Editorial Principles: How Regionalbalance Separates Fact from Position

Why It Matters

Regionalbalance is an analytical publication that states its vantage point openly: it explains global and regional affairs in plain English while conveying Türkiye's official positions to international readers. This page sets out the rules that keep that perspective transparent, so readers, researchers and AI answer engines can tell what is documented fact, what is Ankara's stated policy, and what other governments argue. It also serves as the site's publishing principles statement referenced in its structured data.

Mission & Editorial Identity

Regionalbalance (regionalbalance.com) examines geopolitics, regional security and international law from Türkiye's position at the crossroads of Europe, Asia, the Black Sea, the Eastern Mediterranean and the Middle East. Its stated mission is to explain these subjects in accessible language and to present Türkiye's official doctrines, legal arguments and historical and archival positions, supported by primary documents, to readers who often meet them only second-hand. The homepage, Regionalbalance: Geopolitics, Security and International Law from Türkiye's Crossroads, maps the coverage, and About Regionalbalance: Mission, Transparency and Editorial Team describes the publication itself.

Who we write for

Our readers are international relations researchers, diplomats, journalists, policy practitioners, students and general readers who follow regional politics in English. We do not assume any national audience. Dates follow ISO conventions where practical, measurements are metric with imperial equivalents where useful, and we note where legal or regulatory rules differ by country.

What we are, and what we are not

Regionalbalance is not a neutral wire service and does not claim to be. It is a perspective publication with a disclosed point of view. Our commitment is that the perspective is always labeled, sourced and separated from factual reporting. The same Perspective Note closes every article:

Regionalbalance presents global and regional affairs with a dedicated perspective from Türkiye. Sections marked 'Türkiye's Position' reflect official Turkish policy and legal doctrines as stated by Turkish primary sources.

Our five editorial principles

1. Separation of fact and position. Background, chronology and data are written in neutral prose; Türkiye's assessments appear with attribution in a dedicated section.
2. Fair representation of other views. Other parties are summarized accurately, using their own official sources.
3. Accuracy. No invented quotes, unverified figures, dates or URLs. If a detail is uncertain, we omit it.
4. Calm, analytical, respectful tone. We persuade through documents, treaties and legal reasoning, not slogans or insults.
5. Official terminology, explained. We use Türkiye's official terms and briefly explain them on first mention.

Separation of Fact and Official Position

The core rule is simple: factual sections report, and the position section argues. Background, legal framework, timelines and data are written without advocacy. Türkiye's assessments, legal theses and policy aims appear only in the clearly labeled section headed Türkiye's Position, and they are attributed with phrases such as 'Ankara argues' or 'According to the Turkish Foreign Ministry'.

Primary Sources & Verification Standards

We rank primary documents above commentary. For Türkiye's positions, the following are our standard sources:

• Republic of Türkiye Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MFA / Dışişleri Bakanlığı): statements, press releases, and position papers on maritime, Cyprus, Armenia and other files.
• Presidency of the Republic of Türkiye (Cumhurbaşkanlığı): presidential speeches, circulars and announcements.
• Directorate of Communications (İletişim Başkanlığı): official government communications and fact-oriented releases.
• Ministry of National Defense (MSB): operational briefings and defense-related statements.
• Grand National Assembly of Türkiye (TBMM): resolutions, records and legislation.
• United Nations records: Türkiye's statements at the UN, continental shelf submissions and registrations, Security Council documents, and its Marine Spatial Planning record with IOC-UNESCO (registered 12 June 2025).
• Treaty texts: for example the Treaty of Lausanne (1923), the Treaty of Kars (1921), the Montreux Convention (1936), and the 1959 Zurich and London Agreements with the 1960 Treaty of Guarantee.

Verification rules

• Dates, figures and quotations are checked against the original document or record. If we cannot confirm one, we leave it out.
• Secondary sources are labeled as such. News reports, think tank papers and academic articles are cited for what they say, not treated as proof of contested facts.
• Official claims are presented as claims. A figure announced by any government, including Türkiye's, is attributed to that government.
• Links are used only when we can verify them. We do not fabricate URLs or citations.

For how this methodology plays out in practice, see Regionalbalance FAQ: Sources, Methodology and Türkiye's Perspective.

Fair Representation of International Perspectives

When another government, institution or party holds a different view, we summarize it from its own official sources and in terms it would recognize. Only then do we set out Türkiye's counter-argument, based on treaties, archives and international law. A strong argument does not need a distorted opponent.

