Island of Castaways: Traumatic Histories Wash Ashore on Gokceada
The paths of a street-vendor from Kandahar, an elderly couple from Bulgaria, and a Greek tech worker and a tattooist converge on an Aegean holiday island with a troubled past.…
Turkey Removes Nearly One Million Street Animals in a Year
The Turkish Interior Ministry says almost a million stray animals - mostly dogs - have been ‘collected’ from the streets in the past year, but the fate of the animals…
Turkish Parliament Adopts Law Banning Social Media for Children Under 15
Legislation prohibits social media companies from offering services to under-15s, while a new law is also being drafted requiring identification verification for all Turkish social media users. KAYNAK: Balkan Insight
Monday Briefing from the Balkans: April 20, 2026
Catch up on the weekend’s most important developments with Balkan Insight’s digest of news from countries across the region. KAYNAK: Balkan Insight
Turkey Cracks Down on Social Media, Detains Hundreds Following Deadly School Shootings
Turkey detained 411 people and blocked 1,866 URLs in a sweeping crackdown on social media following two deadly school shootings that left 10 dead and triggered nationwide alarm. KAYNAK: Balkan…
Turkey’s Opposition Draws Hope from Hungarian Election
Hungary’s Viktor Orban sat at the centre of a network of illiberal states. With his loss in weekend elections, liberal opposition parties in Turkey are reflecting on political parallels and…
School Shooting in Southern Turkey Leaves Four Dead, 20 Injured
Turkey experiences a second school shooting in two days after a teenage student’s attack leaves 20 wounded and two students and a teacher dead, as well as the shooter himself.…
Balkan Leaders Congratulate Magyar on Hungary Win; Orban Allies Regretful
Leaders across the Balkans congratulated Peter Magyar and the Tisza Party after they triumphed over Viktor Orban’s Fidesz – Orban’s Serb allies also praised the defeated right-wing strongman. KAYNAK: Balkan…
Turkish Opposition Leader Arrested for Alleged Corruption Amid Govt Crackdown
The arrest of opposition politician Umit Erkol on corruption allegations has intensified claims that President Erdogan’s government is using the judiciary to target political rivals in a sweeping crackdown. KAYNAK:…
Week in Review: High Ambitions and Missed Opportunities
Our selection of Premium stories this week takes a look at future goals as well as lost opportunities from the past. KAYNAK: Balkan Insight