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Turkey

Turkey

May 4, 2026

Ankara 7:30 pm

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Zaidi

Analysis

Iraq’s Zaidi offers economic promise for Turkey but unknowns loom

Iraq’s prime minister-designate, Ali al-Zaidi, is expected to sustain growing economic and strategic ties with Turkey thanks to his business-oriented approach, though uncertainty over his political stance could test cooperation on sensitive issues.

Barin Kayaoglu

By Barin Kayaoglu

In Ankara, reporting on geopolitics and national security

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.

Latest News

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

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.

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

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.

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)

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

Dbeibeh and Erdogan

Can Turkey rely on Libyan PM to guarantee its strategic interests?

Ankara’s two critical deals with Tripoli remain in limbo even though Libya’s new prime minister raised Turkish spirits during a much-hyped visit this week.

Turkey's US envoy 'not naive' to differences, sees room for cooperation with Washington

In an interview with Al-Monitor's Andrew Parasiliti, Hasan Murat Mercan talked the S-400s, tensions in the Eastern Mediterranean and what a US recognition of the Armenian genocide would mean for the relationship.

Greece's Foreign Minister Nikos Dendias (C) walks on Istiklal Avenue after his meeting with the Patriarch of Constantinople at the Greek Consulate in Istanbul on April 14, 2021.

Turkey's efforts to woo rivals yield mixed results

Diplomatically isolated and economically weak, Turkey is seeking to repair relations with its regional foes. But it's no easy task.

A Liberian-flagged cargo vessel is tugged by a coastal safety boat after it ran ashore in the Bosporus, Istanbul, Turkey, Dec. 27, 2019.

Ankara in risky geopolitical gamble in Black Sea

Fiddling with the delicate balance of power in the Black Sea might leave Turkey in a worse squeeze between Russia and the United States.

Anti-Turkish protest in Basra

US, Turkish forces in Iraq targeted in separate attacks

A Turkish soldier was killed northeast of Mosul shortly after NATO and US officials announced they will withdraw from Afghanistan this year.

A man wearing a protective face mask and gloves and working behind a plastic shield waits to serve customers on a busy market street on April 09, 2021, in Istanbul, Turkey. The country announced more than 55,000 new COVID-19 cases in the past 24 hours, a new daily record since the start of the pandemic. Fears are growing that coronavirus cases will continue to rise as the country prepares to celebrate the holy month of Ramadan starting on April 13.

Turkey tightens COVID-19 restrictions as Ramadan holy month begins

Responding to a surge in new cases, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan announced tighter COVID-19 restrictions for the first two weeks of Ramadan, saying measures could be extended if current trends continue.

Smoke from a presumed drone or artillery strike on Oct. 3, 2020, in Stepanakert, Nagorno-Karabakh.

Canada cancels permits for drone technology sales to Turkey

Ottawa previously suspended the exports after Canadian components were used in the Nagorno-Karabakh war.

US Vice President Kamala Harris meets virtually with the founding members of the Covid-19 Community Corps in the South Court Auditorium of the White House in Washington, DC, on April 1, 2021.

Kurdish magnate claims he’s buying Kamala Harris’ DC condo in 'important move' for Turkey

Muhsin Bayrak told Turkish media he has nearly finalized the purchase.

European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen (L) and EU Council President Charles Michel (R) arrive for a joint news conference after talks with Turkey's president in Ankara on April 6, 2021.

EU-Turkey partnership: Anything but honest

The latest visit by top European Union officials to Ankara has shown that the European Union has effectively turned its back to its avowed core principles and values vis-a-vis Erdogan.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky and his Turkish counterpart, Recep Tayyip Erdogan, review an honor guard during a welcoming ceremony prior to their talks in Kyiv on Feb. 3, 2020.

Turkey, US in rare position of unity over Ukraine

Russia’s Turkey policy to "drive a wedge between Turkey and its NATO allies" will not likely bear fruit when it comes to Ukraine.

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan (back-L) and Chinese President Xi Jinping (back-R) attend a signing ceremony ahead of the Belt and Road Forum in Beijing on May 13, 2017.

China looms large in Turkey’s controversial waterway project

Turkey is reportedly gearing up to partner with China in the construction of an artificial waterway parallel to the Bosporus, a project with likely implications for Russia and the United States in the Black Sea.

Erdogan

Crackdown on dissent highlights Turkey's drift from democracy

A recent decision to nullify a parliamentary vote and ongoing targeting of opposition lawmakers are further evidence of Turkey’s slide away from a democratic system.