Halil Karaveli

Halil Karaveli is a senior fellow with the Central Asia-Caucasus Institute & Silk Road Studies Program Joint Center. He is the author of Why Turkey is Authoritarian: From Ataturk to Erdogan.

Articles by Halil Karaveli
US President Donald Trump and Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan pose for a photo during a summit on Gaza in Sharm el-Sheikh on October 13, 2025.
US President Donald Trump and Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan pose for a photo during a summit on Gaza in Sharm el-Sheikh on October 13, 2025.

Trump Is Strengthening the Logic of Authoritarianism and Nationalism in Turkey

Argument
Halil Karaveli
Protesters wave Turkish flags in front of the New Mosque in Istanbul on March 25.
Protesters wave Turkish flags in front of the New Mosque in Istanbul on March 25.

Erdogan Is Trying to Divide and Conquer Turkey’s Opposition

Argument
Halil Karaveli
MHP party leader Devlet Bahceli visits Anitkabir, the mausoleum of modern Turkey's founder Mustafa Kemal Ataturk on Oct. 29, 2021 in Ankara.
MHP party leader Devlet Bahceli visits Anitkabir, the mausoleum of modern Turkey's founder Mustafa Kemal Ataturk on Oct. 29, 2021 in Ankara.

Can Devlet Bahceli Be Turkey’s F.W. de Klerk?

Analysis
Halil Karaveli
Istanbul Mayor Ekrem Imamoglu of the main opposition Republican People's Party (CHP) addresses supporters during a rally on May 27, 2023.
Istanbul Mayor Ekrem Imamoglu of the main opposition Republican People's Party (CHP) addresses supporters during a rally on May 27, 2023.

If Turkey’s Opposition Loses the Kurds, It Will Never Win

Argument
Halil Karaveli
Turkish lawmakers attend a session before voting on a bill regarding Sweden’s accession to NATO.
Turkish lawmakers attend a session before voting on a bill regarding Sweden’s accession to NATO.

In Turkey, Atlanticism Does Not Mean Liberalism

Argument
Halil Karaveli
Sumeyye Bayraktar and Selcuk Bayraktar, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan’s daughter and son-in-law, hold Turkish flags in front of Erdogan’s residence in Kisikli.
Sumeyye Bayraktar and Selcuk Bayraktar, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan’s daughter and son-in-law, hold Turkish flags in front of Erdogan’s residence in Kisikli.

Is Selcuk Bayraktar Turkey’s Crown Prince-in-Waiting?

Profile
Halil Karaveli
Turkey's Republican People's Party (CHP) candidate Kemal Kilicdaroglu speaks during a rally in Canakkale, Turkey, on Apr. 11.
Turkey's Republican People's Party (CHP) candidate Kemal Kilicdaroglu speaks during a rally in Canakkale, Turkey, on Apr. 11.

Turkey’s Opposition Can’t Win Without the Working Class

Argument
Halil Karaveli
Turkish Defense Minister Hulusi Akar chairs a meeting in Ankara, Turkey on Nov. 21, 2022.
Turkish Defense Minister Hulusi Akar chairs a meeting in Ankara, Turkey on Nov. 21, 2022.

Turkey’s Problem Isn’t Sweden. It’s the United States.

Argument
Halil Karaveli
Turkey's Defense Minister Hulusi Akar looks on as he arrives for a meeting of NATO defense ministers at NATO headquarters in Brussels, on June 26, 2019.
Turkey's Defense Minister Hulusi Akar looks on as he arrives for a meeting of NATO defense ministers at NATO headquarters in Brussels, on June 26, 2019.

Erdogan’s Heir Apparent Isn’t a Problem

Response
Halil Karaveli
A supporter of Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan waves a flag against an electronic billboard during a rally in Ankara on July 18, 2016.(Chris McGrath/Getty Images)
A supporter of Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan waves a flag against an electronic billboard during a rally in Ankara on July 18, 2016.(Chris McGrath/Getty Images)

The Myth of Erdogan’s Power

Argument
Halil Karaveli
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