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

Turkey

Turkey

July 10, 2026

Ankara 6:05 am

19°C

Minister of Energy and Natural Resources of Turkey Alparslan Bayraktar speaks during the launch of an offshore energy exploration at the port in Mogadishu on April 10, 2026.

Turkey brokers intra-Somalia talks as federal rifts test Ankara’s influence

Somalia’s semi-autonomous Puntland and Jubaland states reportedly declined to join the talks, as Ankara is ramping up efforts to shore up support for Somalia’s federal institutions.

Getty Images

Trump 'undecided' on Turkey's F-35s as Congress seeks answers on S-400

Top Democratic lawmakers say the ball is in Ankara’s court on rejoining the US-led F-35 Joint Strike Fighter program, but suggest that Turkey offshoring its Russian-made S-400 system won’t be enough.

Armenia's Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan (R) shakes hands with Iran's President Masoud Pezeshkian during his visit in Yerevan on July 19, 2025. (Photo by KAREN MINASYAN / AFP) (Photo by KAREN MINASYAN/AFP via Getty Images)

Feature

Armenia's Pashinyan keeps Iran close while wooing Trump, Turkey and Azerbaijan

As Yerevan pursues normalization with Turkey and Azerbaijan and backs a US-led transport corridor, Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan is working to reassure an increasingly assertive Iran that its interests won't be threatened.

Amberin Zaman

By Amberin Zaman

Reporting on geopolitics, minorities, human rights, culture

Latest News

Trump declares MoU with Iran 'over' as Hegseth cancels trip to Israel

U.S. President Donald Trump meets with NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte (not shown) for bilateral talks at Beştepe Presidential Compound during the NATO Summit on July 08, 2026 in Ankara, Turkey. Leaders from NATO's 32 countries, plus NATO allies like Ukraine, gathered in the Turkish capital to discuss a range of issues involving spending targets, defense industrial production, and support for Ukraine, among other topics. (Photo by Win McNamee/Getty Images)

Explainer

Why Trump bid to lift CAATSA sanctions on Turkey faces complicated path

US President Donald Trump walks with Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan during a state arrival ceremony at the Bestepe Presidential Complex for the annual NATO Summit on July 7, 2026 in Ankara, Turkey.

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 walk past a screen near a currency exchange agency near Grand bazaar, in Istanbul, on September 24, 2020. - Turkey's central bank on September 24, 2020 raised its main interest for the first time since September 2018, boosting the rate by two percentage points to help the lira recover from historic lows. (Photo by Ozan KOSE / AFP) (Photo by OZAN KOSE/AFP via Getty Images)

Turkish lira hits new record low as central bank holds rates

The currency tumbled after policy-makers disappointed expectations they would raise the benchmark rate, while geopolitics and the possibility of new coronavirus measures hitting the economy also weigh on the embattled lira.

A Turkish military convoy drives through the village of Iblin, near Ariha in Syria's rebel-held northwestern Idlib province on October 20, 2020 after vacating the Morek post in Hama's countryside. - Turkey started withdrawing from one of its largest outposts in northwest Syria encircled for the past year by Syrian regime forces, a war monitor and a pro-Ankara rebel commander said. The outpost in Morek is Turkey's largest in the northwest province of Hama, which is now mostly under Syrian government control.

Turkey’s withdrawal in Idlib may be omen of war

Turkey’s decision to evacuate military posts in regime-held areas in Idlib is hardly reassuring when considered against the backdrop of its continued military buildup elsewhere in the region.

Israel-Turkey inch closer in trade, culture

While Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan continues to slam Israel, commercial and cultural ties show signs of growth.

Trial in Turkey over death of prominent Kurdish lawyer postponed

Court proceedings over the 2015 killing of human rights lawyer Tahir Elci were postponed Oct. 21 until March 2021 after defense attorneys requested the recusal of the trial’s judge panel.

US Vice President Joe Biden (L) gestures next to Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan after a meeting at Yildiz Mabeyn Palace on January 23, 2016 in Istanbul. / AFP / POOL / SEDAT SUNA (Photo credit should read SEDAT SUNA/AFP via Getty Images)

The Takeaway: Would US-Turkey ties get better or worse if Biden wins?

Trump may be Erdogan’s best friend in Washington; Four takes on Iraq, including the increased violence by Iran-linked militias; and Israeli official talks normalization with Ben Caspit

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky and his Turkish counterpart Recep Tayyip Erdogan exchange documents during a signing ceremony following their meeting in Kiev on February 3, 2020. (Photo by Sergei SUPINSKY / AFP) (Photo by SERGEI SUPINSKY/AFP via Getty Images)

Turkey on course to strategic partnership with Ukraine

Turkey’s thriving collaboration with Ukraine in key defense industry projects seems to be edging toward a strategic partnership that could challenge Russia’s standing in the Black Sea region.

Berkshire Hathaway to pay $4.1 million over alleged Iran sanctions violations

The US Treasury Department says one of Berkshire's Turkish subsidiaries shipped goods that it knew would be resold to Iran.

A Turkish military convoy drives through the village of Iblin, near Ariha in Syria's rebel-held northwestern Idlib province on October 20, 2020 after vacating the Morek post in Hama's countryside. - Turkey started withdrawing from one of its largest outposts in northwest Syria encircled for the past year by Syrian regime forces, a war monitor and a pro-Ankara rebel commander said. The outpost in Morek is Turkey's largest in the northwest province of Hama, which is now mostly under Syrian government control.

Turkish forces withdraw from largest base in northeast Syria

Ankara has begun pulling back forces and equipment from an observation post long surrounded by regime forces in Syria’s northeast Idlib province.

Supporters of right-wing nationalist Ersin Tatar celebrate his win in the presidential election in the northern part of Nicosia, the capital of the self-proclaimed Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus (TRNC) on October 18, 2020. - Right-wing nationalist Ersin Tatar, backed by Ankara, scored a surprise victory in a run-off presidential election in breakaway northern Cyprus, ousting pro-reunification incumbent Mustafa Akinci. (Photo by Birol BEBEK / AFP) (Photo by BIROL BEBEK/AFP via Getty Images)

Turkey-backed president's election to reshape negotiations in North Cyprus

Northern Cypriots elected right-wing nationalist Ersin Tatar in runoff presidential elections Sunday, likely drawing a new path for peace talks and energy-revenue sharing negotiations amid rising regional tensions.

Turkey' fears further downward spiral in relations with Saudi Arabia

Ankara worries that the "unofficial boycott" is just the start of increased acrimony with Riyadh.

Turkey approaches point of no return on employing Russian air defense system

Ankara’s decision to test-fire its controversial Russian missiles, overriding US warnings, appears driven by a combination of motives related to its ties with both Washington and Moscow.

ISTANBUL, TURKEY - SEPTEMBER 21: Second grade teacher Meltem Capkin sits in an empty classroom while conducting an online class at the Florya Ugur College on September 21, 2020 in Istanbul, Turkey. For the first time since schools closed on March 16, due to the coronavirus outbreak, kindergarten and first grade students were allowed to return for in-person classes at schools across Turkey. The one day a week classes are voluntary and restarted amid strict coronavirus precautions. As coronavirus cases contin

Remote learning widens educational gap between Turkey’s rich, poor

Millions of students in Turkey have been effectively left out of remote learning by a lack of resources.