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Turkey

Turkey

January 16, 2026

Ankara 7:12 pm

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Iran's Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi (R) shakes hands with Turkey's Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan during press conference in Tehran on Nov. 30, 2025.

Analysis

Why Iran regime’s potential collapse spells more risk than benefit for Turkey

Iran’s leadership faces its most serious unrest in years, and rising Kurdish mobilization makes the prospect of regime collapse particularly risky for Turkey.

Amberin Zaman

By Amberin Zaman

Reporting on geopolitics, minorities, human rights, culture

Turkey's Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan (L) and Iran's Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi holds a joint press conference in Tehran, on Nov. 30, 2025.

In call with Araghchi, Turkey's Fidan urges Iran to negotiate with US

The top Turkish diplomat held back-to-back calls with Iranian and US officials as Ankara watches developments in Iran with mounting concern.

Turkey's Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan listens to Iran's foreign minister during a joint press conference, in Tehran on Nov. 30, 2025.

Turkey's Fidan to visit UAE as Iran unrest, Gulf tensions intensify

The top Turkish diplomat’s UAE visit coincides with heightened Gaza diplomacy, growing tensions between Riyadh and Abu Dhabi, and escalating unrest in Iran.

Latest News

Analysis

Trump dials up risky Iran tariffs that would hit China, UAE and others: What to know

Sadaf Ebrahimi walks down a row of demonstrators at Lafayette Park in front of the White House during the "Free Iran" rally on Jan 10, 2026, in Washington.

Samuel Wendel

By Samuel Wendel

In Washington, DC, reporting on regional business and tech

Turkey warns against foreign intervention in Iran as Trump mulls options

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan meets with Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian as they attend the 17th Summit of the Economic Cooperation Organization in Khankendi, Azerbaijan on July 4, 2025.

Interview

Gaza calm could revive East Med Forum, Israel-Jordan projects: Cohen

Israel's Foreign Minister Eli Cohen gives a press conference in Larnaca on December 20, 2023 talking about a humanitarian aid corridor from the Mediterranean island to war-torn Gaza. (Photo by Elisa AMOURET / AFP) (Photo by ELISA AMOURET/AFP via Getty Images)

Eli Cohen

Eli Cohen

Israeli Energy Minister

Analysis

Amid Saudi-UAE rivalry, Turkey courts Riyadh without crossing Abu Dhabi

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan (L) gestures as he welcomes Crown Prince of Saudi Arabia Mohammed bin Salman (R) during an official ceremony at the Presidential Complex in Ankara, on June 22, 2022.

Ezgi Akin

In Ankara, reporting on diplomacy, EU-Turkey ties, NATO

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 President Recep Tayyip Erdogan (R) and Libyan Prime Minister Fayez al-Sarraj (L) hold a joint press conference at the Presidential Complex in Ankara on June 4, 2020. (Photo by Adem ALTAN / AFP) (Photo by ADEM ALTAN/AFP via Getty Images)

Libya score-settling moves closer to Turkey’s borders

Turkey’s intervention in the Libyan war is driving its adversaries to retaliate beyond Libya in conflict zones along Turkey’s own borders.

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 is set to send a new ship on June 20 to search for oil and gas off Cyprus, in a move expected to escalate tensions after the EU called on Ankara to stop its "illegal drilling activities". The region near the divided island is believed have rich natural gas deposits, triggering a race between Turkey and the internationally recognised Cyprus, whic

Egypt, Turkey show off naval strength in eastern Mediterranean

Turkey conducted a military drill in the eastern Mediterranean that was followed by an Egyptian-French drill amid tensions in the region among Turkey, Greece and Cyprus on gas exploration, and between Turkey and Egypt on Libya.

Does Erdogan think Sisi is bluffing in Libya?

Trump and Putin can prevent the "Syrianization" of Libya.

Turkey holds joint military drills with Azerbaijan amid Armenia conflict

Azerbaijan and Armenia, long at odds, have been fighting in the strategic Tavush-Tovuz border area; Turkey has threatened to intervene on the side of Azerbaijan.

