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

Turkey

Turkey

July 9, 2026

Ankara 2:43 pm

31°C

Getty Images

Trump 'undecided' on Turkey's F-35s as Congress seeks answers on S-400

Top Democratic lawmakers say the ball is in Ankara’s court on rejoining the US-led F-35 Joint Strike Fighter program, but suggest that Turkey offshoring its Russian-made S-400 system won’t be enough.

Armenia's Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan (R) shakes hands with Iran's President Masoud Pezeshkian during his visit in Yerevan on July 19, 2025. (Photo by KAREN MINASYAN / AFP) (Photo by KAREN MINASYAN/AFP via Getty Images)

Feature

Armenia's Pashinyan keeps Iran close while wooing Trump, Turkey and Azerbaijan

As Yerevan pursues normalization with Turkey and Azerbaijan and backs a US-led transport corridor, Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan is working to reassure an increasingly assertive Iran that its interests won't be threatened.

Amberin Zaman

By Amberin Zaman

Reporting on geopolitics, minorities, human rights, culture

U.S. President Donald Trump meets with NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte (not shown) for bilateral talks at Beştepe Presidential Compound during the NATO Summit on July 08, 2026 in Ankara, Turkey. Leaders from NATO's 32 countries, plus NATO allies like Ukraine, gathered in the Turkish capital to discuss a range of issues involving spending targets, defense industrial production, and support for Ukraine, among other topics. (Photo by Win McNamee/Getty Images)

Trump declares MoU with Iran 'over' as Hegseth cancels trip to Israel

Trump said diplomacy with Tehran was “a waste of time” after renewed attacks around Hormuz, as US defense chief reportedly cancels Israel visit.

Latest News

Explainer

Why Trump bid to lift CAATSA sanctions on Turkey faces complicated path

US President Donald Trump walks with Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan during a state arrival ceremony at the Bestepe Presidential Complex for the annual NATO Summit on July 7, 2026 in Ankara, Turkey.

Analysis

Trump's F-35 push for Turkey runs into CAATSA — and Israel

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan (L) welcomes US President Donald Trump (R) upon his arrival on Air Force One at Etimesgut Air Base near Ankara, on July 7, 2026, before attending the 36th NATO Heads of State and Government Summit. (Photo by SAUL LOEB / AFP via Getty Images)

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

Canada, Turkey launch free trade talks on NATO summit sidelines

Canada's Prime Minister Mark Carney (R) is welcomed by Turkey's Treasury and Finance Minister Mehmet Simsek upon arrival at Esenboga Airport to attend the 36th NATO Heads of State and Government Summit in Ankara on July 7, 2026. (Photo by Muhammed Abdullah Kurtar / POOL / AFP via Getty Images)

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 Navy frigate TCG Fatih (F-242) is seen next to Turkish drilling vessel Yavuz at Dilovasi port in the western city of Kocaeli, Turkey, June 20, 2019. REUTERS/Murad Sezer - RC1DB3BC89F0

Eastern Mediterranean heats up as gas rivalry stakes grow higher

Turkey’s launch of a second ship to drill in disputed areas off Cyprus is the harbinger of further escalation in the eastern Mediterranean and tough choices for Ankara.

Opposition candidate wins Istanbul mayor's race in blow to AKP

Voters rebuke long-time AKP dominance in Istanbul, delivering victory to CHP candidate Ekrem Imamoglu in a controversial election do-over.

Pro-Kurd protesters hold flags with portraits of jailed Kurdistan Workers Party (PKK) leader Abdullah Ocalan as they take part in a demonstration in support to him in Strasbourg, France, February 16, 2019. REUTERS/Vincent Kessler - RC12D7661100

Jailed militant leader enters Istanbul election fray

An unexpected message from Abdullah Ocalan, who is serving a life sentence for treason, urged Kurds to stay “neutral” and could tilt the outcome in a bitter campaign for control of Turkey’s biggest city.

