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Turkey

Turkey

August 17, 2026

Ankara 6:04 am

18°C

Fireworks explode over Islamabad

Analysis

How Israel's rivalry, defense deals prompted Turkey to join Mecca pact

Turkey’s growing rivalry with Israel and mounting regional instability are driving its defense alignment with Saudi Arabia and Pakistan, despite risks of strategic entanglement and friction with NATO partners.

Barin Kayaoglu

By Barin Kayaoglu

In Ankara, reporting on geopolitics and national security

Latest News

Exclusive

Turkey set to sign charter for Saudi-led Red Sea coalition on Friday

Servicemen of Yavuz class, TCG Turgutreis (F-241), warship stand at attention on the deck as they participate in the live-fire phase of the "Blue Homeland-2026" (Mavi Vatan) tactical military exercises in the eastern Mediterranean Sea, in Antalya on April 9, 2026.

Amberin Zaman

By Amberin Zaman

Reporting on geopolitics, minorities, human rights, culture

Explainer

Three ways China benefits from Saudi-Turkey-Pakistan pact: What to know

SPA

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

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan.

Erdogan returns to Turkey after securing thaw with Israel on US trip

Erdogan met with Netanyahu for the first time in New York, and is readying to visit Jerusalem as soon as next month.

Resilient Africa

First Ukraine grain ship since Russia left deal reaches Turkey’s Bosporus

Turkey remains reluctant to be a part of an alternative grain deal for Ukraine’s grain shipments despite Kyiv and Washington's efforts to form one.

Chris McGrath/Getty Images

Turkey’s Central Bank hikes interest rates to 30%

The bank cited higher-than-expected inflation rates and rising oil prices for the hike.

Erdogan, Mitsotakis

Turkey, Greece to resume confidence-building talks in November

It marks the latest of a series of steps taken by Ankara and Athens to solve their multiple disagreements through dialogue.

Avi Ohaion/GPO

Israel, Turkey leaders discuss Saudi normalization in first New York meeting

Meeting for the first time on the margins of the United Nations General Assembly, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan sought to deepen bilateral ties and advance an Israel-Saudi normalization deal.

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan addresses the 78th United Nations General Assembly at UN headquarters in New York City on September 19, 2023. (Photo by Ed JONES / AFP) (Photo by ED JONES/AFP via Getty Images)

Turkey's Erdogan backs Azerbaijan's offensive in Nagorno-Karabakh, as US, Russia urge restraint

Addressing the UN General Assembly in New York, Erdogan said the contested Nagorno-Karabakh region is Azerbaijani territory, as US and Russia rejected Baku's offensive.

RAMI AL SAYED/AFP via Getty Images

Kurdish forces kill 14 pro-Turkey fighters in north Syria attack

The attack comes amid infighting between rebel factions loyal to Ankara in north Syria.

WANG ZHAO/AFP via Getty Images

China’s Alibaba to invest $2 billion in Turkey

The news follows economic changes in Turkey as well as improving ties between Turkey and China.

DANIEL SLIM/AFP via Getty Images

From Iran to Israel, 5 Middle East stories to watch at UNGA summit

The US agenda includes a long-sought meeting between President Joe Biden and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.

SPENCER PLATT/AFP via Getty Images

Analysis

Erdogan's UNGA visit strained by Sweden's NATO delay, Turkey’s F-16s sale

President Erdogan’s visit to the United States is unlikely to overcome the current deadlock in the bilateral Turkey-US ties, but the Turkish leader is set to meet his Israeli and Greek counterparts in New York.

Ezgi Akin

In Ankara, reporting on diplomacy, EU-Turkey ties, NATO

Chris McGrath/Getty Images

Turkey’s central bank mulls giant interest rate hike up to 10% to fight inflation

Alarmed by resurging price increases, central bank officials reportedly believe that a rate hike of up to 10 percentage points is an inevitable part of monetary tightening to tackle inflation.

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan (R) and Chinese President Xi Jinping (L) inspect Chinese honour guards during a welcome ceremony outside the Great Hall of the People in Beijing on July 2, 2019. (Photo by WANG ZHAO / AFP) (Photo by WANG ZHAO/AFP via Getty Images)

Turkey, China near agreement on nuclear power plant

If built, the facility will likely be Turkey's third nuclear plant, with Russia currently constructing its first.