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

Turkey

Turkey

February 20, 2026

Ankara 6:54 am

1°C

A general view taken on April 4, 2014, shows oil tanker Morning Glory, during the unloading of oil in the Libyan seaport of Zawiya.

Turkey backs Libya in legal challenge to Greece-Chevron offshore deal

Ankara is engaging Libyan authorities in challenging the Greece-Chevron deal, a Turkish official said.

Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan speaks during a press statement with his French counterpart in Ankara, on Jan. 27, 2026.

Fidan heads to US as Turkey eyes Gaza troop role: What to know

Israeli Foreign Minister Gideon Saar is also expected to attend the Board of Peace meeting, raising the prospect of the first face-to-face talks between top Turkish and Israeli diplomats since the war amid high-running tensions.

Marco Simoncelli / AFP via Getty Images

On first Horn of Africa trip in 10 years, Erdogan cautions Ethiopia over Somaliland

Turkey opposes Somaliland's recognition to protect its strategic military foothold in Mogadishu and the Red Sea.

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan looks on as Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis (not pictured) addresses the media during a joint press conference at the Presidential Complex, Ankara, Turkey, Feb. 11, 2026.

Turkey’s Erdogan heads to Ethiopia amid tensions over Horn of Africa

The Turkish leader is expected to raise Ankara’s concerns over Somalia’s territorial integrity while discussing ways to deepen bilateral ties with Addis Ababa.

Latest News

Saudi-UAE rift complicates Israel's counter-Iran efforts, normalization

This photograph taken on Jan. 20, 2026, organized by the Saudi-backed Yemeni government, shows Saudi-backed Yemeni forces in the city of Mukalla in Yemen's coastal southern Hadhramaut province.

Analysis

Turkey courts Saudi Arabia on Kaan, but stealth fighter deal faces hurdles

Photo of a waving Turkish flag in the sky with a jet flyover behind, and a crowd below holding flags, captured on Izmir's liberation anniversary.

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

People cheers as Sudan's de facto leader, armed forces chief Abdel Fattah al-Burhan arrives at the market in Port Sudan on December 29, 2024. (Photo by AFP) (Photo by -/AFP via Getty Images)

Sudan’s Burhan arrives in Turkey on heels of Eritrea visit, key victories

The talks come after a major military victory for the Sudanese army in Khartoum against the Rapid Support Forces, who are currently attempting to cement their stronghold in Darfur.

DIYARBAKIR, TURKEY - MARCH 21: A young man jumps holding poster of the jailed PKK militant group leader Abdullah Ocalan during Newroz celebrations on March 21, 2025 in Diyarbakir, Turkey. Newroz, or Nowruz, a celebration of the spring equinox and Persian new year, is observed by a diverse array of communities across western and central Asia, including Kurdish areas of Turkey, Syria and Iraq. Newroz is the most important festival in Kurdish culture and has taken the form of political expression among Kurds i

In first since 2012, pro-Kurdish lawmakers meet Erdogan, 'hopeful' about peace

The meeting comes as Turkey’s pro-Kurdish party is treading a fine line amid ongoing outrage in the public over the Istanbul mayor’s arrest.

Israeli tanks take position near the fence with the buffer zone that separates the Israeli-annexed Golan Heights from the rest of Syria near the Druze village of Majdal Shams on Dec. 8, 2024.

Analysis

Can Trump prevent Israel, Turkey from clashing in Syria?

Seeing opportunity in a new nuclear deal with Iran and eager to avoid entanglement in Syria, Trump appears to finally be making moves toward Middle East engagement. But don't call it a policy yet.

Jared Szuba

In Washington, DC, reporting on defense, national security, military

Supporters light up the night with cellphones during a protest rally in support of the arrested Istanbul Mayor Ekrem Imamoglu, Istanbul, Turkey, April 9, 2025.

Turkey detains 2 prominent journalists amid growing crackdown

The detention follows a wave of arrests and protests sparked by the March 19 arrest of Istanbul Mayor Ekrem Imamoglu.

An Israeli military tank moves to a position during a drill in the annexed Golan Heights on November 9, 2023, amid increasing cross-border tensions between Hezbollah and Israel as fighting continues in the south with Hamas militants in the Gaza Strip. (Photo by Jalaa MAREY / AFP) (Photo by JALAA MAREY/AFP via Getty Images)

Fidan says Turkey-Israel deconfliction talks over Syria underway: What to know

As the two countries have initiated deconfliction talks, Israel sets a red line on military deployments near Palmyra.

Turkey's Minister of Finance Mehmet Simsek takes part in a panel discussion during the Doha Forum in the Qatari capital on December 7, 2024. (Photo by KARIM JAAFAR / AFP) (Photo by KARIM JAAFAR/AFP via Getty Images)

Turkey's Simsek says economy will ride out Trump tariffs without lasting scars

Mehmet Simsek stressed that his government’s economic program has made the economy more resilient against internal and external shocks, highlighting that inflation has fallen and continues to drop.

WASHINGTON, DC - JANUARY 28: U.S. President Donald Trump and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu participate in a joint statement in the East Room of the White House on January 28, 2020 in Washington, DC. The news conference was held to announce the Trump administration's plan to resolve the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. (Photo by Sarah Silbiger/Getty Images)

Netanyahu set to meet Trump amid differences over Iran, tariffs and Turkey: What to know

In a surprise move, the US president invited the Israeli prime minister to Washington at short notice to discuss his recent tariff decision, the Iranian file and other issues.

An anti-aircraft missile at a Syrian army position near the city of al-Safira, south of Aleppo, January 3, 2025, following reported Israeli strikes.

Analysis

Turkey's defense strategy in Syria: Stability, not confrontation with Israel

Turkey's military presence in Syria is focused on territorial integrity and regional security, which could align with long-term Israeli interests despite tensions between Turkey and Israel.

Barin Kayaoglu

By Barin Kayaoglu

In Ankara, reporting on geopolitics and national security

Golan

Analysis

As Israel pummels Syria, can it avoid collision course with Turkey?

Israel is concerned not only about the intentions of the new Syrian regime, but also about Turkey's growing presence and influence in the region.

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

Turkish Minister of Foreign Affairs Hakan Fidan addresses the audience during a press briefing to share insights regarding regional and global developments, Istanbul, January 10, 2025.

Fidan says Turkey not seeking 'any confrontation' with Israel over Syria

“Syrian security should be decided by the Syrians,” Fidan said, including whether Damascus wants to reach understandings with the Israelis.