Nazlan Ertan

This week's edition of #Istanbul #culture newsletter is about missing the sun and glorious returns: the illuminious worlds of Claire Arkas and of heart-throbs; @tarkan & #SelahattinPasalı. al-monitor.com/newsletter/202… via @AlMonitor

Turkey just approved 20 years of zero tax on foreign income. A country known for tourism, food, ancient coasts (and hairlines) may now be a serious destination for location-independent families. On paper, this regime is unparalleled. Four times Italy's Impatriati. Longer than Cyprus's 17-year non-dom. The most aggressive European tax regime on the books. Will families actually move? My take: yes. Thousands of them over the next decade. The east of Turkey is conservative. The touristic west is extremely secular, closer to Mediterranean Europe than to the Middle East. The math will be too convenient to ignore. My Turkish friend and her fiancé had a layover at our place on Sunday. Over coffee, we mapped it out city by city. The pattern I'm long on: smaller cities, high quality of life, strong international schools. Here's our list. 🧵

Bravo @apostonews, sizi dinlemeyi bırakmıştım resmen :) bir süredir yapay zeka ile seslendirdiğimiz Aposto Altı Otuz podcasti ise yeniden insan sesiyle, Berk Utku Karadeniz'in sunumu ile sizlerle.

🇹🇷 #TurkeyLastWeek 1️⃣ Turkish courts move to unseat opposition leader in major escalation A Turkish appeals court effectively removed CHP leader Özgür Özel by annulling the 2023 party congress that brought him to power. The ruling paves the way for former chairman Kemal Kılıçdaroğlu, a deeply divisive figure who lost every major election during his 13 years at the helm of the party, to return as leader. The move marks Erdogan’s latest effort to weaken the opposition and further erode the meaning of the ballot box ahead of the 2028 elections. 2️⃣ Riot police storm CHP headquarters Turkish riot police forced their way into CHP headquarters in Ankara after party members barricaded the entrances in protest of the court ruling. Tear gas filled the area as clashes erupted between police and protesters inside the building. The intervention came after Erdogan-backed Kılıçdaroğlu called on police to step in. 3️⃣ AKP praises Bahçeli’s role in new PKK peace initiative Turkey’s ruling AKP publicly praised ultranationalist leader Devlet Bahçeli for helping shape the government’s new initiative with the PKK. Bahçeli has proposed giving jailed PKK leader Abdullah Öcalan an official role overseeing the process as a “Peace Process and Political Affairs Coordinator.” AKP spokesperson Ömer Çelik said Bahçeli’s ideas offer “new perspectives” 4️⃣ Turkey expands anti-ISIS operations in Syria Turkey’s intelligence agency MIT announced that 10 ISIS suspects were captured in Syria in a joint operation with Syrian intelligence. One suspect was linked to the 2015 Ankara train station bombing. 5️⃣ Syrian army joins Turkish military exercise for the first time Syrian forces participated in Turkey’s EFES-2026 military exercise for the first time since Syria’s post-Assad restructuring. The drills also included 502 Libyan troops from rival eastern and western factions training together under a single Libyan flag. 6️⃣ Pakistan and Turkey deepen defense ties Pakistani Air Force Commander visited Ankara this week for talks with Turkish military officials. Discussions focused on expanding defense-industrial cooperation, joint projects, military aviation, and training. The visit came days after Pakistan’s defense minister suggested talks were advancing on a broader regional defense arrangement involving Turkey, Qatar, and Saudi Arabia. 7️⃣ Erdogan backs extension of US-Iran ceasefire In a phone call with President Trump, Erdogan welcomed the extension of the ceasefire between the US and Iran and said tensions with Tehran should be resolved through diplomacy. 8️⃣ Turkey to repatriate Gaza flotilla activists Turkey announced it would send charter flights to Israel to repatriate Gaza flotilla activists after Israeli National Security Minister Itamar Ben Gvir sparked outrage by releasing footage showing activists kneeling with their hands tied.

Not sure what why #Turkiye would join the Abraham Accords, as per Donald Trump. Ankara: - already recognised #Israel in 1949 (1st Muslim-majority state to do so) - has diplomatic relations (although currently not at highest level due to #Gaza)

Kurban Bayramı; paylaşmanın, dayanışmanın ve bir arada olmanın değerini yeniden hatırladığımız özel bir zaman.🌙 Kurban Bayramı’nın herkese sağlık, huzur ve umut getirmesini diliyoruz. 🇪🇺🇹🇷 @eu_eeas @eu_enlargement_

Eid al-Adha is a special time when we are reminded once again of the value of sharing, solidarity, and togetherness.🌙 We wish that Eid al-Adha brings health, peace, and hope to everyone. 🇪🇺🇹🇷 @eu_eeas @eu_enlargement_

🗣️ 'Europe stands in full solidarity and unity with Estonia, Latvia, and Lithuania' 🇪🇺 Recent security incidents in Baltic region show that Europe is facing a unified security challenge, said EU Commission President Ursula von der Leyen ➡️ She unveiled new measures to strengthen EU’s eastern flank and counter both hybrid and aerial threats v.aa.com.tr/3949141

🇷🇺 threat to foreign citizens & diplomats to leave Kyiv is an unacceptable escalation. @eu_eeas summoned the Chargé d'Affairs, calling to stop hitting civilians & 🇷🇺 to engage in genuine peace talks starting with a full and unconditional ceasefire. @EUDelegationUA stays in Kyiv.

