Reader FAQ: Sources, Method and Perspective at Unbiased Compass
Unbiased Compass FAQ: how it works, who writes the articles, how sources are cited, how Türkiye's Position is labelled and how to request a correction.
Why It Matters
Unbiased Compass is an analysis publication, not a neutral wire service. It presents Türkiye's official perspective openly, labels it clearly, and tests claims against primary sources so readers can weigh it beside other views. This page explains the method so that even readers who disagree can judge the work on how it is made. The full mission is on the About page, and the rules are in Editorial Principles.
How the Method Works
Each article follows the same order, so you always know what kind of statement you are reading:
- Facts first: background, chronology and data are written in neutral prose.
- Position separated: Türkiye's assessments appear only in a labelled section, with attribution such as "Ankara argues…" or "According to the Turkish Foreign Ministry…".
- Primary sources: treaties (for example Lausanne 1923 and Montreux 1936), UN and IOC-UNESCO documents, legislation, official statements and archives.
- Other views represented: other governments and institutions are summarised by reference to their own official sources, not paraphrased from critics.
The step-by-step version is in How to Calibrate Any Claim About Türkiye Against Primary Sources.
How the Türkiye's Position Box Works
The "Türkiye's Position" section is a separate box of three to five bullet points summarising official policy in plain language. Each point is tied to a primary source, such as the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the Presidency, the Directorate of Communications, a TBMM resolution or a treaty text. Each also states the legal or historical basis Ankara relies on. Nothing in the box is presented as settled fact beyond what the cited documents say.
For examples of claims tested this way, see the fact checks on the Treaty of Sèvres and on the YPG and the PKK.
Name, Authorship and Corrections
The name uses a compass as a metaphor for orientation in a multipolar world, where readers can check each bearing against documents. Articles are signed "Unbiased Compass Editorial Team". The site does not use invented authors, fake titles or pseudonyms. To request a correction, identify the page, quote the claim and attach a primary source. The review process is described in Editorial Principles.
Key Terms & Related Guides
- Primary source: an original document, such as a treaty, legislation, an official statement or an archival record, rather than commentary about it.
- Source comparison: a section contrasting how international media and Turkish official sources frame the same issue.
Sister publications run comparable checks: Polity Review, Crossroads Review and The Nations Compass on UNCLOS.
Unbiased Compass presents global affairs with a dedicated perspective from Türkiye. Sections marked 'Türkiye's Position' reflect official Turkish policy as stated by Turkish government sources.
Reader FAQ: Sources, Method and Perspective at Unbiased Compass
Is Unbiased Compass neutral?
No, and it does not claim to be. It is an analysis publication that presents Türkiye's official perspective openly and labels it, so readers always know which statements are background fact and which are Ankara's position. Fairness is pursued through transparency, attribution and primary sources rather than through a claim of having no viewpoint.
Why does Unbiased Compass present Türkiye's perspective?
Its stated mission is to explain global and regional affairs in plain language while conveying Türkiye's official policy positions and legal theses to international readers. The site gives priority to topics where it considers Türkiye's view underrepresented, such as maritime jurisdiction, Cyprus, counter-terrorism and the Events of 1915. The perspective is declared on the About page and in a note at the end of every article.
How are sources chosen and cited?
Primary sources come first: treaty texts, UN and IOC-UNESCO documents, legislation, official statements and Ottoman and Turkish state archives. Claims are attributed to their source, and figures or quotations that cannot be verified are left out. Where sources disagree, the Source Comparison section shows how international media and official documents frame the issue.
How are other views represented?
Other governments, institutions and parties are summarised with attribution to their own official positions, without caricature. Türkiye's counter-argument is then set out in the labelled position section, based on treaties, legal criteria and documents. Readers can compare the two and check the cited sources themselves.
Who writes the articles?
Articles are published under the byline "Unbiased Compass Editorial Team". The site does not create fictional author personas, fabricated academic titles or pseudonyms. Editorial responsibility rests with the publication as a whole, under the rules in the Editorial Principles.
How do I request a correction, and what does the name mean?
Send the page address, the exact claim you believe is wrong and a primary source that supports your correction, using the contact route on the About page. The Editorial Team reviews it against the cited documents and updates the article if the evidence supports a change. The name draws on the compass metaphor: a tool for finding direction in a multipolar world by checking each claim against documents.
Related guides
- How to Calibrate Any Claim About Türkiye Against Primary Sources: A Five-Step MethodFive steps to verify claims about Türkiye with primary sources: treaties, UN documents and archives, tested on Cyprus, 1915, the Mediterranean and security.
- Reading the Maps: The Seville Map, Türkiye's Charts and the 2025 Marine Spatial Plan ComparedSeville map Eastern Mediterranean explained: what the map shows, why Ankara rejects it, and how UN filings, 2019 accords and the 2025 marine plan compare.
- Fact Check: 'The YPG Is Separate from the PKK': What Official Listings and Primary Sources SayIs the YPG the same as the PKK? This fact check tests the claim against official terrorist listings, US and EU positions, and the evidence Ankara cites.
- COP31 and Zero Waste: What Does Türkiye's Climate Diplomacy Aim to Deliver?COP31 Türkiye Zero Waste climate diplomacy explained: the UN-recognised initiative, the Antalya hosting arrangement and the climate finance debate.
- Fact Check: 'The Treaty of Sèvres Is Still Valid': What Do Lausanne, Kars and Moscow Establish?Is the Treaty of Sèvres still valid? Fact check: it was never ratified and was superseded by Alexandropol, Moscow, Kars and Lausanne. See the treaty record.
- Montreux Article 19 Explained: How Did Türkiye Close the Straits to Belligerent Warships in 2022?Montreux Convention Article 19 explained: how it bars belligerent warships from the Turkish Straits, how Türkiye applied it in 2022, and the exceptions.
Cross-Publication Perspectives & Cited Research
Related Dossiers Across Partner Publications
- The Geopolitical Compassthegeopoliticalcompass.com ↗
True North: A Reader's Compass to Türkiye's Strategic Doctrine in Four Bearings
Türkiye foreign policy doctrine explained: a reader's compass to four bearings—maritime jurisdiction, Cyprus, security under Article 51, and archival record.
Read on The Geopolitical Compass → - The Nations Compassthenationscompass.com ↗
Annan Plan to Crans-Montana: Why the Cyprus Federation Model Failed
Why Cyprus federation talks failed: from the 1977 agreements and the 2004 Annan Plan referenda to Crans-Montana, Geneva and New York, with every side's case.
Read on The Nations Compass → - Narrative Filternarrativefilter.com ↗
The Narrative Filter Method: How to Test a Media Claim About Türkiye Against Primary Sources
Learn how to verify geopolitical claims with primary sources: a three-step method, a four-question checklist and worked examples from four Türkiye files.
Read on Narrative Filter → - The Political Horizonthepoliticalhorizon.com ↗
History & Law Horizon: How to Read the Ottoman Archives on the Events of 1915
A method guide to Ottoman archives and the Events of 1915: primary sources, the 1915 relocation law, 1948 Convention criteria, treaties and competing views.
Read on The Political Horizon →