Latest data updates for Turkey History Tracker.https://watchboard.dev/en-ushttps://watchboard.dev/turkey/#digest-2026-05-31/https://watchboard.dev/turkey/#digest-2026-05-31/Ousted CHP leader Özgür Özel drew tens of thousands in a defiance march to Atatürk's mausoleum in Ankara on May 30 — the largest opposition demonstration in over a decade — after riot police used water cannons against Özel supporters in İzmir on May 26. The Socialist International unanimously endorsed Özel as the legitimate CHP leader (May 27–29) and urged court-installed interim chair Kılıçdaroğlu to set a congress date. Kılıçdaroğlu vowed a 'clean, transparent' congress on May 31 but gave no specific date, with rival Ankara events cementing the CHP split. Foreign Policy (May 28) argued the judicial campaign may be consolidating rather than destroying the opposition. Istanbul Mayor İmamoğlu's espionage trial was adjourned to July 6; BIST-100 remains ~6% below pre-crisis levels with state banks having spent $6–8B defending the lira.Sun, 31 May 2026 00:00:00 GMTdailyhttps://watchboard.dev/turkey/#digest-2026-05-30/https://watchboard.dev/turkey/#digest-2026-05-30/Ousted CHP leader Özgür Özel drew tens of thousands of supporters to Güven Park in central Ankara on May 30, 2026, in the largest opposition demonstration since the judicial crisis began on May 21.Sat, 30 May 2026 00:00:00 GMTdailyhttps://watchboard.dev/turkey/#digest-2026-05-29/https://watchboard.dev/turkey/#digest-2026-05-29/Socialist International Publishes Formal Statement Backing Özel; Opposition Solidarity Hardens.Fri, 29 May 2026 00:00:00 GMTdailyhttps://watchboard.dev/turkey/#digest-2026-05-28/https://watchboard.dev/turkey/#digest-2026-05-28/Two major analytical pieces published May 28, 2026 shaped international framing of Turkey's political crisis.Thu, 28 May 2026 00:00:00 GMTdailyhttps://watchboard.dev/turkey/#digest-2026-05-27/https://watchboard.dev/turkey/#digest-2026-05-27/The Socialist International's Ethics Committee met and voted unanimously on May 27, 2026 to endorse Özgür Özel as the legitimate leader of the CHP, rejecting the court-installed Kemal Kılıçdaroğlu.Wed, 27 May 2026 00:00:00 GMTdailyhttps://watchboard.dev/turkey/#digest-2026-05-26/https://watchboard.dev/turkey/#digest-2026-05-26/Turkish riot police deployed steel barriers and water cannons in İzmir's Cumhuriyet Square on May 26, 2026, to prevent supporters from gathering to hear ousted CHP leader Özgür Özel speak.Tue, 26 May 2026 00:00:00 GMTdailyhttps://watchboard.dev/turkey/#digest-2026-05-25/https://watchboard.dev/turkey/#digest-2026-05-25/DEM Party Condemns CHP Ousting; International Alarm Over Turkey's Democratic Crisis.Mon, 25 May 2026 00:00:00 GMTdailyhttps://watchboard.dev/turkey/#digest-2026-05-24/https://watchboard.dev/turkey/#digest-2026-05-24/The 36th Ankara Regional Court of Appeal on May 21 annulled the CHP's entire party leadership, removing chair Özgür Özel and reinstating former leader Kılıçdaroğlu as interim chair — the most dramatic judicial blow to Turkey's opposition in decades. The ruling triggered a 6%+ BIST-100 stock drop, mass protests across Istanbul, Ankara, and İzmir, and condemnation from the EU, US State Department, Council of Europe, and Human Rights Watch. Turkey's EFES-2026 military exercise concluded with Syria and Libya joining for historic firsts, while FM Fidan and Secretary Rubio held bilateral talks at the NATO Helsingborg ministerial ahead of the July Ankara summit. The lira hit record lows past 45.5/USD as April inflation came in above consensus at 32.37%.Sun, 24 May 2026 00:00:00 GMTdailyhttps://watchboard.dev/turkey/#digest-2026-05-23/https://watchboard.dev/turkey/#digest-2026-05-23/Reports Confirm Syrian Forces Joined EFES-2026 — First Foreign Exercise Since Assad's Fall.Sat, 23 May 2026 00:00:00 GMTdailyhttps://watchboard.dev/turkey/#digest-2026-05-22/https://watchboard.dev/turkey/#digest-2026-05-22/Thousands of protesters gathered in Istanbul, Ankara, İzmir, and other major Turkish cities on May 22, 2026, in response to the Ankara court's ruling annulling the CHP leadership. Rubio–Fidan Bilateral at NATO Helsingborg FM Meeting; Ankara Summit Agenda Set.Fri, 22 May 2026 00:00:00 GMTdailyhttps://watchboard.dev/turkey/#digest-2026-05-21/https://watchboard.dev/turkey/#digest-2026-05-21/Ankara Court Annuls CHP Leadership, Reinstates Kılıçdaroğlu; BIST-100 Drops 6%. Turkey's flagship biennial military exercise EFES-2026 concluded its live-fire phase on approximately May 21, 2026, at training ranges near İzmir along the Aegean coast.Thu, 21 May 2026 00:00:00 GMTdailyhttps://watchboard.dev/turkey/#digest-2026-05-20/https://watchboard.dev/turkey/#digest-2026-05-20/Turkey's Foreign Ministry issued public statements on May 20, 2026, outlining Ankara's agenda for the NATO Summit it will host on July 7–8, 2026 — the first-ever NATO summit held in Turkey.Wed, 20 May 2026 00:00:00 GMTdailyhttps://watchboard.dev/turkey/#digest-2026-05-16/https://watchboard.dev/turkey/#digest-2026-05-16/An Istanbul court rejected release requests for Mayor İmamoğlu in the 'political espionage' case on May 13, deepening the opposition's judicial crisis as CHP leader Özgür Özel simultaneously faced a criminal investigation over television statements. Özel accused the Erdoğan government on May 14 of using the 'effective remorse' statute to coerce jailed CHP officials into making false accusations. Turkey continued its Iran-US ceasefire mediation role through the week, positioning Ankara as a key diplomatic bridge between NATO allies and Tehran. The political profile of Devlet Bahçeli was updated to reflect his landmark May 5 proposal granting Öcalan formal 'peace coordinator' status.Sat, 16 May 2026 00:00:00 GMTdailyhttps://watchboard.dev/turkey/#digest-2026-05-14/https://watchboard.dev/turkey/#digest-2026-05-14/CHP Leader Özel Accuses Erdoğan Government of Systematic Judicial Persecution of Opposition.Thu, 14 May 2026 00:00:00 GMTdailyhttps://watchboard.dev/turkey/#digest-2026-05-13/https://watchboard.dev/turkey/#digest-2026-05-13/An Istanbul court rejected requests to release jailed Istanbul Mayor Ekrem İmamoğlu and three co-defendants in the ongoing 'political espionage' trial on May 13, 2026.Wed, 13 May 2026 00:00:00 GMTdailyhttps://watchboard.dev/turkey/#digest-2026-05-09/https://watchboard.dev/turkey/#digest-2026-05-09/Turkey's political crisis deepened in May 2026 as the mass corruption trial of Istanbul Mayor İmamoğlu and 412 co-defendants continued, with Turkish police detaining 29 more municipality associates. Istanbul's May Day protests saw 570+ arrests as police blocked Taksim Square, reflecting ongoing civil tensions. The PKK peace process — initiated by Öcalan's February 2025 call for disarmament — remained frozen, with senior PKK figures urging Turkey to remove 'obstacles' to progress. Economic data shows inflation falling to 32.37% (April 2026) from its 2022 peak of 85.5%, while the lira depreciated further to ~45.4 per USD. Turkey is preparing to host the July 2026 NATO Summit in Ankara. Erdoğan met Saudi FM Faisal bin Farhan and engaged in diplomatic contacts with Russia on Iran de-escalation.Sat, 09 May 2026 00:00:00 GMTdailyhttps://watchboard.dev/turkey/#digest-2026-05-08/https://watchboard.dev/turkey/#digest-2026-05-08/Turkish police detained 29 people in connection with an ongoing investigation into corruption in Istanbul municipality operations.Fri, 08 May 2026 00:00:00 GMTdailyhttps://watchboard.dev/turkey/#digest-2026-05-07/https://watchboard.dev/turkey/#digest-2026-05-07/Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Alexander Rudenko met with Turkey's Ambassador to Russia T.Thu, 07 May 2026 00:00:00 GMTdailyhttps://watchboard.dev/turkey/#digest-2026-05-06/https://watchboard.dev/turkey/#digest-2026-05-06/Turkey Unveils Claimed Intercontinental-Range Missile Prototype at SAHA EXPO 2026. Erdoğan Receives Saudi FM Prince Faisal bin Farhan in Ankara.Wed, 06 May 2026 00:00:00 GMTdailyhttps://watchboard.dev/turkey/#digest-2026-05-05/https://watchboard.dev/turkey/#digest-2026-05-05/PKK Senior Figures Urge Ankara to Remove 'Obstacles' Blocking Peace Process.Tue, 05 May 2026 00:00:00 GMTdailyhttps://watchboard.dev/turkey/#digest-2026-05-04/https://watchboard.dev/turkey/#digest-2026-05-04/Erdoğan Warns EU: Avoid Rhetoric Undermining Turkey's 'Constructive Stance'.Mon, 04 May 2026 00:00:00 GMTdailyhttps://watchboard.dev/turkey/#digest-2026-05-01/https://watchboard.dev/turkey/#digest-2026-05-01/Turkish police fired tear gas and detained more than 570 demonstrators who attempted to march toward Taksim Square in Istanbul during May Day (International Workers' Day) celebrations.Fri, 01 May 2026 00:00:00 GMTdailyhttps://watchboard.dev/turkey/#digest-2026-04-30/https://watchboard.dev/turkey/#digest-2026-04-30/A senior PKK militant commander accused the Turkish government of stalling peace talks initiated following Abdullah Öcalan's February 2025 call for the PKK to disarm and dissolve. An Istanbul court ordered the conditional release of 15 of the 413 defendants in the mega-corruption trial targeting Istanbul Mayor Ekrem İmamoğlu and his associates.Thu, 30 Apr 2026 00:00:00 GMTdailyhttps://watchboard.dev/turkey/#digest-2026-04-27/https://watchboard.dev/turkey/#digest-2026-04-27/Turkey-Azerbaijan Launch TurAz Eagle-2026 Joint Air Force Exercises. Finance Minister Şimşek Unveils Export Tax Incentive Package.Mon, 27 Apr 2026 00:00:00 GMTdailyhttps://watchboard.dev/turkey/#digest-2026-04-25/https://watchboard.dev/turkey/#digest-2026-04-25/Initial backfill complete. Turkey: 727 Years from Ottoman Founding to Erdoğan's Presidential RepublicSat, 25 Apr 2026 00:00:00 GMTdaily