Turkey

Politics

An Istanbul court voided the results of Turkey's main opposition Republican People's Party (CHP) 2023 Istanbul provincial congress due to allegations that delegates received cash payments to influence their votes, and that CHP board members who were elected during that congress should thus be removed, including, notably, Istanbul provincial head Ozgur Celik, Reuters reported Sept. 2.

Turkey: Istanbul Court Rules Against Main Opposition Party, as Government Expands Crackdown

Military & Security

Turkish authorities detained the mayor of the Istanbul district Beyoglu and around 40 other individuals on allegations of corruption, AP reported on Aug. 15.

Turkey: Authorities Arrest Opposition Istanbul District Mayor, 40 Others

Israel

Syria

Turkish and Syrian defense ministers signed a memorandum of understanding for military cooperation, including training and consultancy, and support to combat the Islamic State in Syria, The Washington Post reported on Aug. 13.

Turkey, Syria: Turkey and Syria Ink Military Cooperation Deal

Kazakhstan

Economics

Energy

Kazakh President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev and Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan co-chaired the fifth High-Level Strategic Cooperation Council in Ankara, which produced 20 intergovernmental agreements covering a variety of sectors, Kazinform reported on July 30.

Kazakhstan: Tokayev-Erdogan Summit Revives Strategic Ties, Anchors Oil and Transit Cooperation

Indonesia

Environment, Science & Technology

Science & Technology

Indonesia and Turkey finalized contracts to deliver 48 Turkish KAAN fifth-generation fighter jets following Indonesia's recent purchase of two Turkish Istif-class frigates, Defense News reported on July 29.

Indonesia, Turkey: Sales Deepen Defense, Technology Cooperation

Somalia

United Arab Emirates

Somalia's federal government accused the autonomous state of Puntland of "hijacking" the Comoros-flagged MV Sea World vessel, which was reportedly transporting Turkish weapons bound to Turkey's Camp TURKSOM in Mogadishu, and called for the immediate release of the ship from Bosaso port, The Defense Post reported on July 24.

Somalia: Turkish Arms Seizure Heightens Tensions Between Federal Government and Puntland

Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan said any minority groups that tried to fragment Syria, such as the Druze and the Kurds, would face military intervention from Turkey, Hurriyet Daily News reported on July 22. 

Turkey, Syria: Turkish President, Foreign Minister Reject Syrian Fragmentation

United States

Saudi Arabia

Saudi Investment Minister Khalid al-Falih arrived in Damascus, Syria, for an investment forum aiming to generate trade deals up to $4 billion now that the United States has lifted sanctions on Syria, Semafor reported on July 23.

Saudi Arabia, Syria: Riyadh To Increase Investment in Syria's Provisional Government

Assessments

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan speaks after the Presidential Cabinet meeting on May 12, 2025, in Istanbul, Turkey.

The process remains fragile amid the risk of stalled progress on the PKK's disarmament, the lingering threat of Kurdish militant attacks, and the potential for empty government promises.

Threats to the Turkish-Kurdish Peace Process

A tank is seen during Turkey's International Defense Industry Fair on July 22, 2024, in Istanbul.

Turkey's push to improve its air defenses in Syria amid Israel's ongoing aerial campaign raises the risk of tactical incidents and a brief crisis, although a larger conflict remains unlikely.

In Syria, Turkey and Israel's Parallel Deployments Heighten Flashpoint Risks

The new flag of Syria's interim government.

Parliamentary elections in September will cement Syrian leaders' power at the expense of many minority groups, deepening national fragmentation and heightening risks of violent unrest, particularly amid Israeli military intervention.

In Syria, Parliamentary Elections Will Deepen Political and Sectarian Divides

Iran

Iraq

Iraq and Turkey's flags together on a textile cloth fabric 

Turkey is repositioning itself in Iraq by replacing its security-heavy posture with a push for economic and energy integration, signaling Ankara's long-term ambitions to become a regional power broker as U.S. and Iranian influence wanes.

