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

Turkey

Turkey

November 8, 2026

Ankara 1:26 am

1°C

Costa Rica's Grynspan extends lead in UNSG poll as Nusseibeh places fourth

The Costa Rican candidate received 12 encourage votes in Thursday's UN Security Council straw poll.

United Arab Emirates

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan addresses Turkish members of parliament during the opening of the parliamentary session at the Grand National Assembly of Turkey in Ankara, on Oct. 1, 2026.

Turkey’s parliament ratifies Mecca pact in boost to Saudi Arabia

Turkey will now decide the scope of military support for Saudi Arabia amid ongoing Iran-backed Houthi attacks on the kingdom.

TOFIK BABAYEV/AFP via Getty Images

Can Erdogan’s Baku visit fix Turkey-Azerbaijan rift?

A dispute over religious dress in schools has exposed deeper tensions between the two allies, with energy, arms sales, Israel and financial interests adding to the strain.

Latest News

Turkey says soldier killed by gunfire from Iran at border: What to know

A sign marking the border of Turkey in Van, Turkey, on March 14, 2026.

Turkey probes Google’s AI search tools, orders protections for news websites

Turkey moves PKK leader Ocalan to prison villa as peace process faces new test

A protestor holds a flag bearing a portrait of jailed leader of the Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK) Abdullah Ocalan during a demonstration of Kurdish people from all around Europe to mark the 27th anniversary of his arrest and to demand his liberation, in Strasbourg, Eastern France, on Feb. 14, 2026.

Explainer

Who is Feridun Sinirlioglu, Turkey’s candidate for UN chief?

OSCE Secretary General Feridun Sinirlioglu is pictured during a joint press conference with the OSCE Chairman-in-Office, Switzerland's Foreign Minister at Vienna International Airport on Feb. 6, 2026 in Schwechat, Lower Austria.

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

Turkey President Recep Tayyip Erdogan.

How Erdogan could emerge stronger from war in Ukraine

Senior bureaucrats believe Erdogan will "wipe the opposition off the table" in next year's elections, excelling as he does in every major crisis.

Chancellor Olaf Scholz (L) and Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan shake hands.

Turkey, Germany extend call to Russia for cease-fire

During German Chancellor Olaf Scholz’s first visit to Ankara, both leaders maintain that they want to help Ukraine defend itself while seeking a diplomatic solution.

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan (R) and Libyan GNU Prime Minister Abdul Hamid Dbeibah.

Three challenging scenarios for Turkey in Libya

Turkey could face tough choices in Libya unless the power struggle between the two rival governments is resolved, including military intervention should the eastern-backed prime minister attempt to enter Tripoli by force.

An Ukrainian flag waves in front of smoke rising from a bombed warehouse in the town of Stoyanka, west of Kyiv, on March 4, 2022.

Analysis

Bennett, Erdogan seek to fill diplomatic vacuum over Ukraine

Qatar’s role in Iran diplomacy even more vital with pause in Vienna nuclear talks.

Week in Review

By Week in Review

OZAN KOSE/AFP via Getty Images

Dizzying fuel hikes fan popular grievances in Turkey

With Turkey’s consumer inflation already at 54.4%, price increases on fuel alone threaten to add two percentage points to the monthly inflation rate in March.

OZAN KOSE/AFP via Getty Images

Ukraine, Russia make no progress in cease-fire talks in Turkey

The discussions fail to achieve a cease-fire or a humanitarian corridor for the port city of Mariupol, but Cavusoglu says Turkey’s diplomatic efforts would continue as Erdogan braces for top level meetings with Azerbaijan, Greece and Germany.

Valery Gergiev

Culture

Turkish president decries 'witch hunt' against Russian artists

Russian businesses and artists in the West have faced a backlash over the Russian invasion of Ukraine. Syrian refugees in Turkey have also faced politically motivated violence.

Sergey Lavrov addresses Geneva conference walkout

Turkey to host Ukrainian, Russian foreign ministers in first talks since invasion

Ankara has secured talks at the Antalya Diplomacy Forum after seeking to mediate between Moscow and Kyiv.

Turkey gas pipeline

Can Turkey benefit from Europe’s quest to reduce Russian gas?

Europe’s efforts to phase down gas imports from Russia might place Turkey at the center of routes for alternative supplies from Azerbaijan and Israel.

Turkey drilling

Fourth offshore drilling ship for Turkey en route from South Korea

The advanced vessel will join Turkey’s three others in conducting energy exploration in the Mediterranean and Black seas.

Women gesture as they take part in a protest ahead of the International Women's Day on Sakarya Street in Ankara on March 6, 2022.

On International Women's Day, Turks march in solidarity with Ukrainians

Women gathered in Istanbul and other cities for the Feminist Night Walk despite bans and demonstrators taken into custody, calling for the reinstatement of the landmark UN accord on violence against women.

Turkey's Cabinet discusses the Russian invasion of Ukraine, Ankara, Turkey, Feb. 28, 2022.

Ukraine war shakes up Turkey's ties with both Russia and NATO

Ankara has adopted a dual approach on the Ukraine crisis through moves both pleasing its NATO allies and positioning Turkey as a lifeline for Russia amid crippling Western sanctions on the country.