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Turkey

Turkey

April 20, 2026

Ankara 1:06 am

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Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan and Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni shake hands during the press conference following their meeting at Villa Doria Pamphilj, on April 29, 2025, in Rome, Italy.

Analysis

Italy’s TB3 drone deal signals turn toward Turkey amid US-NATO tensions

Italy’s expected TB3 drone purchase highlights a rapidly deepening, interest-driven alignment with Turkey on defense and geopolitics.

Barin Kayaoglu

By Barin Kayaoglu

In Ankara, reporting on geopolitics and national security

Kurdish people waving Kurdistan flags gather to celebrate Nowruz on the hill of Urkesh in the countryside of Amuda in northeastern Syria on March 18, 2026. Nowruz, meaning "new day," is an ancient festival that marks the start of spring and the new year on the vernal equinox, which usually falls on March 20 or 21. It is celebrated by more than 300 million people worldwide and has been observed for over 3,000 years across regions including the Middle East, Central Asia, the Caucasus and parts of Eastern Euro

Analysis

Is Syria’s Sharaa poised to outdo Turkey in formalizing gains for Kurds?

Damascus is making limited but tangible progress in its engagement with Syrian Kurds, even as Ankara seeks to shape the terms of any settlement.

Amberin Zaman

By Amberin Zaman

Reporting on geopolitics, minorities, human rights, culture

Latest News

At least 9 killed in Turkey’s second school shooting in 24 hours

YASIN AKGUL / AFP) (Photo by YASIN AKGUL/AFP via Getty Images

Analysis

Inside Turkey’s role in the US-Iran ceasefire

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan (L) walks with Prime Minister of Pakistan Shehbaz Sharif upon his arrival during an official ceremony at the Presidential Complex in Ankara, Turkey on June 1, 2022. (Photo by Adem ALTAN / AFP) (Photo by ADEM ALTAN/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

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

Leader defines principles of new Future Syria Party

In an interview with Al-Monitor, the leader of the newly established Future Syria Party, Ibrahim al-Qaftan, rejected claims that the group seeks to counter Turkish pressure in northern Syria, stressing that its goal is to build a pluralistic and democratic state.

Turkey's sharp-tongued rapper faces five years in jail

Turkish rapper Ezhel may face up to five years in prison for promoting drug use in his songs.

American army vehicles drive north of Manbij city, in Aleppo Governorate, Syria March 9, 2017. REUTERS/Rodi Said - RC1D16A42820

US pumps brakes as Ankara touts Manbij deal

No agreement has been struck between Turkey and the United States on the control of Manbij, though Ankara is eager to report one with its somewhat estranged ally.

Has the US conceded to Turkey in Manbij?

Diplomats say major differences on multiple levels make a breakthrough in US-Turkish strategy on Syria difficult.

Meral Aksener, leader of the opposition Iyi (Good) Party and a candidate in the June 24 presidential snap election, arrives at Anitkabir, the mausoleum of modern Turkey's founder Mustafa Kemal Ataturk, to attend a Youth and Sports Day celebration in Ankara, Turkey May 19, 2018. REUTERS/Murad Sezer - RC141A555330

Turkish opposition remains own worst enemy

Despite the claims of nationalist candidate Meral Aksener, the Turkish opposition is distressingly split and neither side has succeeded in drawing votes away from President Recep Tayyip Erdogan’s ruling Justice and Development Party.

Fears of foul play hang over Turkey’s critical elections

Election integrity remains a top concern for Turkey’s opposition ahead of the June 24 polls, especially for the country’s main Kurdish party, whose showing could be of critical importance.

A F-35 fighter jet performs a vertical landing on the USS Wasp during sea trials off the coast of Virginia, October 18, 2011. Critics say the F-35, which comes in three variants, is an ill-conceived multipurpose aircraft that tries to do too many things and will ultimately excel at none. Its stealthy fuselage and high-tech systems, some say, are so complex and difficult to maintain they will inevitably make it unaffordable. But advocates view the aircraft as a war-fighting platform for the networked, iPad g

F-35 sale to Turkey runs into congressional buzz saw

The sale of more than 100 fifth-generation fighter jets is in jeopardy amid worsening US tensions with its NATO ally.

Turkish military purges decimate career officer, pilot ranks

The impending dismissal of another 3,000 Turkish soldiers suspected of disloyalty is raising concerns about military readiness.

Villagers drive a tractor carrying olive tree branches near the border city of Kilis in Gaziantep province April 21, 2012. REUTERS/Murad Sezer (TURKEY - Tags: SOCIETY TRANSPORT) - GM1E84L1OQW01

Turkey’s agricultural decline rings alarm bells

The Turkish government is under fire for mismanaging the agricultural sector, whose decline has sent food prices soaring and forced the importation of basic items such as wheat, beans, meat and even straw.

People look at a Turkish attack helicopter "T129 ATAK" on May 9, 2017 during the opening day of the 13th International Defense Industry Fair (IDEF) in Istanbul. / AFP PHOTO / YASIN AKGUL (Photo credit should read YASIN AKGUL/AFP/Getty Images)

Turkish defense industry at critical juncture

After significant progress on the domestic level, the Turkish defense industry has reached a challenging phase in which it needs to enhance its export capacity to ensure sustainable growth.

Turkey's 'Lord of the Herbs' prescribes civil war

In a TV interview, a Turkish writer vowed to support President Recep Tayyip Erdogan and his ruling party should they lose in the upcoming elections by promising to dig up a buried weapons stash and "take to the streets."

Turkey's traditional carpets meet quantum physics

The Turkish artist Belkis Balpinar adds new interpretations, including inspirations from science, to the tradition of symbolism in Anatolian kilims.