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Turkey

Turkey

August 26, 2026

Ankara 4:41 pm

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Top European court says Kavala case exposes erosion of judicial independence in Turkey

Europe's top human rights court has renewed its call for Turkey to immediately release jailed philanthropist Osman Kavala, saying his imprisonment reflects a broader “systemic problem” over independence and impartiality of the judiciary.

Equality and Democracy Party lawmakers

Explainer

Turkey’s Kurdish peace process moves to implementation: What to know and what’s next

Turkey’s peace process with Kurdish militants has entered the implementation phase this week, with authorities setting up working groups to verify the Kurdistan Workers Party’s disarmament.

Syrian Foreign Minister Asaad al-Shaibani (C) watches as US special envoy for Syria Tom Barrack prepares to sign an agreement in Damascus on September 16, 2025. Shaibani announced on September 16 a plan backed by Jordan and the United States to restore calm to Druze-majority Sweida province, which witnessed deadly violence in July. (Photo by LOUAI BESHARA / AFP) (Photo by LOUAI BESHARA/AFP via Getty Images)

Exclusive

Israel recalibrates Syria policy, explores path to security deal

Israel is rethinking its hard-line Syria policy and seeking to repair ties with US envoy and Donald Trump's confidant Tom Barrack amid a push for a security agreement with Damascus.

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

Latest News

Analysis

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

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.

Barin Kayaoglu

By Barin Kayaoglu

In Ankara, reporting on geopolitics and national security

Analysis

Turkey bets on US deconfliction as Israel widens Syria red lines

Turkey/Syria border

Ezgi Akin

Rina Bassist

By Ezgi Akin , Rina Bassist

Samuel Wendel

Senior Analyst, Middle East Business & Tech

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

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan addresses a protest rally in Istanbul on May 18, 2018, against the killings of Palestinian protesters on the Gaza-Israel border and the US Embassy move to Jerusalem.

Can Erdogan seize on Israeli-Palestinian crisis to make diplomatic gains?

The flurry of diplomacy over the Israeli-Palestinian escalation has helped Erdogan break his diplomatic isolation, but he could hardly hope for far-reaching gains to help his bid at fence-mending with Arab heavyweights.

Smoke billows from an explosion following an Israeli air strike in Rafah in the southern Gaza Strip on May 13, 2021.

Erdogan: Turkey won't 'remain silent' over Israeli strikes in Gaza

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan also called on the UN Security Council to address the worsening bloodshed.

OZAN KOSE/AFP via Getty Images

Turkish lira nears record lows as emerging markets struggle

Turkish stocks slid and the lira hit a six-month low against major currencies Thursday as higher-than-expected US inflation data weighed on emerging markets.

Chris McGrath/Getty Images

Erdogan’s midnight decrees give Turkey nightmares

The overnight decrees increasingly governing Turkey have become a source of livid satire and agony for millions of Turks.

Head's of Turkeys Religious Affairs Directorate Ali Erbas holds a press conference in Ankara, Turkey on March 15, 2019.

Turkey’s religious agency grows even richer, more powerful

Turkey’s Religious Affairs Directorate has acquired unprecedented influence and budget means under Erdogan, spending more than the Foreign and other ministries.

A man walks across the deserted Eminonu Square in Istanbul on May 9, 2021, during a new lockdown aimed at fighting a surging third wave of COVID-19 infections.

Lockdown stems virus surge in Turkey but slow vaccination raises concern

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said Wednesday a nationwide lockdown would be gradually lifted as planned on May 17, though health experts urged caution amid a vaccination campaign slowed by supply hurdles.

Chris McGrath/Getty Images

Talk of Kurdish weddings code for terror plots, Turkish prosecutors say

The Turkish justice system is overwhelmed with thousands in prison for such dubious crimes as texting about weddings.

A man walks near a laundry clothing line hanging in the open by a building in the city of Tawergha, some 200 kilometres (125 miles) east of Libya's capital close to the port city of Misrata, on Dec. 12, 2020.

Libyan conflict stands out as key to Turkey-Egypt normalization

Turkey appears reluctant to back down from its military posture in Libya, even as its normalization bid with Egypt depends greatly on whether the two sides find common ground in the Libyan conflict.

Palestinians run for cover from tear gas fired by Israeli security forces at Jerusalem's Al-Aqsa mosque compound on May 10, 2021, ahead of a planned march to commemorate Israel's takeover of Jerusalem in the 1967 Six-Day War.

Temple Mount violence bares fragility of Turkey’s attempts to fix relations with Israel

Turkey's president and other officials have condemned Israel's crackdown on Palestinians in unrest at Al-Aqsa mosque, posing a serious threat to Ankara's efforts to mend ties with Israel.

Sisi Erdogan and King Salman

Erdogan’s reset with Egypt and the Gulf won’t be smooth

The Turkish president wants a change in relations, but his efforts are seen as the result of a failed regional strategy and poor ties with the Biden administration.

Turkish Deputy Foreign Minister Sedat Onal (C) and his delegation meet with their Egyptian counterparts in the Foreign Ministry headquarters in Egypt's capital, Cairo, on May 5, 2021. Turkey and Egypt have begun slowly warming ties as they vie for regional primacy a decade after the Arab Spring, but analysts say deep-seated mistrust means full normalization will take time. The talks come nearly two months after Ankara established the first diplomatic contacts with Cairo since 2013 as part of wider efforts t

Turkey faces rough road to normalization with Egypt

Turkey’s reconciliation with Egypt is not likely to be easy, but progress after the first high-level meeting between the two sides could mark a new course in Ankara’s foreign policy and pave the way for its reconciliation with the Gulf heavyweights as well.

Diplomats meet in Cairo

Egypt, Turkey conclude 'frank and in-depth' talks in Cairo

The Egyptian and Turkish deputy foreign ministers chaired two days of talks focused on bilateral and regional issues, including the war in Libya.