Author: Ömer Erzeren

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Criticised by his enemies, celebrated by his supporters: President Recep Tayyip Erdogan (photo: Reuters)

Turkey post-coup

In times of paranoia

Many observers believe that Erdogan can now live out his omnipotence fantasies without impediment. But the deep split through the state apparatus will not make it easy for him to govern. And the paranoia of the Turkish President is resulting in irrational decisions, says Omer ErzerenMore

Turkey and the failed coup: God′s gift to ErdoganPutsch aftermath in Turkey: Autocracy or military dictatorship?The Gülen Movement: Erdoğan Is Not Turkey's Only Problem
Erdogan supporters celebrating in Ankara after the announcement of his election victory (photo: Reuters)

Erdogan elected president of Turkey

What Erdogan did next

Election results can bring political stability. In the case of Turkey, however, Erdogan's election as president is likely to bring the country the exact opposite: some serious domestic political conflicts are now on the cards. A commentary by Omer Erzeren in IstanbulMore

Turkey a year after the Gezi protests : The dream is overLocal elections in Turkey: Carte blanche for a crackdownThe Erdogan administration: Turkey's paradigm shift
Kurds celebrating the announcement of the PKK peace plan in Diyarbakir (photo: Reuters)

Öcalan Announces PKK Peace Plan

Too Good to Be True

The offer of a ceasefire made by Abdullah Öcalan, the incarcerated head of the banned Kurdish Workers Party (PKK), has been welcomed by the Turkish government. But how can there be real peace when the conflicts of the past are glossed over instead of being openly discussed and addressed? A commentary by Ömer ErzerenMore

Peace Negotiations between Turkey and the PKK: Kurdish Conflict Threatens Erdogan's LegacyTurkey's Foreign Policy: From Regional to Global PlayerTurkey's Kurdish Policy: The Return of the Hardliners
Turkish soldiers in the Turkish–Iraqi border region (photo: AP)

Turkey's Kurdish Policy

The Return of the Hardliners

Just a few years ago, it looked as if the government in Istanbul was embarking on a policy of reconciliation with Turkey's Kurdish population. But that dynamic of reform has long since stalled and trouble is brewing, as Ömer Erzeren reportsMore

Repression of Journalists in Turkey: Fighting Press Freedom with Anti-Terrorism LawsPolitical Unrest in Syria: Risk of Kurdish Uprising Puts Regional Powers on AlertTurkey's Ethnic Rifts: Tearing at the Country's FabricThe Kurdish Conflict in Turkey: A Yearning for PeaceKurdish Language Studies in Turkey: A Radical Change in Quiet Stages
Protest against AKP in Istanbul (photo: AP)

Turkish Cultural Policy

Continuity and Change

The diversity of literature presented at the Frankfurt Book Fair also illustrates the contradictions in Turkish society today. Ömer Erzeren with an essay on Turkishliterary and cultural production between Kemalism and the religious conservative AKPMore

In brief

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Most Recent Photo Essay

Culture vultures: Tehran's galleries are very popular among Iranian young people and the cultural scene is constantly diversifying. According to a 25-year-old photographer, "government restrictions play an important role in this phenomenon. Art is seen as a means of emancipation"

Faces of Iranian youth

Behind a suffocating political system and inquisitive cliches, Iranian youth dream of a break with the system while proudly defending their culture. By Gwenvaël Engel