Türkiye Continues Delaying Sweden’s NATO Bid
In January 2023, President Erdogan of Türkiye stated that Sweden and Finland must deport some 130 “terrorists” to Türkiye before Ankara will approve their bids to join NATO.
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Turkish President Visits UAE to Boost Long Strained Ties
On February 14, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan visited the United Arab Emirates for the first time in nearly a decade in an attempt to revive relations long strained by regional disputes, Barron’s reports. President Erdogan was welcomed in the capital Abu Dhabi by the de facto ruler of the UAE, Crown Prince Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed Al-Nahyan, for the second meeting in three months between the Middle Eastern nations, after years of hostility over the role of Islamist groups in the 2011 Arab Spring uprisings.
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Turkish President Erdogan Expels Ten Ambassadors for Backing Jailed Philanthropist
Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has declared ten ambassadors “persona non grata” after they advocated for the release of a jailed philanthropist, reports The New York Times. Businessman and philanthropist Osman Kavala has been in jail in Turkey since 2017, despite having never been convicted of a crime.
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Turkey-U.S. Relations Deteriorating as Turkey Seeks Russian Alliance
On September 24, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said that Turkey will consider buying a second S-400 missile system from Russia, drawing international scrutiny. This announcement concerned United States defense officials, particularly following the events of 2020, in which Turkey was kicked out of NATO’s F-35 program for similar actions, reports ABC News.
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Focus on Political Systems: Turkey
Turkey’s Grand National Assembly is the primary legislative body of the country and comprises 550 members, who are elected for a fouryear term. Voting is by proportional representation and a party or candidate’s selection is conditional on a 10 percent nation-wide participation minimum.
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