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

Turkey

Turkey

April 1, 2026

Ankara 6:36 pm

15°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

Turkey’s news channels can’t breathe

Journalism in Turkey is choking under a censorship mechanism in which newsroom managers, leaders often act as “government commissars.”

U.S. President Donald Trump and Turkey's President Tayyip Erdogan pose for a family photo during the annual NATO heads of government summit at the Grove Hotel in Watford, Britain December 4, 2019. REUTERS/Peter Nicholls/Pool - RC2COD9N7WI1

Erdogan banks on Trump’s friendship to deal with Libya

Turkey needs the support of the United States more than it did months ago to implement its regional agenda in Libya and beyond.

Turkish army tanks and armoured personnel carriers (APC) are seen near the Turkish-Syrian border in Hatay province, Turkey January 23, 2018. REUTERS/Umit Bektas - RC1FA0C88540

US watchdog group: Turkey’s actions in Syria endanger religious diversity

The partial withdrawal of US troops from northeast Syria in October created a vacuum for religious repression, a bipartisan US agency says.

RTS3B09X(1).jpg

Turkish Foreign Ministry rejects Libya cease-fire

Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu dismissed an Egypt-brokered cease-fire in Libya, as Tripoli forces pursue an offensive on Sirte after a string of victories.

Turkish women rage against sexism with topsy-turvy tweets

Ever since last week, Turkish women have been giving their male counterparts a taste of sexist remarks by switching sex in popular sayings or political statements.

U.S. President Donald Trump greets Turkey's President Tayyip Erdogan during a joint news conference at the White House in Washington, U.S., November 13, 2019. REUTERS/Joshua Roberts - RC2MAD9EDAA8

Turkey sees success in Libya shaping relations with US

Turkey and the United States reached "some agreements" on Libya during a phone call, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan says.

REFILE - CORRECTING BYLINE Turkish police stand guard in front of the Metropolitan Municipality headquarters in Diyarbakir, Turkey, August 19, 2019. REUTERS/Sertac Kayar - RC194048D550

Turkey rounds up scores of citizens with alleged Gulen links

A majority of those arrested were active members of the air force or police.

Erdogan links antifa to Kurdish groups

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan told US President Donald Trump today that Kurdish groups in Turkey and Syria are working with the anarchist group allegedly linked to violence at otherwise peaceful protests in the United States.

A member of Turkish police special forces takes part in a drug raid in Istanbul, Turkey, January 16, 2018. REUTERS/Osman Orsal - RC152BEC12B0

Erdogan transforms neighborhood watchmen into loyalist force

Turkish lawmakers are considering a bill to empower the country's controversial neighborhood watch in what critics say is a ploy to give the president a vigilante force under his direct control.

Demonstrators protest over the death of African-American man George Floyd in Minneapolis police custody, in front of the U.S. consulate in Istanbul, Turkey, June 4, 2020. REUTERS/Umit Bektas - RC292H96R5RD

Reactions to George Floyd murder reveal Islamist fragility in Turkey

President Recep Tayyip Erdogan criticizes the United States for racism while pro-government media alleges that the anti-fascist groups in the protests are being supported by outlawed groups in Turkey.

Turkey senses advantage in shaping Libya negotiations

Ankara and Moscow might find common ground in Libya by bringing eastern and western forces to the negotiating table, excluding Khalifa Hifter. Such a prospect, however, would require pressuring Hifter’s backers.

A worker in protective suit disinfects the Turk Telekom Stadium in Istanbul, Turkey March 14, 2020. REUTERS/Umit Bektas - RC2OJF9UV6LF

Turkish soccer gears up for return, haunted by financial woes

Turkey’s debt-ridden soccer industry is likely to grow more desperate for government support under the bruising impact of the COVID-19 crisis.