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

Turkey

Turkey

June 27, 2026

Ankara 5:44 am

18°C

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

SAKIS MITROLIDIS/AFP via Getty Images

Turkey releases grieving father to Greece in post-disaster diplomacy

Turkey-Greece ties are continuing to mend with a diplomatic gestures and mutual kindnesses in the wake of their recent disasters.

A chef holds a platter of kanafe during Hatay kanafe festival, July 23, 2019.

Culture

Turkey's Hatay kanafeh delicacy granted EU special status

Turkey’s earthquake-hit multicultural Hatay province receives recognition for its renowned Mesopotamian dessert.

An F-16 pilot from an airbase in Saudi Arabia gets ready to disembark from his aircraft after he was diverted to Kuwait because of bad weather after his mission into Iraq March 26, 2003 as Operation Iraqi Freedom continues after a pause in the air campaign due to bad weather. (Photo by Paula Bronstein/Getty Images)

Saudi Arabia, Qatar, Egypt rank among world’s top 10 arms importers: SIPRI

Middle East countries made up more than a fourth of the top 40 global arms importers from 2018 to 2022, according to a new report.

Chairman of Turkey's main opposition Republican People's Party (CHP) Kemal Kilicdaroglu (C).

Turkey’s opposing camps seek to broaden base ahead of May elections

The rapprochement between Erdogan’s People’s Alliance and the Kurdish Islamist Huda-Par, seen as the successor of Hezbollah, annoys nationalists, while the move toward arch-conservative New Welfare alarms women.

Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov (L) and Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu (R) speak after a news conference in Ankara, on June 8, 2022. -

Russia to host Turkey, Syria, Iran diplomats on Wednesday

Senior Turkish, Syrian, Iranian and Russian diplomats are set to meet to advance the stalled rapprochement between Ankara and Damascus.

Tasos Katopodis/Getty Images for Freedom House

MidEast freedom rankings: Syria worst, Tunisia in decline, says Freedom House

Syria remains to be the least and Israel the best performing country when it comes civil and political freedoms while the biggest one-year decline has been observed in Tunisia.

Turkey's main opposition Republican People's Party leader Kemal Kilicdaroglu speaks during a rally, Istanbul, Turkey, May 21, 2022.

Erdogan’s challenger faces delicate balancing act to win over Turkey's Kurds

The compromise that salvaged Turkey’s opposition bloc from collapsing this week lays the ground for enlisting Kurdish support as well, but not without fragilities and risks on the way.

ADEM ALTAN/AFP via Getty Images

Turkey’s election races officially begin as Erdogan sets vote for May 14

The country’s executive presidential system will be the focal point of the campaigning period.

NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg speaks during a press conference at the NATO headquarters in Brussels on March 7, 2023.

Turkey, Sweden and Finland agree to more talks on NATO accession

President Recep Tayyip Erdogan’s spokesman and foreign affairs adviser Ibrahim Kalin, who took part in Thursday’s talks, described the meeting as “positive.”

Women take part in a rally ahead of International Women's Day, Istanbul, Turkey, March 6, 2022.

Turkey’s earthquake victims at heart of International Women's Day marches

The earthquakes that ravaged 11 provinces in southern Turkey also amplified the socio-economic inequalities between men and women in the region.

ADEM ALTAN/AFP via Getty Images

Turkey, Syria, Iran to hold 'technical talks' in Russia next week

The technical meeting is aimed at achieving progress in the stalled high-level dialogue process between Ankara and Damascus.

Turkey's Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu (R) and his Iranian counterpart Hossein Amir-Abdollahian pose.

Iran's top diplomat to visit Turkey in post-disaster diplomacy

The top Iranian and Turkish diplomats are also expected to discuss the Syrian, Nagorno-Karabakh and bilateral files during their meeting.