Turkey’s Fidan heads to Moscow as S-400 sanctions issue returns to fore The visit comes weeks before Turkey hosts NATO leaders, on the sidelines of which Ankara hopes to reach a deal with Washington over CAATSA sanctions over its purchase of Russian S-400s. Turkey
Analysis Erdogan-Netanyahu war of words signals deeper rivalry for regional influence The latest Erdogan-Netanyahu clash underscored how Turkey-Israel tensions have grown beyond the Palestinian issue and into a wider regional rivalry spanning Syria, Lebanon, Iran and the eastern Mediterranean. By Barin Kayaoglu In Ankara, reporting on geopolitics and national security
Feature Turkey’s World Cup return clouded by politics, dawn kickoffs Turkey finally has the World Cup moment it waited 24 years for, but much of the country will either be asleep for it or arguing over efforts to claim it. By Ezgi Akin In Ankara, reporting on diplomacy, EU-Turkey ties, NATO
Newsletter: Turkey Turkey rocked by abuse allegations in Imamoglu crackdown An imprisoned executive’s allegations of abuse shine a spotlight on the widening crackdown against President Recep Tayyip Erdogan’s opponents. By Amberin Zaman Reporting on geopolitics, minorities, human rights, culture
Newsletter: Daily Briefing Iran says no final decision yet on deal By Ezgi Akin In Ankara, reporting on diplomacy, EU-Turkey ties, NATO
Analysis As Trump admin drops Halkbank case, S-400 last big hurdle in US-Turkey ties By Amberin Zaman Reporting on geopolitics, minorities, human rights, culture
Newsletter: Daily Briefing Iran says US strikes render April ceasefire ‘meaningless’ By Ezgi Akin In Ankara, reporting on diplomacy, EU-Turkey ties, NATO
SDF commander's claims of Turkish allegiance raise eyebrows Talal Silo, the former spokesman of the Syrian Democratic Forces, claims to have defected to Turkey and continues to offer contradictory accusations that the US-backed group was established as a cover for US support for Kurdish terror groups. Syria
Ankara pressed to explain $30 billion refugee bill Turkey’s opposition is piling up pressure on President Recep Tayyip Erdogan and his government to provide a transparent account of the $30 billion that Ankara says it has been spent on Syrian refugees. Syria
Will Erdogan address Greece's military upgrades during visit? A US sale of F-16 fighter upgrade kits to Greece's outdated fleet could increase tensions with Turkey, or it could be offset by the Turkish president's historic visit to Athens this week. Turkey
Turks accuse CIA of engineering failed coup The arrest order Turkish prosecutors issued for Graham Fuller, a former CIA official, appears to be a Russian-Turkish joint production. Turkey
Israel 'will not blink' on Iranian missiles The Israel Defense Forces set new red lines for Iran; Erdogan still waiting for Russian dividend on Kurds; Russia expands use of private military companies in Syria; the Islamic State and al-Qaeda at war in the Sinai Peninsula. Egypt
Iraqis fear earthquakes, terrorism could lead to dam catastrophe Although the recent earthquakes did not cause serious damage to Iraq’s dams, specialists are calling for continuous maintenance to ensure they are not demolished in the future, leading to a disaster in Iraq. Iraq
Culture Alert: Fashion, books and photography in December The Middle Eastern cultural calendar for the end of the year includes a book fair in Beirut, a modest-dress fashion event in Dubai and a cartoon biennial in Tehran. Egypt
Women join opposition police forces in Aleppo’s liberated areas With the help of Turkish trainers, the first batch of policewomen graduated from the opposition’s National Police and Public Security Forces in the areas liberated during Operation Euphrates Shield in the countryside of Aleppo. Syria
Zarrab fingers Erdogan in NY trial bombshell Iranian-Turkish gold trader Reza Zarrab, testifying before a New York jury, has implicated President Recep Tayyip Erdogan and his former economy minister in a massive sanctions-busting scheme as Turkey does its frantic best to spin the story at home. Turkey
Turkey squeezed between American hammer, Russian anvil on Syrian stage The Kurdish issue is only one of the catalysts to indicate Turkey’s weakened posture in Syria, the Middle East and the world. Syria
Turkey, Russia exchange Chechen prisoners for Tatars It has emerged that two Russian agents jailed in Turkey in connection with the deaths of Chechen dissidents were extradited to Russia as part of a prisoner swap enabled by Turkey's legal state of emergency. Turkey
Turkey’s Alevis on edge after homes vandalized More than a dozen Alevi homes were recently marked with red paint, setting off alarm bells for Turkey's largest minority group, which has a long memory of sectarian violence. Turkey