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

Turkey

Turkey

November 6, 2026

Ankara 7:27 pm

8°C

Costa Rica's Grynspan extends lead in UNSG poll as Nusseibeh places fourth

The Costa Rican candidate received 12 encourage votes in Thursday's UN Security Council straw poll.

United Arab Emirates

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

Breaking | Last Updated: November 5, 2026, 3:56 pm

Turkey’s parliament ratifies Mecca pact in boost to Saudi Arabia

Turkey will now decide the scope of military support for Saudi Arabia amid ongoing Iran-backed Houthi attacks on the kingdom.

TOFIK BABAYEV/AFP via Getty Images

Can Erdogan’s Baku visit fix Turkey-Azerbaijan rift?

A dispute over religious dress in schools has exposed deeper tensions between the two allies, with energy, arms sales, Israel and financial interests adding to the strain.

Latest News

Turkey says soldier killed by gunfire from Iran at border: What to know

A sign marking the border of Turkey in Van, Turkey, on March 14, 2026.

Turkey probes Google’s AI search tools, orders protections for news websites

Turkey moves PKK leader Ocalan to prison villa as peace process faces new test

A protestor holds a flag bearing a portrait of jailed leader of the Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK) Abdullah Ocalan during a demonstration of Kurdish people from all around Europe to mark the 27th anniversary of his arrest and to demand his liberation, in Strasbourg, Eastern France, on Feb. 14, 2026.

Explainer

Who is Feridun Sinirlioglu, Turkey’s candidate for UN chief?

OSCE Secretary General Feridun Sinirlioglu is pictured during a joint press conference with the OSCE Chairman-in-Office, Switzerland's Foreign Minister at Vienna International Airport on Feb. 6, 2026 in Schwechat, Lower Austria.

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 police bomb experts inspect the site after an explosion at the entrance of the U.S. embassy in Ankara February 1, 2013. A suspected suicide bomber detonated explosives in an attack which killed two people at the U.S. embassy in Ankara on Friday, the provincial governor Alaaddin Yuksel told reporters. REUTERS/Stringer (TURKEY - Tags: POLITICS CIVIL UNREST) - RTR3D81N

Terrorist Attack Linked To Turkey’s Syria Policies

Kadri Gursel argues that Revolutionary Peoples’ Liberation Party-Front [DHKP-C] suicide bombing at the U.S. Embassy in Ankara is a response to Turkey’s policies in Syria.

Footage from a video obtained by Reuters shows a man identified as al
Qaeda spokesman Suleiman Abu Gheith speaking into a camera, warning
American Muslims and opponents of American policy not to fly in
airplanes or live in tall buildings. The source who provided the video
to Reuters and a British Sunday newspaper said this and pictures of a
man identified as Osama bin Laden were filmed in March 2002. If
genuine, the film would provide the first proof that bin Laden survived
the U.S.-led onslaught on

Bin Laden Relative Arrested In Turkey Before Bombing

While there's no connection between the arrest of Osama bin Laden’s son-in-law, Suleiman Abu Gheith, days before the suicide bombing of the U.S. Embassy in Ankara, and the bombing itself, both incidents put the focus on Turkey’s role in combating terrorism, reports Tulin Daloglu.

Sheikh Moaz Alkhatib, President of the National Coalition of Syrian Revolutionary and Opposition Forces and U.S. Vice-President Joe Biden (R) meet for bilateral talks during the 49th Conference on Security Policy in Munich February 2, 2013. Senior U.S., Russian and U.N. officials, along with the leader of the Syrian opposition, were all expected in Munich on Saturday, providing a rare opportunity for talks to revive efforts to end the civil war in Syria. REUTERS/Michael Dalder(GERMANY - Tags: MILITARY

Week in Review: Turkey Terror Attack; Syria Political Solution

Al-Monitor’s coverage and analysis of the terrorist attack on the US embassy in Turkey and the possibility of a new opening for a political solution to the Syrian crisis.

Turkish police forensic experts inspect the site after an explosion at the entrance of the U.S. Embassy in Ankara February 1, 2013. A suicide bomber killed a Turkish security guard at the U.S. embassy in Ankara on Friday, blowing the door off a side entrance and sending smoke and debris flying into the street. Ankara Governor Alaaddin Yuksel said the attacker was inside U.S. property when the explosives were detonated. The blast sent masonry spewing out of the wall of the side entrance, but there did not ap

Turkish Suicide Bomber Did Not Act Alone

Semih Idiz ponders some of the questions about the terrorist attack on the US embassy in Ankara, such as who provided the explosives and was there any support from outside Turkey?

