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

Turkey

Turkey

March 27, 2026

Ankara 1:55 pm

15°C

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

Demiroren News Agency (DHA)/AFP via Getty Images

38 dead as floods ravage Turkey's northern coast

The floods in Turkey's Black Sea region forced more than 1,700 people to evacuate, many of whom are now sleeping in student dorms.

Men smash up shops and homes believed to be owned by Syrian families during an unrest, in Ankara, on Aug. 12, 2021 overnight.

Syrian homes, businesses destroyed in Turkish capital amid rising anti-immigrant sentiment

At least 76 people have been detained in connection with the rampage.

Idlib protest

New UN report on Islamic State gives Ankara another headache

Security Council report red flags Uyghur diaspora in Turkey as a recruitment source for jihadi networks in Syria and Afghanistan.

ARIF AKDOGAN/AFP via Getty Images

Turkey’s defense minister discusses Afghan security in visit to Pakistan

President Recep Tayyip Erdogan suggested yesterday he may meet with Taliban leadership.

2017 defense fair in Istanbul

Turkey to host international defense fair

Some of the companies that will present weapons at the fair are from countries Turkey has difficult relations with.

passengers departing Kabul airport

Turkey's Erdogan says he may meet with Taliban leadership

The speed of the Afghan insurgents' advances is "really troubling," Erdogan told CNN Turk.

exchange agency in Istanbul

Erdogan plays with fire to spur economic growth

The Turkish president’s insistence on spurring growth despite mounting inflation and the risk of further dollarization is a further invitation to continued economic turmoil.

ADEM ALTAN/AFP via Getty Images

Half of adults in Turkey vaccinated as COVID-19 rates surge

Turkey passed a milestone Wednesday, announcing half of its adults are fully vaccinated, though COVID-19 rates remain near a three-month high, likely due to the fast-spreading Delta variant.

Firefighters battle a large wildfire near the village of Ikizce, in Mugla province, Turkey, Aug. 6, 2021.

Wildfires have burned more than Turkey’s forests

The Turkish government’s conduct during the wildfires that engulfed Turkey’s coastline has not only led to devastation of the country’s forests, but also caused loss of the nation’s sense of solidarity in the wake of natural disasters

A photograph taken on May 26, 2021, in Istanbul shows Sedat Peker speaking on his YouTube channel.

Turkey’s ruling 'White Party' turning gray, critics say

Recent allegations stand in contrast to the ruling Justice and Development Party's pledges to rid Turkey of systemic corruption.

A man counts Turkish Lira at a currency exchange office on July 29, 2020, in Istanbul, Turkey.

Ill-conceived borrowing scheme costs Turkey double

The cost of Ankara’s domestic borrowing in hard currency and gold is estimated to have hit nearly 32% per annum amid the slump of the Turkish lira, more than doubling the cost of borrowing in liras.

ILYAS AKENGIN/AFP via Getty Images

Wildfires deliver blow to tourism in Turkey

Ankara has announced that all but two wildfires are under control and is busily reassuring tourists it's safe to return.