Ankara

Libya's eastern parliament backs maritime deal with Turkey, reversing years of opposition

Libya's eastern parliament has reversed its rejection of a 2019 maritime deal with Turkey covering competing claims in the eastern Mediterranean.

|ByREUTERS, JAMES GENN
Lawmakers in Libya's House of Representatives, Benghazi, October 2026; illustrative.
Turkish security forces line up in the buffer zone as Turkish police use water cannon to disperse Syrian supporters who gather at the border, across from the northern Syrian town of Qamishli, January 20, 2026

Israel must set red lines on Turkish presence in Syria to avoid confrontation, think tank argues

Israel's Syria policy could ultimately invite US pressure to abandon its buffer zone without significant security concessions if it fails to engage Damascus diplomatically, INSS warns.

|ByYONAH JEREMY BOB
Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan speaks during a meeting at his ruling AK Party (AKP) in Ankara, Turkey, October 7, 2026.

Mecca defense pact puts Turkey’s commitment to Saudi under domestic scrutiny - analysis

The Mecca pact is moving from declaration to implementation, exposing unresolved questions in Turkey over troop deployments, parliamentary authority, and the risk of direct involvement in Yemen.

|ByAMIT AVITAN
Foreign Minister Gideon Sa'ar hold a press conference at the Foreign Ministry in Jerusalem, September 8, 2026

Israel should stop treating the Kurds as a temporary ally - opinion

The Kurdish-Jewish relationship is rooted in history and shared interests, offering Israel a strategic partnership in the Middle East.

|ByVEYSI DAG

Pahlavi’s challenge: Will he overcome Kurdish distrust to lead a unified Iran? - opinion

Iran’s opposition struggles to unite as minority rights remain unresolved.

MARCH 2, 2026ByVEYSI DAG
Reza Pahlavi, the exiled son of Iran's last shah and an Iranian opposition figure, speaks during the Munich Security Conference (MSC) in Munich, Germany, February 13, 2026.

Trump’s Gaza gamble: Disarming Hamas must be a non-negotiable - opinion

The Board of Peace can’t succeed while Hamas remains militarized and continues to indoctrinate Gaza’s youth.

FEBRUARY 25, 2026ByERIC R. MANDEL
US President Donald Trump, Indonesia’s President Prabowo Subianto, Albania’s PM Edi Rama, Saudi Foreign Minister Adel Al-Jubeir, Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev, and Jordan’s Foreign Minister Ayman Safadi at the inaugural Board of Peace meeting, US Institute of Peace, Washington DC, February 2026

Turkey assesses regional risks in case of Iran-US conflict

NATO member Turkey, which shares a border with Iran to its east, has said it opposes any military intervention on Iran and does not want destabilization in the region.

FEBRUARY 25, 2026ByREUTERS
Turkish President and Leader of the Justice and Development (AK) Party, Recep Tayyip Erdogan addresses to the party members during the AK Party Group Meeting at the Grand National Assembly of Turkiye in Ankara, Turkiye on February 25, 2026.

Turkish F-16 crashes during training flight in western Turkey, pilot killed

An F-16 crash in western Turkey led to the temporary closure of the Istanbul-Izmir highway as officials probed the cause of the incident.

FEBRUARY 25, 2026ByJAMES GENN
A Turkish F-16 pictured in May 2023; illustrative.

Crisis-driver or Gaza stabilizer? Why Turkey believes it switched roles with Israel - analysis

Ankara feels that from the Horn of Africa to the Eastern Mediterranean and Syria and Iraq it has increased its influence greatly in the last years. 

FEBRUARY 22, 2026BySETH J. FRANTZMAN
The flags of Turkey and Israel are flown as President Isaac Herzog makes a state visit to Turkey, March 9, 2022.

Turkey detains 88 in nationwide raids over alleged links to group accused of 2016 coup attempt

Turkish authorities detain 88 suspects in nationwide operation targeting alleged members of the Gülen movement, linked to the 2016 coup attempt.

FEBRUARY 18, 2026ByTHE MEDIA LINE STAFF
A Turkish police officer and armored vehicle outside Istanbul Courthouse, March 26, 2019; illustrative.

Turkey, Saudi Arabia looking to cooperate on new '5th-generation' warplane - report

The Turkish "Kaan" 5th-generation fighter jet is currently under development, with President Erdogan seeking joint defense cooperation with Saudi Arabia.

FEBRUARY 5, 2026BySETH J. FRANTZMAN
Turkey's 'Kaan' fighter jet seen during runway tests at its facilities in Ankara, March 17, 2023

Why America's Western lens fails to understand Middle East dynamics - opinion

The Middle East rewards power, clarity, and patience, and the US must learn to play by those rules. If they act desperate for deals and photo opportunities, then that is all they will get.

FEBRUARY 5, 2026ByERIC R. MANDEL
US President Donald Trump seen over an illustrative image of American-Iranian ties (illustrative)

MBS’s gamble: Saudi leans toward Turkey and Qatar, avoids Israel-US bloc - opinion

Saudi Crown Prince shifts strategy, leaning on Turkey and Qatar while Israel-US-UAE alliance strengthens.

JANUARY 26, 2026ByLIRON ROSE, AMIT SHABI
Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman chairs the inaugural session of the Shura Council in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, September 10, 2025.

Coup to crackdown: Erdogan’s unfinished war on Turkey’s Kurds - opinion

Fifteen percent of the Turkish population, approximately 16 million, are Kurds, and Erdogan needs to accept that they have a right to live their lives as they see fit.

JANUARY 24, 2026ByALON BEN-MEIR
Turkey's President Recep Tayyip Erdogan is seen at parliament last Wednesday. The president’s consolidation of power since 2016 has reshaped institutions, narrowed civil liberties, and placed entire communities, particularly Kurds, under intensified repression and persecution, the writer says.