Welcome to the CATS Network Roundup of news, developments and assessments on relevant issues of Turkish domestic and foreign policy.
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Authors: Yaşar Aydın, Lisa Schwitalla
In this issue we look at the plans of BYD, the world's largest electric carmanufacturer, to build a new plant in Turkey. What does this mean for EU-Turkey relations, the single market and for China's role as a car exporter?
Authors: Yevgeniya Gaber, Salih Bıçakcı
In this issue we take an in-depth look at Turkey’s role within NATO, ahead of the July 9–11 summit marking the Alliance’s 75th anniversary. We analyse Turkey’s crucial role in the regional security landscape, focussing on the Black Sea region and the regional alliances, Ankara’s careful balancing between NATO and Russia, and the transformation of the security landscape since Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.
Authors: Sinem Adar, Hürcan Aslı Aksoy
In this issue, we take stock of Turkey after the municipal elections, examining the fragmentation of power - but also the potential for the AKP and CHP parties to reconcile their domestic and foreign policy objectives. We look at the impact of the elections on President Erdoğan's aim to consolidate power, the future of the rule of law in Turkey and the government's push for a new constitution. We also look ahead to this week's European election, and question its implications for EU-Turkey relations.
Authors: Jannes Tessmann, Yaşar Aydın, Maximiliane Schneider
In this issue, we take stock of Turkey after the municipal elections, examining the fragmentation of power - but also the potential for the AKP and CHP parties to reconcile their domestic and foreign policy objectives. We look at the impact of the elections on President Erdoğan's aim to consolidate power, the future of the rule of law in Turkey and the government's push for a new constitution. We also look ahead to this week's European election, and question its implications for EU-Turkey relations.
Authors: Bekir Ağırdır, Jens Bastian, Maximiliane Schneider
In our third issue on the local elections, we look at Turkey’s polarised political spectrum, the emergence of new political actors, the government’s efforts to form a right-wing coalition under Erdoğan’s leadership, and the implications for the ruling elites. We also shed light on the New Welfare Party (Yeniden Refah Partisi, YRP), which is capitalising on dissatisfaction with the performance of the Justice and Development Party (AKP) and is presenting itself as a conservative alternative.
Authors: Hürcan Aslı Aksoy, Yaşar Aydın
Alliances and frictions are at the centre of this roundup, not only within the ruling coalition and among the opposition, but also with regard to the positioning of the pro-Kurdish Peoples’ Equality and Democracy Party (DEM), the successor of the Peoples’ Democratic Party (HDP).
Authors: Sinem Adar, Hürcan Aslı Aksoy
Our first issue on the local elections asks: What is at stake in the local elections? We also shed light on some of the main parameters of the race. These include AKP’s candidate selection in Istanbul and Ankara, the economy and the impact of the 2023 February earthquakes on voters in 2024.
Authors: Edgar Şar, Yaşar Aydın, Cetin Demirci
In our seventh and final issue on the general election, we examine the consequences for Turkey’s opposition after its recent election defeat, the overwhelming support for President Erdoğan among Turkish voters in Germany, and look ahead to future EU-Turkey relations.
Authors: Sinem Adar, Emre Erdoğan, Hürcan Asli Aksoy
In our sixth issue, we assess the results of the elections on May 14, look at the polls to explain the rise of Sinan Oğan, and learn which campaign strategies worked and which did not, and why.
Authors: Çetin Demirci, Günter Seufert, Maximiliane Schneider
In our fifth issue, the last before the elections, we assess the role of identity politics for the two main political alliances, look at the polls to predict the chances of success for the main presidential candidates, and learn about the concerns and expectations of the more than five million young people who will be eligible to vote for the first time.
Authors: Salim Çevik, Günter Seufert, Bettina Emir
In our fourth issue, we turn our attention to a new law that poses a number of challenges to the security and integrity of Turkey’s elections. In addition, we explore the role of identity and political issues in voter outreach, and look at the role of refugee policy in the election campaigns.
Authors: Zeynep Alemdar, Hürcan Aslı Aksoy, Edgar Şar
In our third issue, we shed light on why Erdoğan's move to ally his bloc with the Kurdish-Islamist Free Cause Party (HÜDA-PAR) comes as no surprise to women's rights defenders in Turkey. In addition, we take a look at the final lists of parliamentary candidates and the crucial role the Kurds will play in the upcoming elections.
Authors: Edgar Şar, Hürcan Aslı Aksoy, Salim Çevik
In our second issue, we look at the parties' use of electoral lists and how presidential candidates are seeking to expand their alliances, while we also learn which groups of voters the government is having difficulties with.
Authors: Günter Seufert, Sinem Adar, Jens Bastian
Our first issue on the local elections asks: What is at stake in the local elections? We also shed light on some of the main parameters of the race. These include AKP’s candidate selection in Istanbul and Ankara, the economy and the impact of the 2023 February earthquakes on voters in 2024.