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

Turkey

Turkey

November 5, 2026

Ankara 9:12 am

9°C

Turkey probes Google’s AI search tools, orders protections for news websites

Turkey’s competition watchdog said it is assessing whether AI-generated answers appearing on Google Search divert traffic from news sites and impose unfair content-use terms.

A protestor holds a flag bearing a portrait of jailed leader of the Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK) Abdullah Ocalan during a demonstration of Kurdish people from all around Europe to mark the 27th anniversary of his arrest and to demand his liberation, in Strasbourg, Eastern France, on Feb. 14, 2026.

Turkey moves PKK leader Ocalan to prison villa as peace process faces new test

The move is expected to give the PKK leader a more direct role in negotiations, but deep divisions over disarmament and Kurdish rights continue to threaten the process.

OSCE Secretary General Feridun Sinirlioglu is pictured during a joint press conference with the OSCE Chairman-in-Office, Switzerland's Foreign Minister at Vienna International Airport on Feb. 6, 2026 in Schwechat, Lower Austria.

Explainer

Who is Feridun Sinirlioglu, Turkey’s candidate for UN chief?

The Turkish president's confidant enters the race for UN chief with decades of diplomatic experience marked by both praise and scrutiny.

Demonstrators hold a banner reading "Free Gaza, free world"

Analysis

Gaza progress, Syria pullback: What Turkey wants from Israel’s next government

Ankara sees room for limited improvement in ties if Israel’s next government eases Gaza’s humanitarian crisis and reduces military pressure on Syria.

Barin Kayaoglu

By Barin Kayaoglu

In Ankara, reporting on geopolitics and national security

Latest News

Explainer

After EU rebuff, how Turkey is courting Egypt for maritime deal

Turkish Navy sailors wave their caps from the flight deck

Culture

Rock collapse near UNESCO-listed site in Turkey’s Cappadocia kills three

An view of the Uchisar settlement, east of Nevesehir in the province of the same name in central Turkey's historical Cappadocia region on Aug. 24, 2022.

Tornado kills 4 in Turkey’s Mediterranean tourism hub Antalya

Kepez

Saudi Arabia’s KBS, top Turkish and Pakistani officials hold rare meeting in Iran: What to know

GEOFFROY VAN DER HASSELT/AFP via Getty Images

Samuel Wendel

Senior Analyst, Middle East Business & Tech

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

An Israeli F-16 fighter jet takes off from Ovda airbase, some 40 km (25 miles) north of Eilat, during the Blue Flag drill November 25, 2013. The Blue Flag drill is a two-week multilateral air force drill with air forces of Israel, the United States, Greece and Italy. REUTERS/Amir Cohen (ISRAEL - Tags: TRANSPORT MILITARY) - RTX15W65

Will Israel, Russia tighten coordination on Syria?

Israeli security officials debate whether Russian military involvement in Syria will change the balance of power in favor of Israeli interests or against them.

Thousands march during the funeral of Diyarbakir Bar Association President Tahir Elci in the Kurdish-dominated southeastern city of Diyarbakir, Turkey, November 29, 2015. REUTERS/Sertac Kayar - RTX1WE4F

What killing of Kurdish human rights lawyer means for Turkey

In turbulent Turkey, the voices of peace and coexistence speak out at the risk of violent retribution.

Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu (L) meets with U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry alongside NATO ministerial meetings at NATO Headquarters in Brussels, Belgium December 1, 2015. REUTERS/Jonathan Ernst - RTX1WORT

Downing of Russian jet forces Ankara to turn West

Experts argue that although Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan is getting support from NATO and the European Union, he can never be part of the West because his Islamist outlook prevents him from adopting Western values.

Foreign investors are trembling over Turkey

Foreign direct investments in Turkey dropped dramatically in September despite some encouraging signals from European and American investors earlier in the year.

Turkey gambles on the Turkmens

The Turkmen card Turkey is playing in Syria is likely to backfire and endanger the Turkmens.

Turkish soccer fans cheer before the Euro 2016 Group A qualifying soccer match between Turkey and the Netherlands in Konya, Turkey, September 6, 2015. REUTERS/Umit Bektas - RTX1RCR3

Why some Turkish sports fans terrorize their opponents

Turkish sports fans' recent show of disrespect for moments of silence for victims of Islamic State terror and other occasions is not necessarily a show of support for the extremist group.

Why defeating Islamic State won't bring stability to Iraq

Competing factions have different agendas for a post-IS Iraq, paving the way for even greater conflict.

Russia's President Vladimir Putin (R) and his French counterpart Francois Hollande speak after a news conference at the Kremlin in Moscow, Russia, November 26, 2015. France and Russia agreed on Thursday to exchange intelligence on Islamic State and other militant groups in Syria to help improve the effectiveness of their aerial bombing campaigns in the country, French President Francois Hollande said. REUTERS/Alexander Zemlianichenko/Pool - RTX1W0QV

Erdogan more isolated than ever on Syria

The Turkish president is on the defensive after Turkey’s shooting down of a Russian warplane; the Syrian war enters a more dangerous phase.

Russian President Vladimir Putin attends a news conference in Paris, France, November 30, 2015. REUTERS/Mikhail Klimentyev/Sputnik/Kremlin ATTENTION EDITORS - THIS IMAGE HAS BEEN SUPPLIED BY A THIRD PARTY. IT IS DISTRIBUTED, EXACTLY AS RECEIVED BY REUTERS, AS A SERVICE TO CLIENTS. - RTX1WKG2

Meetings between Turkish, Russian military reveal that Moscow had been warned

Turkey and Russia both seem determined to obtain the dominant position in shaping Syria's future.

How Turkey's new minimum wage may end up hurting employees

Employers who don’t want to pay Turkey's pending minimum wage increase are threatening to relocate facilities or hire illegal Syrian workers for low wages.

After shooting down Russian jet, what's next for Turkey?

The Syrian army offensive backed by Russia in the region northeast of Latakia and the downing of a Russian Su-24 by Turkey leaves many to wonder which scenario will play out in the coming weeks .

Will there be a 'Kurdish AKP' in Turkey?

Turkey’s ruling party appears to be on a quest to weaken the Kurdish political movement by promoting divisions and polarization in the Kurdish community.