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

Turkey

Turkey

September 15, 2026

Ankara 9:58 am

17°C

People swim next to the Russian-flagged cargo ship OMSKIY-107, which was attacked off the Black Sea coast and eventually ran aground off the shore of the Sile district, Istanbul, Sept. 3, 2026.

Why Turkey has few options to protect Black Sea shipping

The Russia-Ukraine drone war is hitting Turkish commercial interests, exposing the limits of Ankara’s ability to protect shipping while remaining outside the conflict.

Fighters loyal to the Houthi authorities gather during a rally to recruit more fighters in Sanaa on Sept. 10, 2026.

Analysis

Saudi Arabia's Houthi crisis tests alliances with Trump, Turkey and Pakistan

As the Houthis tighten their grip on the Bab al-Mandeb, Saudi Arabia is turning to new regional alliances while Washington resists calls to intervene.

Amberin Zaman

By Amberin Zaman

Reporting on geopolitics, minorities, human rights, culture

Latest News

Turkey’s defense giants court Egypt at Alamein Airshow: What to know

El Alamein International Airshow

Russia to give Turkey preferential fertilizer access amid Hormuz supply crunch

In this pool photograph distributed by the Russian state agency Sputnik, Russia's President Vladimir Putin and Turkey's President Recep Tayyip Erdogan hold a meeting on the sidelines of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) summit in Bishkek on September 1, 2026. (Photo by Kristina Solovyova / POOL / AFP via Getty Images)

Culture

Turkish ceramicist Leyla Borovali shapes Aegean heritage into clay

Leyla Borovali at her studio overlooking the Aegean

Analysis

With Hurjet test, Turkey seeks defense dominance beyond drones

TAI Hurjet

Barin Kayaoglu

By Barin Kayaoglu

In Ankara, reporting on geopolitics and national security

Samuel Wendel

Senior Analyst, Middle East Business & Tech

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

Turkeys Prime Minister Ahmet Davutoglu (C) and his wife Sare Davutoglu (L), welcome freed Turkey's Consul in Mosul Ozturk Yilmaz (R) and dozens of other freed Turkish nationals hostages held by Islamist militants in northern Iraq for more than three months, on September 20, 2014 at the Esenboga Airport in Ankara. Fighters from the Islamic State (IS) kidnapped 46 Turks including diplomats, children and special forces from the Turkish consulate in Mosul and 3 Iraqis on June 11 as they captured swathes of nort

What's behind Turkey's rush to reopen Iraqi consulates?

Turkey's consulate in Mosul has been closed since the building was seized by Islamic State militants in June 2014, but now Ankara is looking to make a comeback in its southeastern neighbor.

Turkey, Israel battle over Temple Mount

Israel is looking into the increased flow of donations from Turkey into Muslim groups active on the Temple Mount.

Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan's son-in-law and newly appointed Treasury and Finance Minister Berat Albayrak (L) and Interior Minister Suleyman Soylu stand next to each other during a presser at the Presidential Palace in Ankara, Turkey July 9, 2018. REUTERS/Umit Bektas - RC1A333464E0

Erdogan son-in-law takes Finance Ministry post with promises, hush orders

Turkey’s newly re-elected President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has promoted his son-in-law in law to finance minister among other steps to tighten control over the country's economic policies.

Manbij holds the key to improved Turkish-US ties

Ankara is worried the United States and Russia may be working on a deal in Syria that will be to Turkey's disadvantage.

Pakistan Navy's servicemen march after hoisting the national flags of participating countries during the opening ceremony of Pakistan Navyís Multinational Exercise AMAN-17, in Karachi, Pakistan February 10, 2017. REUTERS/Akhtar Soomro - RC11ADB28990

Turkey clinches deal to sell 4 warships to Pakistan

After failing to find buyers in Middle East, Turkey's defense industry takes a major step forward by selling four corvettes to Pakistan.

ANKARA, TURKEY - JULY 9: Turkey's President Recep Tayyip Erdogan receives his oath as he is sworns as Turkey's first Executive President at the Turkish parliament on July 9, 2018 in Ankara, Turkey. President Erdogan was sworn in during a parliamentary meeting and later an inauguration ceremony attended by a number of foreign leaders and dignitaries. President Erdogan secured another five year term and increased powers after winning 52.5 percent of the vote in the June 24 snap presidential and parliamentary

Erdogan assumes office, vast new powers

Turkey's Recep Tayyip Erdogan has become the country's first executive president, and his first order of business seems to be building global legitimacy for himself and his "New Turkey."

UNESCO recognizes ancient Stone Age temple in Turkey

Southeastern Turkey's epic ruins of Gobeklitepe, possibly the world's first temple, has finally made it to UNESCO'S World Heritage List.

Leader of Turkey's Nationalist Movement Party (MHP) Devlet Bahceli gestures as he addresses his supporters during an election rally in Ankara on June 23, 2018. - Turkey is preparing for tight presidential and parliamentary elections on June 24, while many analysts say the incumbent President wants a major foreign policy success to give him a final boost. (Photo by ADEM ALTAN / AFP) (Photo credit should read ADEM ALTAN/AFP/Getty Images)

What's behind nationalist gains in Turkey’s Kurdish regions?

As many struggle to explain the rise in the nationalist vote in Turkey’s Kurdish-majority southeast, some observers see the impact of police and military reinforcements in the region and the influence of the security establishment.

Culture Alert: July marked by festivals in the Middle East

In Istanbul, Baalbeck, Jerusalem and Ras El Bar, the Middle East becomes a vibrant scene of outdoor festivals in July.

Demonstrators wave flags during a protest against the recent killings of Palestinian protesters on the Gaza-Israel border and the U.S. embassy move to Jerusalem, in Istanbul, Turkey May 18, 2018. REUTERS/Osman Orsal - UP1EE5I1A5E18

Turkey’s passion for Jerusalem does little for Palestinians

Despite the frequent and lofty promises by Turkish officials, major steps that would seriously contribute to the Palestinian economy hinge on Turkey’s attention to sensitive points in its relations with Israel.

Will Erdogan acquiesce to ally’s amnesty pressure?

Turkey’s Nationalist Action Party is likely to use its kingmaker’s position in parliament to press for a comprehensive amnesty, a proposal the government has so far dismissed.

Turkish opposition bickers over defeat as Erdogan sends out inauguration invites

President Recep Tayyip Erdogan will assume a vastly empowered presidency on Monday when he takes his oath of office while the opposition is still trading blame over its loss, setting off leadership challenges and fracturing alliances.