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

Turkey

Turkey

May 15, 2026

Ankara 1:35 am

11°C

Mazloum Kobane, commander-in-chief of the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF), speaks during the pan-Kurdish "Unity and Consensus" conference in Qamishli in northeastern Syria on April 26, 2025.

Interview

Syrian Kurdish commander Kobane says Turkey visit ‘in the making,’ Ocalan meeting possible

The SDF commander-in-chief reflected on a fragile integration deal with Damascus, growing Kurdish backlash and ongoing talks with Turkey as questions mount over Rojava’s political future.

Mazloum Kobane

Mazloum Kobane

SDF commander in chief

Turkey’s President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, right, and Armenia’s Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan shake hands before a meeting at Prague Castle in Prague, Czech Republic, Thursday, Oct. 6, 2022.

Turkey, Armenia to launch direct trade in normalization push: What to know

The move removes a decades-old reexport mechanism routed largely through Georgia as Ankara and Yerevan step up normalization efforts.

The helicopter of Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan lands on Abdulhamid Han drill ship, the fourth built by Turkey, in Mersin on Aug. 9, 2022, before being sent for gas exploration to an undisputed area in the Mediterranean Sea, south of Gazipasa.

New Turkey maritime draft bill fuels EastMed tensions with Greece, Cyprus

Turkey’s draft maritime bill seeks to formalize Ankara’s claims in the Aegean, Eastern Mediterranean and Black seas, raising tensions with Greece and Cyprus over contested maritime boundaries and offshore energy rights.

Turkish Red Crescent's cars and trucks cross the Turkish border as they leave the Syrian city of Tel Abyad on Oct. 19, 2019, in Akcakale, Turkey.

Turkey's border reopening unlocks new sphere of influence in Syria

Turkey reopened the Akcakale-Tell Abyad crossing on Monday, ending an 11-year closure along the Syria border.

Latest News

Analysis

From drones to deterrence: Turkey's ICBM missile signals bigger ambitions

ISTANBUL, TURKEY - MAY 06: A man poses for a photograph in front of the newly unveiled, Turkish made intercontinental ballistic missile Yildirimhan at the SAHA International Defence and Aerospace Expo on May 06, 2026 in Istanbul, Turkey. The International Defence and Aerospace Exhibition, showcased Turkish and foreign companies new products and technology. The expo was dominated by UAV products as modern warfare increasingly shifts to drone and unmanned technologies. (Photo by Chris McGrath/Getty Images)

Barin Kayaoglu

By Barin Kayaoglu

In Ankara, reporting on geopolitics and national security

Culture

How ‘dog mom’ vacuum cleaner ad sparked culture war in Turkey

MURAT KOCABAS/Middle East Images/AFP via Getty Images

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

Can joint Turkey-Iran action against PKK be real?

Turkey’s wish for a joint operation with Iran against the outlawed Kurdish militants along the Turkish-Iranian border is back on the agenda once again, but how realistic is it? Experts believe it is not.

A truck is driven off a Turkish freighter, docked at Haifa port in northern Israel February 17, 2014. Three years after Syria plunged into violence, Israel is reaping an unlikely economic benefit. Exports from Turkey have begun to flow through Israel and across the Sheikh Hussein Bridge to Jordan and a few Arab neighbours. The trade is growing enough to encourage long-held Israeli hopes that the Jewish state can become a commercial gateway to the Arab world. Picture taken February 17, 2014. To match Insight

Why Turkey’s export rise is hard to sustain

A heavy reliance on imported inputs to manufacture goods for export casts a shadow on Turkey’s hype about headway in foreign trade.

How Turkey's local elections became 'matter of national survival'

The continuing deterioration of Turkey's economy and the fact that the pro-Kurdish Peoples’ Democratic Party (HDP) has refrained from entering candidates in local elections in the country's west, where the HDP is supporting other opposition parties, could result in the ruling party’s loss of some larger cities, which could lead to early general elections.

Iraqi officials stress need to boost Arab ties while balancing relations with Iran

Iraqi officials and their Arab counterparts at the 2019 Sulaimaniyah Forum called for turning toward other Arab states while balancing relations with Tehran.

Is Ankara’s religious education drive stumbling?

Despite Ankara’s unrelenting drive to expand religious education, enrollment in religious schools has remained below the government’s targets.

Turkey’s WomanTV offers new voice on women’s issues

A new TV station is taking on femicide, glass ceilings and violence, as well as sharing success stories of women in Turkey.

A money changer counts Turkish lira banknotes at a currency exchange office in Istanbul, Turkey August 13, 2018. REUTERS/Murad Sezer - RC139D2160B0

Turkish economy faces grim outlook for 2019

THE OECD forecasts that the Turkish economy, after contracting this year, should grow again next year; Erdogan goes after former presidential candidate Meral Aksener.

The Rabia sign is projected on the Egyptian Consulate during a protest against an Egyptian court's decision to sentence deposed President Mohamed Mursi to death, in Istanbul, Turkey, late June 16, 2015. REUTERS/Murad Sezer - GF10000129868

Mired in recriminations, Turkish-Egyptian ties remain stagnant

Prospects for improved relations between Ankara and Cairo appear dimmer than ever following recent executions in Egypt.

German-Turkish journalist Deniz Yucel walks through a plane as he is flanked by a group of people at Ataturk International Airport in Istanbul, Turkey, February 16, 2018. REUTERS/Huseyin Aldemir - UP1EE2G1ER906

Turkey becoming minefield for foreign journalists

Three foreign reporters in Turkey have seen their accreditations terminated, while the renewal applications of 50 others remain unanswered since December, fueling concern that Ankara is seeking to drive the foreign media out.

Russian S-400 air defence mobile missile launching systems take part in a military parade during celebrations marking Independence Day in Minsk July 3, 2014. REUTERS/Vasily Fedosenko (BELARUS - Tags: ANNIVERSARY POLITICS MILITARY) - GM1EA740JRH01

Turkey dismisses US threat about buying Russian S-400 air defense system

Turkey does not appear to be budging from its purchase of S-400 air-defense missiles from Russia despite US threats to cancel delivery of F-35 jets Turkey has ordered.

Turkish air force patrollers fly by as Turkish soldiers take photos with their mobile phones during a ceremony celebrating the 96th anniversary of Anzac Day in Canakkale on April 24, 2011. A dawn ceremony on April 25 marks the time of the first landings of the Australian and New Zealand Army Corps (ANZAC) at the Gallipoli peninsula in the ill-fated Allied campaign to take the Dardanelles Strait from the Ottoman Empire. In the ensuing eight months of fighting, about 11,500 ANZAC troops were killed, fighting

Cyberization means it's not your daddy's war anymore

New technology is infiltrating the old conflict between Turkey and outlawed Kurdish militants, and soldiers may have to sacrifice their smartphones for safety.

U.S. President Donald Trump, Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan and Canada's Prime Minister Justin Trudeau are seen at the start of the NATO summit in Brussels, Belgium July 11, 2018. REUTERS/Reinhard Krause - RC1C67E741D0

Turks fire back as Trump ends preferential trade status

The United States removed Turkey from its list of countries that enjoy tariff-free access to the US market, a decision criticized by the Turkish government.