0px; box-sizing: border-box;">Reactions</h2>Rumors had long circulated that the AK Party—having lost key municipalities in the local elections and fallen behind the CHP in overall vote share—would undergo significant staff changes amid growing unrest within the party.Following the local election setback in March, Erdoğan launched a party-wide restructuring, beginning at the local level by replacing nearly 75% of provincial presidents during provincial congresses. It was widely speculated that this shake-up would extend to the party’s central leadership, bringing changes to key positions. However, these expectations did not materialize.Journalist Gökçer Tahincioğlu notes that AK Party congresses, unlike those of most political parties, are typically concluded with remarkable speed. This congress was no exception—there was not a single dissenting voice, no objections to the candidate lists, and all attention was focused on President and AK Party Chairman Recep Tayyip Erdoğan's speech and the list approved by him. As expected, Erdoğan replaced more than half of the 75-member Central Decision and Executive Board (MKYK), the party’s main decision-making body. In the Central Executive Council (MYK), 39 new names were introduced, while 36 members retained their seats. Meanwhile, 17 of the 18 members of the Central Executive Committee were re-elected from within the committee.Bottom line:&nbsp;Defying expectations of reform, Erdoğan reiterated his usual rhetoric at the congress. Meanwhile, Erdoğan and the AK Party took another step toward their goal of weakening the opposition and consolidating their ranks in preparation for a new constitution and potential early elections.

Amid expectations of reform and renewal, the AK Party held its 8th congress. While many key figures retained their positions, local party organizations and the extended party list saw significant changes.

