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Turkey

August 30, 2026

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Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan (R) and Syrian President Ahmed al-Sharaa arrive for a joint press conference following their meeting at the Presidential Palace in Ankara, Feb. 4, 2025.

Analysis

Why Turkey welcomes Israel-Syria talks despite mounting red lines

Turkey supports US-backed Israel-Syria talks but sees little prospect of a lasting accommodation until the Israeli elections.

Barin Kayaoglu

By Barin Kayaoglu

In Ankara, reporting on geopolitics and national security

Barcelona

Culture

In divided Cyprus, FC Barcelona youth camp sparks new dispute: What to know

A planned Barca Academy camp in northern Cyprus has offered more fuel to the controversy over the island’s unresolved divide, rasing tensions over recognition, access and international isolation.

Latest News

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

Omer Messinger/Getty Images

Explainer

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

Equality and Democracy Party lawmakers

Exclusive

Israel recalibrates Syria policy, explores path to security deal

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)

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

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 Prime Minister Binali Yildirim (R)and US Vice President Joe Biden (L) hold a joint press conference following their meeting on August 24, 2016 at the Cankaya Palace in Ankara.
US Vice President Joe Biden on August 24, 2016 said Washington had made clear that pro-Kurdish forces in Syria must not to cross west of the Euphrates River, a prospect alarming for Turkey. His comments come after Turkish troops launched an operation inside Syria to cleanse the key town of Jarabulus from Islamic State (IS) jih

Biden’s diplomatic triage in Turkey

Ankara reconsiders its Syria policy amid strains in US-Turkey ties and a reset in Iran-Turkey diplomacy.

A man bends on a coffin as people mourn during a funeral for victims of last night's attack on a wedding party that left 50 dead in Gaziantep in southeastern Turkey near the Syrian border on August 21, 2016.
At least 50 people were killed when a suspected suicide bomber linked to Islamic State jihadists attacked a wedding thronged with guests, officials said on August 21. Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said the IS extremist group was the "likely perpetrator" of the bomb attack, the deadliest in 2016

How glorification of martyrdom produces child suicide bombers in Turkey

A majority of Turkish children are exposed to Islamic education and media indoctrination that glorifies martyrdom.

Turkey's Prime Minister Binali Yildirim, flanked by Chief of Staff General Hulusi Akar (2nd L) and the country's top generals, attends a wreath-laying ceremony in Anitkabir, the mausoleum of modern Turkey's founder Mustafa Kemal Ataturk, ahead of a High Military Council meeting in Ankara, Turkey, July 28, 2016. REUTERS/Umit Bektas - RTSK1HU

Has Turkey really stepped into 'Syrian quagmire'?

Political developments in the region will determine the fate of the recent Turkish incursion into Syria.

Family members and friends of Kumri Ilter, one of the victims of Saturday's suicide bombing at a wedding, attend her funeral ceremony in southeastern city of Gaziantep, Turkey, August 22, 2016. REUTERS/Osman Orsal. - RTX2MK3G

Was wedding blast in Gaziantep revenge for IS defeats in Syria?

Some suspect the Aug. 20 suicide bombing of a Kurdish wedding party in southern Turkey was the work of the Islamic State avenging its recent losses in Syria.

A Turkish Air Force F-16 fighter jet lands at Incirlik air base in Adana, Turkey, August 11, 2015. REUTERS/Murad Sezer - RTX1NXHJ

What's Turkey really up to in Syria?

Many observers think Turkey's true goal in entering Syria is to prevent the Kurds from dominating northern Syria, not to fight the Islamic State.

Turkish army tanks drive towards to the border in Karkamis on the Turkish-Syrian border in the southeastern Gaziantep province, Turkey, August 25, 2016. REUTERS/Umit Bektas - RTX2MYJC

Will Turkey's Jarablus win lead to showdown with Kurds?

Turkey’s incursion into Jarablus and demands that Kurdish forces retreat have shaken the balance of power in the region.

US Vice President Joe Biden (L) gestures next to Turkish Prime Minister Binali Yildirim (R) as they hold a joint press conference following their meeting on August 24, 2016 at the Cankaya Palace in Ankara.
US Vice President Joe Biden on August 24, 2016 said Washington had made clear that pro-Kurdish forces in Syria must not to cross west of the Euphrates River, a prospect alarming for Turkey. His comments come after Turkish troops launched an operation inside Syria to cleanse the key town of Jarabulus from

Turkey is in its own post-9/11 fury

Just like the United States after the 9/11 attacks, the Turkish state has a right to defend itself; but now, just like the US government after 9/11, Turkey may be seriously overreacting.

Russian President Vladimir Putin shakes hands with Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan during a news conference following their meeting in St. Petersburg, Russia, August 9, 2016. REUTERS/Sergei Karpukhin - RTSM49Z

Why Iran isn't rattled by Turkey-Russia turnabout

Post-coup Turkey raced to patch up ties with Russia, but Iran does not seem concerned that the rapprochement will be at its expense.

U.S. based cleric Fethullah Gulen at his home in Saylorsburg, Pennsylvania, U.S. July 29, 2016. REUTERS/Charles Mostoller/File Photo - RTSL85T

Will Egypt offer asylum to Gulen?

If the United States ever agrees to extradite Fethullah Gulen to Turkey, he has avid supporters who would welcome him in Egypt.

A police officer secures the scene of an explosion where a suspected suicide bomber targeted a wedding celebration in the Turkish city of Gaziantep, Turkey, August 21, 2016. REUTERS/Osman Orsal - RTX2MECV

Did Turkish government see Gaziantep attack coming?

Turkish officials apparently ignored intelligence information that warned of the Aug. 20 wedding massacre in Gaziantep.

A supporter of Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan prepares to burn a photo of U.S.-based cleric Fethullah Gulen during a pro-government demonstration on Taksim Square in Istanbul, Turkey, July 18, 2016. REUTERS/Alkis Konstantinidis - RTSILD0

What's behind Turkey’s selective clampdown on Gulen community?

The Turkish government’s conduct in the clampdown on the Gulen community suggests it has little intention to acknowledge its own contributions to the turmoil.

Turkey's Prime Minister Binali Yildirim (3rd R), Chief of Staff General Hulusi Akar (3rd L), Defense Minister Fikri Isik (2nd R) and the country's top generals pose in Anitkabir, the mausoleum of modern Turkey's founder Mustafa Kemal Ataturk, after a wreath-laying ceremony ahead of a High Military Council meeting in Ankara, Turkey, July 28, 2016. REUTERS/Umit Bektas - RTSK1K7

Will Turkey's military turn East or West?

After Turkey's massive military purge following the failed coup, the new leadership may push for a differing military strategy.