Turkey, Armenia agree to restore medieval bridge in normalization push Ankara is pursuing normalization with Armenia ahead of June parliamentary elections in a thaw also positioned to advance its broader Middle Corridor ambitions. Turkey
Turkey hosts Kuwaiti FM as UAE's OAPEC exit fuels Gulf rift Kuwait's top diplomat visited Turkey as the Gulf rift deepens following the UAE’s exit from OPEC and its affiliated alliances, forcing Ankara to balance ties between Saudi Arabia and Abu Dhabi. Turkey
Analysis Iraq’s Zaidi offers economic promise for Turkey but unknowns loom Iraq’s prime minister-designate, Ali al-Zaidi, is expected to sustain growing economic and strategic ties with Turkey thanks to his business-oriented approach, though uncertainty over his political stance could test cooperation on sensitive issues. By Barin Kayaoglu In Ankara, reporting on geopolitics and national security
Newsletter: City Pulse Istanbul “Form-Craft-Activism” spotlights the labor behind making Also this week: A century-old lokanta, cartoonists and labor cinema By Nazlan Ertan In Izmir and Istanbul, reporting on culture
NGO finds work for Syrian refugees in Turkey Rizk, a nongovernmental organization affiliated with the Syrian Forum, has been able to secure jobs for many Syrian refugees in Turkey and now hopes to equip Syrians with the skills to rebuild their country when the war is over. Syria
What's US really doing at Turkey's Incirlik Air Base? It is still not clear what agreement has been reached on the use of the Incirlik Air Base by anti-IS coalition planes. Turkey
Turkey's culture of fear A panic-stricken media generates public and financial insecurity in Turkey. Turkey
Perilous journey for Syrians fleeing to Turkey With official border crossings between Syria and Turkey closed, smugglers have begun assisting Syrians wanting to cross into Turkey to safety and to work. Syria
Turkey riles Kurds over bodies of dead fighters Turkey’s refusal to allow entry to the bodies of Kurdish fighters killed in Syria and Iraq has added to already simmering tensions between Ankara and the Kurds. Iraq
US support of Syrian Kurds ruffles Turkey's feathers Analysts say Ankara may have no choice but to come to terms with the emerging Kurdish reality along its border with Syria. Syria
Who killed Turkey-PKK peace process? The peace process between Turkey and the Kurdish group is on hold now, thanks to a perfect storm blown by the Kurdistan Workers Party's militancy, the toxic impact of the Syrian civil war and grand political ambitions in Ankara. Turkey
Shakeup expected for Turkish military leadership Major changes are expected at the August meetings of Turkey's High Military Council, and the positions adopted by the new military command will affect Turkish policies, including the course of current military operations. Turkey
US, Turkey diverge on role of Kurds in Syria Turkey reportedly targets Syrian Kurdish militias as it escalates attacks on the PKK; Egyptian journalists alarmed by proposed anti-terror law. Egypt
Turkish media digs deeper into gold mogul corruption scandal New media reports on Reza Zarrab, an Iranian-born Turkish businessman accused in Turkey’s infamous December 2013 corruption probe, could have serious repercussions for Ankara and Tehran. Turkey
Are Turkish courts delaying trials of IS militants? Although the latest wave of detentions of Islamic State militants and sympathizers have pleased the Turkish public, lawyer Ali Cil questions the handling of the Turkish judiciary in the Nigde case so far. Turkey
Lobbying 2015: Turkey resents America’s love story with the Kurds The United States and Turkey are finding ways to work together in Syria and Iraq despite Washington’s growing concerns with President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan’s authoritarian streak. Syria