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

Turkey

Turkey

July 21, 2026

Ankara 6:25 pm

32°C

Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi speaks during a joint press conference with his Iraqi counterpart following a meeting in Baghdad on June 28, 2026.

Iran's Araghchi reveals Turkey's role in thwarting Kurdish offensive

The account offers Tehran's first public confirmation of reports that Ankara intervened to stop armed Iranian Kurdish groups from entering the conflict.

Recep Tayyip Erdogan, president of Turkey, greets Donald Trump, president of United States, during a welcome ceremony of allied heads of state and government, on July 8, 2026, in Ankara, Turkey.

Analysis

As Turkey eyes US naval revival, here is why big warship deals are unlikely

Turkey's shipbuilding industry could help ease pressure on overstretched US naval yards, though political, technological and financial hurdles make support work more likely than building major US warships.

Barin Kayaoglu

By Barin Kayaoglu

In Ankara, reporting on geopolitics and national security

Latest News

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

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

Turkish opposition leader Ozgur Ozel could launch new party by August

Ozgu Ozel

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

Supporters of Iraqi Shi'ite cleric Moqtada al-Sadr shout slogans during an anti-Turkey protest in front of the Turkish embassy in Baghdad, Iraq October 18, 2016. REUTERS/Wissm al-Okili - RTX2PACJ

Will Iraq boycott Turkey?

As tension escalates between Iraq and Turkey regarding the battle to rid Mosul of the Islamic State, Iraqi politicians call for boycotting Turkish products.

Peshmerga forces advance in the east of Mosul to attack Islamic State militants in Mosul, Iraq, October 18, 2016. REUTERS/Thaier Al-Sudani - RTX2PAM8

Erdogan claims Turkey prepping for Mosul action

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has vowed to keep troops near Mosul and says preparations for Turkish role "in the field" are underway.

Turkey's Prime Minister Binali Yildirim (2-R) and Chief of the General Staff of the Turkish Armed Forces, Hulusi Akar (L) are seen during Turkish Supreme Military Council (YAS) members' visit at Anitkabir, mausoleum of Mustafa Kemal Ataturk in Ankara, on July 28, 2016. / AFP / ADEM ALTAN (Photo credit should read ADEM ALTAN/AFP/Getty Images)

Why US-educated Turkish officers could soon be out of their jobs

Turkey's purges since the failed coup are now targeting armed forces officers with advanced degrees from the United States, threatening to devastate the military's brain trust.

Smoke rises from clashes at Bartila in the east of Mosul during clashes with Islamic State militants, Iraq, October 18, 2016. REUTERS/Thaier Al-Sudani - RTX2PCDM

Turkey hasn't given up on role in Mosul battle

While Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan fumes at Baghdad for excluding Turkey from the operation to liberate Mosul, Ankara has sent a team to the Iraqi capital to continue negotiating a role for Turkey.

US Navy's tweet seen as call to battle in Turkey

The US Navy's birthday tweet of a painting depicting one of its first international battles has furious Turks asking what message the United States is trying to send to the Turkish government.

Veiled taekwondo champion breaks Turkish stereotypes

Kubra Dagli, the headscarved world champion in taekwondo, is challenging old secularist biases, new Islamist ideals and overarching national machismo in Turkey.

Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan attends the International Istanbul Law Congress in Istanbul, Turkey, October 17, 2016. REUTERS/Murad Sezer - RTX2P589

How Turkey’s government became the country’s top tycoon

The Turkish government has seized scores of companies in its crackdown on the Gulen community after the July coup attempt, which, some believe, will be now transferred to government cronies.

Erdogan not backing down on Turkish role in Mosul

Turkey’s demand seen as challenge to United States and Iran, as well as Iraq; Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan calls Hillary Clinton a "political novice" for remarks on Syrian Kurds; ultranationalist group dominates Turkish security services.

Football Soccer - Turkey v Ukraine - World Cup 2018 Qualifiers - Metropolitan Stadium, Konya, Turkey - 6/10/16. A fan uses his mobile phone before the match. REUTERS/Murad Sezer - RTSR2TZ

Why some Turks no longer rally behind their national soccer team

World Cup 2018 fever has gone cold in Turkey, as Turks are too polarized to cheer in unison for their national team.

Soldiers suspected of being involved in the coup attempt are escorted by policemen as they arrive at a courthouse in the resort town of Marmaris, Turkey, July 17, 2016. REUTERS/Kenan Gurbuz - RTSIFAO

Turkey’s new paradox

The aftermath of the July 15 attempted coup has produced the most serious crisis and erosion the Turkish state has ever seen.

Republican U.S. presidential nominee Donald Trump listnes as Democratic nominee Hillary Clinton answers a question from the audience during their presidential town hall debate at Washington University in St. Louis, Missouri, U.S., October 9, 2016. REUTERS/Rick Wilking - RTSRITA

Where does Turkey's Erdogan stand on US presidential race?

According to the Turkish president, former US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton lacks political experience.

Members of the Sinjar Resistance Units (YBS), a militia affiliated with the Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK), disarm an improvised explosive device placed by Islamic State fighters near the village of Umm al-Dhiban, northern Iraq, April 30, 2016. They share little more than an enemy and struggle to communicate on the battlefield, but together two relatively obscure groups have opened up a new front against Islamic State militants in a remote corner of Iraq. The unlikely alliance between the Sinjar Resistance

In struggle against PKK, Turkey takes flight

The conflict between Turkey and Kurdish militants is becoming more complex and destructive as the Turkish army begins using drones in warfare.