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

Turkey

Turkey

June 7, 2025

Ankara 9:37 pm

23°C

A man poses next to the Bayraktar TB2 drone, manufactured by Turkey's Baykar, as it is presented during the opening of the aerospace and technology festival 'Teknofest Azerbaijan' at Baku Crystal Hall in Baku, on May 27, 2022.

Analysis

Rattled by Ukraine's attack on Russia, Turkey rethinks use of small drones

Ukraine’s “Operation Spiderweb” against Russia is likely to force Turkey to consider both how to use mini drone swarms against adversaries and how to defend against them.

Barin Kayaoglu

By Barin Kayaoglu

In Ankara, reporting on geopolitics and national security

graves

Feature

Families of Kurdish journalists slain in suspected Turkish drone strike in Syria want their remains

Ankara’s refusal to repatriate the journalists' remains underscores the political stakes of acknowledging the drone strike.

Amberin Zaman

By Amberin Zaman

Reporting on geopolitics, minorities, human rights, culture

Ozgur Ozel, head of Turkey's main opposition Republican People's Party (CHP), gestures toward supporters during a rally in support of arrested Istanbul Mayor Ekrem Imamoglu in Ankara, April 23, 2025.

Turkish prosecutors probe main opposition leader Ozel, oust mayors

The probes, following Ozel's criticism of the judiciary, come amid five additional district mayors' dismissal from their duties.

Latest News

US envoy Barrack in Israel after cross-border shelling with Syria: What to know

US special envoy for Syria, the ambassador to Turkey Thomas Barrack attends a flag-raising ceremony at the US ambassador's residence in Damascus on May 29, 2025 for the first time since 2011. Barrack's visit to Syria marks a new step in the rapprochement between the two countries following the fall of former president Bashar al-Assad. (Photo by Rami al SAYED / AFP) (Photo by RAMI AL SAYED/AFP via Getty Images)

As Turkey's inflation dips to 35%, will central bank pivot on interest rates?

Price tags of olives are seen at a store on March 3, 2025, in Istanbul, Turkey

Exclusive

Ankara’s direct talks with Syrian Kurds began last year in Europe, continue in Turkey

Kurdish Syrians demonstrate in the Syrian eastern city of Qamishli to demand the release of the jailed founder of the Kurdistan Workers Party, Abdullah Ocalan, in Turkey, on May 29, 2025.

Amberin Zaman

By Amberin Zaman

Reporting on geopolitics, minorities, human rights, culture

Analysis

Turkey's big Syria play: Rebuild, but only if Gulf can pay for it

Aerial view of the amount of destruction left in the Maarat al-Numan neighborhood after the end of the Syrian civil war in Idlib, Syria, on March 13, 2025. Located between the three major cities of Aleppo, Hama, and Damascus, the city of Idlib is a historically and strategically important city that went through years of destruction in the course of the Syrian civil war. (Photo by Omar Albaw / Middle East Images / Middle East Images via AFP) (Photo by OMAR ALBAW/Middle East Images/AFP via Getty Images)

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

Francesco Schiavi

In Bologna, reporting on security, defense, economy, governance

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

Barin Kayaoglu

In Ankara, reporting on geopolitics and national security

AAREF WATAD/AFP via Getty Images

Russia, Turkey to hold talks as Moscow seeks to keep Syria military bases: What to know

The talks come after Syrian President Ahmed al-Sharaa reiterated his openness to negotiating with Moscow over the future of Russian military bases in Syria.

Demonstrators gather outside the thermal power station in Nasiriyah in Iraq's southern Dhi Qar province to demand the construction of a new station for their region, to allow the province to deal with the chronic power cuts and palliate electricity outage that weight on the daily life, on Sept. 4, 2024.

Exclusive

Turkey stops electricity sales to Iraq after Baghdad fails to settle $70M+ bill

Turkey halted electricity exports to Iraq over unpaid dues, straining ties as Baghdad faces a summer power crunch and unresolved Kurdish oil disputes.

Amberin Zaman

By Amberin Zaman

Reporting on geopolitics, minorities, human rights, culture

JOHN THYS/AFP via Getty Images

New German government to decide on Eurofighter sale to Turkey: Officials

Germany’s outgoing government will leave the Eurofighter sale decision to incoming Chancellor Friedrich Merz, official German sources suggested to Al-Monitor.

Istanbul

Turkey’s Istanbul shaken by 6.2 magnitude earthquake, over 200 injured

A powerful earthquake struck Turkey’s largest metropolis and financial hub, Istanbul, triggering panic and injuring more than 200 people in the city of over 15 million.

KARIM JAAFAR/AFP via Getty Images

Turkey’s Simsek tours US for IMF, WB summits, Treasury Secretary meeting

Turkey’s finance czar is starting his trip in New York before heading to Washington for talks on economic cooperation and global financial issues.

DELIL SOULEIMAN/AFP via Getty Images

Analysis

With SDF in sight, Turkey assesses gains as Trump eyes Syria withdrawal

Turkey is weighing its security gains and diplomatic risks as Washington reconsiders its military footprint in Syria.

Barin Kayaoglu

By Barin Kayaoglu

In Ankara, reporting on geopolitics and national security

An Israeli army Merkava main battle tank crosses the barbed-wire fence into the UN-patrolled buffer zone separating Israeli and Syrian forces in the Golan Heights near the UN Quneitra checkpoint on March 2, 2025.

Analysis

Fragile optimism over Turkey-Israel deconfliction talks in Syria: What to know

As Turkey and Israel seek a better understanding of each other’s positions in Syria, deconfliction talks aim to prevent clashes but offer little hope for broader reconciliation.

Ezgi Akin

Rina Bassist

Jared Szuba

By Ezgi Akin , Rina Bassist , Jared Szuba

People walk past a currency exchange board showing the Turkish Lira which fell to historic lows against the dollar after the news of the arrest of Istanbul Mayor Ekrem Imamoglu on March 19, 2025 in Istanbul, Turkey.

Turkey hikes interest rate to 46% amid turmoil over Imamoglu’s arrest

The rate hike marks the first since March 2024, amid growing economic turmoil following the arrest of Istanbul Mayor Ekrem Imamoglu.

Police watch arrests in drug busts

Over 200 arrested in Turkey, Europe in international drug bust: What to know

Of the suspects, 225 were apprehended in Turkey and nine others were apprehended in the Netherlands, Germany, Spain and Belgium.