The Levant Files

Istanbul Mayor Ekrem İmamoğlu told a Turkish court on April 28, 2026 that he and fellow detainees were subjected to torture following their arrest on March 19, 2025 — and that the abuse is "still ongoing." The statements were entered into the official court record during a hearing in the ongoing "Ekrem İmamoğlu Criminal Organization" trial held in Silivri, as reported by Murat Yetkin in the YetkinReport. Speaking before the court, İmamoğlu — the elected mayor of Istanbul, a city of 15.5 million registered voters, and the Republican People's Party's (CHP) presidential candidate — described the five-day period between March 19 and March 23 as extraordinarily difficult. "We went through a very troubled five days," he said. "Five days hungry and thirsty. May God spare anyone from such torment, such torture. This torture has become routine and is still being carried out." İmamoğlu further alleged that a prosecutor named Cahit Cihat Sarı verbal...

The Institute of Studies for Politics and Democracy (ISPD) has published a new policy analysis by Dr. Nikolaos Stelgias, Chief Editor of The Levant Files and postdoctoral research fellow at the University of Nicosia, examining the political upheaval that has gripped the Turkish Cypriot community since early April 2026. The study, offers a detailed account of a dual institutional crisis unfolding in the internationally unrecognized TRNC. At its centre is the decision by the UBP–DP–YDP coalition, led by "prime minister" Ünal Üstel, to issue a Decree with the Force of "Law" suspending the semi-annual cost-of-living allowance for public servants and pensioners — a move made after the relevant bill was rejected by the assembly. The executive maneuver provoked an immediate and forceful public response: an indefinite general strike, large-scale protests in occupied Nicosia, the occupation of the new parliament building, violent confrontations with police, and a subsequent ...

The Trump administration is pressing allied governments to join a new international coalition aimed at restoring commercial shipping through the Strait of Hormuz, even as the waterway remains largely paralyzed by competing blockades and ongoing U.S.-Iran hostilities. According to an internal State Department cable reviewed by The Wall Street Journal, the proposed initiative — dubbed the "Maritime Freedom Construct" (MFC) — would see partner nations share intelligence, coordinate diplomatic pressure, and enforce sanctions against Iranian interference with maritime traffic. The cable was sent to U.S. embassies on Tuesday, instructing American diplomats to solicit foreign government participation. The move comes weeks after President Donald Trump declared the strait "COMPLETELY OPEN AND READY FOR BUSINESS," a claim quickly undermined by continued disruption to vessel traffic. Iran has been laying mines and targeting tankers that attempt to transit the chokepoint withou...

President Donald Trump is set to receive a briefing on new plans for potential military action against Iran on Thursday from CENTCOM Commander Admiral Brad Cooper, according to a report by Axios citing two sources with knowledge of the matter. Joint Chiefs Chairman General Dan Caine is also expected to attend the briefing. According to the Axios, the briefing signals that Trump is seriously considering resuming major combat operations — either to break the logjam in nuclear negotiations or to deliver a final blow before ending the war, Axios reported. Three Military Options on the Table According to Axios, which cited three sources with knowledge, CENTCOM has prepared a plan for a "short and powerful" wave of strikes on Iran — likely targeting infrastructure — in hopes of forcing Tehran back to the negotiating table with greater flexibility on the nuclear issue. A second plan presented to Trump focuses on taking control of part of the Strait of Hormuz in order to reopen it to...

Dr. Nikolaos Stelgias Intelligence reaching Cyprus in recent days indicates that the United Nations Secretary-General, whose term expires in the coming months, is preparing a final push on the Cyprus issue. Following António Guterres’s latest contact with Cypriot President Nikos Christodoulides, reports are mounting that the UN is committed to this course and is actively weighing a range of options. According to sources in Nicosia, the UN’s primary objective remains to bring the parties back to the table. While the deep divisions between the two sides persist, Guterres aims—before his tenure draws to a close—to convey to the international community that progress has been achieved, at least in an informal format; that headway has been made on confidence-building measures; and that encouraging signals pointing toward a settlement have started to emerge. The British Formula: A Loose (Con)Federation Should Guterres succeed in this effort, a set of ideas that British sources have been advan...

