Most recent articles by Michael Martens
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Turkish offensive in SyriaThe poisoned olive branch
Turkey has launched its second military campaign in northern Syria. But this time it is not directed against Islamic State. Once again the Kurds are in the firing line. This move also has implications for relations with Russia. An analysis by Michael Martens
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Turkey′s general election"The AKP's nationalist strategy has paid off"
In conversation with Michael Martens, the Dutch expert on Turkey Joost Lagendijk analyses the election victory of President Tayyip Erdogan's AKP and the relationship between the "People's Democratic Party" (HDP) – with its Kurdish support base – and the Kurdish terrorist organisation the PKK
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Parliamentary election in TurkeyErdogan's biggest political defeat
Coalition, minority government or new elections? President Erdogan's AKP has lost its absolute majority in Turkey's parliamentary poll. What's more, a new party is now poised to enter parliament. What does this mean for the future of the country? Michael Martens sends this analysis from Istanbul
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The Gülen Movement in TurkeyStruggling against the "Soldiers of Light"
For a long while, the movement led by preacher Fethullah Gülen was aligned with Turkish Prime Minister Erdogan. But the old marriage of convenience has turned sour – with both sides stopping at nothing to cast the other in the bad light. By Michael Martens in Istanbul
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Protests in TurkeyThe Intolerance of Others
While police and demonstrators argue over who was responsible for the death of a protestor in Antakya, female students in Istanbul are abused for wearing headscarves – by other female students. Turkey is struggling with a wave of intolerance that is afflicting all camps. Michael Martens reports from Istanbul