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

Turkey

Turkey

June 19, 2026

Ankara 1:05 pm

19°C

A Turkish police officers patrols at the scene of a motor-bike bomb explosion, next to a police station on Oct. 6, 2016, in Istanbul.

Turkey captures alleged ISIS-K media chief near Afghanistan-Pakistan border

The capture comes as Turkish authorities intensify raids against Islamic State networks following recent attacks and alleged plots.

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan meets with Orthodox Patriarch of Bartholomew at the presidential complex, Ankara, Turkey, June 16, 2026.

Culture

Turkey’s Erdogan meets Orthodox patriarch amid push for reopening Halki Seminary

The meeting comes ahead of US President Trump’s expected attendance at next month's NATO leaders’ summit in Turkey, after Trump personally urged his Turkish counterpart to reopen the Halki Seminary.

Turkey's Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan attends the NATO Foreign Ministers' meeting in Helsingborg, Sweden, on May 22, 2026.

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.

President Recep Tayyip Erdogan received Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu at the Turkish House in New York on Sept. 19, 2023.

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.

Barin Kayaoglu

By Barin Kayaoglu

In Ankara, reporting on geopolitics and national security

Latest News

Feature

Turkey’s World Cup return clouded by politics, dawn kickoffs

Yasin AKGUL / AFP via Getty Images

Ezgi Akin

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

Explainer

Turkey slams France-Cyprus military pact as East Med rivalries deepen

Cyprus' President Nikos Christodoulides (2nd L) and his French counterpart Emmanuel Macron (C) review the honor guard at the Presidential Palace in Nicosia on April 23, 2026, ahead of a meeting on the sidelines of a European summit.

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

Ambulances and buses evacuating people drive out of a rebel-held part of Aleppo, Syria December 15, 2016. REUTERS/Omar Sanadiki TPX IMAGES OF THE DAY - RTX2V7EI

Turkey upbeat, nervous as first civilian convoy evacuates Aleppo

Turkish media outlets across the political spectrum are reporting on the evacuation of the first group of residents from eastern Aleppo with hope, but also apprehension.

How does Erdogan win with a losing hand?

Criminal court cases against Israel over the raid on the Mavi Marmara flotilla are being dismissed due to the agreement Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan signed, but Islamists lash out against the judge and prosecutor.

Russian Navy's Tarantul-class corvette Ivanovets is escorted by a Turkish Navy Coast Guard boat as it sets sail in the Bosphorus, on its way to the Black Sea, in Istanbul, Turkey, October 19, 2016. REUTERS/Murad Sezer TPX IMAGES OF THE DAY - RTX2PFTI

Is Turkey turning its stern on the West in the Black Sea?

The regional power balance could change if Russia and Turkey carry their rapprochement in Syria to the Black Sea.

How Turkey's journalists are preserving critical reporting

Turkish journalists left jobless by Ankara’s crackdown on the media have launched online broadcast platforms with a growing audience.

People shout slogans as they protest against Saturday's blasts in Istanbul, Turkey December 11, 2016. REUTERS/Huseyin Aldemir - RTX2UIRL

Outrage over Istanbul bombing turns anti-Kurdish

The swift crackdown on Kurdish and pro-Kurdish activists by the Turkish government following the Istanbul bombing has set off a nationalist, anti-Kurdish frenzy in Turkey.

A damaged vehicle is seen after a blast in Istanbul, Turkey, December 10, 2016. REUTERS/Murad Sezer - RTX2UGLB

Why do Turks blame the West for PKK terror?

Conspiracy theories aside, Turks can be forgiven for thinking that Western support for Syrian Kurds is essentially support for the Turkish Kurdistan Workers Party.

People walk as they flee deeper into the remaining rebel-held areas of Aleppo, Syria December 13, 2016. REUTERS/Abdalrhman Ismail - RTX2UUVR

Ankara points fingers as civilians stuck in Aleppo despite cease-fire

Following reports that regime forces are blocking the evacuation of tens of thousands of civilians from Aleppo, Ankara is accusing the Syrian regime and Shiite militias of attempting to sabotage the cease-fire Turkey brokered between Russia and opposition rebels.

Rebel fighters gather during their advance towards the Islamic State-held city of al-Bab, northern Syria October 26, 2016. Picture taken October 26, 2016. REUTERS/Khalil Ashawi - RTX2TKNV

Al-Bab shaping up as more trouble for Turkey

Islamic State fighters have dug in around al-Bab, reportedly digging trenches and preparing suicide bombers, as Turkish forces bombard their positions.

Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan arrives for the funeral ceremony for police officer Hasim Usta who was killed in Saturday's blasts, in Istanbul, Turkey, December 12, 2016. REUTERS/Osman Orsal - RTX2UMSP

Turkish state 'out for revenge' after Istanbul bombings

Ankara promises revenge after the deadly twin bombing attacks hit Istanbul last weekend.

Syria's President Bashar al-Assad speaks during an interview with Russian tabloid Komsomolskaya Pravda, in this handout picture provided by SANA on October 14, 2016. SANA/Handout via REUTERS ATTENTION EDITORS - THIS PICTURE WAS PROVIDED BY A THIRD PARTY. REUTERS IS UNABLE TO INDEPENDENTLY VERIFY THE AUTHENTICITY, CONTENT, LOCATION OR DATE OF THIS IMAGE. FOR EDITORIAL USE ONLY. TPX IMAGES OF THE DAY - RTSS7BS

Is Turkey’s fight against Syrian Kurds enabling Assad?

Ankara’s constantly evolving intentions in Syria have eased the minds of Russia and the Syrian regime as they continue to consolidate their position in Aleppo and beyond.

People check currency exchange rates at an currency exchange office in Istanbul, Turkey, November 25, 2016. REUTERS/Murad Sezer - RTST8W8

Dollar-hungry Turkey eyes Middle Eastern markets

Scrambling to overcome a foreign exchange crunch, Turkey’s government has outlined incentives to prop up exporters, and while Middle Eastern markets figure high on the target list, Ankara’s political conflicts with neighbors present an obstacle that needs to be addressed.

Protesters hold flags showing jailed PKK leader (Kurdistan Workers' Party) Abdullah Ocalan during a demonstration against Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan in central Brussels, Belgium, November 17, 2016. REUTERS/Yves Herman - RTX2U3V0

Iranian-Turkish tug-of-war over Kurds

Allegations of Iranian support for the Kurdistan Workers Party (PKK) have created fresh tension in the region as Turkey faces new violence from Kurdish militants.