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

Turkey

Turkey

November 11, 2026

Ankara 10:50 pm

8°C

People walk past a Bitcoin sign at the entrance of a cryptocurrency exchange office on Nov. 8, 2024, in Istanbul, Turkey.

Watchdog urges Turkey to tighten digital asset rules for $144B crypto economy

A review of Turkey’s crypto-asset regulations by the Financial Stability Board acknowledged significant progress made by local authorities but called for further measures to address potential risks.

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan (L) and Central Bank Governor Sahap Kavcioglu attend a signing ceremony with Abu Dhabi’s crown prince, Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed Al Nahyan at the Presidential Complex in Ankara on Nov. 24, 2021. ADEM ALTAN/AFP via Getty Images

Turkey’s banking watchdog chief submits resignation amid fund scandal

Turkey’s government is facing growing criticism over regulators’ failure to prevent a fund scandal involving more than $20 billion.

Chris McGrath/Getty Images

Explainer

Iran war pushes up coal use, complicating Turkey’s COP31 pledge

Turkey is asking world leaders at COP31 to back a global push to use more electricity, even as the Iran war has driven up natural gas prices and pushed some power producers back to coal.

Latest News

Turkey bars MP’s wife from travel after his fund scandal criticism: What to know

OZAN KOSE/AFP via Getty Images

Steel factory explosion in western Turkey kills at least 16

A steel worker works in front of giant iron melting pot in Kardemir Iron and Steel Factory in Karabuk, northwestern Turkey, Aug. 26 2005. (TARIK TINAZAY/AFP via Getty Images)

Analysis

Will Democrats block Trump’s push to deliver Turkey F-35s, lift sanctions?

MEHMET ESER/Middle East Images/AFP via Getty Images

Barin Kayaoglu

By Barin Kayaoglu

In Ankara, reporting on geopolitics and national security

Samuel Wendel

Senior Analyst, Middle East Business & Tech

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

A woman is seen through a fabric sheet as she walks past a rally calling for the release of Palestinian prisoners from Israeli jails, in Gaza City September 2, 2013. REUTERS/Mohammed Salem (GAZA - Tags: POLITICS CIVIL UNREST) - RTX134LM

Palestinian Women Hope To Gain Divorce Rights

Activists are pushing for Gaza to join the West Bank in an initiative that will allow women to divorce without their husbands' permission.

$Caretaker Energy Minister Gebran Bassil points at a map during a tour of areas believed to have gas reserves, off Lebanon's coast near Beirut May 30, 2013. Offshore seismic surveys suggest Lebanon has at least 30 trillion cubic feet in just a small fraction of its Mediterranean waters Bassil said. Lebanon has selected 46 international oil companies to bid to explore for gas off its coast, where survey ships have been assessing prospects after discoveries in waters off neighbouring Israel and Cyprus. Pictur$

Political Disputes Delay Lebanon’s Gas Projects

In light of Lebanon’s governmental vacuum and developments in neighboring Syria, certain parties want to delay the bidding process for exploration rights to the country’s offshore gas fields.

Turkey's Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan (2nd L) and his wife Emine Erdogan attend the women's qualification game Olympic basketball match between Turkey and Angola during the London 2012 Olympic Games July 28, 2012. REUTERS/Luke MacGregor (BRITAIN - Tags: POLITICS SPORT OLYMPICS BASKETBALL) - RTR35I0J

Erdogan Wants the Olympics

Troubled at home and abroad, Turkey’s prime minister hopes for an Olympic win for Istanbul that can provide a much-needed antidote to his political woes.

Relatives of car bomb victims inspect the damaged cars at the bomb explosion site in front of al-Salam mosque in the port city of Tripoli in northern Lebanon August 24, 2013. Bombs hit two mosques in the northern Lebanese city of Tripoli on Friday, killing at least 42 people and wounding hundreds, intensifying sectarian strife that has spilled over from the civil war in neighbouring Syria. REUTERS/Jamal Saidi (LEBANON - Tags: CIVIL UNREST POLITICS) - RTX12UWT

Factional Politics Limit Effectiveness of Lebanon Army

The Lebanese Armed Forces are well trained and armed, but handicapped by Lebanese politics.

