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

Turkey

Turkey

July 17, 2026

Ankara 9:54 pm

25°C

DAVOS, SWITZERLAND - JANUARY 22: U.S. President Donald Trump (C) sits in between Prime Minister of Armenia Nikol Pashinyan (L) and Azerbaijan President Ilham Aliyev during a signing ceremony for the “Board of Peace” at the World Economic Forum (WEF) on January 22, 2026 in Davos, Switzerland. The US-backed “Board of Peace” is intended to administer the fragile ceasefire in the Gaza Strip after the war between Israel and Hamas. The final makeup of the board has not been confirmed. (Photo by Chip Somodevilla/G

Trump taps Russia-born investor to oversee $200M+ fund backing Armenia-Azerbaijan corridor

The appointment of Chicago-based investor Konstantin Sokolov to oversee a $200 million fund marks a new phase for Washington's proposed trade and transportation route linking Azerbaijan, Armenia and Turkey.

Ozgu Ozel

Turkish opposition leader Ozgur Ozel could launch new party by August

Ozgur Ozel’s remarks on a potential new party came as the legal crackdown on the main opposition widened further this week with the arrest and suspension of the mayor of Cankaya, one of the party’s most secure and symbolically important strongholds in the heart of Ankara.

Latest News

Russian couple faces deportation from Turkey after Bible reading at Hagia Sophia

Visitors stand inside Hagia Sophia Grand Mosque in Istanbul on April 14, 2025.

Turkey, Egypt expand military ties with cooperation frameworks: What to know

Turkish Defense Minister Yasar Guler and his Egyptian counterpart, Lt. Gen. Ashraf Salem Zaher, met at the Turkey’s Defense Ministry in Ankara, July 13, 2026.

Analysis

From S-400s to SAMP/T: Turkey’s defense pivot gathers pace after NATO summit

Britain's Prime Minister Keir Starmer (L) and Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan pose after signing a defense partnership agreement on the sidelines of the NATO summit in Ankara, Turkey, Wednesday, July 8, 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

Members of the LGBTQ+ community wave flags as they participate in a march during the Gay Pride parade in Istanbul, on June 30, 2019. - Turkish police on June 30 fired tear gas at gay rights groups and activists who defied authorities to march for the Istanbul pride parade, banned for the fifth year in a row. Thousands of people rallied close to the popular Istiklal Avenue and Taksim Square where organisers originally planned to hold the parade, an AFP correspondent said. (Photo by BULENT KILIC / AFP)

Turkey cries 'LGBT propaganda' after official faces backlash for pedophilia tweet

Activists saw the tweet from the head of Turkish Red Crescent as targeting the LGBTI community and say such rhetoric puts it at greater risk.

A picture taken on August 23, 2019 shows a painted Turkish coffee cup plate by Turkey's micro artist Hasan Kale in Istanbul. - His canvas could be anything from match sticks, seeds to razors and crown corks. Turkey's micro artist, also known as Turkish Microangelo in reference to Italian Renaissance sculptor and painter Michelangelo, has been hitting his brush onto tiny everyday objects for more than two decades. (Photo by Ozan KOSE / AFP) / RESTRICTED TO EDITORIAL USE - MANDATORY MENTION OF THE ARTIST UPON

Lost treasures brewed fresh at Turkey's first coffee museum

An enchanting array of the classic Turkish and regional beverage is there for the tasting in a unique coffee museum that features antique implements and forgotten recipes of Anatolia.

TOPSHOT - Protestors wave Palestinian flags in front of Israel consulate in Istanbul on May 15, 2018 during a protest against the killing, the day before, of 59 Palestinians in clashes and protests, on the same day as the United States formally moved its embassy in Israel to Jerusalem from Tel Aviv in defiance of international outrage. (Photo by OZAN KOSE / AFP) (Photo credit should read OZAN KOSE/AFP via Getty Images)

Israel goes after Turkish projects in Jerusalem

Jerusalem Municipality destroyed a plaque marking Turkey’s contribution to the restoration of a cemetery in the city as Israeli concerns over the Turkish activities in East Jerusalem persist.

