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

Turkey

Turkey

July 7, 2026

Ankara 8:47 am

19°C

sampt-t

Analysis

As it hosts NATO, Turkey eyes France's SAMP/T system, F-35 progress with Trump

Turkey is set to host NATO leaders as doubts over US commitment linger prompting Ankara to seeks its own defense deals with Paris and Washington.

Ezgi Akin

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

ABIR SULTAN / AFP via Getty Images

Israel, Greece conduct military drills ahead of NATO summit in Turkey

Photos published by the Greek military showed fighter jets from both countries flying side by side over the Aegean Sea.

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

Latest News

Culture

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

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

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

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

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

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

Turkish Foreign Minister Ahmet Davutoglu attends a foreign ministers meeting ahead of the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) summit in Cairo February 4, 2013. The OIC summit will be held from February 6-7. REUTERS/Mohamed Abd El Ghany (EGYPT - Tags: POLITICS) - RTR3DCET

Turkey's Syria Predicament

Cengiz Candar writes that Turkey cannot escape the consequences of the civil war in Syria.

Turkey's Prime Minister Tayyip Erdogan (first row, C) attends a meeting with members of his ruling AK Party at his party headquarters in Ankara September 28, 2011. REUTERS/Umit Bektas (TURKEY - Tags: POLITICS TPX IMAGES OF THE DAY) - RTR2RXTQ

Turkey Needs Policies, Not Politics,In Dealing With the PKK

Tulin Daloglu argues that Turkey is ready for a settlement that will end PKK violence, but political posturing by the government does not help.

TURKISH PRIME MINISTER ERDOGAN APPLAUDS HIS ITALIAN COUNTERPART
BERLUSCONI GREETING NEWLY WED COUPLE IN ISTANBUL. - RTR1HX8

St. Valentine Woos Turkish Islamists

The new family-minded "Lovers Day," modeled on Valentine's Day, confirms that Turkey is not divided between cultures of the West and Islam but a breeding ground for mixtures of the two, writes Mustafa Akyol.

Turkey's EU Minister Egemen Bagis (L) and Sweden's Foreign Minister Carl Bildt hold a joint news conference at the Ministry for Foreign Affairs in Stockholm in this picture provided by Scanpix January 16, 2013. REUTERS/Claudio Bresciani/Scanpix (SWEDEN - Tags: POLITICS)

ATTENTION EDITORS - THIS IMAGE WAS PROVIDED BY A THIRD PARTY. FOR EDITORIAL USE ONLY. NOT FOR SALE FOR MARKETING OR ADVERTISING CAMPAIGNS. SWEDEN OUT. NO COMMERCIAL OR EDITORIAL SALES IN SWEDEN. THIS PICTURE IS DISTRIBUTED EXACTLY AS RE

France-Turkey Relations Back On Track

The announcement that France has lifted some roadblocks to Turkey’s membership in the European Union signals that relations between the two countries are on a more positive track, writes Semih Idiz.

Turkey Committed, Frustrated With EU Process

Tulin Daloglu writes that Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan could facilitate EU membership for Turkey by restraining from inflammatory rhetoric.

New Turkish Airlines Uniform: Eye of the Beholder

A proposal for new flight attendant uniforms on Turkish Airlines strikes some as too conservative, writes Tulin Daloglu.

Turkey's Prime Minister Tayyip Erdogan addresses members of parliament from his ruling AK Party during a meeting at the Turkish parliament in Ankara April 19, 2010. REUTERS/Umit Bektas (TURKEY - Tags: POLITICS) - RTR2D060

Erdogan Seeks Kurdish AlliesFor New Turkish Constitution

Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan is seeking allies to support a new Turkish constitution, writes Kadri Gursel.

Turkey's Prime Minster Recep Tayyip Erdogan (L) and Syria's President Bashar al-Assad greets members of the media at Ciragan Palace in Istanbul May 9, 2010. REUTERS/Ibrahim Usta/Pool (TURKEY - Tags: POLITICS) - RTR2DNJR

Erdogan's Syria Policy: Wrong from the Start

Tulin Daloglu examines the origins of the Erdogan government's troubled Syria policies.

A Turkish soldier walks on the Turkish-Syrian border in Ceylanpinar, southern Sanliurfa province November 13, 2012. A Syrian warplane struck homes in the town of Ras al-Ain on Tuesday within sight of the Turkish border, pursuing an aerial bombardment to force out rebels, a Reuters witness and refugees said.The second day of jet strikes sent Syrians scurrying through the flimsy barbed-wire fence that divides Ras al-Ain from the Turkish settlement of Ceylanpinar, thick plumes of smoke rising above the town. R

Arrests, Resignations Plague Turkish Armed Forces

Ilnur Cevik writes that arrests, trials and resignations are undermining the efficiency of the Turkish Armed Forces.

Turkey’s Loyalties Divided In Combatting Terrorism

Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan faces the challenge of divided loyalties within the government and the Justice and Development Party (AKP) in dealing with anti-terrorism legislation, writes Semih Idiz.

Turkey's Prime Minister Tayyip Erdogan (2nd R) and leader of the main opposition Republican People's Party (CHP) Kemal Kilicdaroglu (R) attend an official ceremony to mark the 89th anniversary of Republic Day at Anitkabir in Ankara October 29, 2012. Anitkabir is the mausoleum of Mustafa Kemal Ataturk, founder of secular Turkey. REUTERS/Umit Bektas (TURKEY - Tags: POLITICS) - RTR39QHB

In Turkey, AKP Proposes 'Elected Sultan Regime'

Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan's approach to the presidential system concentrates power in the hands of one person, eliminating the checks and balances necessary for institutions to pursue their duties, writes Kadri Gursel.

Damaged cars are seen after an explosion at Cilvegozu border gate near the town of Reyhanli on the Turkish-Syrian border in Hatay province February 11, 2013, in this picture taken by Ihlas News Agency. A car exploded at a crossing on Turkey's border with Syria near the Turkish town of Reyhanli on Monday, killing at least nine people including Turkish citizens and wounding dozens more, officials said. REUTERS/Ihlas News Agency (TURKEY - Tags: POLITICS CIVIL UNREST) ATTENTION EDITORS - THIS IMAGE WAS PROVIDED

Car Bomb at Syrian Border Kills 13

Tulin Daloglu reports on the latest car bombing on the Syria-Turkey border, which killed 13 people, just 10 days after the US Embassy in Ankara was attacked by a suicide bomber.