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

Turkey

Turkey

December 30, 2025

Ankara 11:07 am

-1°C

A picture taken at the port of Dilovasi, outside Istanbul, on June 20, 2019, shows the drilling ship Yavuz scheduled to search for oil and gas off Cyprus.

Turkey eyes offshore energy pact with Syria in 2026 amid East Med isolation

Turkish Energy Minister Alparslan Bayraktar has offered up details on a deal with Syria that could unsettle regional rivals in the gas-rich Eastern Mediterranean.

This aerial view shows residents waving Somaliland flags as they gather to celebrate Israel's announcement recognizing Somaliland's statehood in downtown Hargeisa, on Dec. 26, 2025.

Somalia’s president heads to Turkey as Israel’s Somaliland recognition rattles region

The Somali leader’s visit comes amid a heightened Turkish-Israeli rivalry, fueled by Israel’s recognition of Somaliland, in the region and beyond.

Dan Kitwood/Getty Images

Australian LNG deal marks latest step in Turkey's energy diversification push

Although Turkey does not have abundant oil and gas resources, Ankara wants to position itself as a regional gas hub linking Europe and Asia.

Latest News

Analysis

Turkey's defense sector enters 2026 with naval progress — and unresolved vulnerabilities

Turkish naval forces patrol vessel TCG F 500 and an unidentified submarine (back) sail during a military naval parade on the Bosphorus in Istanbul on Oct. 29, 2023.

Barin Kayaoglu

By Barin Kayaoglu

In Ankara, reporting on geopolitics and national security

Analysis

Eyeing Turkey, Netanyahu boosts Greece, Cyprus ties ahead of US visit

ABIR SULTAN / AFP via Getty Images

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

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

Umit Ozdag, leader of the nationalist Victory Party, gestures as he speaks to the media after police blocked his attempt to challenge the Turkish interior minister to a public face-off, in front of the Ministry of the Interior, Ankara, Turkey, May 6, 2022.

Is this Turkish anti-immigrant party helping Erdogan?

Critics argue that anti-immigrant Victory Party’s leader Umit Ozdag’s opposition has benefited President Recep Tayyip Erdogan so far.

Turkey economy

Currency shocks, wild inflation mark Erdogan’s time as executive president

Turkey’s currency has lost 73% of its value against the dollar since Erdogan assumed sweeping executive powers in 2018 and remains prone to fresh shocks amid growing economic fragilities.

Turkey Saudi Arabia

Erdogan, MBS embrace "new era” for Turkish-Saudi ties in Ankara

Saudi prince's state visit represents economic and regional necessities for Turkey, even as the murder of Jamal Khashoggi in Saudi Arabia's Istanbul consulate remains unresolved.

Bermuda-flagged luxury yacht "My Solaris" belonging to Russian oligarch Roman Abramovich.

US deputy treasury secretary in Turkey to warn against evading Russian sanctions

In a visit to Ankara Wednesday, US Treasury Deputy Secretary Wally Adeyemo plans to remind Turkey that anyone evading US sanctions against Russia will be held accountable.

Erdogan

Analysis

How Turkey's opposition to Sweden, Finland joining NATO could backfire

It seems Turkey will continue to block Finland and Sweden’s memberships at the upcoming NATO summit, but Ankara is now signaling its lack of interest in strengthening the alliance.

Cengiz Candar

By Cengiz Candar

Turkey protest

Turkish journalists, free speech advocates protest draft bill

Turkish press unions organized nationwide rallies Tuesday to protest the likely passage of a so-called disinformation bill. They worry that jail sentences of up to three years for spreading fake news could be applied to any news the government disapproves of.

Stoltenberg

No breakthrough in Turkey’s talks with Sweden, Finland over joining NATO

Discussions between Turkey, Finland and Sweden about the Nordic countries' proposed NATO membership have ended inconclusively as Ankara showed no signs of abandoning its hardline position.

A picture shows an Emirates Airlines airplane at Dubai International Airport on Feb. 1, 2021.

Middle East airlines to suffer losses again in 2022

The International Air Transport Association said that airlines in the region will fare somewhat better financially due to the return of long-haul flights.

Burak Kara/Getty Images

Turkish court bans Erdogan rival from own party

The ruling appears to be a pattern of similar events befalling political rivals of Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan ahead of the 2023 elections.

ADEM ALTAN/AFP via Getty Images

Pressure ramps up on Turkish news media as elections near

Turkey’s independent news stations tell Al-Monitor that heavy fines threaten free and fair representation ahead of upcoming elections.

SAFIN HAMED/AFP via Getty Images

Silence from Baghdad as Turkish drone kills Yazidi child in Sinjar

The Iraqi government has yet to comment after a 12-year-old was killed in the latest Turkish strike on northern Iraq's Sinjar region.

Turkey map

Turkey struggles with name rebrand

Turkey’s rollout this month of its new official name, Türkiye, is already facing difficulties.