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Turkey

May 15, 2026

Ankara 11:46 am

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Mazloum Kobane, commander-in-chief of the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF), speaks during the pan-Kurdish "Unity and Consensus" conference in Qamishli in northeastern Syria on April 26, 2025.

Interview

Syrian Kurdish commander Kobane says Turkey visit ‘in the making,’ Ocalan meeting possible

The SDF commander-in-chief reflected on a fragile integration deal with Damascus, growing Kurdish backlash and ongoing talks with Turkey as questions mount over Rojava’s political future.

Mazloum Kobane

Mazloum Kobane

SDF commander in chief

Turkey’s President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, right, and Armenia’s Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan shake hands before a meeting at Prague Castle in Prague, Czech Republic, Thursday, Oct. 6, 2022.

Turkey, Armenia to launch direct trade in normalization push: What to know

The move removes a decades-old reexport mechanism routed largely through Georgia as Ankara and Yerevan step up normalization efforts.

The helicopter of Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan lands on Abdulhamid Han drill ship, the fourth built by Turkey, in Mersin on Aug. 9, 2022, before being sent for gas exploration to an undisputed area in the Mediterranean Sea, south of Gazipasa.

New Turkey maritime draft bill fuels EastMed tensions with Greece, Cyprus

Turkey’s draft maritime bill seeks to formalize Ankara’s claims in the Aegean, Eastern Mediterranean and Black seas, raising tensions with Greece and Cyprus over contested maritime boundaries and offshore energy rights.

Turkish Red Crescent's cars and trucks cross the Turkish border as they leave the Syrian city of Tel Abyad on Oct. 19, 2019, in Akcakale, Turkey.

Turkey's border reopening unlocks new sphere of influence in Syria

Turkey reopened the Akcakale-Tell Abyad crossing on Monday, ending an 11-year closure along the Syria border.

Latest News

Analysis

From drones to deterrence: Turkey's ICBM missile signals bigger ambitions

ISTANBUL, TURKEY - MAY 06: A man poses for a photograph in front of the newly unveiled, Turkish made intercontinental ballistic missile Yildirimhan at the SAHA International Defence and Aerospace Expo on May 06, 2026 in Istanbul, Turkey. The International Defence and Aerospace Exhibition, showcased Turkish and foreign companies new products and technology. The expo was dominated by UAV products as modern warfare increasingly shifts to drone and unmanned technologies. (Photo by Chris McGrath/Getty Images)

Barin Kayaoglu

By Barin Kayaoglu

In Ankara, reporting on geopolitics and national security

Culture

How ‘dog mom’ vacuum cleaner ad sparked culture war in Turkey

MURAT KOCABAS/Middle East Images/AFP via Getty Images

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

People hold signs as they attend the funeral ceremony of the three Kurdish activists shot in Paris, in Diyarbakir, the largest city in Turkey's mainly Kurdish southeast, January 17, 2013. The bodies of the activists, including that of Kurdistan Workers Party (PKK) co-founder Sakine Cansiz, arrived by plane on Wednesday evening in Diyarbakir. REUTERS/Umit Bektas (TURKEY - Tags: POLITICS OBITUARY CIVIL UNREST)

Kurdish Issue Key To Erdogan’s Success

Resolving the Kurdish issue is critical for Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan to re-establish Turkey’s role in the region, writes Tulin Daloglu.

Yorgo Diagurisi, a four-year-old Greek Orthodox boy, eats bread during a Christmas mass at the Greek Orthodox patriarchal cathedral of St. George in Istanbul December 25, 2010. REUTERS/Murad Sezer (TURKEY - Tags: RELIGION SOCIETY)

Who Threatens Turkey's Christians?

Mustafa Akyol writes that the "Islamic-oriented" AKP government has been friendlier to Turkey's Christian communities that its secular and more nationalistic predecessors.

Demonstrators hold flags with portraits of jailed Kurdistan Workers Party (PKK) leader Abdullah Ocalan during a protest in Strasbourg February 18, 2012. Thousands of demonstrators protested in support of Ocalan, who was captured on February 15, 1999, and is currently serving a life sentence in Turkey. REUTERS/Vincent Kessler (FRANCE - Tags: POLITICS CIVIL UNREST)

Can Ocalan Rein In the PKK?

Any agreement between Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan and PKK Leader Abdullah Ocalan on the Kurdish issues will be complicated by Turkey’s policies toward Syria and Iraq, writes Denise Natali.

Pro-Kurdish demonstrators march with pictures of slain Kurdish activists Sakine Cansiz and Fidan Dogan during a protest at the Ataturk International Airport in Istanbul January 16, 2013. Three female Kurdish activists, including a founding member of the PKK rebel group, were found shot dead in Paris on Thursday, in execution-style killings condemned by Turkish politicians trying to broker a peace deal. REUTERS/Osman Orsal (TURKEY - Tags: POLITICS CIVIL UNREST)

Kurdish Women in Turkey Struggle for Rights

Kurdish women struggle for their rights as both Kurds and women in Turkey, writes Sibel Utku Bila.

