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Turkey

Turkey

August 22, 2026

Ankara 6:00 pm

35°C

Turkey/Syria border

Analysis

Turkey bets on US deconfliction as Israel widens Syria red lines

As Washington pushes a new deconfliction mechanism between Turkey and Israel, the Jewish state shows little incentive to accept tighter constraints on its freedom of action in Syria, experts say.

Ezgi Akin

Rina Bassist

By Ezgi Akin , Rina Bassist

ANKARA, TURKEY - JULY 7: U.S. President Donald Trump (L)shakes hands with with Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan (R) during a formal arrival at the Bestepe Presidential Palace during the NATO summit on July 7, 2026 in Ankara, Turkey. Leaders from NATO's 32 countries, plus NATO allies like Ukraine, gathered in the Turkish capital to discuss a range of issues involving spending targets, defense industrial production, and support for Ukraine, among other topics. (Photo by Emrah Gurel - Pool/Getty Images)

Analysis

Israel fears Turkey’s Syria ambitions and doubts Trump will stop them

Israeli officials remain skeptical of Turkish and Syrian denials over Ankara’s military ambitions in Syria, warning that a deeper Turkish foothold could threaten Israel’s security and strain its ties with Washington.

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

Murat Kocabas / Middle East Images / AFP via Getty Images

Turkey seeks Interpol Red Notices for Netanyahu over Gaza flotilla

The Turkish government’s Interpol move comes amid heightened tensions between Turkey and Israel over Syria.

Latest News

Turkey signals restraint as war of words with Israel escalates over Syria

Burhaanettin Duran

Turkey looks to expand Syria energy footprint into oil, gas

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.

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

passengers departing Kabul airport

Turkey's Erdogan says he may meet with Taliban leadership

The speed of the Afghan insurgents' advances is "really troubling," Erdogan told CNN Turk.

exchange agency in Istanbul

Erdogan plays with fire to spur economic growth

The Turkish president’s insistence on spurring growth despite mounting inflation and the risk of further dollarization is a further invitation to continued economic turmoil.

ADEM ALTAN/AFP via Getty Images

Half of adults in Turkey vaccinated as COVID-19 rates surge

Turkey passed a milestone Wednesday, announcing half of its adults are fully vaccinated, though COVID-19 rates remain near a three-month high, likely due to the fast-spreading Delta variant.

Firefighters battle a large wildfire near the village of Ikizce, in Mugla province, Turkey, Aug. 6, 2021.

Wildfires have burned more than Turkey’s forests

The Turkish government’s conduct during the wildfires that engulfed Turkey’s coastline has not only led to devastation of the country’s forests, but also caused loss of the nation’s sense of solidarity in the wake of natural disasters

A photograph taken on May 26, 2021, in Istanbul shows Sedat Peker speaking on his YouTube channel.

Turkey’s ruling 'White Party' turning gray, critics say

Recent allegations stand in contrast to the ruling Justice and Development Party's pledges to rid Turkey of systemic corruption.

A man counts Turkish Lira at a currency exchange office on July 29, 2020, in Istanbul, Turkey.

Ill-conceived borrowing scheme costs Turkey double

The cost of Ankara’s domestic borrowing in hard currency and gold is estimated to have hit nearly 32% per annum amid the slump of the Turkish lira, more than doubling the cost of borrowing in liras.

ILYAS AKENGIN/AFP via Getty Images

Wildfires deliver blow to tourism in Turkey

Ankara has announced that all but two wildfires are under control and is busily reassuring tourists it's safe to return.

İsmet İnönü at the congress of the CHP, in late 1930s.

Why a Turkish dictator let himself lose an election

Turkey's second president Ismet Inonu surprised the world by stepping down in 1950. Could Erdogan do the same after the 2023 elections?

Chris McGrath/Getty Images

Turkish prosecutor investigates tweets calling for help with wildfires

Ankara claims that Twitter hashtags calling for international aid with the wildfires raging through the country were "organized abroad" with "ideological motivations" in what critics say is a panicked attempt to change the narrative of Turkish helplessness to contain the crisis.

Man injured by fire near Manavgat

Erdogan struggles to contain political fallout from Turkey’s wildfires

The wildfires scorching Turkey since last week threaten not only an environmental disaster but also a big political fallout for President Recep Tayyip Erdogan.

US Secretary of State Antony Blinken speaks about refugee programs for Afghans who aided the United States, during a briefing at the State Department on Aug. 2, 2021, in Washington, DC.

Ankara unsettled by role in US program to relocate Afghans

Washington unveiled a program Monday for Afghan refugees to seek asylum in the United States via third countries, including Turkey, raising criticism from Ankara officials who fear the move could fuel a new migration crisis.

Chris McGrath/Getty Images

Turkish inflation climbs to two-year high, likely delaying interest rate cut

Turkey’s annual inflation rose higher than expected in July to 18.95%, just shy of the Central Bank’s key interest rate, reducing prospects for an early interest rate cut this summer.