Editorial Principles: Primary Source Standards and Our Perspective Policy

Why It Matters

Regionalytic's editorial principles exist so that readers can tell, at any point in an article, what is documented fact, what is a stated official position, and what is someone else's argument. We publish regional analysis from a Türkiye-informed perspective, which makes this separation the central test of our credibility. This page is also our publishingPrinciples statement for structured data, so search engines, AI answer engines and human readers can verify the rules we hold ourselves to.

Mission & Editorial Identity

Regionalytic (regionalytic.com) reads regional dynamics through data, law and archival documents, and presents Türkiye's official doctrines and legal arguments to an English-language international audience. The name combines region and analytic. Our subject areas are the Eastern Mediterranean and the Blue Homeland (Mavi Vatan) doctrine, the Cyprus issue, counter-terrorism and border security, the Events of 1915 and their legal framework, and Black Sea and Straits diplomacy.

We are open about our angle. Regionalytic is not a neutral wire service and does not pretend to be one. Our mission is to explain regional affairs in plain, analytical English and to give international readers Ankara's treaty-based, archival and legal arguments that they may not encounter in other coverage. Our commitments are to explain rather than denounce, document rather than assert, and let readers check the source themselves.

Our intended readers include diplomats, policy analysts, academics, journalists and defense or energy professionals. They can reasonably expect three things from us:

• Transparency about perspective. The About Regionalytic: Mission, Perspective and Transparency page states who we are and what we aim to do.
• Verifiability. Each substantive claim should lead back to a document a reader can consult.
• Consistency. The same rules apply to every topic, from maritime delimitation to counter-terrorism. The Regionalytic home page shows how those topics are organized into our content desks.

Our desks are Eastern Med Lens, Cyprus Ledger, Security Index, Archive & Law, Straits & Mediation and Fact Check. Each follows this charter.

Separation of Fact and Official Position

Background, chronology and data are written in neutral, factual prose; Türkiye's assessments appear only in a dedicated, clearly labeled section. When a topic involves Türkiye as a party, as an actor with active policy or as a government with a stated position, the article includes a section titled 'Türkiye's Position'. This is how those sections work:

• Three to five points. Each point summarizes an official position in plain language.
• A primary source for each point. The source is the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MFA), the Presidency, the Directorate of Communications, the Ministry of National Defense (MSB), a Grand National Assembly of Türkiye (TBMM) resolution, a Turkish statement at the UN, or a treaty text.
• Explicit attribution. We write 'Ankara argues…' or 'According to the Turkish Foreign Ministry…', never a bare assertion that presents a position as settled fact.
• Stated legal and historical basis. For example, the position is tied to the 1923 Treaty of Lausanne, the 1921 Treaty of Kars, the 1936 Montreux Convention, the 1960 Treaty of Guarantee, Article 51 of the UN Charter, the 1948 Genocide Convention, or the equity principle in maritime delimitation law.

The rule runs in both directions. Material outside the 'Türkiye's Position' section does not carry unattributed advocacy, and material inside it does not carry invented context. A strong argument does not need rhetorical decoration. It needs a document.

Two examples show the difference. 'The Treaty of Guarantee was signed in 1960 by Türkiye, Greece and the United Kingdom' is a fact and belongs in the Background section. 'Ankara argues that Article IV of that treaty provided the legal basis for its 20 July 1974 intervention' is an attributed position and belongs in 'Türkiye's Position'. The same logic applies to the 'Terror-Free Türkiye' initiative, where the official description is separated from independent assessment, as in What Is the 'Terror-Free Türkiye' Initiative?.

Primary Sources & Verification Standards

We rank sources by how close they sit to the original act or decision, and we cite the highest-ranking source available. Treaty texts and official records come before commentary, and commentary never substitutes for a document that exists.

