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

Turkey

Turkey

August 2, 2026

Ankara 1:04 pm

27°C

Explainer

Guterres visit to Cyprus revives frozen diplomacy amid regional tension

The first visit to Cyprus by a UN chief in more than 16 years aimed at testing waters for resumption of UN-led talks amid growing urgency to address the island’s division.

Sudan's de facto leader and armed forces chief Abdel Fattah al-Burhan greets supporters in Port Sudan, Dec. 29, 2024.

Analysis

Amid realignment with Egypt, Turkey steps up support for Sudan’s Burhan

Turkey has been intensifying engagement with the Sudanese army leader as Red Sea security concerns grow and to protect its interests in the broader Africa region.

Barin Kayaoglu

By Barin Kayaoglu

In Ankara, reporting on geopolitics and national security

Latest News

Explainer

What’s behind Turkey’s latest wave of arrests against opposition mayors?

A demonstrator carries a CHP flag during a protest in Izmir, Turkey, on May 24, 2026.

Turkey, Pakistan among 14 countries backing Saudi Arabia's anti-Houthi Red Sea alliance

A Saudi navy ship is pictured docked at King Faisal navy base in Jeddah before the departure of a team to Port Sudan to help with the evacuation efforts of people fleeing Sudan, on April 29, 2023.

Turkey ready to participate in post-UNIFIL force in Lebanon, Erdogan tells Aoun

Erdogan and Aoun

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 walk past a poster depicting Turkish Prime Minister Tayyip Erdogan that has been pasted by demonstrators at Taksim Square in Istanbul June 5, 2013. Protesters clashed with police across Turkey overnight despite an apology for police violence from the deputy prime minister designed to halt an unprecedented wave of protest against Prime Minister Tayyip Erdogan. Pro-government newspapers signalled a softening of Ankara's line in the absence of Erdogan, who flew off on a state visit to north Africa on Mo

Outside Taksim, Turkey Faces Polarization

Women wearing headscarves report being harassed.

ISTANBUL, TURKEY - JUNE 06: A protestors build a makeshift barricade near Turkish prime minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan office, between Taksim and Besiktas, early morning on June 6, 2013 in Istanbul, Turkey. The protests began initially over the fate of Taksim Gezi Park, one of the last significant green spaces in the center of the city. The heavy-handed viewed response of the police, Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan and his government's increasingly authoritarian agenda has broadened the rage of the cla

No Turkish Spring, But Maybe Erdogan's Solstice

The recent protests may not mark a turning point for Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan, but rather a shift from a steady rise to a gradual decline.

A mask is placed on a pole at Taksim square in Istanbul June 5, 2013. Turkish trade unionists banging drums and trailing banners marched into an Istanbul square on Wednesday, joining unprecedented protests against Prime Minister Tayyip Erdogan over what they see as his authoritarian rule. REUTERS/Murad Sezer (TURKEY - Tags: POLITICS CIVIL UNREST) - RTX10CQD

Ten Reasons Why Erdogan Welcomes the Protests

A lighter look at the demonstrations in Turkey.

The body of Saudi Arabia's Prince Badr bin Abdul Aziz, former deputy commander of the National Guard is lifted during his funeral at Imam Turki bin Abdullah Mosque in Riyadh, April 2, 2013. REUTERS/Faisal Al Nasser (SAUDI ARABIA - Tags: POLITICS MILITARY ROYALS OBITUARY) - RTXY5U5

Saudi Arabia’s Quiet Transition

Although the ascension the next generation of Saudi Arabia's princes is not a sign of reform, it is a major transformation in the kingdom’s leadership.

Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan gives his speech at the National People's Congress (NPC) in Algiers June 4, 2013. REUTERS/Louafi Larbi (ALGERIA - Tags: POLITICS) - RTX10BOS

Erdogan Must Face The Limits of His Power

Erdogan’s policies have resulted in divisions and strains in Turkish society.

Fenerbahce fans light flares during the Turkish Super League derby soccer match against Galatasaray at Sukru Saracoglu stadium in Istanbul May 12, 2013. REUTERS/Osman Orsal (TURKEY - Tags: SPORT SOCCER TPX IMAGES OF THE DAY) - RTXZK2O

Ultras: The Surprise Kids Of Turkey’s Uprising

The hard-core fans of Istanbul’s three archrival football clubs joined hands in the resistance against police at Gezi Park.

TV crews film near a damaged broadcaster's satellite news network truck at Taksim Square in central Istanbul June 3, 2013. Turkish protesters clashed with riot police into the early hours of Monday with some setting fire to offices of the ruling AK Party as the fiercest anti-government demonstrations in years entered their fourth day. Turkey's streets were calm in the morning after a night of noisy protests and violence in major cities. REUTERS/Stoyan Nenov (TURKEY - Tags: POLITICS MEDIA CIVIL UNREST) - RT

Turkish Media on Notice

Turkey’s mainstream broadcast media misses the story.

Anti-government protesters try to extinguish a burning container in Istanbul's Taksim square June 4, 2013. It was not clear why the container was on fire. Pockets of protesters clashed with Turkish riot police overnight and a union federation began a two-day strike on Tuesday as anti-government demonstrations in which two people have died stretched into a fifth day. REUTERS/Yannis Behrakis (TURKEY - Tags: CIVIL UNREST POLITICS) - RTX10B5F

Erdogan's Sin of Hubris

Israel's national security leaders struggle with predicting the future of the region.

Turkey's Prime Minister Tayyip Erdogan addresses members of parliament from his ruling AK Party (AKP) during a meeting at the Turkish parliament in Ankara May 7, 2013. REUTERS/Umit Bektas (TURKEY - Tags: POLITICS) - RTXZDDJ

Has Erdogan Overstayed His Welcome?

Most countries set term limits for top officials to avoid antagonizing the population and to inject new energy into government; Turkey should do the same.

The Mideast in Venice

Nine Middle Eastern countries are represented at the Venice Biennale, including a piece aptly called "Resistance" from a Turkish artist.

United Arab Emirates

Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan arrives at Rabat airport on June 3, 2013, at the start of a tour of the Maghreb region. REUTERS/Youssef Boudlal (MOROCCO - Tags: POLITICS) - RTX10AEL

Assad Toys With Erdogan Over Riots

Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan is losing the high ground in his response to protests.

Members of the Hamas security forces patrol the border area between Gaza and Egypt, in the southern Gaza Strip May 20, 2013. Egyptian police angered by the kidnapping of seven colleagues by Islamist gunmen kept a crossing into the Gaza Strip closed again for four days, stranding hundreds of Palestinian travellers, witnesses said. REUTERS/Ibraheem Abu Mustafa (GAZA - Tags: POLITICS) - RTXZTTN

Gaza Youth Flee Harsh Life To Israel

Sneaking into Israel is becoming a more attractive option for Gaza’s unemployed youth as living conditions in the besieged enclave continue to deteriorate.