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Turkey

Turkey

November 29, 2025

Ankara 8:39 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

South Korean Defense Ministry via Getty Images

Turkey cautiously optimistic as US drops conditions for F-16 sales

Turkey's foreign minister has urged the swift finalization of the much-awaited sale, while Greek news outlets maintain the final text carried a warning to Turkey against violating Greek airspace.

ADEM ALTAN/AFP via Getty Images

Russian delegation heads to Turkey amid potential Syria offensive

The top Turkish diplomat aired a rare complaint over the Russian stalling of constitutional talks between the warring Syrian actors, calling on Moscow to allow the process to resume.

AKP party supporters attend the "Unity, Will, Victory" rally at the Galatasaray's Nef Stadium in Istanbul on Nov. 27, 2022, six months ahead of Turkey's next presidential elections.

Al-Monitor/Premise poll finds tight race for Erdogan in Turkey's elections

As the battle for Turkey’s upcoming presidential and parliamentary elections intensifies, an Al-Monitor poll predicts a tight race between the country’s leading opposition bloc and the ruling alliance.

The Hellenic Navy Roussen or Super Vita class Fast Missile Patrol Boat P 71 HS Ritsos patrols off the tiny Greek island of Kastellorizo (Megisti), in the Dodecanese, the furthest south eastern Greek Island, two kilometers from the Turkish mainland on Aug. 28, 2020.

Row over militarization of Greek islands peaks with Turkish warning

Mevlut Cavusoglu has stepped up rhetoric over Aegean islands that Ankara says should be free of Greek arms.

Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu addresses a press conference with the NATO Secretary General after their meeting at The Foreign Ministry in Istanbul on Nov. 3, 2022.

Turkey asks Finland to resume defense sales amid NATO talks

Speaking ahead of the Finnish defense chief's visit to Turkey, the top Turkish diplomat has complained that his country is still under de facto defense sales restrictions from Finland.

Incoming Syrian refugees who were suddenly deported from Turkey await to register with officials.

Half a million Syrians return from Turkey, but were they forced?

Some 560,000 Syrian refugees in Turkey have returned to their country as part of deportation projects, many fleeing the harassment they were facing in the country.

BIM discount stores

Senior Turkish retail executive forced out after criticizing government economic policy

The chief operator of Turkey’s largest discount chain resigned from a retail association post after threats from Erdogan's ally Nationalist Movement Party.

A man sells Simit on a street corner on Nov. 03, 2022 in Istanbul, Turkey. Turkey's official inflation rate topped 85.5% in October according to state statistics agency TUIK the highest level in 25 years.

As Turkey’s inflation slows in November, all eyes now on pay hikes

Despite the fall in the annual inflation rate, Turkish consumers are likely to face monthly price increases averaging 3% to 4% in 2023.

TOPSHOT - Russian President Vladimir Putin meets with Turkey's President Recep Tayyip Erdogan on the sidelines of the Sixth Summit of the Conference on Interaction and Confidence Building Measures in Asia (CICA) in Astana on October 13, 2022.

The Turkey Briefing: Can Ankara convince Moscow to grant green light for Syria invasion?

In this week's newsletter, Ezgi Akin rounds up the top stories from Turkey.

Erdogan

Analysis

Turkey’s leveraging of Syria, Ukraine crises frustrates US, Europe

Erdogan disregards appeals by US for restraint in Syria and demands further concessions from Stockholm for agreeing to Sweden’s NATO admission.

Week in Review

By Week in Review

Fighters affiliated with the third corps of the Turkish-backed "Syrian National Army" man a turret at a position near Azaz in the rebel-held north of the Aleppo province, opposite the town of Menagh (Minaq) along the frontlines with areas under control by Syrian government forces and the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF), on November 29, 2022.

The Security Briefing: Pentagon tries to reason with Turkey

In this weekly newsletter, Pentagon Correspondent Jared Szuba rounds up the biggest security stories from the region.

Botter Apartmani

Building restoration program shores up Istanbul’s cultural heritage

Istanbul is working to protect its neglected structures while providing arts and culture spaces for the public.