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

Turkey

Turkey

October 20, 2026

Ankara 4:08 pm

16°C

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan addresses Turkish members of parliament during the opening of the parliamentary session at the Grand National Assembly of Turkey, Ankara, Turkey, Oct. 1, 2026.

Turkey sends Mecca defense pact with Saudi Arabia, Pakistan to parliament for ratification

Ankara is weighing military assistance to Riyadh as Houthi attacks intensify, though any Turkish deployment is expected to be limited.

Chris McGrath/Getty Images

Turkey's defense industry set to hit $20B in new contracts in 2026

The expanding defense industry sector has also become a foreign-policy tool for Ankara, deepening military partnerships with countries including Saudi Arabia.

Turkey's Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan (L) and Iran's Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi holds a press conference in Tehran on November 30, 2025.

Analysis

Turkey turns to Iran to contain Houthis as Saudi defense commitments grow

Ankara is trying to contain the fighting between Saudi Arabia and the Houthis through Tehran’s help, but Iran may see an advantage in allowing the Houthis to maintain pressure on the kingdom.

Barin Kayaoglu

By Barin Kayaoglu

In Ankara, reporting on geopolitics and national security

Mihrac Ural, who was also known as Ali Kayali, was arrested

Explainer

Syria arrests Mihrac Ural, ex-Assad militia head also wanted by Turkey

The Turkey-born militia chief and a longtime ally of the Assad-regime, was sought by Ankara over the deadly Reyhanli bombings and by Damascus over his alleged role in massacres on the Mediterranean coast.

Latest News

Turkey: Flash floods kill 3, paralyze Istanbul after record downpour

Abandoned cars piled up among debris and standing water following extremely heavy rainfall, Istanbul, Turkey, Oct. 15, 2026.

Explainer

Why Israel, Armenia don't benefit from hijab spat between Turkey, Azerbaijan

Azerbaijan President Ilham Aliyev (L) and Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan attend the inaugural meeting of the European Political Community (EPC) at Prague Castle on Oct. 6, 2022 in Prague, Czech Republic.

Live Updates

Turkey seizes opposition Halk TV as crackdown widens: What to know

Serhan Asker, General Program Coordinator at Halk TV, makes a statement outside the Ankara branch of Turkey's most-watched news channel, Halk TV.

Iran mum as Azerbaijan’s school hijab ban, Israel ties test alliance with Turkey

A shop owner assists one of his customers at Malta bazaar in the Fatih district in Istanbul, on Dec. 6, 2024.

Samuel Wendel

Senior Analyst, Middle East Business & Tech

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

Turkish government fears compensation claims for Armenian genocide

A resolution passed by the US House of Representatives recognizing the 1915 Armenian genocide has stirred up Turkish concerns of Armenian demands for compensation.

What messages lie behind Assad’s visit to southern Idlib?

Syrian President Bashar al-Assad’s recent visit to the front line in southern Idlib province raised controversy and questions among opposition forces about Assad's goals and what messages he might have been sending — and to whom.

A customer (C) uses an automated teller machine at a branch of Halkbank in Istanbul August 15, 2014. Turkey's state-run lender Halkbank said on Friday it has offer to buy a 76.76 percent stake in Serbian lender Cacanska Banka for an undisclosed sum. Halkbank offered no further details on the potential acquisition in a statement to the Istanbul stock exchange. REUTERS/Osman Orsal (TURKEY - Tags: BUSINESS) - GM1EA8F1MZB01

Penalties loom as lawyer for Turkey's Halkbank delays US court proceedings

Turkey’s state-owned Halkbank may face financial penalties and further political blowback after once again refusing to recognize criminal charges in a New York court this week.

Turkish military vehicles arrive at the Turkish-Syrian border before a joint Turkish-Russian patrol in northeast Syria, near the Turkish border town of Kiziltepe in Mardin province, Turkey, November 1, 2019. REUTERS/Kemal Aslan - RC188E120370

Turkey faces uphill battle to improve image after Syria operation

The Turkish president is maintaining his hard line, which indicates that Ankara’s ties with the international community will remain strained.

Turkish and Russian military vehicles return following a joint patrol in northeast Syria, as they are pictured from near the Turkish border town of Kiziltepe in Mardin province, Turkey, November 1, 2019. REUTERS/Kemal Aslan - RC1A4E403CD0

Ankara faces hostility in north Syria as Turkish-Russian patrols continue

Crowds threw stones and eggs at Turkish-Russian convoys as they entered the predominantly Kurdish town of Kobani in northern Syria.

Is the PKK worried by the YPG's growing popularity?

The PKK, known for its hierarchical nature and its discipline, may be displeased by the growing global visibility of the Syrian YPG.

Are silk and saffron the future of this Anatolian town?

The first female mayor of Safranbolu, a town dating to the 11th century, is eager to put her UNESCO-protected city on Turkey's tourism map.

Residents returning to Tell Abyad after Turkish-FSA invasion

Life is gradually returning to Tell Abyad after the Turkish-backed Free Syrian Army took control of the city from Kurdish forces.

A US armoured vehicle patrols the village of Ein Diwar in Syria's northeastern Hasakeh province on November 4, 2019. (Photo by Delil SOULEIMAN / AFP) (Photo by DELIL SOULEIMAN/AFP via Getty Images)

National security officials fear White House reversal on Syria

As a residual US troop presence arrives in Syria, some Donald Trump administration officials are worried that the president himself may once again reverse his decision to leave troops in the country.

Iraqi Kurds protest against the Turkish offensive against Syria during a demonstration outside the United Nations building in Erbil, Iraq October 12, 2019. Picture taken October 12, 2019. REUTERS/Azad Lashkari - RC1C3DA85ED0

Risking Turkey’s ire, Iraqi Kurds back Syrian brethren

The oft-disunited Kurds of Iraq, Syria and Turkey are united against Turkey's invasion of areas in Syria where Kurds had achieved self-rule.

IDLIB, SYRIA - NOVEMBER 28: A drone photo shows an aerial view of operation area where Daesh leader Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi killed in, on October 28, 2019 in northwestern Syria in Idlib, Syria . A U.S. raid that allegedly killed Daesh leader Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi in northwestern Syria lasted for some four hours, according to local sources. The operation, in which helicopters, drones, and ground units were used, took place a few kilometers away from the Tourlaha camp, where displaced civilians have taken shelter

Baghdadi's death complicates Turkey's plan in Idlib

The US raid targeting the Islamic State's leader undermined Turkey’s plans to let the status quo prevail in Idlib as the Syrian Constitutional Committee concludes its work.

The wife of an Islamic State militant sits in a wheelchair with her son on her lap at al-Hol displacement camp in Hasaka governorate, Syria, April 1, 2019. REUTERS/Ali Hashisho - RC14C2BF54A0

Turkey to send foreign Islamic State fighters home

Turkish forces have captured hundreds of extremists since launching an operation against the Syrian Kurdish militia that fought the Islamic State, and Ankara says a reluctant Europe must take back its citizens.