ISTANBUL, TURKEY - FEBRUARY 11: The ceiling of one of the dome's inside the Hagia Sophia Museum is seen on February 11, 2016 in Istanbul, Turkey. The Hagia Sophia (Ayasofya) Museum is one of the most visited tourist attractions in Turkey, with more than 3 million visitors per year. Constructed in 537 the museum originally served as an Orthodox Cathedral, later a Roman Catholic church and was converted into a mosque when Constantinople was conquered by the Ottoman Turks in 1453. In 1935 it was opened as a mu

UN experts urge Turkey to use Hagia Sophia as 'intercultural space'

Experts from the United Nations called on the Turkish government to use the contested landmark as a place of interfaith dialogue.

Torture on the rise in Erdogan’s Turkey

Reports of human rights atrocities in Recep Tayyip Erdogan's Turkey are growing, with victims speaking out on forced disappearances and murder.

Turkish Prime Minister Tayyip Erdogan displays an banknote of the old Turkish Lira at a news conference in Ankara October 3, 2008. Turkey will return to its old currency, the Turkish Lira, on January 1, after a major money reform four years ago that saw the introduction of the New Turkish Lira. The banner in the background reads "The Turkish lira is coming". AFP PHOTO/ADEM ALTAN (Photo credit should read ADEM ALTAN/AFP via Getty Images)

Turkey’s lira slides as Central Bank raises inflation forecast

Despite state bank efforts to bolster Turkey’s currency, the lira fell to its lowest point since May against the dollar this week, prompting fears of a renewed currency crisis.

Leader of the Italy's populist Five Star Movement, Luigi Di Maio, gives a speech on March 1, 2018, in Rome, as he present his would-be cabinet team ahead of elections on March 4.
The 5-Star Movement has named its team of ministers if it is asked to form a government after March 4 general election, an unusual move aimed at stealing a march on its rivals and showing voters it is ready for power. / AFP PHOTO / Filippo MONTEFORTE (Photo credit should read FILIPPO MONTEFORTE/AFP via Getty Images)

Turkey, Italy talk economic ties in videoconference

The latest sign of friendship between Turkey and Italy comes amid otherwise tense Turkey-Europe relations, largely due to Turkey's plan to drill in Greek and Cypriot waters.

ISTANBUL, TURKEY - JULY 29: In this photo illustration, social media apps are seen on a mobile phone on July 29, 2020 in Istanbul, Turkey. Turkey's parliament passed a new law Wednesday, to regulate social media content. The law will require foreign social media companies to have an appointed Turkish-based representative to deal with any concerns authorities have over content. (Photo by Chris McGrath/Getty Images)

Is it time for Turks to bid farewell to YouTube, Twitter, Netflix?

Social media is already considered a right in Turkey, and President Recep Tayyip Erdogan’s new social media censorship bill is likely to increase participation on a multitude of platforms.

Turkish police officers patrols next to the drilling ship 'Yavuz' scheduled to search for oil and gas off Cyprus, at the port of Dilovasi, outside Istanbul, on June 20, 2019. - Turkey is set to send a new ship on June 20 to search for oil and gas off Cyprus, in a move expected to escalate tensions after the EU called on Ankara to stop its "illegal drilling activities". The region near the divided island is believed have rich natural gas deposits, triggering a race between Turkey and the internationally reco

Turkish gas exploration to continue in Cypriot waters as Ankara, Athens discuss

Shortly after pausing gas-exploration activities near Greek islands to facilitate Ankara-Athens negotiations on disputed maritime boundaries, Turkey sent a NAVTEX message indicating another research vessel would seek gas near Cyprus.

Turkish National Defense Minister Hulusi Akar attends a NATO defence ministers meeting in Brussels on February 13, 2020, to address key issues including the Alliances training mission in Iraq and the fight against international terrorism. - Ministers will also discuss NATOs presence in Afghanistan, the challenges posed by Russias missile systems and NATO-EU cooperation. (Photo by Aris Oikonomou / AFP) (Photo by ARIS OIKONOMOU/AFP via Getty Images)

Intel: Turkish defense minister asks Congress to halt bill sanctioning Ankara

Turkish Defense Minister Hulusi Akar asked US lawmakers today to abandon legislation that would sanction Ankara over its purchase of the Russian S-400 missile defense system that the House passed last week.

Hagia Sophia is open for prayers, but not to Kurds

The Turkish government has deliberately excluded the pro-Kurdish Peoples’ Democratic Party from political and symbolic events ever since July 2015. This has not destroyed Turkey’s third-largest party, but it has contributed to the rise of Kurdophobia.