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Turkey

Turkey

July 26, 2026

Ankara 2:16 am

14°C

Ozgur Ozel

Analysis

What challenges await Erdogan’s new rival and Turkey’s new opposition party?

Ousted main opposition leader Ozgur Ozel's bid to challenge Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan depends on surviving a widening legal crackdown and reconciling deep ideological, nationalist and Kurdish divisions within his own coalition.

Halil Karaveli

By Halil Karaveli

Turkey’s main opposition Republican People's Party's (CHP) Ousted party leader Ozgur Ozel waves to supporters from atop a police water cannon vehicle after being forcibly evicted by police from his party’s headquarters on May 24, 2026 in Ankara, Turkey.

Top ally of Turkey’s Erdogan backs state funding for Ozel’s breakaway party

Devlet Bahceli’s suggestion exposes a more nuanced position within the country’s governing alliance over the ongoing legal crackdown against Turkey’s main opposition.

Latest News

Explainer

As Turkey rivalry heats up, Greece to acquire $4B Israeli air defense system

David's Sling.

Turkey to begin surveys for planned northern Cyprus gas pipeline

Turkey's servicemen stand at attention on a Turkish submarine as they participate in the live-fire phase of the Blue Homeland 2026 tactical military exercises in the eastern Mediterranean Sea, in Antalya on April 9, 2026.

Iran's Araghchi reveals Turkey's role in thwarting Kurdish offensive

Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi speaks during a joint press conference with his Iraqi counterpart following a meeting in Baghdad on June 28, 2026.

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

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan arrives in the Chinese city of Tianjin to attend the 25th Meeting of the Council of Heads of State of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) on Aug. 31, 2025.

Turkey’s Erdogan holds hands with Iran’s Pezeshkian, sparks online buzz

A short video of Erdogan holding hands with Iran’s Pezeshkian at the SCO summit in China has captured global attention and stirred heated online reactions.

A Tesla Model Y is seen on a Tesla car lot on May 31, 2023 in Austin, Texas.

Turkish Tesla sales soar in August, surpassing European, Japanese rivals

Elon Musk’s EV company sold 8,730 Model Ys in August, jumping 86% compared to July, according to data from Turkey’s Automotive Distributors and Mobility Association.

OZAN KOSE/AFP via Getty Images

Turkey: CHP Istanbul head ousted as court escalates pressure on Ozel

The court’s ruling has raised further challenges to the leadership of CHP chairman Ozgur Ozel, who led the party to victory in last year’s local elections.

President Recep Tayyip Erdogan (R) meets with Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan (L) in Tianjin, China, on Sept. 1, 2025.

Turkey, Armenia leaders eye cooperation as Azerbaijan peace process advances

The meeting came after the Aug. 8 peace summit in Washington, hosted by US President Donald Trump, between Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan and Azerbaijan President Ilham Aliyev.

Libya

Analysis

Turkey’s power play in Libya tests Greece’s red lines

A naval visit, back-channel diplomacy and a budding Italy-Libya track reveal Ankara’s push to lock in its 2019 maritime deal.

Barin Kayaoglu

By Barin Kayaoglu

In Ankara, reporting on geopolitics and national security

SDF fighters wave flags and flash victory signs from a vehicle during a convoy procession in Aleppo, Syria, on April 9, 2025.

After weeks of threats, is Turkey softening line on Syrian SDF?

Turkey’s dialing down of rhetoric may be linked to ongoing Israel-Damascus security talks, an expert told Al-Monitor.

Pierre Crom/Getty Images)

Turkey’s Erdogan to visit China for first time in five years for SCO summit

The SCO summit comes as Ankara walks a tightrope between maintaining close ties with Washington and diversifying its foreign partnerships.

Chris McGrath/Getty Images)

Turkey detains top execs of defense firm Assan in military espionage probe

The company’s 10 subsidiaries have been placed under the control of Turkey's state-run Savings Deposit Insurance Fund.

aselsan

Turkey delivers $460 million first batch of Steel Dome air defense system

More than 40 units, including long- and short-range missile systems, radars and sensors, are ready for use as Ankara pushes for an integrated air defense, the Turkish president said.

RONEN ZVULUN/AFP via Getty Images

Analysis

Netanyahu makes ill-timed Armenian genocide nod as Yerevan courts Turkey

Ankara accused the Israeli premier of exploiting history for political gain after he became the first Israeli leader to use the term genocide for the 1915 killings of Armenians.

Amberin Zaman

By Amberin Zaman

Reporting on geopolitics, minorities, human rights, culture