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

Turkey

Turkey

November 10, 2026

Ankara 4:27 pm

3°C

A steel worker works in front of giant iron melting pot in Kardemir Iron and Steel Factory in Karabuk, northwestern Turkey, Aug. 26 2005. (TARIK TINAZAY/AFP via Getty Images)

Steel factory explosion in western Turkey kills at least 16

Footage from the scene showed a huge plume of thick smoke spreading into the sky as flames engulfed a tall structure within the plant.

MEHMET ESER/Middle East Images/AFP via Getty Images

Analysis

Will Democrats block Trump’s push to deliver Turkey F-35s, lift sanctions?

Democratic control of Congress complicates Turkey’s push for F-35s and sanctions relief, but Ankara remains hopeful Trump can still broker a deal.

Barin Kayaoglu

By Barin Kayaoglu

In Ankara, reporting on geopolitics and national security

Costa Rica's Grynspan extends lead in UNSG poll as Nusseibeh places fourth

The Costa Rican candidate received 12 encourage votes in Thursday's UN Security Council straw poll.

United Arab Emirates

Latest News

Turkey’s parliament ratifies Mecca pact in boost to Saudi Arabia

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan addresses Turkish members of parliament during the opening of the parliamentary session at the Grand National Assembly of Turkey in Ankara, on Oct. 1, 2026.

Can Erdogan’s Baku visit fix Turkey-Azerbaijan rift?

TOFIK BABAYEV/AFP via Getty Images

Turkey says soldier killed by gunfire from Iran at border: What to know

A sign marking the border of Turkey in Van, Turkey, on March 14, 2026.

Turkey probes Google’s AI search tools, orders protections for news websites

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, Iranian media trade barbs

Analysts say angry reports and comments in the pro-government media of both sides reflect official thinking, but expect the legacy of maintaining relatively good ties between the two countries to prevail.

Turkey's President Tayyip Erdogan greets parliamentarians as he arrives at the Turkish parliament to watch a swearing-in ceremony in Ankara, Turkey, June 23, 2015 REUTERS/Umit Bektas - RTX1HQAX

Now Erdogan is cooking up a coup to overthrow himself

Erdogan has been promoting his “presidential system” as the way for Turkey. Now, without any amendment in the constitution, he is declaring it as a “de facto reality.”

Turkey's Temple of Apollo may decode gray mysteries of antiquity

Recent restoration efforts at the Temple of Apollo in western Turkey seek to answer questions about the history of this ancient structure.

Which ancient leader is really buried in colossal Tower of Tughrul?

Controversy surrounds a 12th-century tomb tower carrying the name of the founder of the Seljuk dynasty, Tughrul Beg.

Iran's Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif (L) talks with Lebanon's Prime Minister Tammam Salam upon his arrival at the Government Palace in Beirut, Lebanon August 11, 2015. Zarif visits Lebanon for the first time since Iran reached an agreement with world powers on the country's nuclear program. REUTERS/Aziz Taher - RTX1NXWG

What’s behind Zarif’s visit to Beirut?

An Iranian diplomat shared with Al-Monitor some behind-the-scenes information regarding the Iranian foreign minister’s visit to Beirut and its implications for Lebanon and the region.

A tourist swims around the flooded ruins of an ancient Roman Bath in a small bay called Hamam Koy near Gocek Bay in Mugla province June 13, 2012. REUTERS/Umit Bektas (TURKEY - Tags: ENVIRONMENT SOCIETY TRAVEL) - RTR33JXH

Bathing in Ankara’s ancient history

An ancient Roman site in Ankara was occupied by brothels until recently, and though the brothels have been demolished, the remains still wait to be fully discovered.

A money changer counts U.S. dollar bills at a currency exchange office in central Istanbul April 15, 2015. Turkish Economy Minister Nihat Zeybekci said on Wednesday the lira's slide to record lows was not a cause for concern and reflected global developments, arguing against forex intervention and saying the currency will find its own balance. He also told a meeting in Istanbul that he expected first quarter year-on-year growth of around 1.5 percent, and full year growth exceeding last year's 2.9 percent. R

Turks turn to dollar as lira hits low

Turkish depositors are abandoning the Turkish lira and clamoring for the US dollar.

Syria's President Bashar al-Assad (L) welcomes Iran's Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif before a meeting in Damascus January 15, 2014, in this handout released by Syria's national news agency SANA. REUTERS/SANA/Handout via Reuters (SYRIA - Tags: POLITICS CONFLICT TPX IMAGES OF THE DAY) ATTENTION EDITORS - THIS IMAGE WAS PROVIDED BY A THIRD PARTY. FOR EDITORIAL USE ONLY. NOT FOR SALE FOR MARKETING OR ADVERTISING CAMPAIGNS. THIS PICTURE WAS PROCESSED BY REUTERS TO ENHANCE QUALITY. AN UNPROCESSED VERSION W

Zarif presses diplomacy on Syria

Iran brokers humanitarian cease-fires in Syria; Yair Lapid discusses “dreadful gamble” in US-Israel relations; Turkey’s Stone Age temple may predate Stonehenge and Egyptian pyramids by thousands of years.

- PHOTO TAKEN 29NOV05 - A woman weaves a kilim carpet as a way to contribute to the household income in a workshop in Hakkari province, the most remote southeast province in Turkey, November 29, 2005. [In the shadows of mountains bordering Iraq and Iran, Turkey's Hakkari province may one day be an outpost of the European Union. But for now, it feels cut off from the world. Picture taken November 29, 2005.] - RTXO1TP

Weaving through Turkey's history of kilims

Hand-woven kilims are inspired by a rich culture, but are also gaining global popularity among rich, modern-day nomads.

Cattle, to be slaughtered during next week's Eid al-Adha holiday, are seen at a market in Ankara October 11, 2013. Muslims around the world are preparing to celebrate Eid al-Adha (feast of sacrifice), marking the end of the Haj, by slaughtering sheep, goats, cows and camels to commemorate Prophet Abraham's willingness to sacrifice his son Ismail on God's command. REUTERS/Umit Bektas (TURKEY - Tags: ANIMALS RELIGION BUSINESS) - RTX14791

Ankara slices away at meat prices

The Turkish government has intervened in the market to address soaring food prices as the Central Bank stumbles in its fight against inflation.

PKK vs. Turkey: Violence plagues people of Basak

Turkish security forces expand their operations to urban areas in the southeast of the country.

Who is targeting Iranians in Turkey?

A series of attacks on Iranian interests in Turkey raises the question of why the PKK may seek to hit Iran at this point.