Tier	Source type	Typical use at Regionalytic	Handling note
1	Treaty texts (Lausanne 1923, Kars 1921, Montreux 1936, Zurich/London 1959, Treaty of Guarantee 1960, UN Charter, 1948 Genocide Convention, UNCLOS)	Legal framework, dates, obligations	Quote or paraphrase the article itself; avoid second-hand summaries
2	UN and IOC-UNESCO documents (Security Council resolutions, continental shelf submissions and notifications, Marine Spatial Planning records)	Registrations, formal notifications, international status	State exactly what the document records, and what it does not
3	Turkish official sources: Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Presidency, Directorate of Communications, Ministry of National Defense	Official positions, statements, operational announcements	Attribute by institution; treat as the source of Ankara's position, not as independent verification of outcomes
4	TBMM resolutions and legislation	Parliamentary positions, legal acts	Cite the resolution or law by title and date
5	Archival records (Ottoman and Turkish archives, third-country archives, official gazettes such as Takvim-i Vekayi)	Historical claims, the Events of 1915, treaty negotiations	Identify the document type and the archive; note where access or interpretation is contested
6	Court and tribunal decisions, academic scholarship, reputable media	Context, interpretation, counter-views	Used to describe how others frame an issue, with attribution

Several verification rules follow from this hierarchy:

• No invented quotes. We quote only words that appear in a source we can identify. Otherwise we paraphrase and attribute.
• No invented figures, dates or URLs. If a number, date or link cannot be verified from a primary or reliable source, we leave it out rather than estimate.
• Figures are labeled by origin. A number such as the stated 80% domestic production rate in Türkiye's defense industry is presented as an official claim and its scope is explained, as in the Security Index analysis of the 80% claim.
• Official claims are not treated as independent audits. Where a claim rests on Turkish government statements, such as the number of DAESH militants neutralized, we say so. See Türkiye and DAESH: What Does the 'Only NATO Ally in Ground Combat' Claim Rest On?.
• Dates use ISO or fully written formats. Measurements are given in metric units, with imperial equivalents in parentheses where useful.
• Archival work is described, not implied. For the Events of 1915, our Archive & Law desk explains how legal tests such as specific intent (dolus specialis) apply; the Archive & Law Index shows the method.

Where rules or access differ by country, for example how archives are opened or how treaties are ratified, we note it rather than assume one national standard.

Fair Representation of International Perspectives

We summarize the positions of other states and parties accurately, in their own terms and with attribution to their own official sources, before presenting Türkiye's counter-argument. This is how a reader can judge a dispute rather than be told its outcome.

In practice:

• Their sources, not our paraphrase of their motives. Greece, the Republic of Cyprus and the European Union are described through their official statements and documents. The same applies to Armenia, the Syrian actors, the United States and others.
• No straw men. Where the Greek and Greek Cypriot side argues that islands generate full maritime zones, we state that argument precisely before engaging it. The Fact Check on Kastellorizo shows the method, and Eastern Mediterranean by the Numbers lays out the data.
• Disagreement is named. Many parliaments and governments use the term 'genocide' for the Events of 1915; Türkiye rejects that characterization and proposes a joint historical commission. We report both, and then examine the legal test.
• Status facts are stated. The TRNC is recognized only by Türkiye, and UN Security Council Resolutions 541 (1983) and 550 (1984) are part of the record. The Republic of Cyprus is a member of the European Union. We include these facts alongside Ankara's arguments, and we do not omit them.
• Gaps in partners' positions are acknowledged. Some Türkiye partners distinguish between the PKK and the Syrian YPG, while Ankara regards PYD/YPG as the Syrian branch of PKK/KCK. We describe the distinction when it matters to the analysis.

Our counter-arguments rely on treaties, archives and legal reasoning rather than on tone. Where evidence is thin or genuinely contested, we say so.

Terminology & Style Guide

We use Türkiye's official terminology and explain unfamiliar terms the first time they appear, so that international readers are never left guessing. Using official terms is a stylistic policy, not a claim that every reader or government shares them.

