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Turkey

Turkey

July 5, 2026

Ankara 10:15 am

22°C

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan delivers a speech after a signing ceremony with Libyan Government of National Unity prime minister at the Presidential Complex in Ankara, on April 12, 2021.

Analysis

In Libya, maritime dispute could complicate Turkey’s backing of US unity push

Turkey and the US increasingly share an interest in stabilizing Libya through a Tripoli-Benghazi power-sharing deal, though their alignment may hinge on the durability of any such deal and Washington's stance on Ankara's disputed 2019 maritime agreement.

Barin Kayaoglu

By Barin Kayaoglu

In Ankara, reporting on geopolitics and national security

A screenshot of one of Deniz Goktas' standup routines posted to YouTube.

Culture

Turkish standup comic detained after act calling Erdogan 'dictator' goes viral

Comedian Deniz Goktas’ arrest comes as Ankara intensifies prosecutions against opposition figures, journalists, artists and critics ahead of a major NATO summit.

Somalia's President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud speaks during the launch of an offshore energy exploration at the port in Mogadishu on April 10, 2026.

Turkish jets strike al-Shabab targets in Somalia: What to know

A Somali Defense Ministry statement initially said Turkish F-16s carried out strikes on Al-Shabab targets before a later version referred only to “international partners.”

Latest News

Explainer

Turkey eases job rules for 1M+ Syrians under temporary protection: What to know

Syrian textile employees work in a textile workshop in Gaziantep, Turkey, on Jan. 30, 2025.

Turkey, Azerbaijan slam Israel’s Armenian genocide recognition as Yerevan mum

KAREN MINASYAN / AFP via Getty Images

Analysis

Why Turkey and Egypt are deepening military ties amid regional turmoil

From (L-R) Pakistani Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar, Egyptian Foreign Minister Badr Abdelatty, Saudi Foreign Minister Faisal bin Farhan and Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan attend a meeting in Cairo on June 21, 2026.

Barin Kayaoglu

By Barin Kayaoglu

In Ankara, reporting on geopolitics and national security

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

A Kurdish fighter from the Popular Protection Units (YPG) holds his weapon as he takes position atop a building with a YPG flag in Aleppo's Sheikh Maqsoud neighbourhood, June 7, 2013. Kurdish fighters from the YPG joined the Free Syrian Army to fight against forces loyal to Syria's President Bashar al-Assad. Picture taken June 7, 2013. REUTERS/Muzaffar Salman (SYRIA - Tags: CIVIL UNREST POLITICS CONFLICT) - RTX10USX

Border Clashes Confront Turkey With 'Afghanistan of the Levant'

Clashes adjacent to Turkey's border with Syria have the potential of causing a lot of headache for Turkey, not only for their security implications but also for the international image of Turkey and the country's relations with allies, primarily the United States.

Prince Bandar bin Sultan (R), secretary-general of Saudi Arabia's National Security Council, and Russia's Prime Minister Vladimir Putin enter a hall for a signing ceremony in Moscow July 14, 2008. Picture taken July 14, 2008. RUSSIA/RIA Novosti/Alexei Druzhinin/Pool (RUSSIA) - RTX7XR3

Russia Considers Saudi Angle in Syria

The visit of Bandar bin Sultan, director-general of Saudi Arabia's intelligence agency, to Moscow last month was all about Syria.

A worker fixes a giant portrait of Mustafa Kemal Ataturk at the top of the Ataturk Cultural Center in Istanbul's Taksim Square June 28, 2013. REUTERS/Osman Orsal (TURKEY - Tags: POLITICS CIVIL UNREST TPX IMAGES OF THE DAY) - RTX114YL

Turkey at Post-Kemalist Crossroads

Turkey is going through a post-Kemalist transition with problems and habits of the former region still prevailing.

What to Wear in Tehran: The Evolution of Islamic Chic

The once-drab Iranian hijab has blossomed into colorful and figure-hugging styles that satisfy the letter if not the spirit of Islamic law.

Gay rights activists carry a rainbow flag during a protest at Taksim Square in Istanbul June 23, 2013. REUTERS/Marko Djurica (TURKEY - Tags: CIVIL UNREST SOCIETY) - RTX10Y6Y

Murder, Menace Stalk Istanbul's LGBT Community

A transgender woman was recently strangled to death in her house, leading the LGBT community in Istanbul to push harder than ever for hate-crime legislation.

