Turkey - AL-MONITOR: The Middle Eastʼs leading independent news source since 2012

Turkey

Turkey

April 11, 2026

Ankara 7:17 am

1°C

This picture taken on Oct. 19, 2020 in Istanbul shows Turkey's third drilling ship 'Kanuni' as it enters the bosphorus near Haydarpasa port.

Turkey launches first overseas drilling mission in Somalia: What to know

A drilling ship has reached Somalia to start Turkey's first overseas drilling mission as regional rivalry heats up in the Horn of Africa.

Yasin AKGUL / AFP via Getty Images

Turkey detains 11 over ISIS-linked attack on Israeli Consulate: What to know

The attack was likely designed to portray Turkey as protecting Israel by targeting the local police guarding the consulate, one observer notes.

Latest News

One gunman killed during attack near Israel’s consulate in Istanbul

Police officials stand among traffic as they patrol near the Israeli Consulate following a shootout between gunmen and police, Istanbul, Turkey, April 7, 2026.

Analysis

How the Iran war can help Syria manage Turkey and its regional rivals

This handout photograph provided by the Turkish Foreign Ministry press service shows Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan (L) meeting with Syria's Foreign Minister Asaad al-Shaibani (R) in Damascus on Dec. 22, 2025.

Amberin Zaman

By Amberin Zaman

Reporting on geopolitics, minorities, human rights, culture

Third Turkish ship clears Hormuz as Ankara presses Tehran on safe passage

A bulk carrier sits anchored at Sultan Qaboos Port on March 23, 2026 in Muscat, Oman.

Analysis

Turkey’s expanding military role in Somalia draws scrutiny amid federal rift

Turkey's Camp TURKSOM, a Turkish military base south of Mogadishu, is seen from the window of an aircraft, on April 26, 2025, in Mogadishu, Somalia.

Barin Kayaoglu

By Barin Kayaoglu

In Ankara, reporting on geopolitics and national security

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

What's behind Russia’s 'wait and see' approach on Khashoggi killing?

Russia has been keeping a rather low profile on the killing of Jamal Khashoggi, but this stance is driven by profound considerations of Moscow's own role in the Middle East

Bahrain's Crown Prince Salman bin Hamad al-Khalifa, Senegal's President Macky Sall and Lebanese Prime Minister Saad al-Hariri attend the Future Investment Initiative Forum in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia October 24, 2018. Bandar Algaloud/Courtesy of Saudi Royal Court/Handout via REUTERS ATTENTION EDITORS - THIS PICTURE WAS PROVIDED BY A THIRD PARTY. - RC12E74599F0

Hariri turns witness for MBS defense

Crowd laughs at Saudi crown prince’s joke about Lebanese Prime Minister Saad Hariri’s captivity; Can Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan hold the moral high ground in Jamal Khashoggi case?

Erdogan scores points in his foreign policy gamble

Turkish President Erdogan scores major diplomatic points from the Khashoggi case to the quadrilateral summit in Istanbul.

Turkish police officers stand guard at the entrance of a car park where a vehicle belonging to Saudi Arabia's consulate was found, in Istanbul, Turkey October 22, 2018. REUTERS/Huseyin Aldemir - RC1E7AA5AE00

Istanbul police interrogate Saudi Consulate staff

The Turkish president has fallen quiet since a conversation with the Saudi crown prince, though the team investigating the alleged murder of dissident Saudi journalist Jamal Khashoggi was blocked from searching a well at the consul general's residence.

Erdogan won't admit it, but Canal Istanbul dream is over

Canal Istanbul, the Turkish president's "crazy project," appears destined for the bin amid Turkey’s economic turmoil, but don't expect its shelving to be officially acknowledged.

A woman holds a portrait of missing journalist and Riyadh critic Jamal Khashoggi reading "Jamal Khashoggi is missing since October 2" during a demonstration in front of the Saudi Arabian consulate on October 9, 2018 in Istanbul. - Khashoggi, a Washington Post contributor, vanished last on October 2 after entering the Saudi Arabian consulate to receive official documents ahead of his marriage to a Turkish woman. A Turkish government source told AFP at the weekend that the police believe the journalist "was k

As Khashoggi slaying case evolves, so does Saudi story

A few countries are proclaiming strong support for Saudi Arabia, while others bide their time as the investigation unfolds.

PAMUKKALE, TURKEY - AUGUST,27 (RUSSIA OUT) Tourists bath and walk white terrace of travertine, a carbonate mineral left by flowing flowing water in Pamukkale, Denizli Province, on August 27, 2017 in Turkey. In 2014 Turkey had been rated the sixth most popular tourist destination in the World, welcoming 37 million visitors. In 2016 when Turkey was shaken by bombings, a failed military coup and a politcal crackdown, only 25 million came, according to the government. Photo by Mikhail Svetlov/Getty Images)

How an archaeologist saved Turkey's 'cotton castle' from careless tourism

Francesco D'Andria, the Italian archaeologist who led the excavations of Turkey's ancient Hierapolis/Pamukkale for 15 years, has recently retired and leaves behind a legacy of defending antiquities from reckless tourism.

A member of security staff is seen next to the barriers at the gate of Saudi Arabia's consulate in Istanbul, Turkey, October 20, 2018. REUTERS/Osman Orsal - RC12AFAF48E0

Intel: Why Iran is blaming the US for Khashoggi’s death after three weeks of silence

Iran's President Hassan Rouhani listens during a news conference on the sidelines of the 73rd session of the United Nations General Assembly at U.N. headquarters in New York, U.S., September 26, 2018. REUTERS/Brendan Mcdermid - HP1EE9Q1DLYG4

Rouhani says Saudis wouldn't dare kill Khashoggi without US support

Largely tight-lipped on the Khashoggi killing so far, Iran's President Hassan Rouhani is now implicating the United States in Saudi Arabia's alleged assassination of a dissident journalist.

Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman and Jordan's King Abdullah II ibn Al Hussein attend the investment conference in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia October 23, 2018. REUTERS/Faisal Al Nasser - RC1BE7550810

MBS chats with Erdogan as Khashoggi leaks flow

Turkey's president reportedly shared a phone call with the Saudi crown prince as information about the murder of a journalist in Saudi Arabia's consulate in Istanbul continues to trickle into the press.

Ankara seeks stable ties with Riyadh but demands answers on Khashoggi murder

President Recep Tayyip Erdogan wants those arrested in Saudi Arabia over the murder of prominent Saudi journalist Jamal Khashoggi to be tried in Turkey.

U.S. President Donald Trump gives remarks during the White House State Leadership Day Conference for local officials of Alaska, Hawaii and California at the White House in Washington, U.S., October 23, 2018. REUTERS/Leah Millis - RC1C2D3E9E00

Trump slams Saudi Khashoggi plot, US announces visa sanctions

US President Donald Trump heaped scorn on ally Saudi Arabia, saying the operation that killed journalist Jamal Khashoggi was “very bad” and the cover-up in weeks afterward was the “worst … ever.”