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

Turkey

Turkey

August 28, 2026

Ankara 5:02 am

19°C

Omer Messinger/Getty Images

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

Turkey strikes PKK targets in Iraqi Kurdistan Sulaimaniyah province

It is less common for Turkey to bomb the Kurdish armed group there. More of the Turkey-PKK conflict in Iraq takes place in Dahuk near the Turkish border.

Intel: Amid maritime deal with Egypt, Greece invites UN court to settle sea dispute with Turkey

Greek Prime Minister suggests that if no agreement can be reached, his country's dispute with Turkey over a maritime boundary should go to an international court.

An employee counts money at a currency exchange office in Ankara, on August 7, 2020. - Turkey's lira on August 7, 2020 set a new record low against the US dollar as investors worried about the government's economic policies and dollar reserves appeared to be running low. (Photo by Adem ALTAN / AFP) (Photo by ADEM ALTAN/AFP via Getty Images)

Currency tumult hits Turkey’s credit-driven revival

Apprehension is rife in Turkey that a loan-driven economic warm-up could devolve into major turmoil in the fall, with Ankara’s dubious management of the coronavirus pandemic feeding the unease.

ISTANBUL, TURKEY - NOVEMBER 21: Turkish Lira currency is seen on November 21, 2017 in Istanbul, Turkey. The Turkish Lira plunged to a record low of 3.978 against the dollar in early Tuesday trading. Concern's over deteriorating relations with the U.S. and the central bank continue to effect Turkish markets. (Photo by Chris McGrath/Getty Images)

Turkey to use 'all available' tools as currency plunges

Turkey’s Central Bank says it's ready to use “all available instruments” to calm the market as the Turkish lira drops to new depths, and an interest rate hike is one of the most obvious.

Turkey mulls withdrawing from violence against women treaty

Turkey would be the first member state to withdraw from the Council of Europe's 2011 Istanbul Convention.

State Department remains concerned by Turkey’s proxy fighters in northern Syria

Turkey-allied fighters have faced widespread accusations of arbitrary detentions, extrajudicial killings and other abuses in northern Syria.

ISTANBUL, TURKEY - NOVEMBER 21: Turkish Lira currency is seen on November 21, 2017 in Istanbul, Turkey. The Turkish Lira plunged to a record low of 3.978 against the dollar in early Tuesday trading. Concern's over deteriorating relations with the U.S. and the central bank continue to effect Turkish markets. (Photo by Chris McGrath/Getty Images)

Turkish lira slides 2% amid reserves concerns

Turkey’s currency slumped 2% against the dollar Wednesday as concerns linger over Central Bank policies and depleted reserves.

Full-fledged military escalation looms large in Idlib

Developments in southern Idlib suggest that a five-month truce could soon come to an end with a fresh regime offensive to capture Syria’s last rebel stronghold.

ANKARA, TURKEY - JUNE 25: Muharrem Ince, presidential candidate of main opposition Republican People's Party (CHP) holds a news conference evaluating the election results on June 25, 2018 in Ankara, Turkey. More than 59 million citizens vote yesterday for presidential and parliamentary elections. Turkey's High Electoral Board declared Recep Tayyip Erdogan the winner of Sunday's polls. Erdogan won 52.6 percent of the votes in the presidential race, avoiding a second-round runoff vote. His ruling Justice and

Rumors swirl in Turkey as former presidential candidate reportedly seeks to form new political party

Muharrem Ince, a former presidential candidate for Turkey’s main opposition Republican People’s Party (CHP), reportedly expressed interest in establishing a breakaway party, fueling rumors analysts say might serve as a trial balloon for future political maneuvers.

Intel: Syria to build Hagia Sophia replica with Russian backing

With support from Russian officials and the Orthodox Church, Syria will begin construction on a small-scale replica of the Hagia Sophia that will serve as an Orthodox cathedral.

This picture taken on October 19, 2018 shows a view of the exterior of the 6th-century Greek Orthodox Christian monastery of Saint Catherine, near the Egyptian town of the same name in south of the Sinai peninsula. (Photo by Sally KANDIL / AFP) (Photo credit should read SALLY KANDIL/AFP via Getty Images)

Cairo denounces Hagia Sophia move, develops Egypt's Christian sites

Days after Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan declared Istanbul’s historic Hagia Sophia a mosque, Egypt announced ambitious restoration plans for South Sinai's Saint Catherine area.

A man walks at a makeshift refinery using burners to distill crude oil in the village of Bishiriya in the countryside near the town of Qahtaniya west of Rumaylan (Rmeilan) in Syria's Kurdish-controlled northeastern Hasakeh province, on July 19, 2020. - Oil pollution in Syria has become a growing concern since the 2011 onset of a civil war that has taken a toll on oil infrastructure and seen rival powers compete over control of key hydrocarbon fields. In the Kurdish-held northeast, a large storage facility i

Turkey joins Syria in slamming oil agreement between US firm, Syrian Kurds

Ankara has spoken out against a new oil agreement between an American-based company and the Kurdish-led Autonomous Administration of North and East Syria.