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Turkey

Turkey

December 31, 2025

Ankara 11:50 am

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US President Donald Trump and Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan gesture as they pose for a photo during a world leaders' summit on ending the Gaza war on Oct. 13, 2025 in Sharm El-Sheikh, Egypt.

Analysis

Trump-Erdogan ties pay off for Turkey in 2025 as Ankara pushes for F-35s

Leader-level diplomacy between Ankara and Washington produced selective gains but failed to break the deadlock over defense sanctions imposed for Turkey’s S-400 purchase.

Ezgi Akin

In Ankara, reporting on diplomacy, EU-Turkey ties, NATO

Joe Raedle/Getty Images

Analysis

Iran threats, flattery, unresolved gaps: What Trump really gave Netanyahu at Mar-a-Lago

At their meeting at Mar-a-Lago, President Donald Trump heaped compliments on Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu but offered few concrete achievements.

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

A picture taken at the port of Dilovasi, outside Istanbul, on June 20, 2019, shows the drilling ship Yavuz scheduled to search for oil and gas off Cyprus.

Turkey eyes offshore energy pact with Syria in 2026 amid East Med isolation

Turkish Energy Minister Alparslan Bayraktar has offered up details on a deal with Syria that could unsettle regional rivals in the gas-rich Eastern Mediterranean.

Latest News

Somalia’s president heads to Turkey as Israel’s Somaliland recognition rattles region

This aerial view shows residents waving Somaliland flags as they gather to celebrate Israel's announcement recognizing Somaliland's statehood in downtown Hargeisa, on Dec. 26, 2025.

Australian LNG deal marks latest step in Turkey's energy diversification push

Dan Kitwood/Getty Images

Analysis

Turkey's defense sector enters 2026 with naval progress — and unresolved vulnerabilities

Turkish naval forces patrol vessel TCG F 500 and an unidentified submarine (back) sail during a military naval parade on the Bosphorus in Istanbul on Oct. 29, 2023.

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

Fighters of PKK inside Matin mountain north of Dohuk in a temporary base after leaving Turkish territory, on June 22, 2013.

Analysis

Baghdad silent as Turkey moves deeper against PKK militants in northern Iraq

A drone attack on Monday comes amid widening Turkish operations against PKK targets inside Iraqi Kurdistan.

Amberin Zaman

By Amberin Zaman

Reporting on geopolitics, minorities, human rights, culture

The Euphrates river near Dura Europos (Tell Salhiye), Syria. Iraq is just several miles downstream.

In managing water crisis, can Turkey and Iraq bridge gap without Syria?

Turkey and Iraq need to bring Syria into the fold to resettle the historical water sharing problems between the three countries, according to experts and officials.

Russian President Vladimir Putin (L) shakes hands with his Syrian counterpart Bashar al-Assad during their meeting in Sochi on May 17, 2018.

Erdogan open to hosting Assad, Putin as Syria-Turkey channels widen

The remarks came as both Erdogan and Assad raised the possibility of resuming dialogue between Ankara and Damascus.

Turkey's defender Merih Demiral makes a controversial hand gesture as he celebrates scoring his team's second goal during the UEFA Euro 2024 round of 16 football match between Austria and Turkey at Leipzig Stadium, Leipzig, Germany, July 2, 2024.

Erdogan heads to Germany amid row over Turkish soccer player’s 'racist' salute

A hand gesture by a Turkish soccer player has strained Turkish-German relations.

President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, who is in Astana for the 24th Summit of the Council of Heads of State of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization, meets with President Xi Jinping of China, on July 4, 2024.

Erdogan meets Xi, praises Turkey’s ties with China-led SCO bloc

The Turkish president reaffirmed his country’s commitment to deepening cooperation with the China-led bloc.

AFP via Getty Images

Turkey launches airstrikes against Kurdish militants in Iraq

The Turkish army's strikes are the first since the Iraqi central government’s decision to ban the Kurdistan Workers Party in March.

KAREN MINASYAN/AFP via Getty Images

US push for Azerbaijan, Turkey to make peace with Armenia an uphill battle

Despite some hopeful noises from Washington on a peace agreement between Armenia and Azerbaijan, most Armenians hold out little hope as Azerbaijan continues to resist approving a draft that Armenian and Western officials are promoting.

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan and his Russian counterpart, Vladimir Putin, meet on the sidelines of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) summit in the Kazakh capital of Astana on July 3, 2024.

Erdogan meets 'dear friend' Putin as Russia, Turkey eye cooperation on Syria

The two leaders reaffirmed their commitment to bilateral ties only days ahead of the NATO summit.

ALTAN GOCHER/Hans Lucas/AFP via Getty Images

Turkey’s inflation slows for first time in eight months, down to 71%

The country’s year-on-year inflation cooled faster than expected in June, official data showed.

Saudi defense chief Khalid bin Salman in Turkey received by his counterpart Yasar Guler in Ankara on July 2, 2024

Saudi defense chief in Turkey, meets Erdogan as drone sales grow

Turkey and Saudi Arabia signed a major drone deal last year in one of several recent demonstrations of strengthening defense cooperation between the two countries.

Armed men drive in the back of a pick up truck during protests against Turkey in al-Bab, in the northern Syrian opposition held region of Aleppo on July 1, 2024. A man was killed after and Turkish forces clashed in Syria's Ankara-controlled northwest, a war monitor said, in demonstrations sparked by violence against Syrians in Turkey a day earlier. (Photo by Bakr ALKASEM / AFP) (Photo by BAKR ALKASEM/AFP via Getty Images)

Erdogan reassures Syrian rebels but says Turkey open to talks with Assad

The Turkish president also ruled out a potential withdrawal of Turkish forces from Syria in the near future, citing the Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces.

A protester stands in front a burning Turkish truck during protests against Turkey in al-Bab, in the northern Syrian opposition held region of Aleppo on July 1, 2024. A man was killed after and Turkish forces clashed in Syria's Ankara-controlled northwest , a war monitor said, in demonstrations sparked by violence against Syrians in Turkey a day earlier. (Photo by Bakr ALKASEM / AFP) (Photo by BAKR ALKASEM/AFP via Getty Images)

7 killed in Syria as Turkey detains nearly 450 people over anti-refugee riots

The detentions follow protests that broke out Sunday night and spread to other provinces on Monday.