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

Turkey

Turkey

September 29, 2026

Ankara 11:02 am

14°C

UAE President His Highness Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan (R) received His Excellency Hakan Fidan, Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Turkey (L), in Abu Dhabi on Sept. 28, 2026.

Turkey's FM in UAE to discuss Yemen war, Hormuz closure: What to know

The top Turkish diplomat was set to stress Ankara's support for a peaceful and “united Yemen” amid renewed Houthi advances.

Traders work at their desks on the floor of the Borsa Istanbul, Istanbul, Turkey, May 22, 2018.

Turkey widens $18B fund probe as fallout hits ruling party, free speech

More than 50 people have been detained in connection with the investigation into the fund scandal, the ruling party’s deputy chair has resigned, and the X accounts of dozens of journalists and economists have been blocked.

Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan (3rd R) with Saudi Foreign Minister Faisal bin Farhan Al-Saud (R) and Pakistan Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar (2nd R), Saudi Defense Minister Prince Khalid bin Salman (C), Turkish Chief of the General Staff General Selcuk Bayraktaroglu (L), Pakistani Defence Minister Khawaja Muhammad Asif (2nd R), Pakistani Chief of Defence Forces and Chief of Army Staff Field Marshal Asim Munir (3rd R) at the first meeting of the Strategic Political and Defence Committee in relation to the

Analysis

Why Turkey is drawing the line at defense in its support for Saudi Arabia

Houthi attacks on Saudi Arabia are forcing Mecca pact signatories to quickly operationalize their agreement, but are unlikely to draw Turkey into direct action against the Iran-backed group.

Ezgi Akin

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

Turkish soldiers conduct military exercises near the Habur crossing gate between Turkey and Iraq on Sept. 27, 2017 in the Silopi district, southeast Turkey.

Analysis

Can Turkey’s Bashiqa withdrawal pave the way for deeper Iraq ties?

Ankara hopes the planned handover of its Bashiqa base will deepen security cooperation with Baghdad and unlock broader economic ties, but implementation hinges on restoring Iraqi state authority in Sinjar, where previous efforts to remove armed groups have stalled.

Barin Kayaoglu

By Barin Kayaoglu

In Ankara, reporting on geopolitics and national security

Latest News

Turkey warns Greece-Cyprus-Israel power cable needs Ankara's approval

Servicemen of Yavuz class, TCG Turgutreis (F-241) warship, stand at attention on the deck as they participate in the live-fire phase of the "Blue Homeland-2026" (Mavi Vatan) tactical military exercises in the eastern Mediterranean Sea, in Antalya on April 9, 2026.

Samuel Wendel

Senior Analyst, Middle East Business & Tech

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

Syrian Arab Village Welcomes Kurdish Fighters

Villagers consider arrival of Kurdish People's Defense Units (YPG) forces a liberation in light of the presence of al-Qaeda-affiliated groups.

Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW) Director General Ahmet Uzumcu arrives at a news conference in The Hague October 11, 2013. The OPCW, which is overseeing the destruction's of Syria's arsenal, won the Nobel Peace Prize, the Norwegian Nobel Committee on Friday. Set up in 1997 to eliminate all chemicals weapons worldwide, its mission gained critical importance this year after a sarin gas strike in the suburbs of Damascus killed more than 1,400 people in August. REUTERS/Michel Kooren (

UN Body Led by Ahmet Uzumcu Wins Nobel Peace Prize

Turkish President Abdullah Gul expressed deep pride for this year’s Nobel Peace Prize winner, the Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons, led by a Turk, Ahmet Uzumcu.

Ultra-Orthodox Jewish bride Hannah Batya Penet dances with her relative during a wedding ceremony in Jerusalem, early morning May 22, 2013. Some 25,000 people gathered to celebrate the wedding of Penet to Shalom Rokeach, the eldest grandson of the Chief Rabbi of Belz, Yissachar Dov Rokeach, according to local media. The Belz Hasidic dynasty is one of the largest Hasidic movements in the world. REUTERS/Ronen Zvulun (JERUSALEM - Tags: RELIGION SOCIETY TPX IMAGES OF THE DAY) - RTXZWCC

Israel's Rabbis Keep Lock On Jewish Marriage

Growing numbers of Israelis demand the institutionalization of civil marriage in Israel, but even with a secular coalition in power this change is not in the offing.

'Décolletage' Reveals Secular-Islamist Divide in Turkey

The cleavage debate in Turkey has overwhelmed Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan’s democratization reform package.

TV Presenter in Turkey Loses Job Over Cleavage

After AKP spokesman Huseyin Celik objected to TV presenter Gozde Kansu’s décolleté dress, her contract was suspended, raising eyebrows over Turkey's human rights record.

Turkey Goes Ballistic for China

The whole episode has become an oxymoron of noisy speechlessness.

A sign advertising tea is seen at a store in New York in this picture taken July 31, 2007. Rather than pairing a filet mignon with a bottle of Cabernet, rising numbers of American diners are opting for a peach, mint or green iced tea with sales of iced tea, plain and exotic, surging nationwide. REUTERS/Shannon Stapleton (UNITED STATES) - RTR1SJN3

Pass the Sugar: Turkey, Middle East Need a 'Tea Party'

The region needs more openness and dialogue, and less conspiracy, around its tea culture.

Israel's President Shimon Peres (R) shakes hands with Greece's Prime Minister Antonis Samaras during their meeting in Jerusalem October 8, 2013. REUTERS/Baz Ratner (JERUSALEM - Tags: POLITICS) - RTX143VM

Israel's Ties With Greece No Substitute For Alliance With Turkey

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu develops relations with Greece knowing that, though beneficial to Israel, they cannot replace the strategic alliance with Turkey.

Relatives of detained military officers stage a protest in front of the Chief of Staff Headquarters in Ankara October 9, 2013. Turkey's appeals court upheld convictions on Wednesday of top retired military officers for leading a plot to overthrow Prime Minister Tayyip Erdogan's government a decade ago in a case underlining civilian dominance over a once all-powerful army. The court overturned convictions of dozens of less prominent defendants among more than 300 officers sentenced last September in the "Sle

Turkish Court Confirms Military Coup Attempt

In a historic ruling, the Supreme Court of Appeals in Ankara upholds the heavy prison sentences to top ex-officers accused of attempting to oust the government in 2003.

Sex Trafficking Open Secret In Northern Cyprus

A lawmaker reignites a debate on white-slavery trafficking in Turkish Cyprus, where the smoke screen of the “Las Vegas” myth obscures abuse and suffering.

A Syrian Kurd Asaish stands at a security checkpoint at Derik in Al-Hasakah October 31, 2012. Picture taken October 31, 2012. REUTERS/Thaier al-Sudani (SYRIA - Tags: CIVIL UNREST CONFLICT) - RTR39WOM

Syrian Kurdish Leader Urges Turkey To End Support for Salafists

Saleh Muslim, co-chairman of the Kurdish Democratic Union Party, had messages for Ankara in an exclusive interview with Al-Monitor.

A demonstrator reacts to security forces during a peace day rally at Taksim square in central Istanbul September 1, 2013. REUTERS/Osman Orsal (TURKEY - Tags: CIVIL UNREST POLITICS) - RTX133J7

Three Reasons Why Turkey Is So Polarized

The ruling Justice and Development Party can bridge the gaps by not responding to the provocations of the Kemalists.