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Turkey

Turkey

May 17, 2026

Ankara 8:14 pm

14°C

Ships navigate the Bosphorus Strait on May 02, 2026 in Istanbul, Turkey. Since the outbreak of the US-Israeli war against Iran, forcing the closure of the Strait of Hormuz and together with the ongoing Russia-Ukraine war, global shipping routes have been severely impacted. Soaring shipping costs, lengthening delivery times and less efficient routes have seen increased pressure on energy markets and supply chains worldwide. (Photo by Chris McGrath/Getty Images)

Analysis

Why Turkey sees opportunity in Hormuz crisis to boost Middle Corridor

Ankara seeks to exploit transport disruptions from the Iran, Ukraine wars to push the corridor, but high costs, logistical bottlenecks and South Caucasus politics pose obstacles.

Barin Kayaoglu

By Barin Kayaoglu

In Ankara, reporting on geopolitics and national security

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

Latest News

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

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.

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

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.

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

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.

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

Ancient city of Mardin gets big dose of contemporary art

Contemporary artworks at the 4th Mardin Biennial pay homage to the heritage of Mardin, a multicultural city with a strong Assyrian, Arabic and Armenian past.

Zubeyir Aydar, president of the People's Congress of Kurdistan, addresses Kurdish protesters during a demonstration against alleged attacks perpetrated by the Turkish army against Kurds, in Brussels on August 8, 2015. Ankara has launched a two-pronged "anti-terror" offensive against jihadists in Syria and PKK militants based in northern Iraq after a series of attacks on Turkish soil, including a suicide bombing blamed on IS that killed 32 pro-Kurdish activists in the town of Suruc. The PKK, which accuses th

Interview

Campaigns woo Kurdish voters as Turkish election nears

In an interview with Al-Monitor, veteran Kurdish politician Zubeyir Aydar spoke about the fight for the Kurdish vote ahead of Turkey's snap elections.

Zubeyir Aydar

Zubeyir Aydar

Former member of Turkey's parliament

Kurdish singer aspires to run for Turkish parliament on AKP ticket

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan surrounds himself with celebrities such as legendary Kurdish Arab singer Ibrahim Tatlises as a means of boosting support.

Norine Brunson, the wife fo jailed American pastor Andrew Brunson, who is held on charges of aiding terror groups, leaves the courthouse after Brunson's trial in Aliaga, north of Izmir, on May 7, 2018. - Brunson, who ran a church in the western city of Izmir, was detained by Turkish authorities in October 2016. If convicted, he risks up to 35 years in jail. (Photo by BULENT KILIC / AFP) (Photo credit should read BULENT KILIC/AFP/Getty Images)

Turkish court keeps US pastor behind bars

Turkey’s decision to postpone US pastor Andrew Brunson’s hearing until July may be driven by electoral calculations and attempts at so-called hostage diplomacy.

Erdogan's Bosnia rally message to Europe ahead of snap polls

Having thousands of Turks from the Balkans and Europe converge on the Bosnian capital for an election rally could be a risky move for President Recep Tayyip Erdogan.

Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan gestures at his ruling AK Party's Istanbul congress, Turkey May 6, 2018. REUTERS/Osman Orsal - RC1E3428B110

Secular candidate hopes to push Erdogan into Turkish presidential runoff

While some Turks see Erdogan as vulnerable, others only have hopes that his party can be denied a parliamentary majority.

Turkey woos Iraqi provincial leaders to rekindle relations

Ankara hopes its diplomatic efforts in the Shiite-dominated southern provinces of Iraq will improve Turkey's political standing with Baghdad.

Turkey’s Islamist ‘old guard’ joins Erdogan opponents

The National View, the pioneer movement of political Islam in Turkey, has joined the opposition in its efforts to unseat President Recep Tayyip Erdogan in next month’s elections.

Turkey’s pro-Kurdish HDP names jailed leader as presidential candidate

Turkey’s top Kurdish leader Selahattin Demirtas, the only person who could deprive President Recep Tayyip Erdogan of his ambition, is officially joining the presidential race from his prison cell.

Turkey gears up military might to host live-fire war games

The Ephesus joint combined military exercise — the Turkish military’s most prominent annual display — will reveal much about the operational effectiveness of the country's armed forces in the aftermath of the July 2016 coup attempt.

Culture Alert: Fairs and fears of the future

The Middle East culture scene in May includes street festivals, book fairs and visions of a dystopian future.

Turkey’s lira tumbles as inflation nears record high

Investors are dumping the Turkish currency amid worries that a pre-election spending spree and pressure on the Central Bank to keep interest rates low could see the lira continue to spiral.