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

Turkey

Turkey

May 15, 2026

Ankara 2:13 am

11°C

Mazloum Kobane, commander-in-chief of the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF), speaks during the pan-Kurdish "Unity and Consensus" conference in Qamishli in northeastern Syria on April 26, 2025.

Interview

Syrian Kurdish commander Kobane says Turkey visit ‘in the making,’ Ocalan meeting possible

The SDF commander-in-chief reflected on a fragile integration deal with Damascus, growing Kurdish backlash and ongoing talks with Turkey as questions mount over Rojava’s political future.

Mazloum Kobane

Mazloum Kobane

SDF commander in chief

Turkey’s President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, right, and Armenia’s Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan shake hands before a meeting at Prague Castle in Prague, Czech Republic, Thursday, Oct. 6, 2022.

Turkey, Armenia to launch direct trade in normalization push: What to know

The move removes a decades-old reexport mechanism routed largely through Georgia as Ankara and Yerevan step up normalization efforts.

The helicopter of Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan lands on Abdulhamid Han drill ship, the fourth built by Turkey, in Mersin on Aug. 9, 2022, before being sent for gas exploration to an undisputed area in the Mediterranean Sea, south of Gazipasa.

New Turkey maritime draft bill fuels EastMed tensions with Greece, Cyprus

Turkey’s draft maritime bill seeks to formalize Ankara’s claims in the Aegean, Eastern Mediterranean and Black seas, raising tensions with Greece and Cyprus over contested maritime boundaries and offshore energy rights.

Turkish Red Crescent's cars and trucks cross the Turkish border as they leave the Syrian city of Tel Abyad on Oct. 19, 2019, in Akcakale, Turkey.

Turkey's border reopening unlocks new sphere of influence in Syria

Turkey reopened the Akcakale-Tell Abyad crossing on Monday, ending an 11-year closure along the Syria border.

Latest News

Analysis

From drones to deterrence: Turkey's ICBM missile signals bigger ambitions

ISTANBUL, TURKEY - MAY 06: A man poses for a photograph in front of the newly unveiled, Turkish made intercontinental ballistic missile Yildirimhan at the SAHA International Defence and Aerospace Expo on May 06, 2026 in Istanbul, Turkey. The International Defence and Aerospace Exhibition, showcased Turkish and foreign companies new products and technology. The expo was dominated by UAV products as modern warfare increasingly shifts to drone and unmanned technologies. (Photo by Chris McGrath/Getty Images)

Barin Kayaoglu

By Barin Kayaoglu

In Ankara, reporting on geopolitics and national security

Culture

How ‘dog mom’ vacuum cleaner ad sparked culture war in Turkey

MURAT KOCABAS/Middle East Images/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

Is Turkey doing enough to protect its Protestants?

Turkey's small Protestant community feels threatened not only by detractors, but also by the Islamic State, and lacks government protection against either.

How Turkey's foreign policy may have lost it $25 billion in trade with Iran

A preferential trade agreement between Turkey and Iran has failed to stop the decline in bilateral trade as regional political disputes between the two neighbors deepen.

Is this the end of Turkish miracle?

Turkey’s economic success story of the past decade has dramatically changed, becoming instead a tale of caution.

Is Russia helping the US win in Syria?

Russian air power and Syrian forces are pounding terrorists and their allies, while taking a terrible toll on civilians; keep Turkey out of Syria.

Diyarbakirspor fans shout slogans on the pitch as they hold a burning Bursaspor team flag during a Turkish Super League soccer match between Diyarbakirspor and Bursaspor in Diyarbakir March 6, 2010. The game between Bursaspor and Diyarbakirspor was suspended on the 17th minute on Saturday, when Diyarbakirspor fans began throwing foreign objects to the pitch. REUTERS/Anatolian/Cem Ozdel (TURKEY - Tags: SPORT SOCCER CIVIL UNREST) TURKEY OUT. NO COMMERCIAL OR EDITORIAL SALES IN TURKEY - RTR2BAW4

Diyarbakir's soccer team gets yellow card for winning

Diyarbakir's Amedspor soccer club is paying a heavy price for making its way to the Turkish Cup quarterfinals, defeating powerful rivals along the way.

Will Turkey, Russia fan flames into an inferno?

Moscow, Ankara ramp up their "he said, she said" exchanges with ever-stronger accusations.

Erdogan’s new Kurdish allies

President Recep Tayyip Erdogan is gearing up to resume the Kurdish settlement process — but with new dialogue partners with Islamist inclinations.

Will new Turkish fact-checking site be able to hold politicians accountable?

Turkey’s first and only political fact-checking website aims to make political actors in Turkey accountable for their statements.

Turkey’s nationalist 'Gray Wolves' enter Syrian fray

Turkish ultranationalists have joined the fight in Syria as what some observers view as their government's secret weapon, one that could backfire as the group mingles with Islamists along with the Turkmens they're defending.

AKP moderate declared 'traitor'

The "Arinc rebellion" against President Recep Tayyip Erdogan seems to be the much-belated outburst of the much-speculated silent opposition within the AKP. But what is it likely to achieve?

Will Turkey risk military confrontation with Russia?

Leading military analysts say Putin is trying to draw Ankara into a fight that could have disastrous results for Turkey.

The Ottoman legacy in Palestine

In the historical Old City of Nablus in the West Bank, buildings from the days of the Ottoman Empire stand tall.