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

Turkey

Turkey

September 2, 2026

Ankara 1:42 am

18°C

Mecca Alliance

Israel, Greece sign $3.5 billion air-defense deal: What to know

Against the backdrop of growing tensions with Turkey, Israel signed one of its largest-ever defense industry deals to supply Greece with advanced air defense systems.

Mecca Alliance

Saudi Arabia, Turkey, Pakistan set Mecca Alliance into motion

The three countries are moving to formalize military coordination under the newly named Mecca Alliance amid renewed hostilities between Iran and the US.

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan (R) and Syrian President Ahmed al-Sharaa arrive for a joint press conference following their meeting at the Presidential Palace in Ankara, Feb. 4, 2025.

Analysis

Why Turkey welcomes Israel-Syria talks despite mounting red lines

Turkey supports US-backed Israel-Syria talks but sees little prospect of a lasting accommodation until the Israeli elections.

Barin Kayaoglu

By Barin Kayaoglu

In Ankara, reporting on geopolitics and national security

Barcelona

Culture

In divided Cyprus, FC Barcelona youth camp sparks new dispute: What to know

A planned Barca Academy camp in northern Cyprus has offered more fuel to the controversy over the island’s unresolved divide, rasing tensions over recognition, access and international isolation.

Latest News

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

Omer Messinger/Getty Images

Explainer

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

Equality and Democracy Party lawmakers

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

U.S. Representative Tulsi Gabbard (D-HI) delivers a nomination speech for Senator Bernie Sanders on the second day at the Democratic National Convention in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, U.S. July 26, 2016. REUTERS/Mike Segar - HT1EC7Q1N0781

Rep. Gabbard and Syrian Kurdish leader make for odd State of the Union pair

The 2020 presidential contender will be joined by a leader of the US-backed Syrian Kurds for President Trump’s big speech.

Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan addresses members of parliament from his ruling AK Party (AKP) during a meeting at the Turkish parliament in Ankara, Turkey, January 15, 2019. REUTERS/Umit Bektas - RC196AEB3320

Erdogan: Turkey to expel Kurds from Manbij if no one else does

Erdogan vows that Kurdish militia members will be removed from Manbij, one way or another; Greek prime minister visits Ankara; jailed CHP legislator ends hunger strike, but Kurdish woman continues hers despite being released.

U.S. troops patrol near Turkish border in Hasakah, Syria, November 4, 2018. REUTERS/Rodi Said - RC1F4F72F170

Intel: Why plans to send 10,000 fighters to the Turkey-Syria border are seen as a ‘game’

Oil smugglers can count on corruption in Iraq

More than a year after Mosul was liberated from the Islamic State, oil smuggling continues in the area.

Nikolai Patrushev (R), Secretary of the Security Council of Russia (R) listens during the first meeting of national security secretaries of Afghanistan, China, Iran, India and Russia, in the Iranian capital Tehran on September 26, 2018. (Photo by ATTA KENARE / AFP) (Photo credit should read ATTA KENARE/AFP/Getty Images)

Top Russian security officials tour Egypt, Gulf to discuss Syria, Libya

Over the space of a week, top officials in the Russian security apparatus toured Saudia Arabia, the United Arab Emirates and Egypt with some intriguing proposals on Syria and Libya.

Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan addresses members of parliament from his ruling AK Party (AKP) during a meeting at the Turkish parliament in Ankara, Turkey, January 15, 2019. REUTERS/Umit Bektas - RC1EDE066F60

Erdogan equates PKK, pro-Kurdish opposition to court nationalist voters

As municipal elections near, the Turkish president is ramping up his rhetoric against his pro-Kurdish opposition, equating Turkey's third largest party with groups Ankara considers terrorists.

A worker drives in the Pendore vineyard run by Kavaklidere wines during the harvest in the western Turkish village of Kemaliye in the Aegean region, August 28, 2009. REUTERS/Murad Sezer (TURKEY SOCIETY) - GM1E58T02GR01

Turkey’s ailing agriculture faces even bleaker future

Turkey's leaders are accusing grocers of price gouging amid soaring food prices, but refuse to acknowledge the cause of the problem: the country’s shrinking agricultural supply.

Numbers of Turkish universities soar, but quality falls

Quality in education hasn't kept pace with the phenomenal increase in enrollment and facilities in Turkey's university system.

Ankara imam offers Turkey’s only English sermons

Turkish imam Mehmet Akif Koc has been giving sermons in English for the past five years.

Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan and Venezuela's President Nicolas Maduro attend a news conference after an agreement-signing ceremony between Turkey and Venezuela at Miraflores Palace in Caracas, Venezuela December 3, 2018. REUTERS/Manaure Quintero - RC149F4F7600

Intel: How Venezuela is driving US, Turkey further apart

Iraqi and Turkish soldiers wave flags at the Habur Border Gate between Turkey and Iraq in this still image taken from video, October 31, 2017. IHA/ via REUTERS ATTENTION EDITORS - THIS IMAGE HAS BEEN SUPPLIED BY A THIRD PARTY. TURKEY OUT. NO COMMERCIAL OR EDITORIAL SALES IN TURKEY. PART NO ACCESS TURKEY.? - RC19E8A7C400

Storming of base in Iraq a grave signal for Turkey

A violent protest by locals at a Turkish military base in Iraqi Kurdistan heralds a challenging turning point for Turkey’s cross-border drive to combat Kurdish militants.

ISTANBUL, TURKEY - SEPTEMBER 28: Balik Lokantasi restaurant's kitchen chief serves fish soup, in Karakoy district on September 28, 2006 in Istanbul, Turkey. Balik Lokantasi means Fish Restaurant in Turkish, as its name, it is a unequally fresh fish plates comes from the see or the Bosporus every day. its owner, Mr. Ozkaraman mentions that he doesn't have a refrigerator, when the fresh fish are finished he closes up the restaurant. (Photo by Yoray Liberman/Getty Images)

Turkish menus celebrate cherished regional soups

In Turkey, soup is more than a dish; it is the bearer of a vast culture.