TOPSHOT - Police detain a demonstrator during a May Day rally marking the international day of the worker in Istanbul, on May 1, 2020, as the country tries to curb the spread of the coronavirus, COVID-19. - Police in Istanbul detained several demonstrators who tried to march toward Istanbul's symbolic Taksim Square to mark May Day in defiance of the lockdown imposed by the government due to the coronavirus outbreak. (Photo by Bulent Kilic / AFP) (Photo by BULENT KILIC/AFP via Getty Images)

Turkish unions threaten general strike over severance pay cuts

Turkish unions are denouncing proposed severance pay cuts that would impact 3.5 million workers, threatening a mass strike if the government does not change course.

Renaissance painting of Ottoman sultan divides Turkish government, opposition

Mehmed the Conqueror is a popular figure among Turks, but the same cannot be said of his 15th century painting.

US President Donald Trump and Turkey's President Recep Tayyip Erdogan (L) take part in a joint press conference in the East Room of the White House in Washington, DC on November 13, 2019. - President Donald Trump greeted his Turkish counterpart Recep Tayyip Erdogan at the White House for a high-stakes meeting Wednesday that underlined his claim to be ignoring the impeachment drama unfolding simultaneously in Congress. (Photo by JIM WATSON / AFP) (Photo by JIM WATSON/AFP via Getty Images)

Turks lose trust in Russia, warm to US

The Turkish public’s trust in Russia has declined in favor of the United States due to the rising conflicts between Ankara and Moscow over the Libyan and Syrian civil wars, according to a survey.

Is Hayat Tahrir al-Sham doing Turkey’s job in Idlib?

Hayat Tahrir al-Sham, the rebel group dominating Idlib, is turning up pressure on radical jihadis, facing accusations of acting at the behest of Turkey.

People wave flags of Libya (R) and Turkey (L) during a demonstration in the Martyrs' Square in the centre of the Libyan capital Tripoli, currently held by the UN-recognised Government of National Accord (GNA), on June 21, 2020. - The GNA on June 21 denounced Egypt's warning of military intervention in Libya, labelling it a "declaration of war", after the Egyptian President warned that if pro-GNA forces advanced on the strategic city of Sirte -- some 450 kilometres (280 miles) east of Tripoli -- it could pro

Turkey gears up for tougher challenge in Libya as conflict heats up

Despite cease-fire calls in Libya, Turkey and its allies might be readying for a push toward the strategically important areas of Sirte and al-Jufra next month.

Copies of John Bolton's book 'The Room Where It Happened' are pictured on display at a Barnes and Noble bookstore in the Manhattan borough of New York City, New York, U.S., June 23, 2020. REUTERS/Carlo Allegri - RC24FH9EPVTE

Senior Erdogan aide slams Bolton memoir for depictions of Turkish president

Ankara has criticized the former US national security adviser’s descriptions of President Donald Trump’s discussions with his Turkish counterpart, accusing him of publishing the book for his own personal gain.

Erdogan’s most loyal supporters want to know where the money is

The battle between the haves and the have-nots within the ruling party base is intensifying.

A Turkish soldier stands guard outside the Silivri Prison and Courthouse complex near Istanbul, Turkey March 9, 2018. REUTERS/Huseyin Aldemir - RC15BE5D1D20

Turkish court releases three journalists on trial for revealing state secrets

Journalists stood trial Wednesday for reporting on the funeral of a Turkish intelligence officer killed in Libya in a court case condemned by press freedom advocates.

Sheen Ibrahim, Kurdish fighter from the People's Protection Units (YPG) looks for drones operated by Islamic State militants in Raqqa, Syria June 21, 2017. REUTERS/Goran Tomasevic - RC1D3CB0FA70

Turkish drone strike kills three Kurdish women in Syria

The leader of the US-backed Syrian Democratic Forces called on the United States and Russian to stop what he called Turkey's "policy of massacres against the Kurds" after last night's drone strike.