Turkey advances gas pipeline plan to northern Cyprus as East Med rivalry grows The Turkish energy minister said the country's oil and natural gas pipeline operator, BOTAS, has started the engineering work for the pipeline. Turkey
In first, Libya’s rival armies to join drill in Turkey: What to know The move follows the first joint exercise inside Libya amid renewed international efforts to unify the country. Turkey
Turkey’s military spending jumps to $30B, leads Mideast growth in 2025 Newly released data shows Ankara’s military spending hit $30 billion, while Saudi Arabia remained the region’s top spender and Israel’s outlays declined in 2025. Turkey
Analysis Why Saudi Arabia, Egypt are wary of Turkey’s proposed 4-way defense pact with Pakistan The proposed framework faces major hurdles and fault lines, ranging from NATO constraints to Israeli opposition and weak military integration. By Barin Kayaoglu In Ankara, reporting on geopolitics and national security
Newsletter: City Pulse Istanbul Contemporary art takes over restored Byzantine cistern By Nazlan Ertan In Izmir and Istanbul, reporting on culture
Turkey squeezed as US-Russia tensions rise in Syria Since the suspected chemical weapons attack by Syrian regime forces in Douma, Turkey has been producing conflicting messages, visibly torn between its strategic interests in Syria and ties to NATO and the West. Syria
Have Iran, Russia and Turkey reached agreement on future Syrian state? The second trilateral summit between the presidents of Iran, Russia and Turkey appears to have ushered further movement toward an understanding on the political endgame in Syria. Syria
Drones could make Turkey-Greece clashes less risky, but more frequent Disputes between Greece and Turkey over Aegean airspace go back decades, but drones could change the face of their encounters drastically. Turkey
Israel's reluctance to embrace lessons of the Holocaust Against the backdrop of Holocaust Memorial Day, Israelis are debating whether the state should act to defend Syrian citizens from chemical attacks and how it has responded in the past toward genocides and ethnic cleansing. Israel
Erdogan rebuffs Moscow’s call to hand Afrin to Syrian government Russia wants Turkey to hand control of Afrin province to Damascus, but Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan says the territory will be returned to local residents at Ankara’s discretion. Syria
Turkey to lower price of citizenship for foreign investors Disappointed by the impact of a citizenship incentive offered to foreign homebuyers last year, Ankara is expected to lower the bar from $1 million to $300,000. Turkey
Erdogan vows to continue global manhunt for Gulen affiliates Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has told supporters that his government will not stop pursuing those it claims are responsible for the 2016 failed coup attempt despite criticism and anger over unauthorized seizures of individuals and their forced repatriation to Turkey. Turkey
How will Sinjar crisis end as tensions mount between Baghdad, Ankara? Ankara's insistence on combating the Kurdistan Workers Party may push Baghdad to take the lead on cleansing northern Iraq of the Kurdish militia, a scenario that presents a new internal crisis in Iraq's Kurdistan Region. Iraq
Culture alert: Gaza conflict spills over to cinema festivals Iran’s Fajr International Film Festival has invited Palestinian director Rashid Masharawi as its guest of honor, while, farther west, Palestinian artists are boycotting the Istanbul Film Festival for refusing to drop an Israeli-government-backed sponsor, Art Israel. Palestine
Turkey’s economic woes open cracks in government ranks Amid failing efforts to halt the slump of the Turkish lira, President Recep Tayyip Erdogan and senior Cabinet members appear increasingly at loggerheads over how to keep the economy afloat. Turkey
Russia sees benefit of nudging Turkey on to Manbij in Syria Despite their divergent strategic goals, the leaders of Iran, Russia and Turkey have agreed to work together in Syria while further excluding the United States from the decision-making process. Syria
Turkey’s top business body pushes for more gender equality in TV series The top business body in Turkey finds gender bias in TV series that reproduces traditional stereotypes — and aims to help correct it. Turkey