Dr. Nikolaos Stelgias Kıbrıs'ın güneyine son günlerde ulaşan bilgiler, görev süresi önümüzdeki aylarda sona erecek olan Birleşmiş Milletler (BM) Genel Sekreteri'nin Kıbrıs meselesinde son bir hamleye hazırlandığını gösteriyor. Antonio Guterres'in Kıbrıs Cumhurbaşkanı Nikos Christodoulides ile gerçekleştirdiği son temasın ardından, BM'nin bu yönde kararlı olduğuna ve çeşitli seçenekleri masaya yatırdığına ilişkin haberler giderek yoğunlaşıyor. Lefkoşa'dan edinilen bilgilere göre BM'nin öncelikli hedefi, tarafları yeniden bir masa etrafında toplamak. Taraflar arasındaki derin görüş ayrılıkları gündemdeki yerini korumakla birlikte, Guterres en azından gayriresmî bir formatta Kıbrıs'ta ilerleme sağlandığı, güven artırıcı önlemler konusunda mesafe kat edildiği, hatta çözüm yönünde olumlu sinyaller alındığı mesajını, BM'deki görev süresinin bitmesine kısa bir süre kala dünya kamuoyuyla paylaşmak niyetinde. Birleşik Krallık Formülü: Gevşek (Kon)Federasyon Guter...

A new strategic report from the Islamic Parliament Research Center proposes four mechanisms to convert Iran's wartime control of the Strait of Hormuz into permanent diplomatic, military, and economic leverage. In a freshly published strategic report , the Islamic Parliament Research Center has identified Iran's exclusive management of the Strait of Hormuz as the single most powerful card it holds in ongoing negotiations with the United States and has laid out four interlocking mechanisms designed to lock that advantage in for the long term. The report, titled "Proposed Strategies for Exercising Sovereignty over the Strait of Hormuz," was authored by strategist Dr. Ali Abdollahi Neysiani and international-law scholar Dr. Mohammad Saleh Taskhiri under the supervision of Hojjat al-Islam Dr. Ali Nahavandi. Citing what the authors describe as Washington's "habit of breaking commitments," it argues that of the ten conditions Iran has presented to the United St...

Syria's permanent envoy to the United Nations on Tuesday urged the governments of Iraq and Lebanon to deploy official state forces along their borders with Syria and to prevent the spread of militia groups in those areas, Rudaw reported, citing remarks delivered to a UN Security Council meeting on the Middle East. Ibrahim Olabi, addressing the council, said Damascus welcomed the extension of the US–Iran ceasefire to Lebanon and reiterated longstanding Syrian support for "efforts aimed at preserving Lebanon's unity, sovereignty, and territorial integrity, as well as protecting its security and the safety of its people," according to Rudaw. He went further by calling on Beirut and Baghdad to push armed groups back from the frontier. "We also support limiting weapons to the hands of the state in Iraq and call on both brotherly countries, Iraq and Lebanon, to deploy forces in the border areas with Syria and prevent militias from spreading there," Olabi said, as ...

Iraq has emerged from nearly half a year of political paralysis after President Nizar Amedi named Ali al-Zaidi, a 40-year-old businessman with no prior government experience, as the country's prime minister-designate. The appointment, announced on Monday, came just hours after the Coordination Framework — the Shia-led coalition that holds the largest bloc in parliament — settled on al-Zaidi as a compromise candidate, averting a constitutional crisis that had been building since the November 2025 elections. Background: A Deadlock Driven by Foreign and Domestic Pressure The road to al-Zaidi's nomination was anything but straightforward. Following the parliamentary elections of November 11, 2025, the Coordination Framework declared itself the largest bloc and, under Iraq's confessional power-sharing system, claimed the right to nominate the next prime minister. Under that system — known as the Muhasasa arrangement and in place since the 2003 US-led invasion — the presidency is...

The United Arab Emirates' decision to withdraw from OPEC and the wider OPEC+ alliance, effective May 1, has sent tremors through global energy diplomacy, threatening to unravel a producer bloc that has steered crude markets for more than six decades. Announced Tuesday by Abu Dhabi's state news agency WAM, the move strips the cartel of its third-largest producer at a moment when the organization is already strained by a nine-week war involving Iran and the near-closure of the Strait of Hormuz. Although UAE Energy Minister Suhail al-Mazrouei framed the departure as a "policy decision" tied to long-term national strategy, the international fallout is likely to be considerable. Energy analysts warn that losing a founding-era member with capacity above 4 million barrels per day — and ambitions, through ADNOC, to reach 5 million by 2027 — fundamentally weakens OPEC's ability to present a unified front on production policy. Rystad Energy described the withdrawal as a ...

