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Turkey

Turkey

May 18, 2026

Ankara 7:03 pm

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Ships navigate the Bosphorus Strait on May 02, 2026 in Istanbul, Turkey. Since the outbreak of the US-Israeli war against Iran, forcing the closure of the Strait of Hormuz and together with the ongoing Russia-Ukraine war, global shipping routes have been severely impacted. Soaring shipping costs, lengthening delivery times and less efficient routes have seen increased pressure on energy markets and supply chains worldwide. (Photo by Chris McGrath/Getty Images)

Analysis

Why Turkey sees opportunity in Hormuz crisis to boost Middle Corridor

Ankara seeks to exploit transport disruptions from the Iran, Ukraine wars to push the corridor, but high costs, logistical bottlenecks and South Caucasus politics pose obstacles.

Barin Kayaoglu

By Barin Kayaoglu

In Ankara, reporting on geopolitics and national security

Mazloum Kobane, commander-in-chief of the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF), speaks during the pan-Kurdish "Unity and Consensus" conference in Qamishli in northeastern Syria on April 26, 2025.

Interview

Syrian Kurdish commander Kobane says Turkey visit ‘in the making,’ Ocalan meeting possible

The SDF commander-in-chief reflected on a fragile integration deal with Damascus, growing Kurdish backlash and ongoing talks with Turkey as questions mount over Rojava’s political future.

Mazloum Kobane

Mazloum Kobane

SDF commander in chief

Latest News

Turkey, Armenia to launch direct trade in normalization push: What to know

Turkey’s President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, right, and Armenia’s Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan shake hands before a meeting at Prague Castle in Prague, Czech Republic, Thursday, Oct. 6, 2022.

New Turkey maritime draft bill fuels EastMed tensions with Greece, Cyprus

The helicopter of Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan lands on Abdulhamid Han drill ship, the fourth built by Turkey, in Mersin on Aug. 9, 2022, before being sent for gas exploration to an undisputed area in the Mediterranean Sea, south of Gazipasa.

Turkey's border reopening unlocks new sphere of influence in Syria

Turkish Red Crescent's cars and trucks cross the Turkish border as they leave the Syrian city of Tel Abyad on Oct. 19, 2019, in Akcakale, Turkey.

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

U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry (L) meets with Turkish Prime Minister Tayyip Erdogan at Ankara Palace in Ankara, March 1, 2013. Kerry said on Friday the United States found a comment by Turkey's prime minister, likening Zionism to crimes against humanity, "objectionable", overshadowing their talks on the crisis in neighbouring Syria. REUTERS/Jacquelyn Martin/Pool (TURKEY - Tags: POLITICS) - RTR3EG91

Erdogan’s Double Standards

Shlomi Eldar offers a reminder of the Armenian genocide in asserting that accusations against Zionism by Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan exhibit hatred and hypocrisy.

Pro-Kurdish politicians Sirri Sureyya Onder (R), Pelvin Buldan (L) and Altan Tan (C), are surrounded by media members before leaving for Imrali island in Istanbul February 23, 2013. A delegation of pro-Kurdish politicians left for Imrali island to meet with imprisoned Kurdistan Workers Party (PKK) leader Abdullah Ocalan. Turkey launched tentative negotiations with PKK leader Ocalan in his jail on Imrali island near Istanbul in October, drawing up a framework to end a conflict which has killed more than 40,0

Ocalan Signals Openness to Talks With Turkey on Kurdish Issue

Cengiz Candar interprets news reports about the meeting between members of the Peace and Democracy Party and PKK leader Abdullah Ocalan at the prison on Imrali island where he is serving a life sentence.

U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry (L) meets with Turkish Prime Minister Tayyip Erdogan at Ankara Palace in Ankara, March 1, 2013. Kerry said on Friday the United States found a comment by Turkey's prime minister, likening Zionism to crimes against humanity, "objectionable", overshadowing their talks on the crisis in neighbouring Syria. REUTERS/Jacquelyn Martin/Pool (TURKEY - Tags: POLITICS) - RTR3EG8P

Kerry Response to 'Zionist' Remark Met With Coolness in Turkey

US Secretary of State John Kerry's public response to remarks by Turkish Prime Minister Erdogan on Zionism engendered some coolness from the Turkish prime minister during their first meeting, writes Clovis Maksoud.

