Turkey

Turkey’s History of Hamas SupportBy Jonathan Schanzer Thousands of people rallied at Istanbul’s iconic Galata Bridge on New Year’s Day 2025 in support of the Palestinian cause and to protest Israel. Bilal Erdogan, President Recep Tayyip Erdogan’s son, was among its speakers. Bilal spoke of the “martyrs” of Palestine, including …

Shin Bet uncovers Hamas cell in Nablus run by Turkey-based HQ; observers say Ankara offers freedom of action to Hamas terror operatives. A Hamas terror cell in Nablus that received instructions and funding from the organization’s overseas headquarters in Turkey was dismantled by Israeli security forces in recent weeks in …

European countries are working to improve weapons supplies to Ukraine and boost Europe’s security architecture. Including Turkey and its powerful defense industry in these schemes is a priority, but doing so raises moral and strategic concerns. The last week of March was a momentous one for Europe. On the morning …

On the morning of Wednesday, March 19, Istanbul police arrested Ekrem İmamoğlu, the city’s mayor and a member of the opposition Republican People’s Party (CHP). According to the prosecutor’s statement, İmamoğlu and 106 others were charged with leading and participating in a criminal organization, extortion, bribery, aggravated fraud, unlawful acquisition …

Suite à l’arrestation du maire d’Istanbul, Ekrem İmamoğlu, de graves troubles ont éclaté et continuent de s’intensifier en Turquie. La crise s’aggrave. Mais pour analyser correctement la situation, plusieurs facteurs doivent être pris en compte. Tout d’abord, le maire d’Istanbul, tout comme le maire d’Ankara, appartient à l’opposition libérale à …

BRUSSELS ­– Despite domestic political turmoil, Ankara’s timing to pitch closer ties with the EU and win access to the bloc’s defence funds couldn’t be better. Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan has chosen his moment well. Faced with mass protests over the jailing of popular opposition leader Ekrem İmamoğlu, he …

As Turkey’s opposition parties rally in solidarity with Istanbul’s mayor, Turkish authorities have moved forward with more detentions. ANKARA — As Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan broke his silence on the detention of Istanbul Mayor Ekrem Imamoglu, tens of thousands of supporters of the main opposition Republican People’s Party (CHP) …

Analysis: Turkey and Israel are the two main players to fill power vacuums in post-Assad Syria, and friction between Ankara and Tel Aviv is intensifying. For many years, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has used powerful rhetoric to condemn Israel. As the then-prime minister of Turkey, Erdogan captured much international …

Iran’s strategic setbacks have enabled Türkiye to expand its influence in the Middle East, aggravating tensions between Ankara and Tehran. Their rivalry has escalated even though they agree on major regional issues, such as the Gaza conflict and the broader Palestinian-Israeli dispute. Türkiye’s leaders have warned their Iranian counterparts to …

Analysis: While PKK leader Abdullah Ocalan’s historic call raises hopes of ending 40 years of conflict with Turkey, peace is by no means guaranteed. After four decades of fighting the Turkish state, Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK) leader Abdullah Ocalan has urged the group that he founded to abandon its armed …