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

Turkey

Turkey

September 30, 2026

Ankara 11:55 am

17°C

A picture taken on May 1, 2019 shows a railroad of Mar Mikhael neighborhood in the Lebanese capital Beirut.

Lebanon seeks Turkey’s help to join Syria-Saudi rail link: What to know

Beirut is seeking Ankara’s support to link its ports to a railway project aiming to link Turkey to the Gulf, through Syria and Jordan.

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

Latest News

Analysis

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

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

Barin Kayaoglu

By Barin Kayaoglu

In Ankara, reporting on geopolitics and national security

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

ISTANBUL, TURKEY - JUNE 11: Protesters aid one another after riot police used tear gas to disperse the crowd during a demonstration near Taksim Square on June 11, 2013 in Istanbul, Turkey. Istanbul has seen protests rage on for days, with two protesters and one police officer killed. What began as a protest over the fate of Taksim Gezi Park, has turned, with the heavy-handed response by police, into a protest over what is being seen as Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan's increasingly authoritarian agenda

Erdogan Raises the Stakes

The intimidation tactics and high tension strategies that Turkey's prime minister appears to have opted for will unsettle the economy, the Kurdish peace process and eventually the AKP.

Turkish riot police enter Istanbul's Taksim square, the epicentre of nearly two weeks of anti-government demos, during clashes with protestors on June 11, 2013 on a 12th day of unrest. Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan said today he had "no more tolerance" for the mass anti-government demonstrations that have engulfed the country. AFP PHOTO / ARIS MESSINIS (Photo credit should read ARIS MESSINIS/AFP/Getty Images)

Istanbul Square Crackdown Shakes Erdogan’s Regional Credibility

Ankara must now go on defense and try to protect itself from negative fallout in Syria.

A protester runs by a burning barricade during clashes with riot police in Istanbul's Gazi neighborhood June 8, 2013. REUTERS/Yannis Behrakis (TURKEY - Tags: CIVIL UNREST POLITICS TPX IMAGES OF THE DAY) - RTX10GV1

Is This the Beginning Of Erdogan Era's End?

Some of the traits that made Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan a success are now emerging as liabilities.

Turkey's Prime Minister Tayyip Erdogan addresses members of parliament from his ruling AK Party (AKP) during a meeting at the Turkish parliament in Ankara June 25, 2013. Turkish anti-terrorism police detained 20 people in raids in the capital Ankara on Tuesday in connection with weeks of anti-government protests across the country, media reports said. The unrest began at the end of May when police used force against campaigners opposed to plans to redevelop a central Istanbul park. The protest spiralled int

Time to Bid Farewell To Turkey’s 'Muslim Democracy'

Taksim resistance inflicted an ideological loss on Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan and the AKP, making it impossible to continue labeling Turkey as a "Muslim democracy."

Turkey's Prime Minister Tayyip Erdogan addresses his supporters in Ankara June 9, 2013. Erdogan stands before a sea of cheering faithful waving Turkish flags and, to shouts of "Allahu Akbar", God is Greatest, summons the spirit of pious Ottoman poets in denouncing protesters who challenge his power. Across Istanbul, the same flags, white crescent moon and star on a red background, are raised; but they proclaim what some Erdogan critics see as a different kind of Turkey. Riots and protests have highlighted a

Erdogan Opts for War

Why does Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan opt for confrontation rather than reconciliation?

A woman wearing a traditional head-scarf sits inside a damaged bus used by anti-government protesters as a barricade in Istanbul's Taksim square June 10, 2013. REUTERS/Yannis Behrakis (TURKEY - Tags: CIVIL UNREST POLITICS) - RTX10IVO

The Religious Voice of the Chapuls

The Anti-Capitalist Muslims have emerged as the most extraordinary group in the Gezi Park protests, legitimizing the revolt in religious quarters.

A Palestinian worker organizes containers of green wheat, also know as Freekeh, that are meant for export, at a factory in the West Bank village of Ajja village near Jenin August 25, 2009. The economy of the West Bank and Gaza is forecast by the World Bank to grow by 5 percent this year, 6.5 percent in 2010 and 7.5 percent in 2011. Picture taken August 25, 2009. To match feature PALESTINIANS/ECONOMY
REUTERS/Mohamad Torokman (WEST BANK POLITICS BUSINESS FOOD) - RTR27574

Are Palestinian Industrial Parks Illusion or Real Development?

While the Palestinian Authority and others push plans for West Bank industrial parks, critics say the projects give the illusion of economic growth while entrenching Israeli occupation.

A hotel employee is pictured behind a barricade as he cleans the street near Taksim square in central Istanbul June 10, 2013. Turkey's Prime Minister Tayyip Erdogan warned protesters who have taken to the streets across Turkey demanding his resignation that his patience has its limits and compared the unrest with an army attempt six years ago to curb his power. REUTERS/Murad Sezer (TURKEY - Tags: POLITICS CIVIL UNREST) - RTX10I8R

Which Way Is Turkey Going?

Are we witnessing a clash between Islamism and Kemalism in Turkey?

Supporters of Turkey's Prime Minister Tayyip Erdogan wave flags, hold banners and shout slogans as they wait for his arrival at Esenboga Airport in Ankara June 9, 2013. Still by far the country's most popular politician, Erdogan has pressed ahead with government business as usual. REUTERS/Umit Bektas (TURKEY - Tags: POLITICS CIVIL UNREST TPX IMAGES OF THE DAY) - RTX10HBN

Erdogan: 'We’ve Been Patient For Too Long'

Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan has chosen to escalate the tension on the streets with his June 9 speech in Ankara.

Iranian Foreign Minister Ali Akbar Salehi (L) sits with his Turkish counterpart Ahmet Davutoglu during the opening of a ministerial meeting in the Saudi Red Sea city of Jeddah, by the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) on May 13, 2013. The OIC urged its member states to make generous contributions at this week's main donors conference on Mali to be held in Brussels, which aims to raise funds to repair the damage caused by the war against Islamists in the African country. AFP PHOTO/STR (Photo c

US Needs Iran, Turkey For Diplomatic Surge in Syria

The latest UN report on Syria calls for a “diplomatic surge” to end the war, which has reached “new levels of brutality.”

A Free Syrian Army fighter sits at his checkpoint as civilians walk along a passageway separating Aleppo's Bustan al-Qasr, which is under the rebels' control and Al-Masharqa neighborhood, an area controlled by the regime, June 5, 2013. Picture taken June 5, 2013. REUTERS/Aref Hretani (SYRIA - Tags: POLITICS CONFLICT MILITARY CIVIL UNREST) - RTX10DHX

Syrian Rebels Clash With Kurdish Militias

Fights erupted between Kurdish militias and groups affiliated with the Free Syrian Army (FSA) in northern Syria after allegations the Kurds did not support an embargo on two Shiite villages in Aleppo.

An anti-government protester perches on a monument during a protest at Kizilay Square in central Ankara, June 9, 2013. Turkish Prime Minister Tayyip Erdogan told thousands of cheering supporters on Sunday that his patience had its limits after days of protests, while tens of thousands of anti-government demonstrators gathered at a rival rally in central Istanbul. REUTERS/Dado Ruvic (TURKEY - Tags: CIVIL UNREST POLITICS TPX IMAGES OF THE DAY) - RTX10HL6

Young Turks use 'disproportionate wit' to shake up Erdogan

The peaceful protests and accompanying satire have plunged Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan into uncharted waters.