Turkey's Prime Minister Tayyip Erdogan arrives for the fifth United Nations Alliance of Civilizations (UNAOC) forum in Vienna, February 27, 2013. REUTERS/Heinz-Peter Bader (AUSTRIA - Tags: POLITICS) - RTR3ECAG

Ocalan Negotiations Impact Future of Turkish Presidency

Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan’s negotiations with Abdullah Ocalan, imprisoned leader of the Kurdistan Workers Party (PKK), are not just over a peace agreement; they have implications for the future of the Turkish presidency, writes Kadri Gursel.

Turkish Foreign Minister Ahmet Davutoglu pauses during the 49th Conference on Security Policy in Munich February 3, 2013. Senior politicians along with the leader of the Syrian opposition are in Munich providing a rare opportunity for talks to revive efforts to end the civil war in Syria. REUTERS/Michael Dalder (GERMANY - Tags: MILITARY POLITICS) - RTR3DALG

The 'Sunnification' Of Turkish Foreign Policy

Turkey once hoped to be a peace broker in the region, but is now increasingly seen as inflaming sectarian divisions and instability, writes Semih Idiz.

sibel piece.jpg

Parents Get on Board With Turkey's LGBT Movement

A new documentary reveals that parents of lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) individuals in Turkey are speaking out for the first time in support of their children, marking a new milestone for the movement in the country, writes Sibel Utku Bila.

Turkey’s National Action Party Resists Peace with PKK

The National Action Party (MHP) is poised to oppose peace with the Kurdistan Workers Party (PKK) on the grounds that it will compromise Turkish identity, writes Caleb Lauer.

Pro-Kurdish politicians Sirri Sureyya Onder (3rd R), Pelvin Buldan (2nd R) and Altan Tan (R), are surrounded by media members before leaving for Imrali island in Istanbul February 23, 2013. A delegation of pro-Kurdish politicians left for Imrali island to meet with imprisoned Kurdistan Workers Party (PKK) leader Abdullah Ocalan. Turkey launched tentative negotiations with PKK leader Ocalan in his jail on Imrali island near Istanbul in October, drawing up a framework to end a conflict which has killed more t

Ocalan's Words Expose Risks To PKK-Turkey Peace Plan

Kadri Gursel writes on how the letters of Abdullah Ocalan, the imprisoned head of the Kurdistan Workers Party (PKK), signal both a first step in building confidence and the difficulties to achieving a final agreement.

Turkey's former Islamist Prime Minister Necmettin Erbakan greets his
supporters after the Friday prayers hours before an electoral board
ruling against him in Ankara September 20, 2002. Turkey's High
Electoral Board on Friday banned former premier Erbakan and Justice and
Development party leader Recep Tayyip Erdogan from running in November
polls because of a past conviction for "Islamist sedition". Erdogan,
formerly mayor of Istanbul, was a member of Erbakan's Virtue party. He
founded Justice and De

More Military Arrests in Turkey For 'Feb. 28 Process'

As Turkey marks the 16th anniversary of its alleged "modern coup," two more generals are called to testify regarding the Feb. 28 event.

German Chancellor Angela Merkel and Turkey's Prime Minister Tayyip Erdogan (R) attend a joint news conference in Ankara February 25, 2013. REUTERS/Altan Burgucu (TURKEY - Tags: POLITICS) - RTR3EA7R

Turkey Can Improve Democratic Record for EU Bid

Turkey has shown progress since it officially applied to become a full member of the European Union in April 1987, but it's still lagging in many basic aspects of democracy, writes Tulin Daloglu.

Germany's Chancellor Angela Merkel (L) walks past the Patriot system as she meets with troops from a German NATO Patriot missile battery at a Turkish military base in Kahramanmaras February 24, 2013. China and Russia are increasingly realizing that Syrian President Bashar al-Assad's time is up, Merkel said on Sunday, as she visited German troops stationed with NATO Patriot missiles close to the Turkish-Syrian frontier. REUTERS/Murad Sezer (TURKEY - Tags: POLITICS MILITARY) - RTR3E7WR

The Coming Unknown For NATO’s Policy on Syria

Jean-Loup Samaan writes that NATO’s role in Syria is likely to remain limited, and that preserving the infrastructure of the country is essential to prevent a collapse of state authority.

U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry speaks during a joint news conference with Britain's Foreign Secretary William Hague at the Foreign and Commonwealth Office in central London on February 25, 2013. REUTERS/Jacquelyn Martin/Pool (BRITAIN - Tags: POLITICS) - RTR3EABJ

Will Kerry Convince Ankara on Syria?

Semih Idiz writes that Ankara’s resistance to a negotiated outcome in Syria could lead to differences with Washington and perhaps to Turkey’s marginalization in efforts to end the war.