Turkish army tanks control the centre of the old medieval Kurdish town of Ammadiya, July 13. 2004. Turkish forces entered Iraq's Kurdish zone in 1997 under a year-long agreement with Kurdish authorities to pursue militants from a Turkish Kurd rebel group, but with their territory now part of a newly sovereign Iraq, Kurds feel the Turks may have overstayed their welcome. Picture taken July 13, 2004. REUTERS/Sasa Kralj RCS/DBP - RP5DRICSWDAA

Turkey mulls permanent military presence in northern Iraq

Turkey is considering setting up additional military infrastructure in Iraqi Kurdistan as its operations against militants there continue.

Will Syrian voters be kingmakers in Istanbul's mayoral election?

Though small in number, the votes of naturalized Syrians in Turkey could be decisive in the rerun election to select the new mayor of Istanbul, the city with the largest Syrian population outside Syria.

As Idlib fighting intensifies, Syrians abroad suffer mentally

As the Russian-backed Syrian regime steps up the offensive against the country’s last rebel stronghold, displaced Syrians with relatives in Idlib are suffering mentally — not to mention the monumental health issues faced by the Idlib residents themselves.

An aerial view of Love Valley is seen from a hot air balloon in Cappadocia December 12, 2008. Cappadocia is a popular tourist destination in Turkey renowned for unusual rock formations and rock-caved churches. Picture taken December 12, 2008. REUTERS/Tan Shung Sin (TURKEY) - GM1E4CI1QPA01

Cappadocia victim of Turkish ruling party's love of concrete

A new law claiming to protect the natural beauty of Cappadocia strips municipal governments of decision-making powers and oversight, handing authority over the future of the region to a panel whose leader is appointed by the president.

A protester holds a Turkish flag as riot police order them to evacuate Gezi Park in central Istanbul June 15, 2013. Thousands of people took to the streets of Istanbul overnight on Sunday, erecting barricades and starting bonfires, after riot police firing teargas and water cannon stormed a park at the centre of two weeks of anti-government unrest. Lines of police backed by armoured vehicles sealed off Taksim Square in the centre of the city as officers raided the adjoining Gezi Park late on Saturday, where

Gezi Park detainees to finally get day in court

The Gezi trials, in which 16 people face life imprisonment without parole, are set to finally begin and will test judicial independence in Turkey.

Turkey’s car-making sector sputters amid economic downturn

Turkey’s automotive sector, which holds a 1.5% share in global automotive production, is struggling on an uphill track, hit by domestic economic woes and unfavorable external factors.

Temel Karamollaoglu, the leader of Islamist Saadet Party, is seen during a news conference with Iyi Party leader Meral Aksener (not pictured) in Ankara, Turkey April 24, 2018. Picture taken April 24, 2018. REUTERS/Murad Sezer - RC12A72C67C0

AKP looks to elbow Saadet out of Istanbul race

As Istanbul’s second municipal election nears, the ruling party is pressuring another Islamist party to bow out and courting Kurdish voters.

A view of the construction site of Turkey's first nuclear power plant 'Akkuyu', pictured during the opening ceremony in the Mediterranean Mersin region on April 3, 2018.
Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan and Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin launched the construction of the $20 billion dollar Akkuyu nuclear power plant though a video link from Ankara where Putin is on an official visit. / AFP PHOTO / DOGAN NEWS AGENCY / IBRAHIM MESE / Turkey OUT (Photo credit should read IBRAHIM MESE/AFP/Getty

Fears over safety of nuclear plant flare up in Turkey

The safety of a controversial nuclear power plant that Turkey is building in collaboration with Russia has fueled fresh worries amid reports of cracks in the foundation of the facility.

Turkey's Defence Minister Hulusi Akar, U.S. Secretary of Defense Patrick Shanahan and NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg attend a NATO defence ministers meeting at the Alliance headquarters in Brussels, Belgium February 13, 2019. REUTERS/Francois Lenoir - RC12887C8A40

How will S-400 affair affect Turkish-NATO ties?

Calls for Turkey to be expelled from NATO or for Turkey to leave NATO are not realistic, say experts.