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

Turkey

Turkey

August 25, 2026

Ankara 12:25 pm

27°C

A Turkish soldier from the 1st Border Regiment Command looks out over the border wall to Syria during alert drills at a military outpost on the Turkey/Syria border on March 2, 2017 in Kilis, Turkey.

Analysis

Why Turkey sees Israeli strikes in Syria as warning over its military role, Mecca Pact

Ankara views Israel’s latest strikes in Syria as part of a broader effort to curb Turkey’s military influence in Damascus and a challenge to its regional defense partnerships.

Barin Kayaoglu

By Barin Kayaoglu

In Ankara, reporting on geopolitics and national security

Turkey/Syria border

Analysis

Turkey bets on US deconfliction as Israel widens Syria red lines

As Washington pushes a new deconfliction mechanism between Turkey and Israel, the Jewish state shows little incentive to accept tighter constraints on its freedom of action in Syria, experts say.

Ezgi Akin

Rina Bassist

By Ezgi Akin , Rina Bassist

Latest News

Analysis

Israel fears Turkey’s Syria ambitions and doubts Trump will stop them

ANKARA, TURKEY - JULY 7: U.S. President Donald Trump (L)shakes hands with with Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan (R) during a formal arrival at the Bestepe Presidential Palace during the NATO summit on July 7, 2026 in Ankara, Turkey. Leaders from NATO's 32 countries, plus NATO allies like Ukraine, gathered in the Turkish capital to discuss a range of issues involving spending targets, defense industrial production, and support for Ukraine, among other topics. (Photo by Emrah Gurel - Pool/Getty Images)

In Tel Aviv, reporting on national security, Israeli politics, defense

Turkey seeks Interpol Red Notices for Netanyahu over Gaza flotilla

Murat Kocabas / Middle East Images / AFP via Getty Images

Turkey signals restraint as war of words with Israel escalates over Syria

Burhaanettin Duran

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

Recep Tayyip Erdogan shakes hands with Abdel Fattah el-Sisi in Qatar on Nov. 20, 2022.

Erdogan’s base unfazed by U-turns as Turkey prepares to host Egypt’s Sisi

According to unconfirmed reports in Turkish media, Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi might even arrive in the Turkish capital as soon as Thursday.

Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas (L) meet with Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, Ankara, Turkey, July 25, 2023.

Erdogan hosts Abbas, stresses Palestinian unity ahead of Cairo meeting

The Abbas-Erdogan meeting in Turkey indicates increasing regional efforts aiming to convince rival Palestinian groups to advance their dialogue.

PETRAS MALUKAS/AFP via Getty Images

Following Saudi drone deal, Turkey's Erdogan targets $6B in defense sales

Speaking at the opening of Turkey’s largest defense fair, the Turkish president has pledged to raise military exports by 36% while his defense industry chief reveals that last week’s drone deal with Riyadh alone was worth $3.1 billion.

Volunteers help to extinguish a wildfire that broke out in the Datca district of Mugla, Turkey, July 13, 2022.

Wildfires hit Turkey’s Mediterranean coast as temperatures soar

More than 250 fires have raged across the country in less than two months amid unusually high temperatures.

Turkish Airlines planes are parked at the new Istanbul Airport, Istanbul, Turkey, April 6, 2019.

Russian migration to Turkey spikes by 218% in aftermath of Ukraine war

Nationals of Iran and Iraq, meanwhile, constitute the largest group of foreigners who left Turkey in 2022.

Turkey drone

Analysis

From Ukraine to Libya, why are Turkey’s Baykar drones so popular?

Saudi Arabia's recent purchase emphasizes the unmanned combat vehicles' affordability, tech support and offensive capabilities.

In Bristol, reporting on regional business, climate change, AI, tech

Turkey Saudi Arabia

What is behind Erdogan's multi-pronged foreign policy push for Turkey in Gulf?

Veteran diplomats and foreign policy analysts welcome the recent turnaround in Ankara’s international dealings, while remaining skeptical over its sustainability.

A photograph taken on October 31, 2022 shows a cargo ship loaded with grain being inspected in the anchorage area of the southern entrance to the Bosphorus in Istanbul. - Cargo ships loaded with grain and other agricultural products left Ukrainian ports on october 31, 2022 despite Russia's decision to pull out from a landmark deal designed to ease a global food crisis. As one of the brokers of the grain deal, Turkey has stepped up diplomacy with the two warring countries in a bid to save it as Russia warned

Turkey's Fidan says no solution without Russia to grain deal impasse

The top Turkish diplomat Hakan Fidan dismissed Kyiv's alternative solution offer to ship Ukrainian grain without an agreement with Moscow.

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan (L) and his Algerian counterpart Abdelmadjid Tebboune (C) review a military honour guard hand-in-hand during a arrival ceremony, in Ankara, on May 16, 2022. (Photo by Adem ALTAN / AFP) (Photo by ADEM ALTAN/AFP via Getty Images)

Algeria’s Tebboune heads to Turkey after China visit

The Algerian president will be the fourth foreign leader the Turkish president will host after his inauguration.

Turkey cyprus

Erdogan links Cyprus peace talks to Turkish Cypriot status recognition

The Turkish leader doubled down on Turkey’s support to Cyprus, while EU officials said that renewed talks about the island must be based on UN resolutions.

This combination of pictures created on April 1, 2018 shows a file photo taken on November 19, 2017 of Israel's Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu (L) attending the weekly cabinet meeting in Jerusalem and a file photo taken on December 15, 2017 of Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan during the inauguration ceremony of Turkey's first automated urban metro line on the Asian side of Istanbul. Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan accused Benjamin Netanyahu on April 1, 2018 of being "a terrorist" after the I

Israel's Netanyahu to visit Turkey after 14 years as ties with Erdogan improve

Once archenemies, Netanyahu and Erdogan will meet for the first time after many years of conflict.

The Liberia-flagged bulk carrier Asl Tia en-route to China transits the Bosporus.

Russia pulls inspectors from Turkey after Kremlin nixes grain deal

The joint operation center in Istanbul, which was set up as part of the Black Sea grain deal, has been the sole mechanism through which Ukrainian and Russian officials were directly working together on a regular basis since the invasion of Ukraine.