Turkey’s Stairway to A Democratic Heaven

The crumbling, concrete street stairs in an Istanbul alley have become the latest battleground for the colorful pluralism of society and the “gray” authoritarianism of politicians in Turkey.

Turkey's ruling AK Party Deputy Chairman Huseyin Celik addresses the media in Ankara June 12, 2013. The AK Party on Wednesday ordered protesters to leave Istanbul's central Gezi Park immediately and said it would consider holding a referendum on redevelopment plans which sparked almost two weeks of violent demonstrations. REUTERS/Umit Bektas (TURKEY - Tags: POLITICS CIVIL UNREST) - RTX10LJ4

Veteran Journalist, AKP Official Clash Over Egypt

The former managing editor of daily newspaper Hurriyet clashes with Huseyin Celik, deputy chairman of the AKP, over Egypt.

Turkish Foreign Minister Ahmet Davutoglu speaks during a joint news conference with his Jordanian counterpart Nasser Judeh in Amman May 10, 2013. REUTERS/Muhammad Hamed (JORDAN - Tags: POLITICS) - RTXZHVL

Turkey's Role Limited In Syria Crisis

Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan and Foreign Minister Ahmet Davutoglu justify their tough approach to Syria, but may not have much of a role in de-escalating the crisis.

A Kurdish woman demonstrates against the conditions of detention of jailed Kurdistan Workers Party (PKK) leader Abdullah Ocalan during a protest in Strasbourg April 4, 2012. Hundreds of demonstrators protested in support of Ocalan, who was captured on February 15, 1999, and is currently serving a life sentence in Turkey. REUTERS/Vincent Kessler (FRANCE - Tags: POLITICS CIVIL UNREST) - RTR30BET

Is Turkey-PKK Peace Process At a Dead End?

The Sept. 1 deadline for the second stage in the Kurdish peace process is about to expire, without progress.

Turkish Karadeniz Powership Fatmagul Sultan, an electricity-generating ship, is seen docked at Beirut port February 18, 2013. A member of Karadeniz Holding's powership fleet, Karadeniz Powership Fatmagul Sultan, departed from Istanbul on February 8 to Beirut to supply electricity to Lebanon. REUTERS/Mohamed Azakir (LEBANON - Tags: ENERGY BUSINESS POLITICS) - RTR3DY6T

UAE Investment Casualty Of Turkey’s Egypt Policy

Foreign policy decisions are negatively affecting Turkey’s exports and attraction of foreign investment.

Turkey's Foreign Minister Ahmet Davutoglu addresses the media in Ankara June 13, 2013. REUTERS/Umit Bektas (TURKEY - Tags: POLITICS) - RTX10M6J

Turkey Frustrated Over Syria

Western aims in Syria are proving to be at odds with the Turkish government’s expectations.

Free Syrian Army fighters are seen on a Russian-made helicopter that belonged to the Syrian Army at the Minnig Military Airport, after it was seized by the rebels August 11, 2013. Syrian rebels captured the main military airport near the border with Turkey on August 6, consolidating their hold on a key supply route north of the city of Aleppo, opposition activists said. REUTERS/Mahmoud Hassano (SYRIA - Tags: CIVIL UNREST CONFLICT MILITARY TPX IMAGES OF THE DAY) - RTX12H8L

Turkey's Opposition Parties Reject Military Strike in Syria

The Turkish political opposition has doubts about whether it was the Syrian regime that used chemical weapons and concern over being pulled into a Middle Eastern quagmire.

Patriot missile batteries are pictured at their positions near the city of Kahramanmaras, February 23, 2013. Germany's defence minister inspected Patriot missile batteries close to the Syria-Turkey border on Saturday and said they delivered a "clear warning" to Damascus that NATO would not tolerate missiles being fired into Turkey. Thomas de Maiziere and his Dutch counterpart Jeanine Hennis-Plasschaert travelled to the Turkish cities of Adana and Kahramanmaras to inspect the batteries provided by their coun

The Costs of Turkey Joining the Anti-Syria Coalition

Foreign Minister Ahmet Davutoglu created excitement by saying Turkey would be part of a coalition of the willing in an operation against Syria — but can Turkey do it?