Turkey - AL-Monitor: The Middle Eastʼs leading independent since 2012

Turkey

Turkey

March 27, 2026

Ankara 12:09 pm

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A handing over of command ceremony at Union III Camp in the Green Zone of the Iraqi capital, Baghdad, on May 22, 2025.

Turkey confirms Iraq troop withdrawal as NATO pulls back due to Iran war

The confirmation of the withdrawal came as part of NATO’s decision to withdraw its forces in its Iraq mission amid Iran war.

Two Typhoon Eurofighter jets of the Quick Reaction Alert (QRA) of the German air force (Luftwaffe) take off for training during a media day at the military Laage Air Base, northeastern Germany, on March 11, 2026.

Turkey, UK advance $11B Eurofighter jet deal with training agreement

Britain and Turkey signed a training and support agreement marking “the next phase” of Ankara’s entry into the Eurofighter program, building on a £8 billion jet deal signed last year.

Journalists gather outside the Ankara courthouse on March 10, 2020 behind a banner reading in Turkish "journalism is not crime," to protest over jailing of journalists, sparked by the recent arrest of OdaTV's news director and a journalist's report on the funeral of a Turkish intelligence officer apparently killed in Libya.

Journalist who investigated Erdogan’s son jailed on 'disinformation' charges in Turkey

Human rights organizations warn Ari’s detention signals a broader campaign against journalists probing government corruption and elite networks.

Ghalibaf Fidan

US proposes Vance-Ghalibaf talks with Turkey as one intermediary: Source

Iran has yet to respond to the proposal, the source said, as the US announced it was pausing strikes on Iran's energy infrastructure for five days.

Latest News

Analysis

Iran war drives Turkey-Gulf defense alignment, but not alliance

United Arab Emirates army helicopters fly from the Burj al Arab hotel (R) toward Burj Khalifa, Dubai, Jan. 16, 2026.

Barin Kayaoglu

By Barin Kayaoglu

In Ankara, reporting on geopolitics and national security

Turkey, Qatar pledge to deepen defense ties, blame Israel for Iran war

Turkey's Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan (R) and Qatar's Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al Thani (2L) arrive to address a joint press conference in Doha on March 19, 2026. (Photo by Karim JAAFAR / AFP via Getty Images)

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

DELIL SOULEIMAN/AFP via Getty Images

Turkish airstrike kills members of US-backed Kurdish force in Syria

A Turkish airstrike has killed four members of a US-backed Syrian Kurdish force.

Ethiopian refugees in Sudan

Turkey offers to mediate disputes between Sudan, Ethiopia

Erdogan also said he stands behind a peaceful resolution to the violence in Tigray.

In this photo illustration, social media apps are seen on a mobile phone on July 29, 2020, in Istanbul, Turkey.

Turkey’s plans for new social media restrictions threaten five years in prison for spreading fake news

The latest crackdown on online speech could see users jailed for posting fake news that critics say could criminalize dissent.

A Turkish military truck patrols next to a Turkish flag hoisted at the border with Syria on Aug. 14, 2019, in Akcakale, in Sanliurfa, southeastern Turkey.

Turkey’s Sinjar strikes carry stern messages to Tehran, Baghdad

As the United States braces to withdraw its combat forces from Iraq, the country’s Kurdistan Region is emerging as the scene of a mounting struggle for control between Turkey and Iran.

Firat News

Turkish airstrikes claim Yazidi lives in Iraq’s Sinjar

Turkish airstrikes hit makeshift hospital in the predominantly Yazidi Sinjar region of Iraq on Tuesday.

WAKIL KOHSAR/AFP via Getty Images

Ankara mulls ambitious but risky engagement with Taliban

The Turkish government is eyeing a more independent — and riskier — role in Afghanistan after the Taliban’s blitz takeover of Kabul sidelined the United States earlier than expected.

Ethiopian president visits Turkish parliament

Turkey views ties with Ethiopia as key to influence in Africa

Turkey’s quest for normalization with Egypt and a new beginning with Sudan hinges on how far Ankara takes its relations with Ethiopia amid a simmering water dispute in the region over Ethiopia’s mega dam on the Nile.

A masked Turkish special force police officer detains two men during a house raid to arrest suspected members of the Islamic State group, in Adana, on Nov. 10, 2017.

Islamic State suspects use Turkey’s remorse law to get off the hook

Taking advantage of the Turkish judicial system and the political climate besieging it, Islamic State suspects often receive sentence reductions under repentance provisions, even if they feign regret.

Bozkurt flood damage

Death toll rises to 74 as floods batter Turkey's Black Sea coast

More than 2,300 people have been evacuated since the flash floods erupted in northern Turkey on Wednesday.

A woman receives a dose of Pfizer BioNTech vaccine against Covid-19 at the Ankara City Hospital, in Ankara, Turkey, on June 7, 2021.

Turkey to offer Pfizer boosters for vaccinated travelers

Turkey will begin providing additional Pfizer jabs to fully vaccinated travelers wishing to visit countries that don't accept the Chinese-made Sinovac vaccine.

Turkey's Zehra Gunes (C) and Ebrar Karakurt (R) attempt to block a shot in the women's quarter-final volleyball match between South Korea and Turkey during the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games at Ariake Arena in Tokyo on Aug. 4, 2021.

Turks rally around Olympic volleyball star attacked over sexuality

When a member of Turkey's Olympic volleyball team faced online abuse after posting intimate photos of herself with a woman on Instagram, Turks of all stripes spoke up in her defense.

Erdogan and Raisi

Turkey sees opportunity in Iran-West faceoff under Raisi

Raisi’s hard-line approach may further sharpen disagreements between Ankara and Tehran over Syria and Iraq, but Ankara also sees new opportunities under the new Iranian leadership.