<p>In this study, we assess the state of the stress field in eastern Türkiye and discuss whether the stress field in the region has changed over time. To assess the governing stress field, we applied stress tensor inversion techniques using focal mechanisms from earthquake catalogs. The focal mechanisms were grouped into subregions based on spatial and temporal factors. We employed a damped regional-scale stress tensor inversion algorithm and an iterative joint inversion technique to determine the stress field for eastern Türkiye. Near the North Anatolian Fault Zone, the stress field exhibits strike-slip faulting with a slight counterclockwise rotation of the principal stress axes. From 1983 to 2016, reverse faulting was observed near Erzincan, transitioning to strike-slip faulting after 2017 due to changes in Smid and Smin axes. Near the East Anatolian Fault Zone, the stress field remains strike-slip, but after two major earthquakes in 2023, normal faulting emerged in areas with longitude less than 37 <InlineEquation ID="IEq1"> <EquationSource Format="TEX">\(^\circ \text{E}\)</EquationSource> <EquationSource Format="MATHML"><math> <mrow> <mmultiscripts> <mrow /> <mrow /> <mo>∘</mo> </mmultiscripts> <mtext>E</mtext> </mrow> </math></EquationSource> </InlineEquation>, likely due to stress perturbations. In the easternmost region near the Zagros Fold Belt, reverse faulting dominates the north and south, while strike-slip faulting characterizes the central part. High <i>R</i>-values suggest frequent interchange of Smid and Smin axes. The damped inversion method effectively smoothens stress axis transitions in data-sparse regions but introduces errors in isolated areas, where the iterative method proves more reliable. These findings illuminate eastern Türkiye’s evolving tectonic stress field.</p>