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

Turkey

Turkey

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

Supporters attend a congress to launch the "Labour and Freedom Alliance", a six party coalition led by the HDP, in Istanbul on Sept. 24, 2022.

Third alliance enters the fray ahead of Turkish elections

The leftist Labor and Freedom Alliance pledges to undo injustice but could risk a split in the opposition vote.

A woman enjoys the sea as a Greek army rib returns from patrol.

Turkey protests US, Greece over ‘violating non-military status’ of Aegean Greek islands

Eastern Mediterranean conflict is steadily turning into a fresh strain in already-troubled US-Turkey ties, as Erdogan lashes out at Washington and Athens over the military buildup in the Dodecanese islands.

Mabel Matiz

Culture

Queer singer tries to create space for discussion in Turkey

As the government ramps up its anti-LGBTQ stance, Mabel Matiz, one of Turkey’s most popular queer artists, says he will continue to write songs that inspire public conversation on taboos.

A giant banner of the Russian national Mir card payment system.

Halt of Mir use deals blow to rising Putin-Erdogan cooperation

The specter of Western sanctions could curb other economic activities between Turkey and Russia as the surging bilateral trade comes under growing scrutiny.

A worker sorts out plastic waste collected at a plastic recycling factory in Kartepe, district of Kocaelion, Turkey, May 11, 2022.

Health of Turkey’s plastic waste workers under threat as European imports grow

A report by Human Rights Watch finds Turkish authorities are not enforcing a law to protect vulnerable workers and local residents from toxic fumes.

A corn vendor waits for customers on a street in Istanbul on Sept. 6, 2022.

In shock move, Turkey cuts interest rates again

Inflation is historically high in Turkey, but President Erdogan continues to defy economic wisdom as the country's central bank slashed policy rates further.

Turkey drone

UAE receives first batch of Turkish armed drones

Turkey’s delivery of 20 armed drones to the United Arab Emirates showcases the rapid advance in Ankara’s regional fence-mending.

Russian "Marina" shows her Russian passport as she poses for a photo in a hostel in Belgrade, on March 17, 2022.

Turkey braces for fresh influx of Russians as Putin announces mobilization

Prices of international flights from Russia to countries where Russians can visa-free travel skyrocketed within hours following Russian President Vladimir Putin’s partial mobilization announcement.

DENIS LOVROVIC/AFP via Getty Images

Turkey’s Erdogan tours world stage but misses royal funeral

The Turkish president’s foreign trips are widely seen as a way of boosting his image at home.

Russian President Vladimir Putin meets with Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan.

Why Erdogan’s Shanghai ambitions are risky business

President Erdogan’s statement that NATO-member Turkey is targeting membership in the Shanghai club is more geared toward domestic consumption than reality, particularly after a top Russian diplomat said NATO and the SCO are incompatible.

The flags of (L to R) Turkey, Israel, and the Israeli army armoured corps fly at the Yad La-Shiryon Tank Museum in Latrun, about 30 kilometres west of Jerusalem, on August 18, 2022. - Israel and Turkey on August 16 announced the resumption of full diplomatic ties following years of strained relations between the Mediterranean nations. Israeli Prime Minister Yair Lapid hailed the step as an "important asset for regional stability and very important economic news for the citizens" of the Jewish state. Lapid h

Israeli, Turkish leaders to meet at UN amid East Mediterranean tensions

Protesters hold placards and flags during an anti-LGBT rally organized by pro-Islamic organizations in Istanbul on Sept. 18, 2022.

Thousands gather in Istanbul for anti-LGBTQ rally

Organizers say they are rallying for family values, while rights groups protest the rally as a hate crime.