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

Turkey

Turkey

April 30, 2026

Ankara 10:36 pm

13°C

Members of the UN Peacekeeping Force in Cyprus (UNFICYP), from the British Army's 1st Battalion Coldstream Guards, No. 2 Company, patrol along the buffer zone separating the internationally recognized Republic of Cyprus and the breakaway Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus in the divided capital Nicosia on Feb. 17, 2026.

Turkey warns France over Cyprus troop deployment: What to know

A potential French deployment to Greek Cyprus comes amid Turkey’s growing concerns of strategic encirclement in the Eastern Mediterranean.

This aerial photograph shows Turkey's first floating natural gas production platform, "Osman Gazi," passing through the Bosphorus, in Istanbul, on May 29, 2025.

Turkey advances gas pipeline plan to northern Cyprus as East Med rivalry grows

The Turkish energy minister said the country's oil and natural gas pipeline operator, BOTAS, has started the engineering work for the pipeline.

Cadets of the Saiqa Force (Special Forces) of the self-styled Libyan National Army affiliated with eastern strongman Khalifa Hifter take part in a graduation ceremony in tribute to the force's late commander, Wanis Bukhamada, in the eastern city of Benghazi, on Jan. 20, 2022.

In first, Libya’s rival armies to join drill in Turkey: What to know

The move follows the first joint exercise inside Libya amid renewed international efforts to unify the country.

Turkey's submarines and fast-attack craft ships 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.

Turkey’s military spending jumps to $30B, leads Mideast growth in 2025

Newly released data shows Ankara’s military spending hit $30 billion, while Saudi Arabia remained the region’s top spender and Israel’s outlays declined in 2025.

Latest News

Analysis

Why Saudi Arabia, Egypt are wary of Turkey’s proposed 4-way defense pact with Pakistan

Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan hosted the third meeting of the foreign ministers of Turkey, Egypt, Pakistan and Saudi Arabia on the margins of the 5th Antalya Diplomacy Forum, on April 17, 2026.

Barin Kayaoglu

By Barin Kayaoglu

In Ankara, reporting on geopolitics and national security

Turkey’s Baykar tests K2 swarm kamikaze drones for first time: What to know

CORLU, TURKEY- MARCH 2: A B model of Bayraktar AKINCI TİHA (Assault Unmanned Aerial Vehicle) in the sky on March 2, 2022 in Corlu, Turkey. (Photo by Baykar Press Office/dia images via Getty Images)

Trump envoy Barrack’s embrace of 'strong leaders' sparks fury in Turkey

US Ambassador to Turkey Thomas Barrack attends a meeting with President Donald Trump and President of Turkey Recep Tayyip Erdogan in the Oval Office at the White House on Sept. 25, 2025, in Washington, DC.

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

An undated image of the exhibition at Feshane.

Turkey Islamist group calls for art expo's closure for 'blasphemy,' LGBTQ 'propaganda'

Islamist media and AKP members attacked Istanbul Municipality’s inaugural exhibition of top Turkish artists at Feshane, a recently renovated 19th-century factory.

Women activists of Pakistan Markazi Muslim League take part in a protest rally in Lahore on Jan. 29, 2023.

Middle East condemns, protests Quran burning in Sweden by Iraqi refugee

Quran burnings in Sweden have damaged the potential NATO member’s relationship with Turkey.

Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan.

Armenia PM wishes Turkey’s Erdogan happy Eid as Azerbaijan targets Nagorno-Karabakh

Diplomatic sources say the call comes amid an ongoing effort aimed at getting Turkey to rein in an increasingly aggressive Azerbaijan.

Activists of the "Alliance against NATO" network hold a banner reading "No to NATO! - No alliance with fascists" during a demonstration for freedom of speech and association, in support of democratic forces in Turkey and against Swedish NATO membership, on June 4, 2023 in Stockholm, Sweden. Hundreds of protesters took to the streets in Stockholm city centre to demonstrate against Sweden's NATO bid and new anti-terror legislation, despite Ankara's objections. (Photo by Maja SUSLIN / TT News Agency / AFP) / S

Analysis

Turkey fumes at Quran burning in Sweden ahead of critical NATO talks

As a new protest adds a further layer of stress in NATO talks between Turkey and Sweden, analysts believe that prospects are "close to zero" for the Nordic nation’s accession to the alliance before the bloc’s summit.

Ezgi Akin

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

Muslim worshippers take pictures of each other after attending the Eid al-Adha morning prayers at Doha's Education City Stadium, which hosted matches during Qatar's 2022 FIFA World Cup, on the first day of the Muslim holiday on June 28, 2023. Eid al-Adha, or Feast of Sacrifice, marks the end of the hajj pilgrimage to Mecca. (Photo by KARIM JAAFAR / AFP) (Photo by KARIM JAAFAR/AFP via Getty Images)

Qatar seen most peaceful in Middle East as Israel dips, Turkey ties Iran: GPI

The Global Peace Index placed Turkey as the least peaceful country in Europe ranking, and tied with Iran as the 147th most peaceful country globally.

A screen grab from a video of Merdan Yanardag uploaded April 14, 2023.

Turkey arrests prominent TV journalist over criticizing Ocalan's isolation

Journalist Merdan Yanardag’s arrest comes amid a post-election climate in which many journalists feel threatened, according to media watchdogs.

A woman walks in a hallway at Sehit Duran primary school in Adana, Turkey, March 18, 2019.

Culture

Turkey’s conservatives tighten grip on schools as imams appointed ‘spiritual counselors’

Pro-secular parties and education unions launch a series of protests after Izmir's Religious Affairs Office, the local branch of Turkey’s powerful Diyanet, assigns imams and preachers to one-third of elementary and secondary schools for spiritual guidance.

Saudi-Iran-China

New Al-Monitor Newsletter: The China-Middle East Briefing

Sign up to stay on top of China's quickly growing role in the region.

Women chant slogans in front of the Istanbul courthouse in Istanbul on April 5, 2023.

Turkey denies female inmate access to tampons

Imposing a long-held taboo, Turkish authorities have denied a female inmate’s access to disposable tampons.

Ferries and tourist boats navigate the Bosphorus on June 22, 2023 in Istanbul, Turkey.

Turkey holds up NATO defense strategy over straits amid Sweden standoff

As the July NATO summit approaches, Turkish demands over the Bosporus and Dardanelles straits, among other issues, are reportedly holding up a defense strategy overhaul, the most ambitious since the end of the Cold War.

People wait to exchange money at a currency exchange shop on June 23, 2023 in Istanbul, Turkey. The Turkish Lira weakened to a record low of 25.74 against the dollar, a day after the central bank hiked interest rates from 8.5 percent to 15 percent in the first rate decision since the appointment of new central bank governor Hafize Gaye Erkan and the re-election of President Recep Tayyip Erdogan last month. (Photo by Chris McGrath/Getty Images)

Turkey’s smaller-than-expected rate hike comes as relief for banks

Turkey’s new economic chiefs are scrambling to navigate a return to rational policies as the lira continues to tumble, threatening to stoke inflation.

People queue to buy olive oil, which is sold cheaply by the Agricultural Products Office in Ankara, among soaring inflation in the country, Feb. 17, 2022.

Turkey hikes interest rates by 6.5 percentage points to 15%

The move by the central bank marks a dramatic departure from President Erdogan's yearslong policy of low rates.