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

Turkey

Turkey

April 4, 2026

Ankara 9:41 pm

10°C

Turkey's Camp TURKSOM, a Turkish military base south of Mogadishu, is seen from the window of an aircraft, on April 26, 2025, in Mogadishu, Somalia.

Analysis

Turkey’s expanding military role in Somalia draws scrutiny amid federal rift

Turkey’s expanding military footprint in Somalia is drawing criticism amid deepening federal-regional tensions, with Ankara denying it is taking sides.

Barin Kayaoglu

By Barin Kayaoglu

In Ankara, reporting on geopolitics and national security

Chris McGrath/Getty Images

Turkey in talks with Iran to clear 11 ships stuck in Hormuz: What to know

Turkey's transport minister says that 11 vessels await passage from Hormuz pending talks with Iran.

Turkey’s President Recep Tayyip Erdogan speaks to MPs at his party's group meeting in the Turkish parliament on Jan. 21, 2026 in Ankara, Turkey.

Analysis

How the Iran war is giving Turkey's Erdogan a big boost

Opinion polls show Turks turning to Erdogan as a steady hand during the war, even as the country's finances remain fragile.

Amberin Zaman

By Amberin Zaman

Reporting on geopolitics, minorities, human rights, culture

Latest News

Turkey says NATO defenses intercepted fourth missile from Iran

German soldiers stand to attention in front of a German Patriot missile launcher at the Gazi barracks in Kahramanmaras, southern Turkey on March 25, 2014.

Analysis

Energy storage keeps Turkey stable, but long war risks fragile economy

Sedat Suna/Getty Images

Barin Kayaoglu

By Barin Kayaoglu

In Ankara, reporting on geopolitics and national security

Turkey confirms Iraq troop withdrawal as NATO pulls back due to Iran war

A handing over of command ceremony at Union III Camp in the Green Zone of the Iraqi capital, Baghdad, on May 22, 2025.

Samuel Wendel

Senior Market Research Analyst

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

Omar Havana/ Getty Images

Turkish-Syrian normalization continues as top diplomats meet

Turkey's foreign minister says Ankara wants to cooperate with the Syrian regime but will not let that get in the way of its fight against terrorism.

ADEM ALTAN/AFP via Getty Images

2022 in review: Turkey wraps up year of regional resets but more whiplash ahead

As 2022 forced the Turkish government to reverse course with regional powers, this election year is expected to usher in even more change in Turkey’s foreign policy.

Turkish National Defense Minister Hulusi Akar holds a joint press conference with the UN Secretary-General at the Joint Coordination Center established in Istanbul for the safe shipment of grain products from the Black Sea region in Istanbul on Aug. 20, 2022.

Turkish, Syrian defense chiefs hold landmark meeting in Russia

The defense ministers' meeting in Moscow was the first official engagement between Damascus and Ankara in more than a decade.

Meral Aksener, the leader of the Iyi Party and the only female chairman at the opposition's Table of Six, addresses women on Dec. 25, 2022.

Turkish leaders woo women voters as election year closes in

The Turkish government and right-wing parties are making a hard sell of their policies on women’s issues from domestic violence to child abuse.

Protesters hold roses while taking part in a demonstration to pay tribute to the Enghien Street shooting victims in Paris on Dec. 23, 2022.

Turkey urges France to ban PKK 'propaganda' after Paris shooting

Summoning France’s ambassador, Turkey expresses concern regarding "anti-Turkish propaganda" in Paris demonstrations.

ADEM ALTAN/AFP via Getty Images

Turkey calls for more action, not words, from Sweden 

Turkey's foreign minister has told his Swedish counterpart that while Ankara welcomes the steps Sweden has taken to get Turkey’s nod for NATO membership, they are not even “halfway” toward fulfilling Stockholm's commitments.

Chris McGrath/Getty Images

Turkey raises minimum wage, keeps interest rates unchanged

Inflation is running rampant in Turkey, but the president continues to stubbornly reject higher interest rates.

A Tesla office on April 20, 2022, in Fremont, Cal.

Elon Musk’s electric vehicle company Tesla hiring in Turkey

The US electric vehicle maker already has a presence in Jordan and Israel and could soon launch in Turkey, where Musk has a good relationship with President Erdogan.

Imamoglu

Turkey's media board fines TV chains for Imamoglu coverage

Three channels were given harsh penalties for criticizing the Istanbul mayor's prison sentence and politics ban and for questioning Erdogan’s economic policies.

Turkey's main opposition party chairman Kemal Kilicdaroglu and Ekrem Imamoglu, the mayor of Istanbul, meet in an attempt to dispel rumors of rivalry over which of them will become the presidential candidate.

Opposition rallies around Istanbul mayor as Turks reel from conviction

Polls find that most Turks, including a sizable number of supporters of the ruling party and its nationalist ally, see the prison sentence and political ban against Istanbul’s charismatic mayor as unfair and politically motivated.

Ground crew unload weapons and other military hardware delivered by the US military at Boryspil International Airport, Boryspil, Ukraine, Jan. 25, 2022.

Turkish military cargo planes stranded in Ukraine return to Turkey

Turkish military planes that were stranded at a Kyiv airport after the Russian invasion of Ukraine have returned to Turkey.

Bulent Kenes

Turkey blasts Swedish extradition refusal as 'very unfavorable'

Turkey has lashed out at Sweden over a court ruling against the extradition of a journalist sought by Ankara.