Istanbul's June 23 local election is about two weeks away. On the occasion of the Ramadan Bayram, or Eid al-Fitr, election campaigns have moved out of Istanbul, with the mayoral candidates preferring to address fellow citizens in various Anatolian provinces.

President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan unveiled his administration's new judicial reform package on Thursday.

The mayoral candidates of Turkey's major electoral alliances will compete once again on June 23. Provided that electoral volatility is low between rival camps, both contenders will primarily focus on maintaining their original level of popular support.

Some words are capable of designating more than what they seem to mean. The word alliance, which has become a cornerstone of Turkish politics in recent months, is one such example. In the wake of the July 2016 resistance and Turkey's transition to a presidential system, the ability to form and maintain alliances emerged as a key skill in the political arena.

Earlier this week, senior Turkish officials visited the U.S. capital to prevent further deterioration of bilateral relations. Treasury and Finance Minister Berat Albayrak, Defense Minister Hulusi Akar, Trade Minister Ruhsar Pekcan and Presidential Spokesman Ibrahim Kalın shared Turkey's perspective with their counterparts.

As tension between Turkey and the U.S. regarding the S-400 air defense systems grows, the expectation is that a creative solution to de-escalate the stress on bilateral ties and find mutually acceptable ways out of this turbulence will be sought.

It is becoming more and more apparent that the relationship with the U.S. will dominate our foreign policy agenda in the upcoming years. This issue is not only limited to the widening rift in bilateral relations over the recent period but essentially related to the changing strategic calculations of Washington and Ankara.

Turkey's decision to purchase Russian S-400 air defense system has become a major sticking point with the U.S. While Turkey attaches great importance to procuring the air defense system, U.S. policymakers, who consider Turkey's decision a complete deviation from its traditional alliance system, have begun to threaten the country.

The government sees the post-election years as an opportunity to follow a more proactive foreign policy and implement structural reforms in the economy

The Justice and Development Party (AK Party) received the 43.16 percent of the vote in the local elections of 2014, the highest of all participating parties. For the local elections of March 31, it received 45 percent, increasing 2 percent, and came out as the clear victor again. However, the country's major cities, such as Istanbul and Ankara, voted differently in the majority, which shows the power of the legitimate election rallies in Turkey.

The final two weeks of any election campaign fuels the momentum that settles the score. Leaders and candidates, therefore, put their best foot forward in the final days before the election. Turkey finds itself at that very spot now. The municipal election is just 10 days away.

On March 13, the European Parliament voted on the suspension of accession talks with Turkey.

The United States mounts pressure on Turkey over its decision to purchase the S-400 air defense system from Russia. The Turks already told Washington that the S-400 purchase was a done deal, yet U.S. officials keep trying.

On the condition that both sides engage in sincere negotiations, Ankara-Washington relations can easily get back on track again in a very short period of time

Ahead of next month's municipal elections in Turkey, the Republican People's Party's (CHP) Chairman Kemal Kılıçdaroğlu is hard at work.

At a time when Turkey and Greece have had significant disagreements, Tsipras' meeting with Erdoğan can be considered a confidence-building step

President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan on Thursday unveiled the Justice and Development Party's (AK Party) 11-point municipal election manifesto.