Newsletter: Turkey Turkey navigates Gulf rivalries while Kurdish peace efforts resurface Turkey hosts a flurry of regional diplomacy while fresh debate over Abdullah Ocalan’s future exposes new tensions in the Kurdish peace process. By Ezgi Akin In Ankara, reporting on diplomacy, EU-Turkey ties, NATO
Newsletter: City Pulse Istanbul EU spotlights digital art in Ankara Also this week: A new chef’s table, ceramics and institutional debuts By Nazlan Ertan In Izmir and Istanbul, reporting on culture
Turkey, Japan launch defense industry partnership with eye on drones The initiative could eventually lead to joint UAV development and production as Japan looks to expand drone capabilities amid regional tensions. Turkey
Newsletter: Daily Briefing Hezbollah commanders killed as renewed strikes test Lebanon-Israel talks Israeli strikes in Beirut and southern Lebanon raise new doubts over a fragile ceasefire ahead of expected talks in Washington. By Ezgi Akin In Ankara, reporting on diplomacy, EU-Turkey ties, NATO
Newsletter: Daily Briefing US pauses Hormuz escort mission as Trump cites progress on Iran talks By Ezgi Akin In Ankara, reporting on diplomacy, EU-Turkey ties, NATO
As EU mulls sanctions against Turkey, East Med allies to begin joint drills Egypt, Greece and Cyprus are preparing to conduct joint military exercises in the Mediterranean Sea as a European summit is expected to impose sanctions on Ankara amid escalating tensions over maritime borders and gas exploration rights. Turkey
Turkey's Erdogan crushes hopes of reform, lashes out at AKP veteran In an address before parliament, the president said there "is no Kurdish problem" in Turkey and took aim at fellow AKP member Bulent Arinc over the latter's comments supporting the release of a jailed Kurdish leader. Turkey
Is Turkey gearing up for military move against Syrian Kurds? A marked increase in Turkish military activity in the area between Ain Issa and Tall Tamer in northern Syria has raised the specter of a fresh Turkish military move to curb the Kurds before Trump leaves the White House. Syria
COVID-19 breaks records in Turkey as health experts call for tighter controls New daily COVID-19 rates hit record highs four days in a row in Turkey, prompting local health officials to call for more stringent social distancing measures. Turkey
German mission searches Libya-bound Turkish ship, sparking backlash from Ankara German forces intercepted a Libya-bound Turkish ship suspected of carrying arms, sparking the latest row between an EU member state and Ankara ahead of a key summit assessing bilateral ties next month. Turkey
Turkish cop photographed killing Kurdish student walks free Young Kurd Kemal Kurkut was shot dead in 2017 in Diyarbakir and while his police officer killer will go unpunished, the photographer who documented the incident faces serious charges. Turkey
Turkey expands crackdown on pro-Kurdish activists with dozens of raids The prospect for promises of sweeping reform looked bleak in the wake of more than 70 arrests that targeted politicians, doctors, lawyers, journalists and civil society activists. Turkey
Top Netflix drama lays open Turkish divides The Turkish Netflix series Ethos has been both praised for bridging the divide between Turkey’s feuding segments and disparaged for enforcing them with cliches. Turkey
US-Turkey ties under Biden: confrontation or conciliation? The Biden era in Washington is looming as a tough test for Ankara, whose moves will largely determine how the scarred US-Turkish relationship develops. Turkey
Caught between a rock and a hard place, Erdogan seeks a way out Ankara has to improve Turkey’s international image with major reforms in order to attract much-needed foreign capital but the jury is out on whether President Erdogan can do it. Turkey
Under new leadership, Turkish Central Bank delivers largest rate hike in two years Following a shakeup in Turkey’s economy team, Central Bank policy-makers raised a key interest rate to 15% Thursday, pledging to fight high inflation and bolster the nation’s troubled economy. Turkey
Turkish government voices support for Afghan peace process The head of Afghanistan's peace negotiations with the Taliban visited Ankara on Thursday as talks continue in Doha. Qatar