Turkey advances gas pipeline plan to northern Cyprus as East Med rivalry grows The Turkish energy minister said the country's oil and natural gas pipeline operator, BOTAS, has started the engineering work for the pipeline. Turkey
In first, Libya’s rival armies to join drill in Turkey: What to know The move follows the first joint exercise inside Libya amid renewed international efforts to unify the country. Turkey
Turkey’s military spending jumps to $30B, leads Mideast growth in 2025 Newly released data shows Ankara’s military spending hit $30 billion, while Saudi Arabia remained the region’s top spender and Israel’s outlays declined in 2025. Turkey
Analysis Why Saudi Arabia, Egypt are wary of Turkey’s proposed 4-way defense pact with Pakistan The proposed framework faces major hurdles and fault lines, ranging from NATO constraints to Israeli opposition and weak military integration. By Barin Kayaoglu In Ankara, reporting on geopolitics and national security
Newsletter: City Pulse Istanbul Contemporary art takes over restored Byzantine cistern By Nazlan Ertan In Izmir and Istanbul, reporting on culture
Will improved ties with Russia make Turkey regional player? Not everyone close to the government thinks developing relations with Russia to counterbalance tense ties with the West is the right way to go. Syria
Russia pleased with deepening US-Turkey rift over Syria Russia is cleverly filling the void created by the estrangement between the United States and Turkey. Syria
Turkey brandishes Incirlik card to threaten US Turkish officials are hinting at denying US access to the Incirlik Air Base unless Washington halts its support for Syrian Kurds and begins to provide air support for Turkish troops in Syria. Iraq
How Istanbul nightclub attack was linked to Turkey’s culture war Did the Islamic State target “the apostate Turkish government” or New Year's Eve? The answer is complex. Turkey
Why 2017 doesn’t bode well for Turkey's economy Official figures show the Turkish economy has plunged deeper into recession, as expected fourth-quarter economic numbers may not provide much hope. Turkey
Turkish leaders cry conspiracy as hunt for Reina attacker continues In a now familiar pattern, the Turkish authorities are denying any responsibility for the intelligence lapses linked to the stream of terror attacks that have shaken the country and whipping up fury against their opponents to deflect attention from Turkey’s ballooning other problems. Turkey
Turkish-Iranian rivalry may derail Syrian peace efforts Despite the Moscow Declaration, in which Russia, Turkey and Iran pledged joint efforts to end the war in Syria, the ongoing regional rivalry between Ankara and Tehran could lead to snags in the settlement process. Syria
Why are Yazidis being uprooted again? The Yazidis of Iraq who escaped Islamic State assaults and took refuge at a camp in Turkey have been told to pack up and move to other camps. Iraq
How Iran sees Russian-Turkish deal on Syria Although it was left out of Russia and Turkey’s announcement of a cease-fire agreement in Syria, Iran is very much involved on the stage as the Moscow-Ankara accord builds on a trilateral understanding with Tehran. Syria
Is Iraqi Kurdistan heading toward civil war? Iraqi Kurdistan is bracing itself for further political instability, economic hardship and armed conflict after the Islamic State has been defeated. Iraq
Here’s why Russia gives itself high marks for 2016 Russia achieved many of its 2016 goals in the Middle East and paved the way for potentially significant successes in 2017 and beyond. Legacy: Gulf
Is Erdogan trying to wreck US-Turkey relations? Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan claims he has “evidence” of US support for the Islamic State; Iranian President Hassan Rouhani applauds valuable “victory” in Aleppo. Syria