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

Turkey

Turkey

May 19, 2026

Ankara 10:24 am

15°C

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

ANKARA, TURKEY - MARCH 10: Turkey's Nationalist Movement Party's (MHP) Leader, Devlet Bahceli speaks during his party's group meeting at the Grand National Assembly of Turkey, in Ankara, Turkey on March 10, 2020. (Photo by Rasit Aydogan/Anadolu Agency via Getty Images)

Turkish opposition trades favors as AKP limps

Turkey’s nationalist party leader Devlet Bahceli has floated a proposal to change electoral laws, fueling rumors of a possible snap election.

Smoke fumes rise above buildings in the Libyan capital Tripoli, during reported shelling by strongman Khalifa Haftar's forces, on May 9, 2020 (Photo by Mahmud TURKIA / AFP) (Photo by MAHMUD TURKIA/AFP via Getty Images)

Will Libya cheer up Erdogan?

Ill-calculated moves by rebel commander Khalifa Hifter have played into the hands of Turkey and its allies in the Libyan conflict, leading to the fall of a strategic air base in al-Wattiya; however, the situation is still volatile, and it is early to declare a victory.

A drone images shows Syrian demonstrators gathering during a protest in the village of Maaret al-Naasan in Syria's Idlib province on May 1, 2020, to protests against a reported attack by Hayat Tahrir al-Sham, an alliance led by a former Al-Qaeda affiliate, on a protest the previous day. (Photo by Omar HAJ KADOUR / AFP) (Photo by OMAR HAJ KADOUR/AFP via Getty Images)

The not-so-sacred profit bonanza of Syria's jihadi groups

Economic gains have been at the core of clashes between rebel groups in Syria’s Idlib and Turkish-controlled regions that Syrian rebels describe as “liberated” areas.

Two girls play next to tents at a temporary camp for newly arrived refugees and migrants, where cases of coronavirus disease (COVID-19) were detected, on the island of Lesbos, Greece, May 13, 2020. REUTERS/Elias Marcou - RC2KNG9YQJIS

2 more COVID-19 infections reported on Greek island housing refugees

The number of coronavirus cases among migrants on Lesbos rises to four, raising fears of a large outbreak in the Greek island's overcrowded camps.

Co-leaders of pro-Kurdish Peoples' Democratic Party (HDP) Pervin Buldan (L) and Sezai Temelli speak on stage during a meeting in Ankara, on November 20, 2019 - Turkey's main pro-Kurdish Peoples' Democratic Party (HDP) will discuss in Ankara a possible withdrawal from parliament in response to the crackdown against it. In recent weeks, several mayors in the southeast have been sacked or detained. (Photo by Adem ALTAN / AFP) (Photo by ADEM ALTAN/AFP via Getty Images)

Turkey continues to oust Kurdish mayors, replace with trustees

Four mayors have been detained in Turkey's Kurdish-majority southeast, the latest in ongoing efforts by the government to suppress Kurdish political participation in the country.

Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu speaks during a joint news conference following talks with Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov in Moscow, Russia January 13, 2020. Pavel Golovkin/Pool via REUTERS - RC24FE9JQ0NF

Turkey needs flexible foreign policy now more than ever

Turkey needs to adopt a softer foreign policy to handle the COVID-19 pandemic and the economic crisis it's triggered, but the government's rhetoric makes such a shift highly unlikely.

Mahya master Ramazan Kizilkaya takes part in the installation of the mahya at the top of one of the minarets of Yeni New mosque, as the outbreak of the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) continues in Istanbul, Turkey, April 27, 2020. Picture taken April 27, 2020. REUTERS/Umit Bektas - RC2LDG9HE58T

Turks celebrate Ramadan under shadow of pandemic

From masked drummers to online pide contests, Turks are bringing new twists to Ramadan in the coronavirus era.

ANKARA, TURKEY - APRIL 22: A view of Sincan Penal Institutions Campus on April 22, 2020 in Ankara, Turkey. Guardians and institution employees wearing masks and gloves and following the social distance rules, are working for 15 days at the prison. After being subjected to the isolation process, officers are working before going to their homes without seeing their families for about a month. As well as throughout the country, also in capital Ankara, guardians and institution employees stay in places of publi

Syrians held in Turkish prison 'in breach of international law,' advocates say

Scores of Syrians detained after Turkey's Operation Peace Spring began in October have been accused of links to the Kurdistan Workers Party and moved to a prison in Sanliurfa, Turkey.

A female Kurdistan Workers Party (PKK) fighter adjusts her scarf while another carries a picture of jailed Kurdish militant leader Abdullah Ocalan at their base in Sinjar March 11, 2015. Women fighters at a PKK base on Mount Sinjar in northwest Iraq, just like their male counterparts, have to be ready for action at any time. Smoke from the front line, marking their battle against Islamic State, which launched an assault on northern Iraq last summer, is visible from the base. Many of the women have cut links

PKK attacks Turkish military base in Kurdistan Region of Iraq

The attack comes amid intra-Kurdish tensions in Iraq over the PKK's and Turkey's presence in the country.

Anti-Gaddafi fighters fire a multiple rocket launcher near Sirte, previously one of Muammar Gaddafi's last remaining strongholds in Libya, September 24, 2011. Picture taken September 24, 2011. REUTERS/Goran Tomasevic/File Photo SEARCH "POY DECADE" FOR THIS STORY. SEARCH "REUTERS POY" FOR ALL BEST OF 2019 PACKAGES. TPX IMAGES OF THE DAY. - RC2SND9VGEDW

Turkey’s intervention in Libya turns tide to Erdogan’s advantage, for now

Ankara has thrown in its lot with the Government of National Accord for reasons that have more to do with its own interests than Libya’s.

European court rejects Turkish appeal of Osman Kavala ruling

The European Court of Human Rights rejected an appeal by Turkish officials Tuesday, upholding a December ruling calling for the release of jailed Turkish philanthropist Osman Kavala.

An Israeli F35 aircraft is seen in mid-flight during "Blue Flag", an aerial exercise hosted by Israel with the participation of foreign air force crews, at Ovda military air base, southern Israel November 11, 2019. Picture taken November 11, 2019. REUTERS/Amir Cohen - RC2R9D9XBJG2

Intel: How Turkey’s expulsion from F-35 program has hampered production

A report by the US Government Accountability Office said Turkey’s expulsion from the F-35 program has complicated the Joint Strike Fighter’s already troubled production chain.