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

Turkey

Turkey

July 18, 2026

Ankara 12:27 am

22°C

DAVOS, SWITZERLAND - JANUARY 22: U.S. President Donald Trump (C) sits in between Prime Minister of Armenia Nikol Pashinyan (L) and Azerbaijan President Ilham Aliyev during a signing ceremony for the “Board of Peace” at the World Economic Forum (WEF) on January 22, 2026 in Davos, Switzerland. The US-backed “Board of Peace” is intended to administer the fragile ceasefire in the Gaza Strip after the war between Israel and Hamas. The final makeup of the board has not been confirmed. (Photo by Chip Somodevilla/G

Trump taps Russia-born investor to oversee $200M+ fund backing Armenia-Azerbaijan corridor

The appointment of Chicago-based investor Konstantin Sokolov to oversee a $200 million fund marks a new phase for Washington's proposed trade and transportation route linking Azerbaijan, Armenia and Turkey.

Latest News

Turkish opposition leader Ozgur Ozel could launch new party by August

Ozgu Ozel

Russian couple faces deportation from Turkey after Bible reading at Hagia Sophia

Visitors stand inside Hagia Sophia Grand Mosque in Istanbul on April 14, 2025.

Turkey, Egypt expand military ties with cooperation frameworks: What to know

Turkish Defense Minister Yasar Guler and his Egyptian counterpart, Lt. Gen. Ashraf Salem Zaher, met at the Turkey’s Defense Ministry in Ankara, July 13, 2026.

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 and German Chancellor Angela Merkel walk past a picture of Turkish Republic state founder Kemal Atatuerk before their bilateral meeting at the presidential palace during the first visit since July's failed coup in Ankara, Turkey, February 2, 2017. REUTERS/Umit Bektas TPX IMAGES OF THE DAY - RTX2ZBPW

Erdogan’s domestic agenda leaves Turkey facing new foreign crises

Ankara is furious as European countries ban rallies by Turkish ministers aimed at getting support of expatriate Turks for Erdogan’s executive presidency.

A Turkish soldier on an armoured military vehicle surveys the border line between Turkey and Syria, near the southeastern city of Kilis, Turkey, March 2, 2017. REUTERS/Murad Sezer - RTS115IB

Turkey, US, Russia military chiefs meet to discuss anti-IS strategy

Turkey, Russia and the United States met today in Antalya, Turkey, in an attempt to find common ground in the battle against the Islamic State in Syria, but they disagree in regard to which groups in the Syrian war are terrorists.

Turkey's President Tayyip Erdogan attends a Republic Day ceremony at Anitkabir, the mausoleum of modern Turkey's founder Ataturk, to mark the republic's anniversary in Ankara, Turkey, October 29, 2016. REUTERS/Umit Bektas TPX IMAGES OF THE DAY - RTX2QYCB

What is happening in the Turkish military?

A Hurriyet article suggesting ongoing rumblings in the military appear to have been borne out by the official responses to it.

SINJAR, IRAQ - NOVEMBER 16: A Peshmerga soldier walk to place a Kurdish flag near the frontline with ISIL on November 16, 2015 in Sinjar, Iraq. Kurdish forces, with the aid of massive U.S.-led coalition airstrikes, liberated the town from ISIL extremists, known in Arabic as Daesh, in recent days. Although many minority Yazidis celebrated the victory, their home city of Sinjar lay in almost complete ruins. (Photo by John Moore/Getty Images)

How deep is Turkey's Sinjar entanglement?

Soon after speaking with Turkey's president, Kurdistan Regional Government leader Massoud Barzani dispatched peshmerga forces to Sinjar, Iraq, which led to a clash between Kurdish forces.

Tunisia's President Beji Caid Essebsi shakes hands with German Chancellor Angela Merkel at Carthage Palace in Tunis, Tunisia, March 3, 2017. REUTERS/Zoubeir Souissi - RTS11C5L

Germany's Merkel strikes immigration deal on visit to Tunisia

German Chancellor Angela Merkel has come under fire for Germany’s open-door migration policy, so striking a deal with Tunisia to bring back at least some irregular migrants was a necessary step for her to defuse some of the criticism.

Iraqi Kurdistan region's President Massoud Barzani attends a news conference with Britain's Foreign Secretary Philip Hammond in Erbil, Iraq, March 17, 2016. REUTERS/Azad Lashkari - RTSAWLE

Kurdish flag controversy continues, in Turkish court

KRG President Massoud Barzani's most recent visit to Turkey left the public at odds over the hoisting of the KRG flag.

Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan makes a speech during a Women's Day rally in Istanbul, Turkey, March 5, 2017. REUTERS/Murad Sezer - RTS11IUT

Turkey’s Erdogan accuses Germany of 'Nazism' amid row over rallies

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan is upset that some municipalities in Germany denied the use of meeting spaces for rallies that aimed to muster support from Turks living in Europe in the upcoming referendum on presidential powers.

The sun rises behind the Bosphorus Bridge (L) and the construction site of the new Camlica Mosque in Istanbul, Turkey, February 3, 2016. REUTERS/Murad Sezer - RTX257J9

Turkey’s construction boom: A blessing or a curse?

The Turkish construction sector’s contribution to the local economy has almost caught up with that of the manufacturing industry, but this is hardly a reason to celebrate.

A supporter of Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan holds a flag before Turkish Prime Minister Binali Yildirim is expected to address a crowd of around 10,000 in Oberhausen, Germany, February 18, 2017, to promote Turkey's constitution referendum on April 16, 2017. REUTERS/Wolfgang Rattay - RTSZ91P

How Germany accidentally gave Erdogan a boost ahead of key vote

Are German authorities doing the right thing by not allowing Turkish politicians to hold rallies in Germany? Here is why they are not.

Iraqi refugee women sit overlooking al-Howl refugee camp south of Hasaka city, Syria October 20, 2016. REUTERS/Rodi Said - RTX2PS92

How are displaced Iraqis faring in Syria’s camps?

Hundreds of Turkmen families from Tal Afar, in northwestern Iraq, have headed for the Syrian opposition areas in Aleppo’s countryside.

Could Turkey’s misstep in Manbij provide template for Raqqa?

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan’s latest threat complicates Pentagon planning to oust the Islamic State from its so-called capital; United States provides intelligence for Iraqi strike in Syria.

A riot police stands guard during a pro-Kurdish gathering in the southeastern city of Diyarbakir, Turkey, August 31, 2016. To match TURKEY-SECURITY/POLICE REUTERS/Sertac Kayar - RTX2OUGW

Turkish government outsources urban security

To make up for the security gap in southeastern cities and Istanbul, Turkey has resurrected the historical institution of neighborhood street watchmen.