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Turkey

Turkey

August 23, 2026

Ankara 12:57 am

23°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

YURI KADOBNOV/AFP via Getty Images

Turkey fails to convince Russia to lift flight ban

Despite the efforts of Turkey's top-level delegation to Russia to get flights resumed between the two countries, Moscow has extended the ban.

A currency exchange office worker counts Turkish Lira banknotes in front of the electronic panel displaying currency exchange rates at an exchange office in Istanbul, on August 6, 2020.

Further depreciation of Turkish lira appears inevitable

The surprise US inflation data last week could be the omen of deepening troubles for the Turkish economy.

Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan addresses his lawmakers at parliament in Ankara, on Feb. 3, 2009. Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan pledged never to allow anti-Semitism to take hold in Turkey, in a bid to calm the country's Jewish minority, increasingly concerned over his attacks on Israel over the Gaza war.

Turkey’s Jewish minority takes the heat amid Israeli-Palestinian violence

A frenzy of anti-Israeli coverage in Turkish media has accompanied anti-Semitic attacks on the country's small Jewish community.

Chris McGrath/Getty Images

Crypto fever grips Turkey despite risks, new regulations

Turkish citizens are increasingly investing in cryptocurrencies to shelter savings from the volatile Turkish lira and possibly make profits on the side, a trend that has led to both increased risks and increased government regulations.

Amal, the Syrian refugee puppet.

Syrian refugees’ long walk: why Amal is more than a puppet

A giant puppet of a young Syrian girl will travel nearly 8,000 kilometers (5,000 miles) from the Turkish-Syrian border to the United Kingdom.

"enjoyed — i'm vaccinated" face mask

Turkish vaccinated tourism video provokes anger

Foreign tourists are exempt from Turkey's coronavirus lockdown, and hospitality workers were given priority in receiving the vaccine.

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan addresses a protest rally in Istanbul on May 18, 2018, against the killings of Palestinian protesters on the Gaza-Israel border and the US Embassy move to Jerusalem.

Can Erdogan seize on Israeli-Palestinian crisis to make diplomatic gains?

The flurry of diplomacy over the Israeli-Palestinian escalation has helped Erdogan break his diplomatic isolation, but he could hardly hope for far-reaching gains to help his bid at fence-mending with Arab heavyweights.

Smoke billows from an explosion following an Israeli air strike in Rafah in the southern Gaza Strip on May 13, 2021.

Erdogan: Turkey won't 'remain silent' over Israeli strikes in Gaza

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan also called on the UN Security Council to address the worsening bloodshed.

OZAN KOSE/AFP via Getty Images

Turkish lira nears record lows as emerging markets struggle

Turkish stocks slid and the lira hit a six-month low against major currencies Thursday as higher-than-expected US inflation data weighed on emerging markets.

Chris McGrath/Getty Images

Erdogan’s midnight decrees give Turkey nightmares

The overnight decrees increasingly governing Turkey have become a source of livid satire and agony for millions of Turks.

Head's of Turkeys Religious Affairs Directorate Ali Erbas holds a press conference in Ankara, Turkey on March 15, 2019.

Turkey’s religious agency grows even richer, more powerful

Turkey’s Religious Affairs Directorate has acquired unprecedented influence and budget means under Erdogan, spending more than the Foreign and other ministries.

A man walks across the deserted Eminonu Square in Istanbul on May 9, 2021, during a new lockdown aimed at fighting a surging third wave of COVID-19 infections.

Lockdown stems virus surge in Turkey but slow vaccination raises concern

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said Wednesday a nationwide lockdown would be gradually lifted as planned on May 17, though health experts urged caution amid a vaccination campaign slowed by supply hurdles.