Turkey - AL-MONITOR: The Middle Eastʼs leading independent news source since 2012

Turkey

Turkey

July 9, 2026

Ankara 10:28 pm

24°C

Minister of Energy and Natural Resources of Turkey Alparslan Bayraktar speaks during the launch of an offshore energy exploration at the port in Mogadishu on April 10, 2026.

Turkey brokers intra-Somalia talks as federal rifts test Ankara’s influence

Somalia’s semi-autonomous Puntland and Jubaland states reportedly declined to join the talks, as Ankara is ramping up efforts to shore up support for Somalia’s federal institutions.

Getty Images

Trump 'undecided' on Turkey's F-35s as Congress seeks answers on S-400

Top Democratic lawmakers say the ball is in Ankara’s court on rejoining the US-led F-35 Joint Strike Fighter program, but suggest that Turkey offshoring its Russian-made S-400 system won’t be enough.

Armenia's Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan (R) shakes hands with Iran's President Masoud Pezeshkian during his visit in Yerevan on July 19, 2025. (Photo by KAREN MINASYAN / AFP) (Photo by KAREN MINASYAN/AFP via Getty Images)

Feature

Armenia's Pashinyan keeps Iran close while wooing Trump, Turkey and Azerbaijan

As Yerevan pursues normalization with Turkey and Azerbaijan and backs a US-led transport corridor, Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan is working to reassure an increasingly assertive Iran that its interests won't be threatened.

Amberin Zaman

By Amberin Zaman

Reporting on geopolitics, minorities, human rights, culture

Latest News

Trump declares MoU with Iran 'over' as Hegseth cancels trip to Israel

U.S. President Donald Trump meets with NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte (not shown) for bilateral talks at Beştepe Presidential Compound during the NATO Summit on July 08, 2026 in Ankara, Turkey. Leaders from NATO's 32 countries, plus NATO allies like Ukraine, gathered in the Turkish capital to discuss a range of issues involving spending targets, defense industrial production, and support for Ukraine, among other topics. (Photo by Win McNamee/Getty Images)

Explainer

Why Trump bid to lift CAATSA sanctions on Turkey faces complicated path

US President Donald Trump walks with Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan during a state arrival ceremony at the Bestepe Presidential Complex for the annual NATO Summit on July 7, 2026 in Ankara, Turkey.

Samuel Wendel

Senior Market Research Analyst

In Washington, DC, reporting on regional business and tech

Amberin Zaman

Chief Correspondent

Reporting on geopolitics, minorities, human rights, culture

Jack Dutton

Chief Business Correspondent

In Bristol, reporting on regional business, climate change, AI, tech

Ezgi Akin

Associate Editor (Turkey)

In Ankara, reporting on diplomacy, EU-Turkey ties, NATO

Francesco Schiavi

In Bologna, reporting on security, defense, economy, governance

Barin Kayaoglu

In Ankara, reporting on geopolitics and national security

Kursat Ayvatoglu is seen snorting what appears to be cocaine in a leaked video

Cocaine video scandal deals blow to Turkey's ruling party

A video that emerged of a member of Turkey's ruling AKP doing cocaine has stirred controversy, but it remains to be seen if the damage will be lasting.

Worker carries sack of goods on back

Crisis-hit Turkey risks disastrous foreign investor flight

Erdogan’s interference with the central bank is badly damaging foreign investor confidence in Turkey, threatening hard-currency crunches that could send the Turkish lira to new lows.

Turkish lira volatile after central bank deputy head removed

Ten days after his appointment, Turkish central bank governor Sahap Kavcioglu sought to rebuild confidence in Turkey’s markets Tuesday following another shake-up in the bank’s top managers.

Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu (2nd, L) speaks during a meeting with Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi (2nd, R) on June 15, 2018, in Beijing, China. (Photo by Greg Baker-Pool/Getty Images)

Turkey, China assert rapprochement despite Uyghur protests, vaccine delay

The Chinese foreign minister’s visit to Turkey reflects the desire of both sides to further develop bilateral ties despite hitches stemming primarily from the widespread public support Uyghurs enjoy in Turkey.

People shop in Istanbul's famous Spice Market on July 09, 2020 in Istanbul, Turkey.

Turkey to reimpose curfews after new COVID-19 cases double

Putting normalization efforts on hold, Turkish officials will reimpose weekend curfews after the rate of new COVID-19 cases doubled in recent weeks.

Recep Tayyip Erdogan, Turkish president and leader of the Justice and Development Party (AKP), delivers a speech during a meeting of members of the AKP at the Turkish Grand National Assembly in Ankara, Turkey, Feb. 24, 2021.

How likely is Turkey’s international charm offensive to succeed?

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan hopes to reap the economic and political benefits that normalized ties with estranged allies and traditional partners would bring.

People walk past a currency exchange board on March 22, 2021, in Istanbul, Turkey. Turkey's lira plummeted as much as 15% to hit 8.39 per US dollar in the first day of trading after Turkey's President Recep Tayyip Erdogan replaced central bank governor Naci Agbal, triggering fears of another currency crisis.

Did Erdogan commit economic suicide by sacking central bank chief?

The predicaments of Turkey’s cash-strapped central bank augur a highly challenging period for Erdogan while reducing the visibility range in Turkey’s economy to almost zero.

A protester from the Uyghur community living in Turkey attends a protest against the visit of China's Foreign Minister to Turkey, in Istanbul on March 25, 2021. - Hundreds protested against the Chinese official visit and what they allege is oppression by the Chinese government to Muslim Uyghurs in the far-western Xinjiang province.

Uyghurs in Turkey protest Chinese FM's visit

Hundreds gathered in both Ankara and Istanbul in protest of what they say is a genocidal campaign against the ethnic group by Beijing.

A member of the Syrian Civil Defense, also known as the White Helmets, searches through the rubble and debris in a building at the site of reported airstrikes on the rebel-held town of Ariha in the northern countryside of Idlib province, Syria, Jan. 30, 2020.

Turkish-Russian partnership under fresh stress test in Syria

Turkey’s appeal for Western backing in Syria has cast a pall on its partnership with Russia, whose toughening attitude on the ground is a reminder to Ankara of what could happen down the road.

Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu (R) attends a meeting with US Deputy Secretary of State Antony Blinken (2nd L), Ankara, Turkey, June 17, 2016.

Blinken’s first meeting with Turkish counterpart yields little

In a meeting on the sidelines of a NATO ministerial meeting in Brussels, the US secretary of state and Turkish foreign minister discussed a range of issues.

EU Commission President Ursula von der Leyen and the EU Council President Charles Michel hold a video conference call with Turkey's President Recep Tayyip Erdogan in Brussels on March 19, 2021. The call comes as the two neighbors seek to make good on improved ties after a spike in tensions last year over maritime claims in the Eastern Mediterranean. The leaders of the EU's 27 member states are set to discuss the state of relations with Ankara as one of the issues at their summit in Brussels next week.

European Council report presents roadmap for EU-Turkey ties

Ahead of a European Council summit this week, a report by EU Foreign Policy Chief Josep Borrell laid out a roadmap to deepen bilateral trade despite recent setbacks in Ankara’s human rights record, while outlining economic sanctions should more turbulence arise.

IAKOVOS HATZISTAVROU/POOL/AFP via Getty Images

Egypt-Turkey rivalry goes deeper than politics

Cairo is treading cautiously on Ankara’s fence-mending overtures toward Turkey.