U.S. Ambassador to Turkey Francis Ricciardone (L, with white hair) speaks to media outside of the U.S. Embassy in Ankara February 1, 2013. A suicide bomber from a far-left group killed a Turkish security guard at the U.S. embassy in Ankara on Friday, blowing the door off a side entrance and sending smoke and debris flying into the street. The attacker blew himself up inside U.S. property, Ankara Governor Alaaddin Yuksel said. The blast sent masonry spewing out of the wall and could be heard a mile away. REU

The Ankara Bomber: A Pro-Assad Communist

Mustafa Akyol profiles Ecevit Şanlı and the outlawed People's Revolutionary Liberation Army-Front (DHKP-C), one of Turkey's infamous Marxist-Leninist terror organizations, responsible for the suicide bombing at the US Embassy in Ankara on Feb. 1.

Journalists and their supporters march during a protest against the arrests of journalists in Istanbul April 14, 2011. Journalists in Turkey marched in protest after police arrested 10 reporters and writers. REUTERS/Osman Orsal (TURKEY - Tags: POLITICS CIVIL UNREST) - RTR2L7R3

Turkey: No Country for Journalists

Semih Idiz writes that the Turkish government needs a sense of urgency to address the lack of press freedom.

ATTENTION EDITORS - VISUAL COVERAGE OF SCENES OF INJURY OR DEATH
Turkish police officers react after an explosion at the entrance of the U.S. Embassy in Ankara February 1, 2013 in this picture provided by Milliyet Daily Newspaper. A suicide bomber killed a Turkish security guard (not pictured) at the U.S. embassy in Ankara on Friday, blowing the door off a side entrance and sending smoke and debris flying into the street. Ankara Governor Alaaddin Yuksel said the attacker was inside U.S. property when the ex

Terrorist Attack at USEmbassy in Turkey

Tulin Daloglu reports from the scene of a suicide bombing at the US Embassy in Ankara.

Iraq Oil Minister Abdul Kareem Luaibi addresses a news conference during the fourth licensing round for exploration blocks at the Oil Ministry's headquarters in Baghdad May 30, 2012. A consortium led by Kuwait Energy and partners Turkey's TPAO and Dubai-based Dragon Oil secured a deal to explore Block 9, a mainly oil area in southern Basra province. REUTERS/Saad Shalash (IRAQ - Tags: BUSINESS POLITICS ENERGY) - RTR32THT

Iraqi Oil Contracts Reward Kuwait, Punish Turkey

The signing of the latest round of oil contracts in Iraq has been a victory for the Iraq-Kuwait detente, but comes at the cost of deteriorating relations with Turkey, writes Omar al-Shaher.

Turkey's Prime Minister Tayyip Erdogan speaks to the media during a meeting with Senegal's President Macky Sall at the presidential palace in Dakar January 10, 2013. REUTERS/Joe Penney (SENEGAL - Tags: POLITICS) - RTR3CA5T

Turkey May Find Itself With 'AKP Constitution'

Mustafa Akyol assesses the politics of Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan's initiative for a new constitution.

Turkey's Prime Minister Tayyip Erdogan speaks to the media during a meeting with Senegal's President Macky Sall at the presidential palace in Dakar January 10, 2013. REUTERS/Joe Penney (SENEGAL - Tags: POLITICS) - RTR3CA64

Erdogan Serious About Turkey's Bid For Shanghai 5 Membership

Kadri Gürsel writes that Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan is serious about his bid to join the Shanghai Cooperation Organization.

Turkish Prime Minister Tayyip Erdogan shakes hands with Syrian refugees as he visits a refugee camp near Akcakale border crossing on the Turkish-Syrian border, southern Sanliurfa province, December 30, 2012. REUTERS/Kayhan Ozer/Prime Minister's Press Office/Handout (TURKEY - Tags: POLITICS CONFLICT) FOR EDITORIAL USE ONLY. NOT FOR SALE FOR MARKETING OR ADVERTISING CAMPAIGNS. THIS IMAGE HAS BEEN SUPPLIED BY A THIRD PARTY. IT IS DISTRIBUTED, EXACTLY AS RECEIVED BY REUTERS, AS A SERVICE TO CLIENTS - RTR3BZG7

Erdogan Boxed In by Syria

Prime Minister Erdogan finds himself boxed in by his Syria policy, both in domestic politics and in dealing with a growing regional and humanitarian crisis, writes Tulin Daloglu.

Islamist fighters carry their flag during the funeral of their fellow fighter Tareq Naser, who died during clashes on Sunday, near the village of Fafeen in Aleppo's countryside September 17, 2012. REUTERS/Zain Karam (SYRIA - Tags: POLITICS CONFLICT) - RTR382U8

Islamists in Syria Empowering PKK

The Islamization of the Syrian opposition is giving the PKK and its local affiliate, the Democratic Union Party (PYD), a new source of strength and local support, writes Denise Natali.