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

Turkey

Turkey

May 9, 2026

Ankara 6:27 am

14°C

People look at a drone on display at the Baykar exhibit at the SAHA International Defence and Aerospace Expo on May 06, 2026 in Istanbul, Turkey.

Turkey, Japan launch defense industry partnership with eye on drones

The initiative could eventually lead to joint UAV development and production as Japan looks to expand drone capabilities amid regional tensions.

Latest News

Saudi FM in Turkey as Ankara, Riyadh step up coordination amid Iran war

Saudi Foreign Minister Faisal bin Farhan Al Saud and Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan in Ankara, May 6, 2026.

Turkey, Armenia agree to restore medieval bridge in normalization push

A picture taken near Kars on Feb. 28, 2024 shows the ruins of a bridge over Arpacay river, the natural border between Turkey and Armenia.

Turkey hosts Kuwaiti FM as UAE's OAPEC exit fuels Gulf rift

Sabah Fidan

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

Can Sochi 2.0 save the day in Idlib?

The fragile cease-fire that took effect in Syria's rebel-held province of Idlib on March 6 under a fresh deal between Turkey and Russia might prove short-lived amid a series of uncertainties on key points of contention.

Erdogan’s dance with Putin: Humiliating, but face-saving

The facts on the ground achieved by the Russian-backed Syrian regime on the battlefield in northern Syria were imposed upon Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan by Russian President Vladimir Putin in Moscow.

Libyan front looks bleak for Erdogan

While struggling to achieve its objectives in Syria, Ankara has helped Damascus gain a new ally in the opponents of the forces Turkey is backing in Libya.

An old cemetery is seen in Hasankeyf, which will be significantly submerged by the Ilisu Dam, with new Hasankeyf in the background in southeastern Batman province, Turkey, February 20, 2020. Picture taken February 20, 2020. REUTERS/Murad Sezer - RC2P7F95MH1O

Women bid goodbye to their submerged homes in ancient town of Turkey

Women whose houses are left underwater due to the Ilisu Dam vow to keep their memories alive.

Medical staff in protective gear look at a screen while checking temperatures of passengers upon their arrival, following an outbreak of the coronavirus, at Najaf airport, in the holy city of Najaf, Iraq February 26, 2020. Picture taken February 26, 2020. REUTERS/Alaa al-Marjani - RC2RDF9PKKES

Coronavirus sickens Turkish-Iraqi trade

Turkey's decision to close its only border crossing with Iraq amid a spike in coronavirus cases there will deal a great blow to the country's economy, costing some $1 billion monthly.

Russian President Vladimir Putin and Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan shake hands during a news conference following their talks in Moscow, Russia March 5, 2020. Pavel Golovkin/Pool via REUTERS - RC2UDF91Q123

Why new Russia-Turkey deal on Idlib matters

The new deal between Russia and Turkey over Syria’s Idlib is temporary — but important.

Women walk through al-Hol displacement camp in Hasaka governorate, Syria April 1, 2019. REUTERS/Ali Hashisho - RC17E5312D40

Syrian Kurds worry IS camp could riot as Turkey weaponizes water

As Turkey and Russia reach an agreement to stop the fighting in Idlib, the Kurdish-run administration in northern Syria has said Ankara's restrictions on its water supply could pose a major threat to security.

U.S soldiers walk next to a Patriot missile defence battery during join exercises at the military grouds in Sochaczew, near Warsaw, March 21, 2015. The U.S. Army Europe has deployed a Patriot missile defence battery as part of joint exercises with Poland aimed at reassuring the NATO member in light of the conflict in neighbouring Ukraine. Picture taken March 21, 2015. REUTERS/Franciszek Mazur/Agencja Gazeta THIS IMAGE HAS BEEN SUPPLIED BY A THIRD PARTY. IT IS DISTRIBUTED, EXACTLY AS RECEIVED BY REUTERS,

Pentagon says Patriot sale to Turkey still on table

The United States is reportedly still considering supplying Patriot missile systems to Turkey in what the administration may see as an opportunity to convince Ankara to walk back from the Russian system it acquired last year.

A still image taken from a video obtained by Reuters and shot on March 2, 2020, shows Syrian army soldiers firing a weapon as they advance on the town of Kfar Nabl, Syria. Reuters TV/via REUTERS - RC2DCF9FHZKZ

Turkey looks to Russia for 'quick cease-fire' in Syria

President Recep Tayyip Erdogan will discuss a truce in Turkey's offensive against the Syrian army during talks in Moscow, seeking to avert a new refugee influx even as another humanitarian crisis deepens on Turkey's border with Greece.

Situation remains heated in Syria's Idlib as Putin, Erdogan reach deal

The Syrian regime and opposition factions are racing for military control on the ground in Idlib, while Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan and Russian President Vladimir Putin met in Moscow to discuss a cease-fire.

U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations Kelly Craft and James Jeffrey, the U.S. envoy for Syria, pose with rescue workers at the Syrian commercial crossing point of Bab al-Hawa opposite to Turkey's Cilvegozu border gate, in Idlib governorate, Syria, March 3, 2020. REUTERS/Tuvan Gumrukcu - RC2DCF9L6XKM

US not planning to send new weapons to Turkey for Syria campaign

The State Department clarifies its special envoy's remarks that the United States would be supplying ammunition to Turkey — which has been engaged in battle in Idlib, Syria — saying only that the United States is considering Turkish requests for assistance.

Kurdish protesters carry flags and a banner with a portrait of jailed Kurdistan Workers Party (PKK) leader Abdullah Ocalan during a demonstration against Turkey's military action in northeastern Syria in Zurich, Switzerland October 12, 2019. REUTERS/Arnd Wiegmann - RC148C889EE0

What's behind Ankara's decision to lift visit ban on jailed PKK leader?

The Turkish government's decision to allow family visits for Abdullah Ocalan may be linked to Ankara's ongoing operation in northwest Syria.