Müziğin gücü, geleceğimizin neşesiyle buluştu! Hava Kuvvetleri Bandosu, Şehit Teğmen Ertuğrul Pilatin İlkokulu ve Ortaokulu öğrencileriyle bir araya gelerek moral ve motivasyon konseri icra etti. Kahraman şehidimizin adını taşıyan okulumuzda yankılanan melodiler, geleceğimizin teminatı çocuklarımızın yüzünde tebessüm, kalplerinde gurur oldu. Gökyüzünün sesi, yarının kanatlarına ilham vermeye devam ediyor! #MillîSavunmaBakanlığı

@Alp10356046 Benim beynim birden fazla konuyla uğraşabiliyor- sizinki?

@NazlanEr Konu bı mu? Sulandırmayın. Konu hukuksuzluk.

Şu an CHP genel merkezinde olmayan CHP’li belediye başkanı varsa, yerelde oy beklemesin. En azından ben vermeyeceğim.

@engin_solakoglu 😂😂😂

@NazlanEr Hangi anda:)))

Perşembe gecesinden beri art arda meydana gelen acayip olaylardan sonra Türkiye’nin hala AB’ne aday olduğunu dillerine dolandıranların alnını karışlamak lazım. AB üyeliğinin “stratejik hedef” olduğunu söyleyenlere de tek imzayla üniversite kapatarak, üç yıl geçtikten sonra parti kurultayı iptal ederek bu hedefe nasıl ulaşacaklarına inandıklarını sormak lazım. İstiyorlarsa hızlandırılmış bir AB kursu verecek çok kişi ve kurum var.😀 Son olarak da emekli olduğuma bugünlerde günde bir kaç defa şükrediyorum. Hala görevde olan ve meydana gelen bu acayiplikleri muhataplarına içeride ve dışarıda izah etmek durumunda olan eski meslektaşlarıma da şerefli bir emekliliğin hiç bir şekilde korkulacak bir şey olmadığına onları temin etmek isterim.

In this week’s AL-MONITOR Istanbul, @NazlanEr recommends Oliver Moody’s “Baltic: The Future of Europe,” a sharp journey through nine Baltic borderlands shaped by occupation, resilience and political instinct al-monitor.com/newsletter/202…

sabah ifade için jandarmaya gittim. neyle suçlandığım söylenmedi. konuyla ilgili birkaç jenerik soru soruldu. örnek verdikten sonra savcılığa gitmeden adli tıptan ayrıldım. bütün işlemlerin ardından konu hakkında dün ne biliyorsam hala o kadarını biliyorum. ilginiz için teşekkür ederim. 🙏🏻

Türkiye-Litvanya siyasi istişareleri, Bakan Yardımcımız ve AB Başkanı Büyükelçi Mehmet Kemal Bozay ile Litvanya Dışişleri Bakan Yardımcısı Sigitas Mitkus eşbaşkanlığında Vilnius’ta gerçekleştirildi. İstişarelerde, ikili ilişkilerimiz, Türkiye-AB ilişkileri ve güncel bölgesel gelişmeler ele alındı.

The Latin term, “ars apodemica,” the art of travel, describes the proper conduct of a journey: what to observe, how to record it, what to bring back. Mesher’s exhibition borrows the term and, thankfully, gives it a local touch. al-monitor.com/newsletter/202… via @NazlanEr

No country changes its political agenda as abruptly and radically as Turkey. Yesterday, granting Öcalan official status was presented as essential for the “peace process.” Today, after the absolute nullity decision, the narrative has completely shifted.

Turkey’s president, Recep Tayyip Erdogan, has already squeezed much of the life out of his country’s democracy. At this rate, Turks may soon have no genuine opposition to vote for economist.com/europe/2026/05…

@democrats_eu The statement is made by Brussels - it is the statement by the lead spokesperson for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy at the European Commission, not by the EU Delegation to Türkiye.

We share the concern expressed by the EU Delegation to Türkiye. Cancelling CHP congresses by court decision is not a technical detail: it strikes at the rule of law, democratic pluralism and judicial independence. A real democracy does not fear opposition; it protects its right to organise, compete and speak freely. Türkiye’s citizens deserve politics without intimidation, courts without pressure, and elections without fear. Europe must say it clearly.