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Turkey

Turkey

May 27, 2026

Ankara 5:13 pm

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Turkish riot police use water cannon to disperse protesters during a rally called by ousted opposition leader Ozgur Ozel, days after a court dismissed him from office, in Izmir on May 26, 2026.

Turkey: Thousands defy police to rally for ousted CHP leader Ozel

Tens of thousands of CHP supporters rallied for Ozgur Ozel in Izmir on Tuesday in a major show of defiance after a court ousted him from the party leadership.

This aerial photograph taken on April 26, 2023 shows the construction of the Russian-built Akkuyu Nuclear Power Plant in Mersin Province. - Turkey's President Recep Tayyip Erdogan will try to offset his absence from the campaign trail weeks before crucial elections by unveiling the nuclear plant by video link. (Photo by OZAN KOSE / AFP) (Photo by OZAN KOSE/AFP via Getty Images)

Explainer

UAE nuclear plant strike clouds Gulf's atomic ambitions: What to know

The US-Israel-Iran war is complicating momentum in the Middle East for civilian nuclear power, which heading into 2026 had been growing in Saudi Arabia, Turkey and elsewhere.

United Arab Emirates

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Analysis

Cheap drones, costly threats: Why Gulf states are looking to Turkey for defense deals

SAHA EXPO 2024

Barin Kayaoglu

By Barin Kayaoglu

In Ankara, reporting on geopolitics and national security

Analysis

US, Turkey boost Libya coordination, but unity push faces political hurdles

Abdullah DOMA / AFP via Getty Images

Ezgi Akin

In Ankara, reporting on diplomacy, EU-Turkey ties, NATO

Analysis

Erdogan’s CHP move raises early poll prospects as Iran war bleeds Turkey’s economy

Republican People's Party (CHP) leader Ozgur Ozel, speaks to the media at CHP headquarters on May 22, 2026, in Ankara, Turkey.

Amberin Zaman

By Amberin Zaman

Reporting on geopolitics, minorities, human rights, culture

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

Turkey says it foiled ISIS attack on Istanbul synagogues, churches

Turkey's interior minister said that 29 people have been detained over suspected links to the Islamic State, thwarting attacks on Jewish and Christian places of worship in Istanbul.

Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan (L) arrives under the rain to the Turkish Parliament to take oath of office after his election win at the parliament in Ankara, Turkey, on June 3, 2023. Turkey's Recep Tayyip Erdogan was sworn in for a third term as president on June 3, promising to serve "impartially" after winning a historic runoff election to extend his two-decade rule. (Photo by Adem ALTAN / AFP) (Photo by ADEM ALTAN/AFP via Getty Images)

2023 in review: From disaster to diplomacy, a climactic year for Turkey

Ankara and NATO capitals are once again at loggerheads despite Turkey’s restoration vision put forward after the May elections.

Turkey says US should 'fulfill' F-16s commitments ahead of Sweden's NATO vote

Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan called on his American counterpart Antony Blinken to act in the spirit of alliance over the pending Turkish bid to buy new F-16 fighter jets from the United States.

University students protesting.

2023 in review: Israel-Hamas war puts human rights in focus as pattern of double standards persists

A growing number of countries — many of them repressive in their own right — demand to know why Israel’s abuses are permissible.

Smokes billows in Qamishli in northeastern Syria close to the Turkish border on Dec. 25, 2023.

Turkey speeds up attacks on Kurdish groups in Syria, Iraq

The latest escalation occurred after the killing of 12 Turkish soldiers in northern Iraq over the past week.

Turkey's Erdogan compares Netanyahu to Hitler, drawing Israel's rebuke

The Turkish president’s inflammatory comments drawing a parallel between Hitler to Netanyahu once again have ramped up tensions between Turkey and Israel.

Turkey's parliamentary committee approves Sweden’s NATO bid, paving way for full vote

After passing an initial hurdle, the Nordic nation’s accession to NATO will now be debated and voted on by the full Turkish Parliament.

Smoke plumes billow from a fire at a lumber warehouse in southern Khartoum amidst ongoing fighting on June 7, 2023. Eight weeks of fighting have pitted Sudan's army chief Abdel Fattah al-Burhan against his former deputy Mohamed Hamdan Daglo -- commonly known as Hemeti -- who commands the powerful paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF). A number of broken ceasefires have offered brief lulls but no respite for residents of Khartoum, where witnesses again reported "the sound of heavy artillery fire" in the ca

2023 in review: From Sudan to Syria, here are Mideast's forgotten conflicts

More than 12,000 people were killed in the war in Sudan this year, while violence persisted in parts of Syria, Iraq and other countries across the Middle East and North Africa.

collage 2023

2023 in review: Al-Monitor's special coverage from across Middle East

Visitors inspect sniper rifles during the opening day of Egypt Defence Expo (EDEX-2023) at the Cairo International Exhibition Center, Dec. 4, 2023.

Is Turkey-Egypt rapprochement turning into a long-term defense partnership?

Rapidly improving defense cooperation between Cario and Ankara falls in line with Turkey's multidimensional strategic outlook, observes believe.

Can Turkey and Algeria be strategic partners despite differences in Africa?

Mutual interests are bringing Turkey and Algeria closer, even though Erdogan’s policies in Africa have often irritated Algiers.

Turkey’s parliament to resume debate on Sweden’s NATO bid

Shortly after the parliament’s Foreign Relations Committee set a date for its new meeting, the Turkish Defense Ministry announced that Turkey and the United States held high-level talks on defense cooperation.