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Turkey

Turkey

August 20, 2026

Ankara 12:25 am

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President Ahmad al-Sharaa meets Turkish Energy and Natural Resources Minister Alparslan Bayraktar at the People’s Palace in Damascus, Syria, on Aug. 19, 2026.

Turkey looks to expand Syria energy footprint into oil, gas

Turkish Energy Minister Alparslan Bayraktar said state oil giant TPAO and private companies are ready to explore for oil and gas onshore and offshore in Syria.

Ohad Zwigenberg / POOL / AFP via Getty Images)

Analysis

Netanyahu yields to Trump on Gaza, betting Hamas won’t disarm

Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu agreed to advance the US administration's Gaza plan in a meeting with envoy Jared Kushner despite his skepticism about Hamas' commitment.

In Tel Aviv, reporting on national security, Israeli politics, defense

Sudanese army soldier stands in front of a tank

Sudan ramps up Saudi Arabia, Turkey contacts amid growing Red Sea cooperation

Sudanese officials held parallel talks in Riyadh and Ankara as Saudi Arabia and Turkey deepen security cooperation around the Red Sea and fighting intensifies in Sudan.

Latest News

Analysis

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

Fireworks explode over Islamabad

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

A screengrab from the music video for Copshop, but Turkish popstar Mabel Matiz.

Turkey’s media watchdog warns against LGBTQ song as crackdown continues

Turkish pop star Mabel Matiz's “Copshop,” a song that tells the story of a gay man tortured in a police station, dovetails with a month-long government crackdown on LGBTQ groups and activities during Pride month.

INA FASSBENDER/AFP via Getty Images

Turkey blocks VOA, Deutsche Welle in pre-election media clampdown

The ban came after the websites failed to apply for licenses that would allow government to oversee their content.

Syria Turkey

Syrians adapt to tumultuous Turkish environment

In the decade-old Turkish diaspora, thousands of Syrians have started businesses that fill niches in Turkey and open up new export markets — but economic and political challenges are rising.

Obsolete Turkish lira banknotes are seen in the window of an exchange office on May 05, 2022, in Istanbul, Turkey.

Turkey’s runaway inflation soars to near 79%

The Turkish government’s continued failure to stabilize the battered lira raises the prospect of inflation topping 100% in the fall.

Turkey opposition

Turkish opposition seeks to challenge Erdogan at his own game

Turkey’s opposition, which has long failed to put up a coherent attitude to the government’s foreign policy, is now turning to a hawkish rhetoric that Erdogan himself might envy.

Erdogan Nato

Not so fast: Erdogan still holds cards on NATO bids by Sweden, Finland

If conditions are not met, Turkey's president says it is "out of the question" that the Turkish parliament will take up Sweden and Finland's NATO membership issue; avoiding a further US-Turkish meltdown; is Syria invasion on hold?

MANDEL NGAN/AFP via Getty Images

Many Swedes unsettled by NATO deal with Turkey

The Swedish government has come under fire for its concessions to Turkey in return for Ankara’s support for Sweden’s NATO membership, and the angst among Swedes of Kurdish origin is palpable.

Abdulmecid Efendi's (1868-1944) "The Russo-Turkish War."

Culture

Turkish exhibit reveals ‘extraordinary world’ of Ottoman Empire's last caliph

A retrospective of the artwork of Abdulmecid II, Islam’s last caliph, illustrates the dynasty’s fusion of East and West.

Sweden's Prime Minister Magdalena Andersson (L) shakes hands with Turkey's President Recep Tayyip Erdogan.

Erdogan says Sweden's, Finland's NATO memberships not done deal

The Turkish president says that while the two countries are invited to join NATO, the possibility of a veto remains if they don't keep their promises.

Turkish Presidential Press Office/Getty Images

Prominent sheikh’s funeral exposes Turkey’s secular-religious divide

The funeral of a prominent religious leader has showcased the growing influence of religious groups in Turkey.

NATO

Analysis

The Takeaway: Turkey still has final say on Sweden, Finland NATO bids

Israel awaits Biden message on Iran; Egypt gains Saudi and Arab League support on Nile Dam dispute; Egypt’s chicken showdown; Hamas seizes Israeli surveillance balloon.

Andrew Parasiliti

Elizabeth Hagedorn

By Andrew Parasiliti , Elizabeth Hagedorn

A couple holds hands for a wedding photo as they look at smoke rising over the district of Sur in Diyarbakir.

No respite for Kurds as Turkey's security forces ramp up repression

Musicians, newlyweds, journalists, and even restaurateurs are not immune to the Turkish government's repression of its Kurdish population.