The European Commission’s report on Turkey, released last week, angered the Ankara government because the document referred to the network of U.S.-based Islamic preacher Fethullah Gülen as “the Gülen movement” rather than the Fethullahist Terrorist Organization (FETÖ).
Most figures on the political scene have been caught off-guard by the call for snap elections on June 24. But we can at least say President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan is much more prepared than the other potential candidates and political parties with elections now on the horizon.
Despite all doomsday scenarios, in the end common sense prevailed. There are several reasons behind this.
While all eyes are on a possible U.S. military action against the Bashar al-Assad regime, recent developments in Eastern Ghouta, just near the capital Damascus, suggest that the Syrian civil war that broke out in 2011 is taking a critical turn.
There has been tension between the groups inside the Free Syrian Army (FSA), which entered Syria’s northwestern district of Afrin alongside the Turkish military, daily Habertürk recently reported.
U.S. President Donald Trump’s March 30 statement that the U.S. would be withdrawing from Syria “soon” came as a surprise for all Syria-watchers. It also sent shockwaves through his own administration, because it ran completely opposite to the Syria policies declared by top figures in foreign policy and defense circles.
ECHR takes on Turkey’s freedom expression record
The images of ammunition and weapons belonging to the People’s Protection Units (YPG) found in storage in Afrin after the Turkish Armed Forces entered the northern Syrian city are likely to remain some of the most striking images from the entire operation.
Article 14 of law no. 298 regarding elections regulates the duties and authorities of the Supreme Election Board (YSK). Recently, with the significant amendments in the respective law, the YSK has new stakeholders, who are now allowed to exercise those duties and authorities. These are governors.