The complaints Turkish Cypriot politics levels against the EU, Turkey, and the Greek Cypriot leadership are justified — but incomplete. The real question is whether we're willing to confront our own responsibility. Dr. Nikolaos Stelgias The grievances rising from the segments that backed Tufan Erhürman in the latest presidential election point to three major fault lines in Turkish Cypriot political life: the European Union's "loophole" diplomacy that turns a blind eye to Turkish Cypriots, the bloc's double-standard approach toward Turkey, and the Greek Cypriot leadership's rejection of political equality. No one can deny there's a kernel of truth in each of these three areas. The problem is that grievance can all too easily settle into a comfortable groove — a way of avoiding the mirror. This piece takes each of the three fault lines in turn and makes the case that the issue isn't solely about external actors; it needs to be sought at home, too. The EU...

Kıbrıs Türk siyasetinin AB, Türkiye ve Rum liderliğine yönelik şikâyetleri haklı — ama eksik. Asıl soru, kendi sorumluluğumuzla yüzleşip yüzleşmeyeceğimiz. Dr. Nikolaos Stelgias Son cumhurbaşkanlığı seçimlerinde Tufan Erhürman’a destek veren kesimlerden yükselen serzenişler, Kıbrıs Türk siyasal hayatının üç temel kırılma noktasına işaret ediyor: Avrupa Birliği’nin Kıbrıslı Türkleri görmezden gelen “delik” diplomasisi, Birliğin Türkiye karşısındaki çifte standartlı tutumu ve Kıbrıs Rum liderliğinin siyasi eşitliği reddeden çizgisi. Bu üç başlığın her birinde gerçeklik payı olduğu yadsınamaz. Ne var ki serzeniş, çoğu zaman aynaya bakmaktan kaçınmanın da konforlu bir halini alabilir. Bu yazı, üç başlığın her birini sırayla ele alıp meselenin yalnızca dışarıda değil, içeride de aranması gerektiği görüşünü öne çıkarıyor. AB’nin “Delik” Diplomasisi: Yalnızca Brüksel’in Suçu mu? Kıbrıs Türk tarafının küçümseyerek “delik” diye andığı diplomasi, aslında tarihî bir gelişme. Kıbrıslı Türklerin AB...

Despite economic shocks from the Israeli-American war on Iran, Erdogan is positioning Turkey as the region's next energy hub and trading center. Writing for Haaretz, analyst Zvi Bar'el reports that Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan finds himself navigating a precarious but potentially lucrative moment. The Israeli-American war on Iran caught Ankara off guard — but with the worst-feared scenarios now seemingly off the table, Turkey is pivoting from damage control to opportunity. Turkish intelligence had warned that an Iranian collapse could trigger civil war, mass Kurdish mobilization, or a refugee surge across Turkey's border. None of those scenarios materialized. NATO's anti-aircraft batteries intercepted the Iranian missiles aimed at U.S. bases on Turkish soil, and Turkey was spared the physical devastation that hit the United Arab Emirates hardest. Even so, the economic toll was severe. The war sent Turkey's finances into a tailspin. Ankara was forced to sel...

Important note: Please note that the Arabic service of TLf is currently in a beta phase. We have launched this initiative with the support of our followers, volunteers, and AI technology. Please keep in mind that during this first phase, the Arabic text may contain slight phrasing or translation errors. We aim to launch a fully professional Arabic service in the near future. يرجى العلم أن الخدمة العربية لـ TLf لا تزال في مرحلة تجريبية (Beta). لقد أطلقنا هذه الخدمة بدعم من متابعينا والمتطوعين وباستخدام تقنيات الذكاء الاصطناعي. يرجى أخذ العلم أنه في هذه المرحلة الأولى قد تحتوي النصوص العربية على بعض الأخطاء البسيطة في الصياغة أو الترجمة. نهدف في المستقبل القريب إلى إطلاق خدمة عربية احترافية بالكامل. بينما تتصدع التحالفات الراسخة تحت وطأة الضغوط، تسارع الدول في جميع أنحاء العالم إلى إقامة شراكات جديدة - وتجد تركيا نفسها في قلب خريطة استراتيجية سريعة التغير. في مقال كتبه في موقع "يتكين ريبورت" التركي، يرى المحلل حسن غوغوش أن سياسة الرئيس الأمريكي دونالد ترامب الخارجية الخارقة للأ...

