Turkey - AL-MONITOR: The Middle Eastʼs leading independent news source since 2012

Turkey

Turkey

August 25, 2026

Ankara 12:50 am

23°C

A Turkish soldier from the 1st Border Regiment Command looks out over the border wall to Syria during alert drills at a military outpost on the Turkey/Syria border on March 2, 2017 in Kilis, Turkey.

Analysis

Why Turkey sees Israeli strikes in Syria as warning over its military role, Mecca Pact

Ankara views Israel’s latest strikes in Syria as part of a broader effort to curb Turkey’s military influence in Damascus and a challenge to its regional defense partnerships.

Barin Kayaoglu

By Barin Kayaoglu

In Ankara, reporting on geopolitics and national security

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

Latest News

Analysis

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

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)

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

Turkey seeks Interpol Red Notices for Netanyahu over Gaza flotilla

Murat Kocabas / Middle East Images / AFP via Getty Images

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

Burhaanettin Duran

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

Nagorno-Karabakh conflict tests Turkey’s hard power without diplomacy

Can Ankara’s “coercive diplomacy” in the south Caucasus yield tangible diplomatic benefits in the long run?

No good news for Turkey from jihadi ranks in Syria

Ahrar al-Sham, a prominent armed group that has often collaborated with Turkey in Syria, is hit by infighting that plays into the hands of Hayat Tahrir al-Sham and dampens Turkish plans to remold rebel factions in Idlib.

A man holds a picture of Macron with a shoe print on it as Turkish protesters shout slogans against France during a demonstration against French President's comments over Prophet Muhammad cartoons, in Istanbul, on October 25, 2020. - Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan on October 25, 2020 renewed his call for his French counterpart Emmanuel Macron to undergo mental checks, a day after his comments prompted Paris to recall its envoy to Ankara. Macron's comments, on October 21, 2020, came in response to th

Erdogan distracts from plummeting lira with call to boycott France

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan accused France’s Emmanuel Macron of pandering to anti-Muslim "fascists" in a desperate bid to bolster his electoral fortunes ahead of presidential elections in 2022, yet many would agree that Erdogan’s anti-Western tirades are designed to divert attention from his country’s mounting economic woes.

Turkey’s ruling party blunders at youth outreach

The Turkish government's recent attempts to reach out to the country's youth reveal that the generation gap is growing — and might be unbridgeable.

Erdogan goes on offense against European leaders in defense of lslam

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has taken up the cause of Islam in the West, further damaging Turkey's ties with Europe.

Turkey’s gold rush whets appetite of gold-mining companies

Turkey is eager to boost gold production amid surging demand for the precious metal despite a growing movement against the environmental damage caused by the industry.

Democratic senators demand inquiry into alleged Turkish and Azerbaijani human rights abuses

Turkey has responded to some of the recent criticisms it has received from Democrats in Washington. The recent call from the Senate focuses Turkish support for Azerbaijan in the war with Armenia.

A picture taken on August 20, 2018 shows a general view of the US Embassy, in Ankara. - Gunshots were fired early on Augsut 20, 2018 at the US embassy in Ankara but caused no casualties, Turkish and American officials said, amid escalating tensions between the two NATO allies. Six shots were fired at the US embassy, the Ankara governor's office said, adding that three bullets hit the iron gate and window wall. The incident come as Ankara and Washington are locked in a bitter dispute over Turkey's detention

US Embassy in Turkey warns of terror threat against Americans

The statement urged US citizens to avoid crowds and keep a low profile in areas frequented by foreigners.

A picture taken at the port of Dilovasi, outside Istanbul, on June 20, 2019 shows the drilling ship 'Yavuz' scheduled to search for oil and gas off Cyprus. - Turkey is set to send a new ship on June 20 to search for oil and gas off Cyprus, in a move expected to escalate tensions after the EU called on Ankara to stop its "illegal drilling activities". The region near the divided island is believed have rich natural gas deposits, triggering a race between Turkey and the internationally recognised Cyprus, whic

What now for Turkey in Cyprus and eastern Mediterranean?

The election of Turkey’s favorite candidate in the Turkish Cypriot presidential elections may create more problems than opportunities for Ankara in the eastern Mediterranean.

Russian President Vladimir Putin and his Turkish counterpart Recep Tayyip Erdogan arrive to hold a joint press statement following their talks at the Kremlin in Moscow on March 5, 2020. (Photo by Pavel Golovkin / POOL / AFP) (Photo by PAVEL GOLOVKIN/POOL/AFP via Getty Images)

Cracks in Turkish-Russian ties begin to show

Mistrust instead of the spirit of mutually beneficial political cooperation is guiding current relations between Ankara and Moscow.

A woman views a Turkish coffee set as a vendor arranges souvenir merchandise at a bazaar in Libya's capital Tripoli on September 28, 2020. (Photo by Mahmud TURKIA / AFP) (Photo by MAHMUD TURKIA/AFP via Getty Images)

Turkey-Egypt conflict in Libya goes to market

Ankara held an economic forum to introduce Turkish products to the Libyan markets, prompting the Egyptian-Libyan Joint Economic Chamber to warn against Turkish efforts to seize Libyan wealth.

ISTANBUL, TURKEY - OCTOBER 19: Turkey's drilling vessel Kanuni arrives for alterations at the Haydarpasa port on October 19, 2020 in Istanbul, Turkey. The vessel will undergo tower disassembly before heading to the Black Sea. Turkey's president Recep Tayyip Erdogan recently announced a further discovery of 85 billion cubic meters of natural gas in the Black Sea. (Photo by Chris McGrath/Getty Images)

Turkey blasts Greece, Cyprus, Egypt for 'baseless' Mediterranean accusations

The three countries accused Turkey of threatening regional stability with its renewed exploratory mission in the contested waters.