Turkey

French foreign minister: Turkey and France have a ‘verbal cease-fire’

Jean-Yves Le Drian told a French TV station there is still a long way to go to improve Turkey-France relations, mentioning Syria, Libya and the eastern Mediterranean. The French and Turkish presidents had a cordial meeting earlier this week. France’s top diplomat said there is a “verbal cease-fire” between France …

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Turkey is radicalizing extremists to attack Kurdish women

Women have become key targets of Turkey’s extremist government in recent years, videos increasingly showing violence against women in the streets of cities, including women being beaten by men. Photos show Deniz Poyraz smiling and happy. But for Turkey’s far-right, she was a threat, a young woman activist who was …

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Russian official: Idleb Agreement with Turkey does not Eliminate “Necessity to Control” the Area

Russia’s ambassador to the Assad regime, Alexander Yefimov, said that his country’s agreement with Turkey regarding Idleb does not eliminate the necessity of its “return” to what he described as “the sovereignty of the legitimate government as soon as possible.” The Russian ambassador made these remarks during an interview with …

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An Anxious Erdogan Tries to Make Nice With the West

Weeks before U.S. President Joe Biden met with Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan on the sidelines of the NATO summit, Erdogan vowed that the meeting would be transformative. In a virtual gathering with American investors last month, he predicted that the encounter would “herald a new era.” It was no …

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Massive Turkey-led logging in Iraqi Kurdistan causes outcry

Extensive logging led by Turkey in Iraqi Kurdistan has set off an outcry, fueling the already strong anger toward the Turkish military presence in northern Iraq. Turkey’s cross-border military operations against the outlawed Kurdish militants based in northern Iraq are under fire for their environmental damage, a fresh addition to …

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Will Washington buy Ankara’s ‘drone crescent’ against Russia?

Scrambling for a thaw with Washington, Ankara hopes to draw on the success of its military drones — battle-proven against Russian weaponry — to cast itself as a key partner in US efforts to contain Russia in eastern Europe and beyond. Having lost much leverage in its fraught ties with …

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Erdogan’s meeting with Biden more spin than substance

The two leaders’ first meeting as heads of state led to detailed discussions, but there were no breakthroughs. The long-awaited meeting today between Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan and US President Joe Biden went pretty much as expected, with none of the big issues poisoning ties between the NATO allies …

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Biden, Erdoğan Hold ‘Productive’ Chat

US President Joe Biden on Monday said he had a “positive and productive” meeting with Turkish counterpart Recep Tayyip Erdoğan in Brussels, promising to “continue discussions and … make real progress” with Ankara. The two leaders held the face-to-face – their first since Biden took office – on the sidelines …

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Intel: US engages Turkey over Kabul airport security

The Biden administration continues to talk with Turkish officials about Ankara’s proposal to take over security at Kabul International Airport after US and NATO forces leave Afghanistan later this summer. The discussions come ahead of President Joe Biden’s planned first meeting since taking office with Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan …

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Erdogan’s Weaponization of Religion Is Losing Its Edge

For more than three months, Turkey has been rocked by rolling protests centered in Istanbul. Following President Recep Tayyip Erdogan’s controversial appointment of businessman Melih Bulu as the new rector of Bogazici University in January, students and professors began holding rallies to denounce the pick. They see Bulu as an …

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