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

Turkey

Turkey

October 21, 2026

Ankara 10:58 am

12°C

Fidan

Analysis

What's at stake as Libya's eastern parliament approves Turkey maritime deal

Libya's eastern-based parliament's approval of a long-disputed maritime deal with Turkey marks a strategic win for Ankara as Saddam Hifter seeks Turkish backing for his presidential ambitions, according to analysts.

Ezgi Akin

In Ankara, reporting on diplomacy, EU-Turkey ties, NATO

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

Latest News

Explainer

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

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

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.

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

Turkey going full speed ahead with ambitious drone projects

The Turkish defense industry continues intensive work to develop long-range armed drones and cruise missiles, seeking to gain preemptive strike capability to eliminate threats at their source.

ANKARA, TURKEY - SEPTEMBER 10: Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan (C) meets United States Secretary of Commerce Wilbur Ross (L) at Presidential Complex in Ankara, Turkey on September 10, 2019. Turkish Treasury and Finance Minister Berat Albayrak (R) also attended the meeting. (Photo by Murat Kula/Anadolu Agency via Getty Images)

Can trade dialogue help improve Turkish-US ties?

Amid the lingering threat of US sanctions on Turkey over its purchase of Russian missiles, US Secretary of Commerce Wilbur Ross paid a long visit to Turkey, leading many to believe bilateral trade will be set apart from the political rows between the two countries.

Can new Turkish posts calm Idlib?

The Turkish army is preparing to build more observation posts in Syria’s Idlib, where a fragile cease-fire is violated daily.

Rich Ottoman recipes grace Istanbul tables

A restaurant in Istanbul's historical district of Fatih has revived 500-year-old Ottoman recipes, including a special goose dish that help develop lasting relationships with regional farmers.

A firefighter plane douses water over the black smoke and flames raging through the cargo section at Ataturk International Airport in Istanbul May 24, 2006. REUTERS/Fatih Saribas - GM1DSRFSRLAA

Turkey eyes amphibious jets after forest fire fiasco

Following Ankara's embarrassing failure to control forest fires this summer, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan appears to be negotiating to purchase Russian firefighting planes.

Turkey's central bank governor Murat Uysal speaks during a news conference in Ankara, Turkey, July 31, 2019. REUTERS/Alp Eren Kaya - RC1B44509C00

Turkey slashes interest rates to kickstart economy

Turkey's central bank has cuts interest rates more than expected after President Recep Tayyip Erdogan promised that the measure would reduce inflation and ease Turks' pain.

New pipeline in works to transport Iraqi oil to Turkey

Iraq and Turkey are building a brand-new pipeline that will transfer Kirkuk oil to Turkey and tie into Iraq's existing pipeline network.

Regional, international actors risk making matters worse in Iraq's Sinjar

The conflict over controlling the strategic area of Sinjar along Iraq's borders with Turkey and Syria has made the Yazidis' situation worse.

Turkey's pro-Kurdish HDP returns from Erbil with no news on PKK talks

A delegation from Turkey’s largest pro-Kurdish party paid a visit to Iraqi Kurdistan that many Kurds hoped would lead to renewed dialogue between Turkey and the outlawed Kurdistan Workers Party, but nothing concrete seems to have yet emerged.

Turkish military vehicles patrol near the Syrian town of Saraqeb in the northwestern province of Idlib on September 4, 2019. (Photo by Omar HAJ KADOUR / AFP) (Photo credit should read OMAR HAJ KADOUR/AFP/Getty Images)

Can Turkey escape the fireball in Idlib?

Protesters in Idlib are calling Turkey traitorous, but that’s only a small part of the big picture, in which radical jihadi groups emerge as a fireball in all scenarios for Ankara, entertaining menacing ambitions.

Ekrem Imamoglu, main opposition Republican People's Party (CHP) Istanbul mayoral candidate, is pictured with his party's Istanbul chair Canan Kaftancioglu during a campaign coordination meeting in Istanbul, Turkey, May 22, 2019. REUTERS/Murad Sezer - RC1C172A6B30

A generational change is looming in Turkish politics

New names for the post-Erdogan era signify a generational change in Turkish politics.

A demonstrator holds scarf reading "Do not touch my Academics" in front of the Justice Palace during first of a series of trials that will begin against a total of some 150 academics from public and private universities accused of spreading terrorist propaganda, in Istanbul, Turkey December 5, 2017. REUTERS/Osman Orsal - RC1A923E7380

More academics acquitted in Turkey, sparking cautious hope

A Turkish court ruling has led to the acquittal of 27 academics convicted and on trial over terror charges, but the shaken defendants are hesitant to believe the decision will stand and be extended to hundreds of their purged colleagues.