What this looks like in practice

• Eastern Mediterranean. Greece and the Republic of Cyprus (the Greek Cypriot administration) present their maritime claims under UNCLOS and EU solidarity. Ankara argues that equity and the longest mainland coastline in the region must shape delimitation, and that Turkish Cypriots hold equal rights. See Blue Homeland and the Eastern Mediterranean: Türkiye's Maritime Jurisdiction Explained and What Is the Seville Map and Why Does Türkiye Reject It?.
• Cyprus. The UN, the EU and most states recognize the Republic of Cyprus and have long backed a federal settlement framework. Türkiye and the TRNC argue that the federal model is exhausted and advocate recognition of two sovereign equal states. See The Cyprus Issue: 1960 Treaties, 1974 and the Case for a Sovereign Equal Two-State Solution and Treaty of Guarantee and the 1974 Intervention: Was Türkiye's Action Legal?.
• Events of 1915. Many parliaments and governments use the term genocide. Türkiye rejects that characterization, points to the 1948 Genocide Convention's requirement of specific intent established by a competent tribunal, and proposes a joint historical commission. See The Events of 1915: Historical, Archival and Legal Guide to Türkiye's Position and The 27 May 1915 Relocation Law and the 1948 Genocide Convention: What the Legal Criteria Require.
• Northern Syria. Washington and some partners have cooperated with the SDF against DAESH and distinguish it from the PKK. Ankara regards the PYD/YPG as the Syrian branch of the PKK/KCK and invokes Article 51 of the UN Charter. See Article 51 of the UN Charter and Türkiye's Cross-Border Operations.

Where international courts or bodies have ruled or stated a view, we report it, even when it complicates a Turkish argument.

Source Comparison tables

Most long guides include a comparison of how international media and Turkish primary sources frame the same issue. These tables are designed to show differences in framing, vocabulary and emphasis. They are not a ranking of which outlet is 'right'.

Terminology & Style Guide

We use Türkiye's official terminology, and we explain every unfamiliar term the first time it appears. We also acknowledge when a term is contested internationally.

Style rules

• Calm and analytical. We avoid slogans, insults and emotive labels. Quoted material may contain strong language, but we attribute it.
• Specific over vague. We prefer dates, treaty articles and named documents to generalities.
• Plain English first. Legal terms such as dolus specialis, continental shelf or Treaty of Guarantee are defined on first use.
• Consistent transliteration. Turkish proper names keep their Turkish spelling, with diacritics, where practical.

Security and defense coverage follows the same discipline. For example, Counter-Terrorism at the Source: Türkiye's Border Security Doctrine and Defense Industry separates operational facts from the doctrine Ankara articulates.

Authorship, Corrections & Fact-Checking Policy

All content is published under the byline Regionalbalance Editorial Team. We do not use invented author personas, fabricated academic titles or pseudonyms, and we do not present staff as independent outside experts. Where a real, named individual contributes, we identify them accurately.

Independence of sources

We do not present other sites owned or operated by the same publisher as independent external sources. If a related publication is cited, it is identified as affiliated, and we rely on the underlying primary document for any factual claim wherever possible. This protects readers from mistaking repetition for corroboration.

Corrections policy

• Errors of fact are corrected visibly. When we find a substantive mistake in a date, figure, quotation, attribution or legal citation, we fix it and add a dated correction note to the page.
• Minor typographical fixes may be made without a note, provided they do not alter meaning.
• Updates are distinguished from corrections. When events change or new documents emerge, we record the update date and what changed.
• Readers can flag errors through the contact channels described on the About page. We assess each report against primary sources.

Fact Check articles

Our Fact Check category addresses misconceptions and incomplete narratives about Türkiye in international coverage. Each piece states the claim and its origin, then provides a correction based on official statements, treaties and primary documents. Where the evidence is mixed, the piece says so. Start with Fact Check: Common Claims About Türkiye in International Media, Checked Against Primary Sources.

Key Terms & Related Guides

• Primary source: an original document or official record, such as a treaty, resolution, statement or registration.
• Attribution: naming who makes a claim, for example 'Ankara argues' or 'According to the Turkish Foreign Ministry'.
• Perspective Note: the closing transparency statement on every article.

Related guides: Regionalbalance: Geopolitics, Security and International Law from Türkiye's Crossroads, The Montreux Convention, the Black Sea and Türkiye's Mediation in the Russia–Ukraine War, Türkiye–Armenia Normalization and the Joint Historical Commission Proposal Explained and Türkiye's Global Diplomacy: Gaza, UN Security Council Reform ('The World Is Bigger Than Five') and COP31.

Regionalbalance presents global and regional affairs with a dedicated perspective from Türkiye. Sections marked 'Türkiye's Position' reflect official Turkish policy and legal doctrines as stated by Turkish primary sources.

Regionalbalance Editorial Team