A man sprays water on supporters of deposed Egyptian President Mohamed Mursi, as they shout slogans during a protest at the Rabaa Adawiya square where they are camping, in Cairo August 2, 2013. Tens of thousands of supporters of Mursi marched through Cairo on Friday, demanding Mursi's reinstatement amidst a looming threat that Egyptian authorities will clear out two pro-Mursi sit-ins with force. REUTERS/Mohamed Abd El Ghany (EGYPT - Tags: POLITICS CIVIL UNREST) - RTX128JA

Obama Administration Navigates New Egypt

Al-Monitor’s coverage and analysis of Egypt.

A billboard advertising the TV series "The Magnificent Century" is seen after being damaged by eggs thrown by pro-Islamic protesters in Istanbul January 9, 2011. A steamy television period drama about a 16th century sultan has angered conservative Muslims in Turkey and sparked a debate over the portrayal of the past in a country rediscovering its Ottoman heritage. "The Magnificent Century" chronicles the life of Suleiman the Magnificent, who ruled the Ottoman Empire during its golden age, showing a young an

Is Turkey's 'Magnificent Century' A Threat or Asset?

How Turkey's "Magnificent Century" soap opera, depicting the life and times of an Ottoman sultan, has managed to draw both fans and critics from the country's neighbors.

A riot police officer orders a news photographer to move away during an anti-government protest in central Istanbul July 28, 2013. REUTERS/Osman Orsal (TURKEY - Tags: POLITICS CIVIL UNREST TPX IMAGES OF THE DAY) - RTX12327

More Troubling News For Turkish Media’s Independence

Can Dundar, veteran journalist of Milliyet daily, is fired under government pressure.

Women attend Friday prayers during the Muslim holy month of Ramadan at the courtyard of Sultanahmet mosque, also known as the Blue Mosque, in Istanbul July 12, 2013. REUTERS/Murad Sezer (TURKEY - Tags: RELIGION) - RTX11KYO

Erdogan’s Crisis With Pregnant Women

A remark by a supporter of Turkey’s Justice and Development Party (AKP) has created a domestic political crisis for Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan.

A trader reads a newspaper with the headline that reads "AK Party Term", during the morning session at the Istanbul Stock Exchange June 13, 2011. Turkish stocks rose on Monday after Prime Minister Tayyip Erdogan's AK Party won Sunday's parliamentary election to secure a third term of single-party rule. The AK Party won 50 percent of the vote to give Erdogan a third consecutive term. But the AK Party's parliamentary majority slipped, as it won 326 seats, down from 331 in the previous assembly. REUTERS/Murad

Turkish Media Drifting Toward an Abyss

The crisis at Sabah and Milliyet, two of Turkey’s flagship newpapers, has deepened under persistent political pressure, sounding the alarm for the country’s media.

A worker checks cable drums at a factory in the city of Kayseri, central Turkey, June 27, 2006. The confident mood in Kayseri contrasts to the anxiety in Ankara, as they believe Turkey will weather the turbulence rocking its economy, resolve the tension between secularists and Islamists and stay the course to European Union membership. Picture taken June 27, 2006. To match feature TURKEY CRISIS REUTERS/Umit Bektas (TURKEY) - RTR1F0MZ

An Anatolian Tiger Gives Fair Warning to Erdogan

A leader of the conservative business community in Turkey criticizes the government’s latest move against the country’s largest industrial group

A passenger walks beside a train in a train station in Baghdad May 6, 2013. Iraq's infrastructure is dilapidated after decades of war, sanctions and economic decline. In a country where piles of rubble and incomplete buildings are commonplace, almost every sector needs investment, including electricity and the sewage system. But the country is laying plans to rebuild its historic railways and become a transit hub for goods that would be shipped from Asia to Iraq’s neighbours and beyond. Iraq's railways date

Iraqi Women Endure Sexual Harassment

Increasing awareness of sexual harassment and abuse endured by Iraqi women on a daily basis has shed light on the need for social institutions to combat this kind of injustice.