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

Turkey

Turkey

February 24, 2026

Ankara 10:38 am

3°C

Women and children seen inside al-Hol camp, amongst them some 6,200 women and children from around 40 nationalities, and including relatives of suspected Islamic State jihadists in the desert region of Hasakah province on Jan. 25, 2026 in Al Hasakah, Syria.

Turkey to repatriate its ISIS fighters from Iraq as jihadis escalate Syria attacks

Ankara will repatriate its nationals from among thousands of fighters transferred from Syria, Iraqi Foreign Minister Fuad Hussein said.

ANKARA, TURKEY - JANUARY 21: Turkey’s President Recep Tayyip Erdogan speaks to MPs at his party's group meeting in the Turkish parliament on January 21, 2026 in Ankara, Turkey. Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan is among world leaders that have been invited by United States President Donald Trump, to join the Gaza Board of Peace, Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan was also included as an appointed member. (Photo by Serdar Ozsoy/Getty Images)

Analysis

Why Turkey’s exclusion from Gaza force may be a strategic blessing

Despite being excluded from Gaza’s international stabilization force, Ankara will likely leverage its ties with Hamas to maintain influence within the Trump administration’s Board of Peace.

Barin Kayaoglu

By Barin Kayaoglu

In Ankara, reporting on geopolitics and national security

Turkish drama

Culture

Ramadan opens in Turkey as secular-conservative divide resurfaces

Ramadan began in Turkey amid a fresh flare-up of secular-conservative tensions, fueled by a controversial TV series and renewed concerns over secularism.

Latest News

Turkey backs Libya in legal challenge to Greece-Chevron offshore deal

A general view taken on April 4, 2014, shows oil tanker Morning Glory, during the unloading of oil in the Libyan seaport of Zawiya.

Fidan heads to US as Turkey eyes Gaza troop role: What to know

Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan speaks during a press statement with his French counterpart in Ankara, on Jan. 27, 2026.

On first Horn of Africa trip in 10 years, Erdogan cautions Ethiopia over Somaliland

Marco Simoncelli / 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

YASIN AKGUL/AFP via Getty Images

Turkey accused of double standard as Armenian journalist's killer walks free

Armenian-Turkish journalist Hrant Dink's murderer walked free in Turkey Wednesday while the government's critics pointed aghast to political prisoners held years beyond the court's authority to keep them.

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan addresses the parliament.

Turkey’s parliament to debate Sweden’s NATO bid as Erdogan eyes Biden invite

The move, which comes as Turkish President Erdogan seeks a meeting with the US president, signals potential progress on the pending Turkish bid to buy new F-16 jets from the American side.

This photograph taken on June 9, 2023, shows the Central Bank of Turkey, in Ankara.

Turkey reports account surplus amid fiscal policy changes

Turkish bonds may also become more attractive, according to a top bank, as Turkey’s new economic leaders raise interest rates and end unpopular policies.

The Soloturk aerobatic demonstration team of the Turkish Air Force flies an F-16 aircraft over Anitkabir, the mausoleum of Turkish Republic's Founder Mustafa Kemal Ataturk, during celebrations to mark the 100th anniversary of the Republic of Turkey in Ankara, on October 29, 2023. Turkey marked its centenary as a post-Ottoman republic on October 29, 2023, with somewhat muted celebrations held in the shadow of Israel's escalating war with Hamas militants in Gaza. (Photo by Adem ALTAN / AFP) (Photo by ADEM ALT

Turkey, Greece agree on confidence-building measures as Ankara eyes F-16s

The announcement comes as Ankara seeks to overcome congressional objections to its bid to purchase new F-16 jets from the United States.

Iranian Foreign Minister Hossein Amir-Abdollahian and his Turkish counterpart, Hakan Fidan.

Israel's Gaza war opens room for Turkey-Iran rapprochement

Turkey’s Gaza diplomacy has failed to bear fruit thus far, but it has clearly led to a rapprochement between Ankara and Tehran.

Turkey's President and leader of the Justice and Development (AK) Party Recep Tayyip Erdogan delivers a speech during his party's group meeting at the Turkish Grand National Assembly in Ankara, on October 25, 2023. (Photo by Adem ALTAN / AFP) (Photo by ADEM ALTAN/AFP via Getty Images)

Turkey’s judicial crisis deepens as Erdogan weighs in

Erdogan’s stepping into a crisis between Turkey’s two high courts is widely seen as yet another sign of erosion of rule of law and judicial independence in Turkey.

KARIM SAHIB/AFP via Getty Images

EU says UAE will restrict certain re-exports to Russia amid Ukraine war

The United Arab Emirates has agreed to restrict the re-exportation to Russia of "dual-use" items used for its war in Ukraine, and Turkey is reportedly considering a similar measure.

United Arab Emirates

Journalists carrying placards "No to the censorship law" and "We are journalists" take part in a protest in front of the Constitutional Court in Ankara on Nov. 8, 2023, regarding the law discussed by the Constitutional Court and known to the public as the Censorship Law.

Turkey’s top court upholds controversial media law as EU laments 'democratic backsliding'

The ruling coincided with the release of the EU Commission's annual report which noted “continued deterioration” in the country’s democratic standards, the rule of law, and the independence of the judiciary.

The 142-meter luxury yacht Nord, reportedly owned by Russian tycoon Alexei Mordashov, arrives in the far eastern city of Vladivostok on March 31, 2022.

UK sanctions UAE network accused of helping Russia make gold profits

The new sanctions announced by the UK Foreign Ministry target 29 individuals and companies operating in and supporting Russia’s gold, oil and strategic sectors.

United Arab Emirates

Nescafe

Boycotts in Turkey over Israel’s war in Gaza spread to Coca-Cola, Nescafe

While the Turkish Parliament stopped the sale of certain multinational brands in its cafeterias, several universities have said they will no longer collaborate with Israeli academia until a cease-fire is reached.

ADEM ALTAN/AFP via Getty Images

Turkey returns to dollar bond market as Erdogan shifts approach

The Turkish government has made several fiscal policy changes since the president's reelection in May in an effort to win back investors and address economic problems.

ADEM ALTAN/AFP via Getty Images

Blinken ends Middle East tour in Turkey, no Gaza 'humanitarian pause' in sight

US Secretary of State Antony Blinken completed his Middle East tour in Turkey as anti-US protests ramped up in the country.