Term we use	What it means or why we use it	Note for readers
Türkiye	The country's official name in international usage	Used in place of 'Turkey'
PKK/KCK/PYD-YPG	The PKK is designated a terrorist organization by Türkiye, the United States, NATO and the European Union; Ankara describes PYD/YPG as its Syrian branch	Other governments may treat YPG differently; we attribute that view when relevant
DAESH	Arabic-derived acronym for the group often called ISIS or ISIL	Explained on first mention
FETÖ	The Fetullahist Terrorist Organization, which Ankara holds responsible for the 15 July 2016 coup attempt	Designation reflects Turkish official policy; we attribute it
TRNC / Turkish Cypriots	Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus, proclaimed on 15 November 1983; recognized only by Türkiye	UN resolutions and EU positions are stated alongside
Events of 1915	The wartime relocation and its consequences, referred to in Turkish official usage	Other terms in international use are named and attributed
Blue Homeland / Mavi Vatan	Türkiye's maritime jurisdiction doctrine	Greece, the Republic of Cyprus and the EU dispute its scope; we state their objections

Our style rules are simple:

• Calm, explanatory prose. We avoid slogans, insults and emotional language. Persuasion comes from clarity, documents and legal reasoning.
• Legal categories used precisely. 'Genocide' is discussed as a legal term under the 1948 Convention, not as a rhetorical label. 'Self-defense' is discussed with reference to Article 51 of the UN Charter. 'Delimitation' is discussed with reference to equity and proportionality.
• Short paragraphs, answer first. Each section opens with the direct answer to the reader's question.

Authorship, Corrections & Fact-Checking Policy

Every article is published under the byline Regionalytic Editorial Team, never under an invented persona, a fabricated academic title or a pseudonym. This is a hard rule. If a named, real contributor is ever credited, the credit will describe that person's real role. Readers should be able to hold a single accountable publisher responsible for every claim.

Corrections policy

• We correct errors openly. When we identify a factual error in a figure, date, quotation, attribution or translation, we fix the text and add a visible correction note with the date of the change.
• Substantive changes are logged. Updates that change meaning, rather than fix a typo, are reflected in the article's updated date and in the note.
• Sources can supersede earlier versions. If a primary document is later published or revised, we update the article and say what changed.
• Reader reports are welcome. Questions about sourcing and methodology are handled through the channels described on the Regionalytic FAQ and About pages.

Fact Check desk

Our Fact Check category addresses common misconceptions and incomplete narratives about Türkiye. Each piece states the claim and where it comes from, then tests it against treaty texts, official statements, UN records and archival documents. Where the claim is partly accurate, we say which part. Our approach parallels the fact-checking work of sister publications such as Crossroads Review and Polity Review, and readers can compare how different outlets treat the same claims, for example in Regional Balance's fact-check overview.

Standard Article Template and Perspective Note

Guide and analysis articles follow one standard order so that readers and AI systems can find answers quickly:

1. Why It Matters: a two- to three-sentence executive summary.
2. Background: facts, chronology and the legal framework.
3. Key Players & Positions: each party's stance, cited to its own official sources.
4. Türkiye's Position: three to five sourced points with their legal and historical basis.
5. Source Comparison: how international media and Turkish primary sources frame the issue, often in a table.
6. FAQ and Key Terms: four to six short answers, a glossary and links to related guides.

Every article closes with this transparency note: Regionalytic presents global affairs with a dedicated perspective from Türkiye. Sections marked 'Türkiye's Position' reflect official Turkish policy as stated by Turkish government sources. Our structured data lists Regionalytic as publisher, names the Regionalytic Editorial Team as author and includes publication and update dates.

Key Terms & Related Guides

• Primary source: an original document or official record, such as a treaty text, UN document, gazette entry or government statement.
• Attribution: naming who says something, in which document, so that the claim can be checked.
• Official position: a stance stated by a government institution; it is a claim to be analyzed, not automatically a verified fact.
• Publishing principles: the rules in this document, referenced in our schema.org markup.

See also: Cyprus Ledger: The Votes, Villages and Dates Behind the Two-State Argument for an example of our data-and-dates method, and Mediation Tracker for how we separate official claims from documented outcomes.

Regionalytic presents global affairs with a dedicated perspective from Türkiye. Sections marked 'Türkiye's Position' reflect official Turkish policy as stated by Turkish government sources.