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Turkey

Turkey

July 30, 2026

Ankara 11:33 am

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Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan greets Iraq Prime Minister Ali al-Zaidi upon his arrival in Ankara, July 28, 2026.

Explainer

Erdogan hosts Zaidi, touts ‘historic step’ in Turkey-Iraq energy ties

The Turkish president outlined Ankara’s priorities with the new Iraqi government during the Iraqi leader’s first visit to Turkey: security, energy cooperation and the Development Road.

Iraqi Prime Minister Ali al-Zaidi speaks during a meeting with US Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth (not pictured) at the Pentagon on July 14, 2026 in Arlington, Virginia.

Zaidi to meet Erdogan as Turkey-Iraq ties take off, Kurds feel sidelined

The Iraqi prime minister's visits to Ankara and Riyadh underscore Baghdad's push to deepen regional ties as Turkey seeks closer cooperation on energy and security.

Latest News

Analysis

Iran war puts Turkey’s inflation fight, lira under fresh pressure

Vendors sell dry food as people shop by a banner reading " No to Inflation" near the New Mosque area in Istanbul's Eminonu district on Nov. 6, 2018.

Barin Kayaoglu

By Barin Kayaoglu

In Ankara, reporting on geopolitics and national security

Analysis

What challenges await Erdogan’s new rival and Turkey’s new opposition party?

Ozgur Ozel

Halil Karaveli

By Halil Karaveli

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

OZAN KOSE/AFP via Getty Images

Will Turkey's multibillion-dollar earthquake fund help reelect Erdogan?

Turkey's president has pledged to rebuild the earthquake-hit regions within a year, hoping that the ambitious plan will help him win over disenchanted disaster victims.

DIYARBAKIR, TURKEY - JUNE 8: Supporters of the Pro-Kurdish Peoples' Democratic Party (HDP) wave flags with a picture of the jailed Kurdish militant leader Abdullah Ocalan as they cheer during a gathering to celebrate their party's success in the parliamentary elections, on June 8, 2015 in Diyarbakir, Turkey. Turkey now faces the prospect of weeks of political unrest after the AK Party lost its parliamentary majority in polls over the weekend. (Photo by Burak Kara/Getty Images)

Kurdish umbrella group under Ocalan says Erdogan will never offer real peace to Turkey's Kurds

In Al-Monitor's interview with Zubeyir Aydar, a top civilian leader of the umbrella Kurdish group that includes the Kurdistan Workers Party, his message was clear: The incumbent president was never sincere about peace with Turkey’s Kurds and never will be.

SAKIS MITROLIDIS/AFP via Getty Images

Turkey releases grieving father to Greece in post-disaster diplomacy

Turkey-Greece ties are continuing to mend with a diplomatic gestures and mutual kindnesses in the wake of their recent disasters.

A chef holds a platter of kanafe during Hatay kanafe festival, July 23, 2019.

Culture

Turkey's Hatay kanafeh delicacy granted EU special status

Turkey’s earthquake-hit multicultural Hatay province receives recognition for its renowned Mesopotamian dessert.

An F-16 pilot from an airbase in Saudi Arabia gets ready to disembark from his aircraft after he was diverted to Kuwait because of bad weather after his mission into Iraq March 26, 2003 as Operation Iraqi Freedom continues after a pause in the air campaign due to bad weather. (Photo by Paula Bronstein/Getty Images)

Saudi Arabia, Qatar, Egypt rank among world’s top 10 arms importers: SIPRI

Middle East countries made up more than a fourth of the top 40 global arms importers from 2018 to 2022, according to a new report.

Chairman of Turkey's main opposition Republican People's Party (CHP) Kemal Kilicdaroglu (C).

Turkey’s opposing camps seek to broaden base ahead of May elections

The rapprochement between Erdogan’s People’s Alliance and the Kurdish Islamist Huda-Par, seen as the successor of Hezbollah, annoys nationalists, while the move toward arch-conservative New Welfare alarms women.

Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov (L) and Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu (R) speak after a news conference in Ankara, on June 8, 2022. -

Russia to host Turkey, Syria, Iran diplomats on Wednesday

Senior Turkish, Syrian, Iranian and Russian diplomats are set to meet to advance the stalled rapprochement between Ankara and Damascus.

Tasos Katopodis/Getty Images for Freedom House

MidEast freedom rankings: Syria worst, Tunisia in decline, says Freedom House

Syria remains to be the least and Israel the best performing country when it comes civil and political freedoms while the biggest one-year decline has been observed in Tunisia.

Turkey's main opposition Republican People's Party leader Kemal Kilicdaroglu speaks during a rally, Istanbul, Turkey, May 21, 2022.

Erdogan’s challenger faces delicate balancing act to win over Turkey's Kurds

The compromise that salvaged Turkey’s opposition bloc from collapsing this week lays the ground for enlisting Kurdish support as well, but not without fragilities and risks on the way.

ADEM ALTAN/AFP via Getty Images

Turkey’s election races officially begin as Erdogan sets vote for May 14

The country’s executive presidential system will be the focal point of the campaigning period.

NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg speaks during a press conference at the NATO headquarters in Brussels on March 7, 2023.

Turkey, Sweden and Finland agree to more talks on NATO accession

President Recep Tayyip Erdogan’s spokesman and foreign affairs adviser Ibrahim Kalin, who took part in Thursday’s talks, described the meeting as “positive.”

Women take part in a rally ahead of International Women's Day, Istanbul, Turkey, March 6, 2022.

Turkey’s earthquake victims at heart of International Women's Day marches

The earthquakes that ravaged 11 provinces in southern Turkey also amplified the socio-economic inequalities between men and women in the region.