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

Turkey

Turkey

April 1, 2026

Ankara 8:15 pm

14°C

Chris McGrath/Getty Images

Turkey in talks with Iran to clear 11 ships stuck in Hormuz: What to know

Turkey's transport minister says that 11 vessels await passage from Hormuz pending talks with Iran.

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.

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

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.

Turkish police officers wearing face masks, with the Byzantine-era monument of Hagia Sophia, now a museum, in the background, patrol at touristic Sultanahmet Square following the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) outbreak, in Istanbul, Turkey, June 5, 2020. REUTERS/Murad Sezer - RC213H9TTIHG

Turkey's Erodgan cancels weekend curfew despite spike in cases

Hours after his government announced a weekend curfew for 15 major cities, a public backlash forced Turkey's president to call off the movement restrictions.

Turkey resuming domestic and international flights

Domestic airline flights recommence in Turkey and international flights to 40 countries are expected.

Enis Berberoglu, the first lawmaker from the main opposition Republican People's Party (CHP) to be jailed amid government purges following a failed military coup in 2016, is seen with his supporters after being released from the prison in Silivri near Istanbul, Turkey, September 20, 2018. REUTERS/Huseyin Aldemir - RC1FA81551A0

Fury as three Turkish lawmakers stripped of seats

Three Turkish opposition lawmakers lost their parliament seats today over controversial terror convictions as the chamber erupted in howls of protest, opposition deputies banging on their lecterns and shouting "Down with fascism."

An elderly couple poses for a picture at a park, as seniors over 65 years old have been exempted from curfew for six hours during the first day of Eid, amid the spread of the coronavirus disease (COVID-19), in Istanbul, Turkey, May 24, 2020. REUTERS/Umit Bektas - RC21VG9TUYL9

Elderly Turks furious over 'nonsense' lockdown

Grumbles are growing from senior citizens in Turkey who remain confined to their homes as curfews are lifted for most other Turks.

Turkey to reopen border crossings with Iran, Iraq

By opening two border crossings with Iran and Iraq, Turkey is seeking to boost the economy, and many businesses resume operations in the country this week.

Turkish drilling vessel Yavuz is escorted by Turkish Navy frigate TCG Gemlik (F-492) in the eastern Mediterranean Sea off Cyprus, August 6, 2019. Picture taken August 6, 2019. REUTERS/Murad Sezer - RC110E733AB0

EU criticizes Turkish energy exploration in Mediterranean

Turkey disputes the European Union's position that the waters where Turkey hopes to drill for hydrocarbon belong to Greece and Cyprus.

Women wearing protective face masks walk at the spice market, also known as the Egyptian Bazaar, as it reopens after weeks of the close doors amid the spread of the coronavirus disease (COVID-19), in Istanbul, Turkey, June 1, 2020. REUTERS/Umit Bektas - RC2B0H9WHBPH

As Turkey gets back to business, doctors warn second wave could follow

Cafes and restaurants reopened and intercity travel resumed in Turkey after new cases of the novel coronavirus have steadily declined, though health officials warn failure to follow social distancing measures could lead to new infections.

U.S.-based Turkish cleric Fethullah Gulen at his home in Saylorsburg, Pennsylvania, U.S. July 10, 2017. REUTERS/Charles Mostoller - RC1C1F12DE90

Turkey issues warrants for over 100 accused of Gulen ties

The Turkish prosecutor's office ordered the arrest of 118 people suspected of ties to the outlawed Gulen movement.

SENSITIVE MATERIAL. THIS IMAGE MAY OFFEND OR DISTURB Crowds of angry protestors line the motorcade route as seen from inside U.S. President Donald Trump's motorcade as he travels through Washington to visit the Saint John Paul II National Shrine as protests continue over the death in police custody of George Floyd, in Washington, U.S., June 2, 2020. REUTERS/Tom Brenner - RC241H90KOXZ

Turkey ignores its own record, denouncing press clampdown in US protests

Turkish officials have denounced the crackdown on journalists in the United States, drawing criticism given Ankara's own record on press freedom.

Syriac Christian girls, who are members of the choir, attend a mass on Christmas at the Virgin Mary Syriac Orthodox Church in Diyarbakir, Turkey, December 25, 2017. REUTERS/Sertac Kayar - RC1E35E59DE0

Minorities in Turkey on edge amid threats, attacks

Vulnerable groups have faced intimidation or worse in recent weeks in what both the government and the opposition warn are efforts to stoke conflict, though they disagree on who’s to blame.

Women hold food aid distributed by humanitarian institutions in Afrin, Syria March 20, 2018. REUTERS/Khalil Ashawi - RC169F36FD00

‘An insult to women’ everywhere: Afrin kidnappings prompt calls for investigation of Turkey-backed rebels

A video reportedly showing detained women inside a secret prison in Afrin has prompted further criticism of Turkey's proxy forces operating in Syria.