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

Turkey

Turkey

October 24, 2026

Ankara 9:19 pm

16°C

Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan meets with Saddam Haftar, Deputy Commander of the Libyan National Army, in Benghazi, Aug. 12, 2026.

Analysis

Turkey's Libya maritime win no guarantee for Saddam Hifter's presidential ambitions

Turkey’s push to broker Libyan reunification has gained momentum with the ratification of a maritime deal, but political divisions and competing regional interests could limit Ankara’s influence.

Amberin Zaman

By Amberin Zaman

Reporting on geopolitics, minorities, human rights, culture

A German Air Force Eurofighter jet is seen during the NATO Media Day at Lielvarde Air Base in Lielvarde, Latvia, on Oct. 1, 2026.

Turkey says Qatar Eurofighter jet deal still on track despite Iran war

Ankara expects Doha to submit a draft sales contract for the fighter jets, as Turkey seeks to acquire aircraft that can be delivered sooner than its newly ordered Eurofighters.

In this stock image, a female embryologist demonstrates freezing straws with embryos and sperm in real IVF laboratory.

Culture

Turkey egg donor scam allegedly sold clients on promise of blond babies

An investigation triggered by a husband’s tip has led to at least 45 arrests in an alleged network that sold Turkish donor eggs to foreign clients seeking Scandinavian ancestry.

Latest News

Analysis

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

Fidan

Ezgi Akin

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

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

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

Chris McGrath/Getty Images

Analysis

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

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

Barin Kayaoglu

By Barin Kayaoglu

In Ankara, reporting on geopolitics and national security

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

Sochi conference casualty of Turkey’s military offensive in Syria

Syrian opposition meeting reveals extent — and limits — of Russian-Turkish collaboration.

Participants attend a session of the Syrian Congress of National Dialogue in the Black Sea resort of Sochi, Russia January 30, 2018. REUTERS/Sergei Karpukhin - HP1EE1U11DHOT

Sochi summit exposes limitations of Moscow's Syria policy

The Sochi meeting was crippled from the very beginning because of Turkey's military offensive in Afrin and the alienation of the Kurds.

Turkish soldiers stand near armoured vehicles as a man waves a Turkish national flag during a demonstration in support of the Turkish army's Idlib operation near the Turkey-Syria border near Reyhanli, Hatay, on October 10, 2017.
The Turkish army has launched a reconnaissance mission in Syria's largely jihadist-controlled northwestern Idlib province in a bid to create a de-escalation zone, the military said on October 9. / AFP PHOTO / ILYAS AKENGIN (Photo credit should read ILYAS AKENGIN/AFP/Getty Im

Turkey tackles 2 roles in Syria: peacemaker, provocateur

While laying waste to Kurdish villages in Afrin, Turkey is also positioning itself as a shield between the Syrian army and opposition forces.

Turkey resumes pressure on US Consulate staff

With the interrogation of another local US Consulate employee, Turkey appears to have broken its promise not to hound staff without notifying the American authorities in a move that could trigger targeted visa sanctions against Turkish officials deemed to be involved.

Turkish soldiers stand near armoured vehicles during a demonstration in support of the Turkish army's Idlib operation near the Turkey-Syria border near Reyhanli, Hatay, on October 10, 2017.
The Turkish army has launched a reconnaissance mission in Syria's largely jihadist-controlled northwestern Idlib province in a bid to create a de-escalation zone, the military said on October 9. / AFP PHOTO / ILYAS AKENGIN (Photo credit should read ILYAS AKENGIN/AFP/Getty Images)

Ankara-Moscow dealings still tangled as Idlib smoke clears

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan and Russian leader Vladimir Putin have reportedly agreed to accelerate Turkey's deployment into Idlib a day after its convoy was struck by a car bomb.

Ankara uses Afrin campaign to showcase Turkish-made weapons

Amid snubs by Western arms suppliers, leaders in Ankara are eager to highlight progress in the Turkish defense industry during the military offensive on Afrin.

Culture Alert: Art speaks to power in February

February exhibitions in the Middle East offer satirical and fantastic looks at politics and society, clearly demonstrating that the fighting spirit in the arts is far from being defeated by the powers that be.

A Syrian refugee mother puts her baby to stroller in Nizip refugee camp, near the Turkish-Syrian border in Gaziantep province, Turkey, November 30, 2016. REUTERS/Umit Bektas - RC11925C4BE0

Hostility toward Syrians could explode in Turkey, ICG warns

A new report by the International Crisis Group warns that tension and violence involving Syrian refugees in Turkey is underdocumented and growing worse.

Olive Branch wins Erdogan friends at home, but risks standoff with US

Despite the success of Ankara's Syrian military operation in closing Turkish ranks around him, President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has raised the possibility of a military confrontation between Turkey and the United States.

A Turkish soldier waves a flag on Mount Barsaya, northeast of Afrin, Syria January 28 ,2018. REUTERS/ Khalil Ashawi - RC13E270E570

Battle for strategic Syrian peak continues

As Turkey fights to reclaim the strategic hilltop of Bursaya a second time, it's getting harder for the president to use the Olive Branch offensive to drum up support.

Turkish forces are seen on Mount Barsaya, northeast of Afrin, Syria January 28, 2018.REUTERS/Khalil Ashawi - RC1DAC1D1470

Russia's role in Afrin depends on Turkey's true intentions

As Turkish forces continue their offensive on Kurdish-controlled Afrin, Russia's playbook there seems to call for a level field and level heads.

A fighter from Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) sits on a curb as he holds his weapon in Raqqa, Syria September 25, 2017. REUTERS/Rodi Said - RC17FB8BC0B0

Is US bailing on Syrian Kurds?

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan ignores appeals for restraint in northern Syria, appears to have gotten Washington to end support for the YPG.