Turkey’s top procurement officials have claimed that the current global economic crisis would not have an impact on Turkey’s relatively lucrative defense industry, but both Western and Turkish defense industrialists have forecast that the Turkish defense industry sector will feel the effects of the economic... MORE

Israel’s ongoing offensive against Gaza has generated waves of anger among the Turkish public and Turkish political elite. Paralleling mounting street demonstrations throughout Turkey are international attempts by the country’s leaders to find a diplomatic solution to the crisis. The attacks came amid Turkey’s growing... MORE

On December 18 the Turkish media reported that the Kotku Mosque in the Uskudar district of Istanbul had become the city’s 12th mosque in 11 days to be set on fire (Anadolu Ajansi, December 18). It was the second case of arson at the mosque... MORE

Turkey’s efforts since 2005 to purchase 10 Heron Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAV) from Israel finally produced a result with the delivery of the first two Herons to Turkey in the first week of December; but because Turkey insists on mounting ASELSAN-made electro-optical payloads (ASELFLIR 300T),... MORE

A group of Turkish intellectuals have taken a bold step to open a public debate on the disputed events of 1915, when the Armenians living in the Ottoman Empire were forced to relocate, leading to the death of scores of people and the beginning of... MORE

The attempts to resolve Turkey’s Kurdish problem have focused increasingly on Iraq. Turkey has stepped up its diplomatic contacts with both the Iraqi central government and the Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG) to boost its fight against the Kurdistan Workers Party (PKK), based in Northern Iraq.Turkish-Iraqi... MORE

On December 10 former Chechen commander Islam Canibekov was assassinated in the Umraniye district of Istanbul. According to the police, the weapon used in the assassination was an SP3 or SM4 “Silent Pistol,” which makes very minimal noise and was made especially for the KGB.... MORE

A recent trend has emerged of attacks by the Kurdistan Workers Party (Partiya Karkeren Kurdistan – PKK) on the energy infrastructure that carries oil and natural gas to markets in the West. As early as 2006, PKK leader Murat Karayilan rejected the idea of attacking... MORE

Deniz Baykal, the leader of the main opposition Republican People’s Party (CHP), kindled a controversial debate in Turkish politics when he introduced his new project to reach out to conservative circles. During a party meeting, Baykal pinned party rosettes on women wearing black chadors (carsaf),... MORE