AK Party holds congress, showcases MP transfers

Turkey's main opposition party, CHP, announced that it will hold a party primary in March to decide who will be the party's candidate in the presidential elections scheduled for 2028. This brings further questions about the respective influences of potential candidates, as well as who will be on the ballot representing the long-ruling AK Party.Turkey's major opposition parties had managed to form a wide alliance going into the 2023 presidential race. Many thought this would have sufficed to beat incumbent Erdoğan; the numbers from public opinion polls were on the side of the opposition.Looking back on how the opposition alliance lost this election, many agree that they were too late to announce a candidate, and potentially wrong in their choice as well. In order to avoid the same mistake, the main opposition party CHP has announced that it would hold a party primary to determine its candidate for 2028.&nbsp;The primary system is unprecedented in Turkey's mainstream politics, and while details are to be announced, what we know so far is that all 1.6 million party members will vote on March 23 to decide the candidate.Some say that CHP is not avoiding the same mistake regarding choosing a candidate but repeating it, focusing on the issue too early rather than too late, potentially sowing discord among the party elite.The debate around the opposition's candidate for 2028 has reignited another key question: Who will be the candidate of AK Party, which has been in power for 23 years under Erdoğan's leadership?Turkey's constitution states that a president can serve two terms at most. That means that the current president, Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, cannot run for the office again.In 2003, AK Party, founded by Erdoğan, won the general elections but Erdoğan had a political ban at the time, meaning he couldn't join the parliament. Instead, Abdullah Gül, an early ally and fellow founder of the party, assumed the role of PM. Later, Erdoğan's ban was lifted and he became PM in 2003. Turkey's constitution allowed a maximum of two terms for prime ministers, but since Erdoğan wasn't directly appointed as PM in 2003, he got to run for and win office in two other elections.Reminder:&nbsp;All these were taking place prior to the constitutional referendum of 2010, when Turkey was a parliamentary democracy.Erdoğan was elected again in 2007 and 2011, and served as PM until 2014. Due to the constitutional change of 2010, Turkey now elected its president through popular vote, as opposed to a vote amongst parliamentarians.Barred from running again for prime minister, in 2014 he stood for the largely ceremonial role of president in unprecedented direct elections.In another referendum in 2017, one that took place under a state of emergency following a coup attempt by Gülenists, the constitution was changed yet again to transfer the powers of the prime minister to the president.This change made Erdoğan Turkey's first president to hold extensive powers under the new super-presidential model of government; one that critics warned would allow Erdoğan to consolidate power and turn autocratic. Erdoğan ran for, and won, the presidency in 2018.Under this new constitution, the president could serve no more than two 5-year terms in power. However, pro-Erdoğan constitutional scholars argued that when he was first elected president in 2014, the scope of presidential powers was different, meaning the role itself had changed. Therefore, he wouldn't be running for the same&nbsp;office for a third time.&nbsp;The constitutional court, whose members were largely appointed by Erdoğan—directly and indirectly—agreed with this point, paving the way for a third presidential term that would last until 2028. He won the presidency again in 2023.Now there is no longer a gray zone that could allow Erdoğan another presidential term. Under the current constitution, Erdoğan is ineligible to run for president in 2028. But there are still two legal ways forward that could grant Erdoğan yet more years in power: Another constitutional change or an early election that would render his current term incomplete.Both these options are on the table and are shaping current politics of Turkey in a major way.<h2 fr-original-style="" style="margin: 0px; color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.85); font-weight: 500; padding: 0px; box-sizing: border-box;">Who has a chance?</h2>In the 2023 presidential elections, the opposition managed to form a grand coalition of 6 political parties, called "The table of six", that agreed to oppose Erdoğan together in order to return Turkey to a parliamentary democracy. This coalition announced Kemal Kılıçdaroğlu, then the head of Turkey's main opposition party CHP, as their candidate with very little time until the elections.Kılıçdaroğlu didn't enjoy the highest popularity among opposition figures, and neither did he charm crowds or inspired excitement, but polls still showed that he would win against Erdoğan. Some saw Kılıçdaroğlu's candidacy as a mistake, yet <a fr-original-style="" href="https://muse.jhu.edu/pub/1/article/900430" rel="noopener noreferrer" style="color: rgb(9, 9, 9); text-decoration: none; background-color: transparent; outline: none; cursor: pointer; transition: color 0.3s; touch-action: manipulation; user-select: auto; box-sizing: border-box;" target="_blank">others</a> as the result of political horse-trading among the political elite. In any case, Kılıçdaroğlu lost the elections and later the leadership of his party.CHP's new leader would be Özgür Özel, a pharmacist and the former spokesperson for the party. However, many believed the charismatic Istanbul Mayor Ekrem İmamoğlu to be the champion of change in the party, and the one responsible for convincing the party delegates to choose Özel over Kılıçdaroğlu.<h2 fr-original-style="" style="margin: 0px; color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.85); font-weight: 500; padding: 0px; box-sizing: border-box;">Ekrem İmamoğlu</h2>CHP's İmamoğlu is easily the politician that creates the most excitement in the public. His critics say that he spends more time serving his own political career than he does acting as a mayor to improve the lives of 20-million-strong living in Istanbul.He clenched the powerful office of Mayor of Istanbul, one that Erdoğan himself used to hold, from the ruling AK Party back in the local elections of 2019. Since that first election, he was Erdoğan's primary target. In a scandalous decision, the election board asked for the Istanbul election to be repeated, and Imamoğlu won the second election with a much wider margin.He was elected as Mayor again in 2023 but his time in office is marked by a myriad of lawsuits directed against him, the municipality, and allies. In fact, he was put on trial for having insulted a public official. He was accused of calling the ones who canceled the Istanbul mayoral election of March 2019 "fools". The first hearing was in January 2022 and in December 2022 he was sentenced to 2 years, 7 months, and 15 days imprisonment and given a political ban in accordance with Article 53 of the Turkish Criminal Code. İmamoğlu has appealed the verdict, and his ban from politics does not apply as long as he is pending trial.<ul fr-original-style="padding-inline-start: 20px;" style="padding-inline-start: 20px; margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 1em; box-sizing: border-box;"><li fr-original-style="" style="box-sizing: border-box;">Recommended read:&nbsp;<a fr-original-style="" href="https://aposto.com/s/ekrem-imamoglu-under-investigation-amid-crackdown" rel="noopener noreferrer" style="color: rgb(9, 9, 9); text-decoration: none; background-color: transparent; outline: none; cursor: pointer; transition: color 0.3s; touch-action: manipulation; user-select: auto; box-sizing: border-box;" target="_blank">Ekrem İmamoğlu under investigation amid crackdown</a> | Aposto World</li></ul>This verdict, and footsteps of more to follow, is the main objection against his candidacy. Not because potential voters see the trials as convincing but because if the appeals court confirmed the verdict with days or weeks before an election where İmamoğlu is on the ballot, this would leave the opposition without a candidate.His proponents say that this case is not realistic, claiming that the public outrage would be too great for Erdoğan to consider this path. İmamoğlu himself has accused Erdoğan of orchestrating political prosecutions so that the long-serving Erdoğan would not have run against him.<h2 fr-original-style="" style="margin: 0px; color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.85); font-weight: 500; padding: 0px; box-sizing: border-box;">Mansur Yavaş</h2>While İmamoğlu is popular among opposition voters, there is one name that consistently surpasses him, and others including Erdoğan, in public opinion surveys: Mayor of Ankara, Mansur Yavaş, also from CHP.Yavaş is a true contrast&nbsp;to İmamoğlu: While the latter delivers heated speeches, engages in political banter, comments on and sometimes sets the political agenda; Yavaş carries himself as a calm, moderate, reasonable statesman. Yavaş comes from a right-wing, nationalistic background. This makes him more popular amongst right-wing voters that normally wouldn't vote for traditionally center-left CHP.&nbsp;There are mainly two factors that go against a Yavaş candidacy: The party primary and the Kurdish vote. Since CHP announced that it would hold a primary, Yavaş's chances for gaining the party's nomination seem slim. This is mainly because he doesn't come from a CHP background—he's a relative newcomer to the party and doesn't have strong support among the delegates. Especially if he were to run against İmamoğlu in the primaries, he would likely not come ahead.The second reason is that many pro-Kurdish voters don't trust his right-wing, nationalistic background. Inside the current political landscape, which is subject to change, the opposition would need the support of pro-Kurdish voters if they are to prevail against Erdoğan.<h2 fr-original-style="" style="margin: 0px; color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.85); font-weight: 500; padding: 0px; box-sizing: border-box;">Looking ahead</h2>With the elections years away—on paper, the scenario could play out in a completely different way. A dark horse may emerge, for example, to champion the opposition; political alliances could be unmade and judicial sentences could be handed out.However, the potential candidacy of these three names momentarily shape current politics, from party divides to paths that lead to constitutional change, such as the ongoing "peace process" between the government and the PKK.<ul fr-original-style="padding-inline-start: 20px;" style="padding-inline-start: 20px; margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 1em; box-sizing: border-box;"><li fr-original-style="" style="box-sizing: border-box;">Recommended read:&nbsp;<a fr-original-style="" href="https://aposto.com/s/peace-process-underway-pkk-head-receives-visit-from-mps" rel="noopener noreferrer" style="color: rgb(9, 9, 9); text-decoration: none; background-color: transparent; outline: none; cursor: pointer; transition: color 0.3s; touch-action: manipulation; user-select: auto; box-sizing: border-box;" target="_blank">'Peace process' underway: PKK head receives visit from MPs&nbsp;</a>| Aposto World</li></ul>

Turkey's main opposition party, CHP, announced that it will hold a party primary in March to decide who will be the party's candidate in the presidential elections scheduled for 2028. This brings further questions about the respective influences of potential candidates, as well as who will be on the ballot representing the long-ruling AK Party.