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

Turkey

Turkey

September 19, 2026

Ankara 2:02 pm

23°C

Traders work at their desks on the floor of the Borsa Istanbul

Turkey detains finance executives amid market turmoil

Several prominent Turkish finance executives were swept up by authorities on Thursday amid efforts to contain a market rout that has exposed strains in the country’s investment-fund industry.

Vyacheslav PROKOFYEV / AFP via Getty Images

Turkey's Erdogan to run for 'final' third term in 2028, adviser says

If Turkey's parliament votes to move the next election up during President Recep Tayyip Erdogan’s second term, he could constitutionally run for third.

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)

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

Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan attends the International Istanbul Law Congress in Istanbul, Turkey, October 17, 2016. REUTERS/Murad Sezer - RTX2P589

How Turkey’s government became the country’s top tycoon

The Turkish government has seized scores of companies in its crackdown on the Gulen community after the July coup attempt, which, some believe, will be now transferred to government cronies.

Erdogan not backing down on Turkish role in Mosul

Turkey’s demand seen as challenge to United States and Iran, as well as Iraq; Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan calls Hillary Clinton a "political novice" for remarks on Syrian Kurds; ultranationalist group dominates Turkish security services.

Football Soccer - Turkey v Ukraine - World Cup 2018 Qualifiers - Metropolitan Stadium, Konya, Turkey - 6/10/16. A fan uses his mobile phone before the match. REUTERS/Murad Sezer - RTSR2TZ

Why some Turks no longer rally behind their national soccer team

World Cup 2018 fever has gone cold in Turkey, as Turks are too polarized to cheer in unison for their national team.

Soldiers suspected of being involved in the coup attempt are escorted by policemen as they arrive at a courthouse in the resort town of Marmaris, Turkey, July 17, 2016. REUTERS/Kenan Gurbuz - RTSIFAO

Turkey’s new paradox

The aftermath of the July 15 attempted coup has produced the most serious crisis and erosion the Turkish state has ever seen.

Republican U.S. presidential nominee Donald Trump listnes as Democratic nominee Hillary Clinton answers a question from the audience during their presidential town hall debate at Washington University in St. Louis, Missouri, U.S., October 9, 2016. REUTERS/Rick Wilking - RTSRITA

Where does Turkey's Erdogan stand on US presidential race?

According to the Turkish president, former US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton lacks political experience.

Members of the Sinjar Resistance Units (YBS), a militia affiliated with the Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK), disarm an improvised explosive device placed by Islamic State fighters near the village of Umm al-Dhiban, northern Iraq, April 30, 2016. They share little more than an enemy and struggle to communicate on the battlefield, but together two relatively obscure groups have opened up a new front against Islamic State militants in a remote corner of Iraq. The unlikely alliance between the Sinjar Resistance

In struggle against PKK, Turkey takes flight

The conflict between Turkey and Kurdish militants is becoming more complex and destructive as the Turkish army begins using drones in warfare.

U.S. based cleric Fethullah Gulen at his home in Saylorsburg, Pennsylvania, U.S. July 29, 2016. REUTERS/Charles Mostoller - RTSKAI2

Why Turks are ignoring Gulen-related suicides

At least 17 people accused of links to Fethullah Gulen, the Muslim cleric Turkey blames for the July 15 coup attempt, have committed suicide.

How Gulenists played the Kurd card to gain academic influence

Dicle University's reputation as an academic hub for the Gulenist movement made it one of the Turkish government's first targets after the abortive July 15 coup.

Demonstrators hold signs in front of the High Education Board (YOK) during a protest against the suspension of academics from universities following a post-coup emergency decree, in Ankara, Turkey, September 22, 2016. The sign in the foreground reads "Let the emergency decrees go. We are remaining." REUTERS/Umit Bektas - RTSOY0Z

Turkey’s 'devout generation' project means lost jobs, schools for many

The Justice and Development Party continues its purge of secular teachers from schools, further tacking toward the Islamization of Turkish public education and leaving thousands of teachers without jobs.

People stand on a Turkish army tank at Ataturk airport in Istanbul, Turkey July 16, 2016. REUTERS/Huseyin Aldemir - RTSI871

Where has Turkey's foreign direct investment gone?

In the first half of this year, foreign direct investments in Turkey plummeted 54% compared to the same period last year.

Turkey’s Islamists can’t get enough of Lindsay Lohan

US celebrity Lindsay Lohan has become an unlikely promoter of Turkey.

Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu (R) and Iran's Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif shake hands following a joint press conference at the Foreign Ministry in Ankara on August 12, 2016. / AFP / ADEM ALTAN (Photo credit should read ADEM ALTAN/AFP/Getty Images)

Is Turkey ditching Saudi Arabia for Iran?

The recent string of high-level meetings between Iranian and Turkish officials suggests that the two regional powerhouses may be moving closer on Syria.