On top of the long-term impact of climate change, the coronavirus pandemic started in 2020 and continued for approximately two years. Subsequently, the Russia-Ukraine war took a toll on agriculture and food supply security. Just as those negative repercussions were weakening, Türkiye experienced massive earthquakes – one of the worst disasters in world history – in winter conditions. The country was compelled to raise a Level 4 alarm to heal the wounds and request international assistance.
MoreTürkiye just experienced massive earthquakes in February. We must never forget this catastrophe – which has been described as the “disaster of the century.” We have all witnessed how devastating the earthquake was. May Allah protect our country from such disasters in the future. The Housing Development Administration (TOKİ) mobilized in the disaster’s immediate aftermath and, under the leadership of our esteemed minister, started operating in the quake zone.
MoreIn the wake of the great disaster that Türkiye has experienced, we are trying to heal each other’s wounds, mitigate each other’s suffering and rush to each other’s aid as a nation. We are compelled to highlight the economic impact of what happened in the devastation’s immediate aftermath while our memories and pain are still fresh. It is necessary to state and acknowledge that any attempt to restore and improve the “living standards” of Turkish citizens must rest on this assessment within the framework of the basic idea that the economy is supposed to serve the people. Universally speaking, economics is the science of allocating scarce resources optimally and we need its accumulated experience and principles more than ever amid crises.
The battle of polls rages on with the Turkish elections less than 60 days away. Pro-opposition pollsters have been projecting a landslide victory for Kemal Kılıçdaroğlu, the prominent opposition leader, as surveys on opposition-dominated social media platforms serve as an echo chamber.
The meetings held by the Turkish delegation during their visit to Washington earlier this week once again showed how necessary constant dialogue is due to the busy agenda of Turkish-American relations. Apart from bilateral issues, Türkiye and the United States need to step up their efforts in order to work together on regional and global issues. It is no secret that there are issues where the two NATO allies do not agree or, worse yet, pursue opposing policies. However, many challenges such as hot war, food crisis, energy, great power rivalry and climate change make it all the more necessary to focus on shared interests.
Türkiye’s pro-opposition circles have launched an excessive public perception campaign for Kemal Kılıçdaroğlu, the Republican People’s Party (CHP) chairperson and presidential candidate. The conservative parties that are part of the “table for six,” the opposition bloc that nominated Kılıçdaroğlu, and pro-CHP media personalities and authors lead that effort. Specifically, they refer to the prominent opposition leader as a mujtahid and draw parallels between him and Mahatma Gandhi to support his claim of being calm, collected, compromising, democratic and inclusive. Their praise for Kılıçdaroğlu comes with accusations against President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan – whom they see as the complete opposite.
Last Friday, Iran and Saudi Arabia announced that they have agreed to resume diplomatic relations and end hostilities. The Chinese government has brokered the deal between the two estranged neighbors and regional enemies. With the initiative of Chinese President Xi Jinping, the two countries have decided to exchange ambassadors and reopen embassies. According to the news agencies, the surprise development was announced in Beijing after several days (from March 6 to March 10) of intense deliberations between the two countries' top officials.
MoreOn Friday, President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan signed a decree for Türkiye to hold presidential and parliamentary elections on May 14, 2023. The country thus started counting down to the most consequential elections in its recent past – and this year’s most important election worldwide.
MoreRetracting from her comments due to the CHP’s attacks and isolating herself within the opposition bloc, IP Chair Akşener is likely to face pressure from secularists over the HDP’s involvement
The EU and U.K. have reached a new agreement in principle called the 'Windsor Framework,' replacing the old protocol and setting out the parameters of the new period related to the Brexit issue
The opposition leaders charge President Erdoğan with instituting ‘one-man rule’ but their solution is unimaginable. Nowhere in the world has political power been shared by eight parties
Africa has expressed opposition to French President Emmanuel Macron's new partnership strategy, which aims to shift away from the traditional French policy toward the continent, as some African observers remain skeptical of its potential to bring about real change