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

Turkey

Turkey

May 7, 2026

Ankara 5:32 am

4°C

Saudi Foreign Minister Faisal bin Farhan Al Saud and Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan in Ankara, May 6, 2026.

Saudi FM in Turkey as Ankara, Riyadh step up coordination amid Iran war

Saudi Foreign Minister Prince Faisal bin Farhan’s visit to Ankara comes amid rapidly expanding Turkish-Saudi coordination as the fallout from the Iran war reshapes Gulf security dynamics.

A picture taken near Kars on Feb. 28, 2024 shows the ruins of a bridge over Arpacay river, the natural border between Turkey and Armenia.

Turkey, Armenia agree to restore medieval bridge in normalization push

Ankara is pursuing normalization with Armenia ahead of June parliamentary elections in a thaw also positioned to advance its broader Middle Corridor ambitions.

Sabah Fidan

Turkey hosts Kuwaiti FM as UAE's OAPEC exit fuels Gulf rift

Kuwait's top diplomat visited Turkey as the Gulf rift deepens following the UAE’s exit from OPEC and its affiliated alliances, forcing Ankara to balance ties between Saudi Arabia and Abu Dhabi.

Latest News

Analysis

Iraq’s Zaidi offers economic promise for Turkey but unknowns loom

Zaidi

Barin Kayaoglu

By Barin Kayaoglu

In Ankara, reporting on geopolitics and national security

Turkey warns France over Cyprus troop deployment: What to know

Members of the UN Peacekeeping Force in Cyprus (UNFICYP), from the British Army's 1st Battalion Coldstream Guards, No. 2 Company, patrol along the buffer zone separating the internationally recognized Republic of Cyprus and the breakaway Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus in the divided capital Nicosia on Feb. 17, 2026.

Turkey advances gas pipeline plan to northern Cyprus as East Med rivalry grows

This aerial photograph shows Turkey's first floating natural gas production platform, "Osman Gazi," passing through the Bosphorus, in Istanbul, on May 29, 2025.

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

DENIS LOVROVIC/AFP via Getty Images

Turkey’s Erdogan tours world stage but misses royal funeral

The Turkish president’s foreign trips are widely seen as a way of boosting his image at home.

Russian President Vladimir Putin meets with Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan.

Why Erdogan’s Shanghai ambitions are risky business

President Erdogan’s statement that NATO-member Turkey is targeting membership in the Shanghai club is more geared toward domestic consumption than reality, particularly after a top Russian diplomat said NATO and the SCO are incompatible.

The flags of (L to R) Turkey, Israel, and the Israeli army armoured corps fly at the Yad La-Shiryon Tank Museum in Latrun, about 30 kilometres west of Jerusalem, on August 18, 2022. - Israel and Turkey on August 16 announced the resumption of full diplomatic ties following years of strained relations between the Mediterranean nations. Israeli Prime Minister Yair Lapid hailed the step as an "important asset for regional stability and very important economic news for the citizens" of the Jewish state. Lapid h

Israeli, Turkish leaders to meet at UN amid East Mediterranean tensions

Protesters hold placards and flags during an anti-LGBT rally organized by pro-Islamic organizations in Istanbul on Sept. 18, 2022.

Thousands gather in Istanbul for anti-LGBTQ rally

Organizers say they are rallying for family values, while rights groups protest the rally as a hate crime.

ALEXANDER NEMENOV/AFP via Getty Images

Iran to join Shanghai Cooperation Organization

Iran took a step toward joining in the Shanghai Cooperation Organization at a summit in Uzbekistan this week.

Samarkand

Erdogan meets Azerbaijan’s Aliyev as Baku, Yerevan reach ceasefire

Azerbaijan-Armenia tensions and the grain corridor are expected to top Erdogan’s meeting with Putin on the sidelines of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization summit, where Turkey is attending at the presidential level for the first time.

VLADIMIR SMIRNOV/AFP via Getty Images

Erdogan looks to Putin to ease foreign currency woes

An extraordinary uptick in capital flows of unknown origin to Turkey has left many wondering whether Russian money could be involved.

NATO

Turkey renews veto threat on Sweden, Finland NATO bids

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan is seeking a meeting with US President Joe Biden on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly next week.

Armenia Azerbaijan

Turkey backs Azerbaijan in deadly attacks against Armenia

While Turkey has prided itself for mediating between Russia and Ukraine, Ankara has shown no such impartiality in the recent fighting between Azerbaijan and Armenia, with Turkish leaders airing their support for Baku.

Turkey Fidan

Turkish intel chief pursues multiple goals in Baghdad

In landmark talks in Baghdad, Hakan Fidan sought to ease bilateral tensions over a deadly attack in July, assert Turkey’s resolve to continue military operations on Iraqi soil and sway the political impasse in Iraq.

Russian President Vladimir Putin meets with Turkey's President Recep Tayyip Erdogan.

Why Russia’s Vladimir Putin is rooting for Turkey’s Erdogan

Recep Tayyip Erdogan’s "pro-Russian tilt" has grown louder in recent weeks, as Vladimir Putin clearly looks for Erdogan to stay in power.

Russian President Vladimir Putin.

Border conflict breaks out between Armenia, Azerbaijan as Russia distracted by Ukraine

Azerbaijan’s close ally Turkey condemns Yerevan for escalation of conflict two years after a cease-fire.