Saudi FM in Turkey as Ankara, Riyadh step up coordination amid Iran war Saudi Foreign Minister Prince Faisal bin Farhan’s visit to Ankara comes amid rapidly expanding Turkish-Saudi coordination as the fallout from the Iran war reshapes Gulf security dynamics. Turkey
Newsletter: Daily Briefing US pauses Hormuz escort mission as Trump cites progress on Iran talks A tentative diplomatic opening with Iran emerges as the US sustains its pressure campaign. By Ezgi Akin In Ankara, reporting on diplomacy, EU-Turkey ties, NATO
Turkey, Armenia agree to restore medieval bridge in normalization push Ankara is pursuing normalization with Armenia ahead of June parliamentary elections in a thaw also positioned to advance its broader Middle Corridor ambitions. Turkey
Turkey hosts Kuwaiti FM as UAE's OAPEC exit fuels Gulf rift Kuwait's top diplomat visited Turkey as the Gulf rift deepens following the UAE’s exit from OPEC and its affiliated alliances, forcing Ankara to balance ties between Saudi Arabia and Abu Dhabi. Turkey
Analysis Iraq’s Zaidi offers economic promise for Turkey but unknowns loom By Barin Kayaoglu In Ankara, reporting on geopolitics and national security
Newsletter: City Pulse Istanbul “Form-Craft-Activism” spotlights the labor behind making By Nazlan Ertan In Izmir and Istanbul, reporting on culture
Turkey’s risk grade far from safe Turkey’s risk premium has sharply decreased over the past several months, but an array of economic and political factors threatens to undo the trend. Turkey
Mysterious metal monolith appears at ancient temple site in Turkey Similar structures have appeared around the world since late 2020. Turkey
Erdogan seizes on student protests to further polarize Turkey The protests rocking Turkish university campuses are the biggest since the Gezi demonstrations and like them are the product of the president's stubborn refusal to consider popular sentiment. Turkey
New page for US, Turkey reads like fantasy Hope for a reset in Turkish-American ties under the Biden administration will remain unrealistic until Ankara addresses its democratic issues and human rights record. Turkey
Egyptian-Turkish trade agreement comes under fire A member of the Egyptian parliament called for the need to reconsider the free trade agreement between Egypt and Turkey signed 15 years ago, claiming that it harms Egyptian interests and favors Turkish exporters. Egypt
Nigeria deepens security ties with Egypt to battle Boko Haram Some observers allege Turkey may be supporting extremist groups in Nigeria. Egypt
Israel still cool to gestures from Turkey In a positive, yet cautious signal, Israel has nominated senior diplomat ambassador Irit Lillian as charge d’Affairs to its embassy in Ankara. Israel
Turkey’s talk of peace with Armenia rings hollow A Turkey analyst reported that Turkey claims to be ready to reconcile with Armenia if Yerevan is willing to "take a step," but is that likely? Turkey
How Turkey fits in regime-Kurdish showdown in Syria Some claim that a secret deal between Ankara and Damascus is behind the latest escalation between the Syrian government and the Kurds, but the situation could be more complex than it seems. Syria
State Department condemns Turkey's anti-LGBT rhetoric against protesters Turkey's president and other officials have used inflammatory anti-gay rhetoric to describe the student-led protests in Istanbul. Turkey
Tax injustice worsens in Turkey Two-thirds of the Turkish government’s tax revenues have come from indirect taxes on consumption, adding to the burden of low- and middle-income groups. Turkey
Timur Goksel, former Al-Monitor editor and UN diplomat, dies Timur Goksel, a former UN diplomat and editor of Al-Monitor’s Turkey Pulse, was best known for his unique contributions to the UN peacekeeping mission in Lebanon. Lebanon