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Turkey

Turkey

November 29, 2025

Ankara 6:00 pm

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Kurdish official Aldar Khalil, who played a key role in establishing Syria's semiautonomous Kurdish region in 2013, during an interview in Qamishli on Dec. 22, 2018.

Exclusive

Top PYD official Aldar Khalil: 'Syria is telling Kurds to separate'

Al-Monitor spoke exclusively to Aldar Khalil, a member of the executive council of the Democratic Unity Party (PYD), which shares power in the Kurdish-led administration in northeast Syria, about the halted talks between Syria’s transitional government and the Kurdish-led administration in northeast Syria.

Amberin Zaman

By Amberin Zaman

Reporting on geopolitics, minorities, human rights, culture

President of Turkey Recep Tayyip Erdogan greets Pope Leo XIV during a welcome ceremony at the Presidential Palace, Ankara, Nov. 27, 2025.

In first foreign visit, Pope Leo meets Erdogan, urges Turkey to uphold pluralism

On his inaugural foreign visit to Turkey, Pope Leo called for respect for pluralism after meeting with the Turkish president.

Andreas SOLARO / AFP via Getty Images

Analysis

Pope Leo in Turkey, navigating faith, politics and Orthodox tensions

The visit will bolster Turkey’s image on religious tolerance and shared positions with the Vatican while Ankara navigates sensitive issues surrounding the Halki Seminary and the Greek Patriarchate’s ecumenical status.

Barin Kayaoglu

By Barin Kayaoglu

In Ankara, reporting on geopolitics and national security

Latest News

Turkey sentences journalist over 4 years in jail for threatening Erdogan

Prominent Turkish journalist Fatih Altayli is pictured in this undated image.

Analysis

PKK leader Ocalan gains legitimacy in Turkey, bigger sway over Syria’s Kurds

People take part in a demonstration to call for the liberation of Kurdistan Workers Party (PKK) leader Abdullah Ocalan outside the European Council in Strasbourg, eastern France, on Sept. 15, 2025.

Amberin Zaman

By Amberin Zaman

Reporting on geopolitics, minorities, human rights, culture

Turkey’s spy chief holds talks in Egypt over trapped Hamas militants

BASHAR TALEB/AFP via Getty Images

Culture

Turkey’s graphic-novel culture blossoms in face of censorship

cartoons

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

This picture taken from the Mount of Olives shows a view of Al-Aqsa Mosque compound and its Dome of the Rock, Old City, Jerusalem, Jan. 2, 2023.

UAE, Saudi, others condemn Israeli minister’s visit to Jerusalem holy site

Ben-Gvir’s visit to the Temple Mount/Haram al-Sharif could hurt the new far-right Israeli government's relations with Arab states and Turkey.

Members of Muslim Uyghur minority present pictures of their relatives detained in China during a press conference in Istanbul, on May 10, 2022. (Photo by OZAN KOSE/AFP via Getty Images)

Turkey airs rare public criticism of China's treatment of Uyghurs

Turkey is openly criticizing China's treatment of the Uyghur minority as more tension emerges between Huawei and its Turkish partner telecom operator Turkcell.

Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu speaks during a joint press conference with his Swedish counterpart in Ankara on Dec. 22, 2022.

Turkish, Syrian FMs could meet soon as diplomatic thaw gains steam

The top Turkish diplomat said Saturday that he could meet with his Syrian counterpart in mid-January.

Syria Idlib

Turkey, Syrian government may cooperate on the ground

Turkey is considering cooperating with the Syrian government in rebel-held Syrian territories after the first high-level talks between Turkey and the Syrian government in Moscow this week.

Omar Havana/ Getty Images

Turkish-Syrian normalization continues as top diplomats meet

Turkey's foreign minister says Ankara wants to cooperate with the Syrian regime but will not let that get in the way of its fight against terrorism.

ADEM ALTAN/AFP via Getty Images

2022 in review: Turkey wraps up year of regional resets but more whiplash ahead

As 2022 forced the Turkish government to reverse course with regional powers, this election year is expected to usher in even more change in Turkey’s foreign policy.

Turkish National Defense Minister Hulusi Akar holds a joint press conference with the UN Secretary-General at the Joint Coordination Center established in Istanbul for the safe shipment of grain products from the Black Sea region in Istanbul on Aug. 20, 2022.

Turkish, Syrian defense chiefs hold landmark meeting in Russia

The defense ministers' meeting in Moscow was the first official engagement between Damascus and Ankara in more than a decade.

Meral Aksener, the leader of the Iyi Party and the only female chairman at the opposition's Table of Six, addresses women on Dec. 25, 2022.

Turkish leaders woo women voters as election year closes in

The Turkish government and right-wing parties are making a hard sell of their policies on women’s issues from domestic violence to child abuse.

Protesters hold roses while taking part in a demonstration to pay tribute to the Enghien Street shooting victims in Paris on Dec. 23, 2022.

Turkey urges France to ban PKK 'propaganda' after Paris shooting

Summoning France’s ambassador, Turkey expresses concern regarding "anti-Turkish propaganda" in Paris demonstrations.

ADEM ALTAN/AFP via Getty Images

Turkey calls for more action, not words, from Sweden 

Turkey's foreign minister has told his Swedish counterpart that while Ankara welcomes the steps Sweden has taken to get Turkey’s nod for NATO membership, they are not even “halfway” toward fulfilling Stockholm's commitments.

Chris McGrath/Getty Images

Turkey raises minimum wage, keeps interest rates unchanged

Inflation is running rampant in Turkey, but the president continues to stubbornly reject higher interest rates.

A Tesla office on April 20, 2022, in Fremont, Cal.

Elon Musk’s electric vehicle company Tesla hiring in Turkey

The US electric vehicle maker already has a presence in Jordan and Israel and could soon launch in Turkey, where Musk has a good relationship with President Erdogan.