Important note: Please note that the Arabic service of TLf is currently in a beta phase. We have launched this initiative with the support of our followers, volunteers, and AI technology. Please keep in mind that during this first phase, the Arabic text may contain slight phrasing or translation errors. We aim to launch a fully professional Arabic service in the near future. يرجى العلم أن الخدمة العربية لـ TLf لا تزال في مرحلة تجريبية (Beta). لقد أطلقنا هذه الخدمة بدعم من متابعينا والمتطوعين وباستخدام تقنيات الذكاء الاصطناعي. يرجى أخذ العلم أنه في هذه المرحلة الأولى قد تحتوي النصوص العربية على بعض الأخطاء البسيطة في الصياغة أو الترجمة. نهدف في المستقبل القريب إلى إطلاق خدمة عربية احترافية بالكامل. أجبرت المواجهة المستمرة بين إيران والولايات المتحدة بشأن مضيق هرمز على إعادة تفكير جذرية في طرق الطاقة وممرات التجارة الإقليمية. ووفقاً لما نقلته وكالة أنباء تسنيم الإيرانية عن موقع "أويل برايس"، فقد برزت أفغانستان كنقطة ارتكاز محتملة لمسار بديل يلتف على عنق الزجاجة الحرج في هرمز - ...

They came, they talked, and they left — only to return within a day. That, in a single sentence, is the rhythm of Pakistan's week as the self-styled mediator in the US-Iran conflict. Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi shuttled in and out of the capital twice over the weekend, while American envoys, said to be holed up in the Serena Hotel, ultimately never boarded the plane from Washington. The ceasefire holds — extended indefinitely by President Donald Trump — but, as journalist Arifa Noor writes in Dawn, "the stalemate continues, though those in the know insist there is slow and steady progress behind the scenes." The diplomatic backdrop is genuinely historic. The Islamabad Talks of April 11–12 represented the first direct, high-level engagement between the United States and Iran since the 1979 Islamic Revolution — 21 hours of negotiations brokered by Pakistan. They ended without a deal: US Vice President JD Vance said Tehran "chose not to accept our terms,...

In what analysts are calling a watershed moment for Russian influence in the Sahel, Mali's military junta suffered a devastating blow over the weekend of April 25–27, 2026, as coordinated attacks by Tuareg separatists and Al-Qaeda-linked jihadists overran key towns and forced Russia's Africa Corps paramilitaries into a humiliating retreat from Kidal, the symbolic northern stronghold they had seized just two and a half years ago. According to the Le Monde, the assault, launched on April 25 by the Azawad Liberation Front (ALF) and the jihadist group Jama'at Nusrat al-Islam wal-Muslimin (JNIM), struck simultaneously across multiple locations — including Bamako's military district of Kati, the airport at Sévaré, and Gao — marking the largest rebel offensive in Mali since 2012. By Sunday, the pro-independence flag flew over Kidal's fort, the same spot where Wagner mercenaries had triumphantly raised their skull-and-crossbones banner in November 2023. Moscow's local p...

Bulgaria's eighth parliamentary election in five years produced the clearest result the country has seen since 1997, but the landslide victory of former president Rumen Radev and his newly formed Progressive Bulgaria (PB) party is already sending a chill through European Union capitals. While the vote may finally end the Balkan state's grinding political paralysis, it has also raised urgent questions about Bulgaria's reliability as an EU partner on Ukraine, Russia, and the bloc's geopolitical agenda. The Vote and Its Result Held on 19 April 2026, the election saw PB secure approximately 44.6 percent of the vote and around 131 seats in the 240-seat National Assembly — an outright parliamentary majority. GERB-SDS, the centre-right party of former prime minister Boyko Borissov, collapsed to just 13.4 percent and 39 seats, while the reformist We Continue the Change–Democratic Bulgaria coalition (PP-DB) took 12.6 percent and 37 seats. In a striking historical footnote, the B...