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Turkey

Turkey

August 22, 2026

Ankara 9:01 pm

25°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

A photo of Orhan Inandi provided to the media by the Turkish government.

Kyrgyzstan denies role in Turkey's rendition of Gulen-linked educator

While the Kyrgyz government has denied helping Turkish intelligence services kidnap a Turkish-Kyrgyz educator, rights groups say it's unlikely that he could have been taken otherwise.

Iraqi riot police protect the Turkish embassy in Baghdad on Feb. 18, 2021 after calls on social media to gather outside the Turkish embassy to protest Turkey's vows to invade the northwestern enclave of Sinjar.

Turkey’s anti-PKK assault leaves Kurds more divided

Turkey’s unremitting assault against the PKK is destabilizing Iraqi Kurdistan, weakening the rebels on the one hand while bolstering support for them among disaffected locals on the other.

ADEM ALTAN/AFP via Getty Images

Pro-Kurdish lawmaker released from Turkish prison after five-day delay

Pro-Kurdish lawmaker Omer Faruk Gergerlioglu was finally released from prison Tuesday, five days after Turkey’s Constitutional Court ruled his rights had been violated in his detention.

Turkey's Oruc Reis seismic research vessel

Erdogan: Turkey will continue oil exploration in disputed eastern Mediterranean

Turkey's president may be upping the ante against Greece, Cyprus and the European Union.

Syrian youth training in Aleppo

US adds Turkey to list of countries using child soldiers

A US State Department report called out Turkey for providing support to armed groups in Syria that use children in combat.

ADEM ALTAN/AFP via Getty Images

Erdogan’s rapprochement with Egypt comes at expense of Brotherhood

Turkey's strong support for the Muslim Brotherhood has created a robust diaspora of its members in Turkey, but it is fast becoming a burden on Turkish foreign policy.

BAKR ALKASEM/AFP via Getty Images

Turkey's illegal renditions of Syrian nationals back in spotlight

Critics say the arrest of Syrian citizens and their extradition to Turkey violates Turkish and international humanitarian law.

Iran's President-elect Ebrahim Raisi delivers speech at the Imam Reza shrine in the city of Mashhad in northeastern Iran, on June 22, 2021.

The Takeaway: Iran deal on front burner before Raisi takes office

Also: Bibi plots his comeback, a woman boxing coach trains men in Egypt, and the latest from Gaza, Jordan, Iraq, and Turkey.

Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu (L) attends the second international Libya conference on June 23, 2021, in Berlin, Germany.

Turkey stalls on withdrawal of foreign forces from Libya

Turkey might have managed to stave off pressure in the Berlin conference on Libya, but as the December elections near, the Turkish military presence in the country will remain a source of tension.

Islamic State suspects in prison in Hasakah, Syria

Turkey's mixed record against Islamic State

Structural problems continue to keep Turkey from putting in place a comprehensive strategy to combat Islamic State elements in the country, despite numerous operations against networks linked to the radical Islamist group.

BULENT KILIC/AFP via Getty Images

Turkey prepares to leave women's rights convention

A decision by Turkey’s Council of State Tuesday opened the way for the nation to withdraw from the Istanbul Convention to prevent violence against women on July 1 despite condemnation from international bodies and women’s rights advocates.

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan (2nd L) gives an award to Ronesans Holding Member of Board Ferit Seyfi Yagmuroglu (2nd R) during Turkey's 500 Largest Service Exporters Award Ceremony in Istanbul, Turkey, on Dec. 21, 2018.

Turkish-Danish hospital deal might be more than meets the eye

A Turkish company known as a presidential favorite is ceding its lucrative hospital operation business, a move observers believe is driven not only by financial hardship but also apprehension over Erdogan’s political future.