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

Turkey

Turkey

June 27, 2026

Ankara 11:39 am

24°C

Members of the Jerusalem Armenian community hold placards as they march during commemorations for the 94th anniversary of mass killings of their kin under the Ottoman Empire, Jerusalem's Old City, April 24, 2009.

Explainer

Israel's Armenian genocide recognition marks new front against Turkey

Analysts say the expected vote for recognition is not morally motivated, but intended to spite the Turkish leader.

One of the first three US-made F-35 aircraft in Polish Air Force colors taxis along the runway at the 32nd Tactical Air Base in Lask, central Poland, while fire-fighting vehicles perform a water salute on May 22, 2026.

Trump hints at F-35 breakthrough with Turkey ahead of NATO summit

The administration is moving ahead with planned jet engine sales to Ankara ahead of next month’s NATO summit despite congressionally mandated sanctions on Turkey's defense industry.

Responders arrive to a demolished building at San Bernardino after a magnitude 7.2 earthquake struck Venezuela and other regions in the Caribbean on June 24, 2026 in Caracas, Venezuela.

Israel, Turkey, Iran offer aid as Venezuela’s 2 quakes kill at least 188

Iran, Turkey and Israel were among the first countries to offer assistance to earthquake-hit Venezuela despite their varying diplomatic relationships with Caracas.

Latest News

Turkey detains 233 ahead of NATO summit, including LGBTQ+ activist Yildiz Tar

Demonstrators take part in a rally against the upcoming NATO Summit early July in Ankara, on June 13, 2026.

Culture

Amid political setbacks, Kurds shine at the World Cup

Germany's forward #26 Deniz Undav (2nd R), an ethnic Kurd, scores his team's first goal during the 2026 World Cup Group E football match between Germany and Ivory Coast at the Toronto Stadium in Toronto on June 20, 2026.

Analysis

Turkey eyes gains from US-Iran deal as Ankara balances Tehran, Washington

This photograph shows a Turkish national flag at the Razi-Kapikoy border crossing with Iran next to a black flag on the Iranian side, following the death of Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, in eastern Turkey on March 2, 2026.

Barin Kayaoglu

By Barin Kayaoglu

In Ankara, reporting on geopolitics and national security

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

Turkish Parliament convenes to vote on a motion which would allow the government to authorise cross-border military incursions against Islamic State fighters in Syria and Iraq, and allow coalition forces to use Turkish territory, in Ankara October 2, 2014. REUTERS/Umit Bektas (TURKEY - Tags: POLITICS MILITARY CIVIL UNREST CONFLICT) - RTR48OUH

Will Turkey reinstate death penalty?

Turkey risks sliding further away from the West if it reinstates the death penalty after the failed coup attempt.

Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan speaks during a news conference following the National Security Council and cabinet meetings at the Presidential Palace in Ankara, Turkey, July 20, 2016. REUTERS/Umit Bektas - RTSIXHJ

Why was Iran so quick to rally behind Erdogan?

While relations between Iran and Turkey have soured in recent years over differences primarily related to Syria, Tehran was quick to rally behind Erdogan as the Turkish president faced a coup.

The leader of Turkey's pro-Kurdish opposition Peoples' Democratic Party (HDP) Selahattin Demirtas, makes a speech during a rally in Istanbul, Turkey, June 5, 2016. REUTERS/Osman Orsal - RTSG2V7

Why de-escalation of Ankara-PKK clashes doesn’t mean path to peace

The Turkish government has lowered the temperature of the war against the PKK because of the prevailing chaos in the army, police and intelligence services, but this is not a step toward peace.

Turkey's Prime Minister Binali Yildrim (front) makes his way to address members of parliament from his ruling AK Party (AKP) during a meeting at the Turkish parliament in Ankara, Turkey July 19, 2016. REUTERS/Umit Bektas - RTSINN5

The AKP's path to the coup

Turkey today, exposed by the failed coup attempt, is a far cry from the country the Justice and Development Party promised 14 years ago.

People hang a Turkish national flag on a building on Taksim square in Istanbul, Turkey, July 20, 2016. REUTERS/Alkis Konstantinidis - RTSITN7

Why state of emergency brings back bad memories in Turkey

After a 14-year interval, Turkey has reintroduced a state of emergency not only in the southeast but across the entire country.

Turkish soldiers salute during a ceremony marking the 87th anniversary of Victory Day at the mausoleum of Mustafa Kemal Ataturk, founder of modern Turkey, in Ankara, Turkey, August 30, 2009. REUTERS/Umit Bektas/File photo - RTSJOQQ

Profile of a dedicated Gulenist in Turkey's army

As details of the July 15 coup attempt emerge, a clearer picture is forming of the massive and strategic infiltration of the Turkish military by officers affiliated with the Fethullah Gulen movement.

Palestinian Hamas supporters kiss a poster of Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan during a Hamas rally in support of Erdogan's government against a coup attempt, in Khan Younis in the southern Gaza Strip July 16, 2016. REUTERS/Ibraheem Abu Mustafa - RTSI91L

Gazans take to social media in reaction to Turkish coup attempt

The failed Turkish coup divided Gazans between supporters and opponents, as some praised President Recep Tayyip Erdogan for foiling the coup.

Turkey's President Tayyip Erdogan arrives for the NATO Summit in Warsaw, Poland July 9, 2016. REUTERS/Kacper Pempel - RTSH1FO

Will Turkey be expelled from NATO?

Suggestions that Ankara is endangering its membership in the Western alliance ring hollow given what is transpiring around Turkey today.

Turkish commandos take part in an operation to search for missing military personnel suspected of being involved in the coup attempt, in Marmaris, Turkey, July 22, 2016. REUTERS/Kenan Gurbuz - RTSJ80F

The de-Gulenification of Turkey

Western observers first must understand the severity of Turkey’s coup plot and the complexity of the religious group that seems to be behind it.

Kurdish politician still missing in Turkey

A young Kurdish politician, Hursit Kulter, has been missing in Turkey since late May, reviving memories of arbitrary detentions and extrajudicial killings during the height of the Kurdish conflict in the 1990s.

Supporters of Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan celebrate after troops involved in the coup surrendered, in the resort town of Marmaris, Turkey July 16, 2016. REUTERS/Kenan Gurbuz - RTSI8RT

How Egypt's Brotherhood helped counter Turkey's coup attempt

Putting aside internal differences, Egypt's Muslim Brotherhood united behind the Turkish government to thwart a coup attempt July 15, but questions remain about how important the group's support is for the Turkish president.

Turkey's Prime Minister Tayyip Erdogan (C) chairs the annual meeting of the Supreme Military Council (YAS) as he is flanked by Ground Forces Commander and acting Chief of Staff General Necdet Ozel (5th L), Defense Minister Ismet Yilmaz (4th R) and the other top army officers in Ankara August 1, 2011. Erdogan chaired a meeting of the military top brass on Monday, looking to restore order in NATO's second-biggest army after its top four generals quit in protest at the jailing of hundreds of officers. The long

Critical meeting will determine fate of Turkish forces post-coup

Recognizing the urgent need for military changes following the coup attempt, Turkey's leaders have moved up the date of their Supreme Military Council meeting to this week.