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

Turkey

Turkey

April 1, 2026

Ankara 3:13 pm

16°C

Turkey’s President Recep Tayyip Erdogan speaks to MPs at his party's group meeting in the Turkish parliament on Jan. 21, 2026 in Ankara, Turkey.

Analysis

How the Iran war is giving Turkey's Erdogan a big boost

Opinion polls show Turks turning to Erdogan as a steady hand during the war, even as the country's finances remain fragile.

Amberin Zaman

By Amberin Zaman

Reporting on geopolitics, minorities, human rights, culture

German soldiers stand to attention in front of a German Patriot missile launcher at the Gazi barracks in Kahramanmaras, southern Turkey on March 25, 2014.

Turkey says NATO defenses intercepted fourth missile from Iran

Turkey said NATO air defenses neutralized a ballistic munition launched from Iran that entered its airspace, marking the fourth such interception since March.

Sedat Suna/Getty Images

Analysis

Energy storage keeps Turkey stable, but long war risks fragile economy

Turkey avoids an immediate energy crunch thanks to storage and diversified supply, but soaring prices and prolonged disruption threaten inflation.

Barin Kayaoglu

By Barin Kayaoglu

In Ankara, reporting on geopolitics and national security

Latest News

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

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

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

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.

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

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.

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

Ghalibaf Fidan

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

Is Turkey’s wealth fund becoming a crisis shelter?

More company rescues could be imminent in Turkey after the sovereign wealth fund acquired the control of a leading mobile phone operator at the expense of further borrowing.

U.S. President Donald Trump is depicted as border barrier opener for Turkey's President Recip Tayyip Erdogan, who sits on a tank, during a sneak preview for the upcoming Rose Monday carnival parade in Cologne, Germany, February 18, 2020. REUTERS/Wolfgang Rattay - RC213F97TGLM

Bolton memoir paints Erdogan, Trump as kindred spirits

In his new memoir, former national security adviser John Bolton reveals just how tangled Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan's foreign policies are with US President Donald Trump.

Why is Sirte everyone’s ‘red line’ in Libya?

Libya’s coastal city of Sirte, a strategic gateway to major oil facilities, has emerged as a critical point of contention between Turkey and Russia, with France also scrambling to impede Turkey via NATO.

Turkish NBA player Enes Kanter stands for a portrait holding his jersey during half time after watching his team, the New York Knicks, play the Washington Wizards at the O2 Arena in London on television in White Plains, New York, U.S., January 17, 2019. REUTERS/Caitlin Ochs - RC1DBFA4CF40

Turkish NBA player's father acquitted of terrorism charges in Turkey

Boston Celtics center Enes Kanter is an outspoken critic of the Turkish government, which has led to trouble for his family back home.

Iraq summons Turkey, Iran as operations against Kurdish groups continue

Turkey cites past agreements for its operations against the Kurdistan Workers Party in Iraq, while Iran is also targeting Kurdish groups in the country.

Basak Demirtas, wife of Selahattin Demirtas, jailed former co-leader and presidential candidate of Turkey's main pro-Kurdish Peoples' Democratic Party (HDP), arrives at a polling station during the presidential and parliamentary elections in the Kurdish-dominated city of Diyarbakir, Turkey June 24, 2018. REUTERS/ Sertac Kayar - RC1EB83FCDE0

Sexual threat against HDP leader’s wife backfires as Turks rally around women

A threatening tweet against a jailed Kurdish opposition leader’s wife has Turkey up in arms against the patriarchal mindset that threatens women with sexual violence.

New National Security Adviser John Bolton listens as U.S. President Donald Trump holds a cabinet meeting at the White House in Washington, U.S., April 9, 2018. REUTERS/Kevin Lamarque - RC19BD172000

Intel: Bolton says Trump sought to drop charges against Turkish bank at Erdogan’s behest

President Donald Trump allegedly sought to convince the Justice Department to drop charges against Turkey’s Halkbank at the request of President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, The Wall Street Journal reported in an overview of former national security adviser John Bolton’s tell-all book.

A supporter of the pro-Kurdish Peoples' Democratic Party (HDP) holds placards during a gathering as part of their "Democracy March", in Istanbul, Turkey June 18, 2020. The placards read that: "All together for democracy, freedom, peace, justice". REUTERS/Murad Sezer - RC2UBH9CTB9E

Under pressure, pro-Kurdish party holds democracy rally in Istanbul

Despite a ban on protests, the pro-Kurdish Peoples’ Democratic Party held a demonstration in Istanbul Thursday following removal of two deputies from Turkey’s parliament.

NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg speaks as he chairs a NATO defence ministers meeting via teleconference at the Alliance headquarters in Brussels, Belgium June 17, 2020. REUTERS/Francois Lenoir/Pool - RC21BH9U8RBP

NATO to investigate France-Turkey standoff in the Mediterranean

NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg said the bloc will probe France's accusations that Turkey harassed one of its ships in the Mediterranean.

A boy wearing a Turkish flag stands next to a Turkish soldier in the town of Tal Abyad, Syria October 23, 2019. REUTERS/Khalil Ashawi TPX IMAGES OF THE DAY - RC1FEACF7860

Turkey gets comfortable in northern Syria

Turkey appears to be preparing to remain in Syrian areas under its control without much thought for the long-term financial and political costs.

Egypt’s top fatwa authority raises controversy after describing Ottoman control of Constantinople as 'occupation'

Egypt’s Dar al-Ifta described the Ottoman conquest of Constantinople as an invasion, raising controversy in Turkey and among critics who believe religious authorities should not get involved in politics.

UAE condemns Turkish and Iranian military interventions in Iraq

Turkey and Iran are conducting operations against Kurdish groups in the country.

United Arab Emirates