Smoke rises after what activists said were missiles fired by a Syrian Air Force fighter jet loyal to President Bashar al-Assad in Daraya in this picture provided by Shaam News Network January 16, 2013. REUTERS/Kenan Al-Derani/Shaam News Network/Handout (SYRIA - Tags: POLITICS CIVIL UNREST)

ATTENTION EDITORS - THIS PICTURE WAS PROVIDED BY A THIRD PARTY. REUTERS IS UNABLE TO INDEPENDENTLY VERIFY THE AUTHENTICITY, CONTENT, LOCATION OR DATE OF THIS IMAGE. FOR EDITORIAL USE ONLY. NOT FOR SALE FOR MARKETING

Salafists Vow to Fight Until There Is 'Islamic State in Syria'

In a rare interview, an Ahrar al-Shams fighter tells Al-Monitor that the goal of his Salafi group is to establish an Islamic state in Syria and that "We will not let go until we achieve our goal." He explained that most of his comrades “don’t know anything” about the external Syrian opposition, and that he believes Turkey is profiting from the war.

Pro-Kurdish demonstrators march holding a banner with pictures of the three slain Kurdish activists during a protest at the Ataturk International Airport in Istanbul January 16, 2013. Three female Kurdish activists, including a founding member of the PKK rebel group, were found shot dead in Paris on Thursday, in execution-style killings condemned by Turkish politicians trying to broker a peace deal. REUTERS/Osman Orsal (TURKEY - Tags: POLITICS CIVIL UNREST)

Paris Killings Highlight Kurdish, Regional Issues for Turkey

The murders of three PKK activists in Paris highlight the centrality of the Kurdish issues in Turkey, Iraq and Syria, writes Cengiz Candar.

An Iraqi policeman of Kurdish descent walks between coffins draped with Kurdish flags containing the remains of victims during a burial ceremony in Sulaimaniya, 260km (162 miles) northeast of Baghdad, May 28, 2012. More than 700 Kurds, killed by former Iraqi leader Saddam Hussein, were honoured in a ceremony in northern Iraq on Monday. Kurdish officials gathered at the Police Academy in Suleimaniya province to mourn 730 victims of Iraq's notorious 'Anfal' campaign, whose bodies were discovered in mass grave

Turkey's Kurdish Issue: How Did We Get Here?

Tulin Daloglu reviews the history of Turkey's Kurdish issue.

Members of the Kurdish community gather in front of the Gare de l'Est railway station, in tribute to the three Kurdish women found shot dead in Paris January 12, 2013. Three female Kurdish activists including a founding member of the PKK rebel group were found shot dead in Paris on Thursday, in execution-style killings condemned by Turkish politicians trying to broker a peace deal. REUTERS/Christian Hartmann (FRANCE - Tags: POLITICS CRIME LAW CIVIL UNREST)

Paris Murders Reveal Sensitive Nature of Turkish-French Ties

The murder of three PKK activists has brought attention to the changes in Turkish-French relations, writes Semih Idiz.

A demonstrator stands next to a portrait of jailed Kurdistan Workers Party (PKK) leader Abdullah Ocalan during a protest in Strasbourg February 18, 2012. Thousands of demonstrators protested in support of Ocalan, who was captured on February 15, 1999, and is currently serving a life sentence in Turkey. REUTERS/Vincent Kessler (FRANCE - Tags: POLITICS CIVIL UNREST)

Erdogan's Domestic Challenges Of Peace with the PKK

Prime Minister Erdogan's peace initiative with the PKK should be understood in the context of his other domestic political initiatives, writes Kadri Gursel.

Turkish Kurdish demonstrators march with pictures of slain Kurdish activists during a protest in Diyarbakir, southeastern Turkey, January 12, 2013. Three female Kurdish activists, including a founding member of the PKK rebel group, were found shot dead in Paris on Thursday, in execution-style killings condemned by Turkish politicians trying to broker a peace deal. REUTERS/Stringer (TURKEY - Tags: POLITICS CRIME LAW CIVIL UNREST)

Paris Murders Just One Element Of PKK Puzzle

Tulin Daloglu writes that the recent murders of three PKK members in Paris may not derail the current initiative by Prime Minister Erdogan, but other issues might.

Members of the Kurdish community hold a banner showing the three Kurdish women, Sakine Cansiz, Fidan Dogan, and Leyla Soeylemez (L-R) found shot dead in Paris, as they pay tribute to them in front of the Gare de l'Est railway station, in Paris January 12, 2013. Three female Kurdish activists, including a founding member of the PKK rebel group, were found shot dead in Paris on Thursday, in execution-style killings condemned by Turkish politicians trying to broker a peace deal. REUTERS/Christian Hartmann (FRA

Erdogan to Continue PKK Talks Despite Paris Murders

Cengiz Candar analyzes the potential motivations for the murders of three PKK activists in Paris and what it might mean for the Turkey-PKK talks.

Turkey's best-loved impersonator satirist Levent Kirca holds a bouquet of carnations as he is greeted by supporters at the start of a hunger strike in Istanbul November 3. Comedian Kirca began a hunger strike in protest at a TV watchdog's "censorship" of a channel that broadcast an episode of his show. Kirca's stand against the powerful High Council of Radio and Television (RTUK) has won support from the public and from within the broadcasting industry
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In Erdogan’s Turkey, Censorship Finds Fertile Ground

Censorship in Turkey is on the rise, raising questions about the state of Turkish democracy, writes Sibel Utku Bila.