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Turkey

Turkey

August 26, 2026

Ankara 10:59 am

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Top EU court says Kavala case exposes erosion of judicial independence in Turkey

Europe's top human rights court has renewed its call for Turkey to immediately release jailed philanthropist Osman Kavala, saying his imprisonment reflects a broader “systemic problem” over independence and impartiality of the judiciary.

Equality and Democracy Party lawmakers

Explainer

Turkey’s Kurdish peace process moves to implementation: What to know and what’s next

Turkey’s peace process with Kurdish militants has entered the implementation phase this week, with authorities setting up working groups to verify the Kurdistan Workers Party’s disarmament.

Syrian Foreign Minister Asaad al-Shaibani (C) watches as US special envoy for Syria Tom Barrack prepares to sign an agreement in Damascus on September 16, 2025. Shaibani announced on September 16 a plan backed by Jordan and the United States to restore calm to Druze-majority Sweida province, which witnessed deadly violence in July. (Photo by LOUAI BESHARA / AFP) (Photo by LOUAI BESHARA/AFP via Getty Images)

Exclusive

Israel recalibrates Syria policy, explores path to security deal

Israel is rethinking its hard-line Syria policy and seeking to repair ties with US envoy and Donald Trump's confidant Tom Barrack amid a push for a security agreement with Damascus.

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

Latest News

Analysis

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

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.

Barin Kayaoglu

By Barin Kayaoglu

In Ankara, reporting on geopolitics and national security

Analysis

Turkey bets on US deconfliction as Israel widens Syria red lines

Turkey/Syria border

Ezgi Akin

Rina Bassist

By Ezgi Akin , Rina Bassist

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

Ancient city of Mardin gets big dose of contemporary art

Contemporary artworks at the 4th Mardin Biennial pay homage to the heritage of Mardin, a multicultural city with a strong Assyrian, Arabic and Armenian past.

Zubeyir Aydar, president of the People's Congress of Kurdistan, addresses Kurdish protesters during a demonstration against alleged attacks perpetrated by the Turkish army against Kurds, in Brussels on August 8, 2015. Ankara has launched a two-pronged "anti-terror" offensive against jihadists in Syria and PKK militants based in northern Iraq after a series of attacks on Turkish soil, including a suicide bombing blamed on IS that killed 32 pro-Kurdish activists in the town of Suruc. The PKK, which accuses th

Interview

Campaigns woo Kurdish voters as Turkish election nears

In an interview with Al-Monitor, veteran Kurdish politician Zubeyir Aydar spoke about the fight for the Kurdish vote ahead of Turkey's snap elections.

Zubeyir Aydar

Zubeyir Aydar

Former member of Turkey's parliament

Kurdish singer aspires to run for Turkish parliament on AKP ticket

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan surrounds himself with celebrities such as legendary Kurdish Arab singer Ibrahim Tatlises as a means of boosting support.

Norine Brunson, the wife fo jailed American pastor Andrew Brunson, who is held on charges of aiding terror groups, leaves the courthouse after Brunson's trial in Aliaga, north of Izmir, on May 7, 2018. - Brunson, who ran a church in the western city of Izmir, was detained by Turkish authorities in October 2016. If convicted, he risks up to 35 years in jail. (Photo by BULENT KILIC / AFP) (Photo credit should read BULENT KILIC/AFP/Getty Images)

Turkish court keeps US pastor behind bars

Turkey’s decision to postpone US pastor Andrew Brunson’s hearing until July may be driven by electoral calculations and attempts at so-called hostage diplomacy.

Erdogan's Bosnia rally message to Europe ahead of snap polls

Having thousands of Turks from the Balkans and Europe converge on the Bosnian capital for an election rally could be a risky move for President Recep Tayyip Erdogan.

Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan gestures at his ruling AK Party's Istanbul congress, Turkey May 6, 2018. REUTERS/Osman Orsal - RC1E3428B110

Secular candidate hopes to push Erdogan into Turkish presidential runoff

While some Turks see Erdogan as vulnerable, others only have hopes that his party can be denied a parliamentary majority.

Turkey woos Iraqi provincial leaders to rekindle relations

Ankara hopes its diplomatic efforts in the Shiite-dominated southern provinces of Iraq will improve Turkey's political standing with Baghdad.

Turkey’s Islamist ‘old guard’ joins Erdogan opponents

The National View, the pioneer movement of political Islam in Turkey, has joined the opposition in its efforts to unseat President Recep Tayyip Erdogan in next month’s elections.

Turkey’s pro-Kurdish HDP names jailed leader as presidential candidate

Turkey’s top Kurdish leader Selahattin Demirtas, the only person who could deprive President Recep Tayyip Erdogan of his ambition, is officially joining the presidential race from his prison cell.

Turkey gears up military might to host live-fire war games

The Ephesus joint combined military exercise — the Turkish military’s most prominent annual display — will reveal much about the operational effectiveness of the country's armed forces in the aftermath of the July 2016 coup attempt.

Culture Alert: Fairs and fears of the future

The Middle East culture scene in May includes street festivals, book fairs and visions of a dystopian future.

Turkey’s lira tumbles as inflation nears record high

Investors are dumping the Turkish currency amid worries that a pre-election spending spree and pressure on the Central Bank to keep interest rates low could see the lira continue to spiral.