Turkey Shifts Iraq Strategy Amid Waning U.S. and Iranian Influence

Columns

On Geopolitics

U.S. Army soldiers prepare to go out on patrol from a remote combat outpost in northeastern Syria on May 25, 2021. 

The U.S. is shifting its Syria strategy from isolation to limited engagement to stabilize the country and protect American interests there, but Turkey and Israel's competing influence campaigns could complicate Washington's approach.

In Post-Assad Syria, the U.S. Struggles to Find a New Strategy

Bahrain

Oman

Qatar

Vehicles drive along a main thoroughfare past a billboard that reads in Farsi and Hebrew: "A severe blow... The vile and villainous Zionist regime (Israel) has made a grave mistake,” in central Tehran on June 24, 2025. 

Israel-Hamas Conflict

The war has weakened Iran, but has also shifted regional perceptions of Israel as a destabilizing force, prompting Gulf states to reassess alliances, Turkey to emerge as a rival, and raising the risk of nuclear proliferation in the Middle East.

Assessing the Regional Impact of the Israel-Iran War, Part 2

Palestinian Territories

Yemen

U.S. President Donald Trump (right) interacts with Oman Deputy Prime Minister Sayyid Asaad (second from right) as they prepare to pose for photos with leaders during the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) Leaders' Summit in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, on May 14, 2025.

Despite Trump's recent sharp words on his predecessor's "forever wars," U.S. trade and energy interests will keep him engaged in the region, though in ways that rely more on economic and diplomatic leverage, as opposed to military campaigns.

Is the Era of U.S. Interventionism in the Middle East Over?

China

Europe

Russia

India

Pakistan

The Geopolitics of Trade

Global Trade

Turkey's export strategy necessitates trade partnerships with countries in many different spheres of influence, portending both risks and opportunities as Ankara attempts to maintain its neutral middle-power status.

The Geopolitics of Trade: Turkey's Export Strategy Hinges on Neutrality

Media

Podcasts

How does Turkey's political uncertainty affect its economic outlook?

Essential Geopolitics: Turkey's Current Political Environment

A Syrian Kurdish woman waves a flag bearing a picture of the founder of the Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK), Abdullah Ocalan, as people gather in the Kurdish-majority city of Qamishli in northeastern Syria to listen to a message from the jailed leader on Feb. 27, 2025. 

While the disbandment will reduce the near-term risk of Kurdish militant attacks, the peace process could still collapse, which would rob the government of the political support it needs to secure Erdogan's 2028 reelection bid.

What the PKK's Disbandment Means for Turkish Politics and Security

Fighters gather outside a building that was seized by jihadists in Syria's northern Aleppo province on Nov. 29, 2024, amid the Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS) offensive against government forces.

The two countries will seek to avoid direct conflict amid U.S. pressure to de-escalate tensions, but their competing military presence in Syria and elevated risk tolerances leave the door open to miscalculations and limited clashes.

Can Israel and Turkey Avoid a Conflict in Syria?

Egypt

Philippe Lazzarini (C), the commissioner general for the U.N. Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East, attends a humanitarian conference for Gaza in Cairo, Egypt, on Dec. 2, 2024, amid the continuing Israel-Hamas war.

Egypt's economic limitations will continue to restrain its assertiveness in foreign policy, constraining its ability to project power in the region.

Egypt's Economic Priorities Sideline Assertive Foreign Policy

<p>The Republic of Turkey straddles Europe and Asia, forming a land bridge that links the Levant, Iran and the Caucasus with Southeastern Europe. In stark contrast to its predecessor, the Ottoman Empire, modern Turkey is confined largely to the semi-arid, mountainous terrain of the Anatolian Peninsula and the capital-rich lands surrounding the Sea of Marmara. This low-lying region contains the large cities of Istanbul and Izmir and the two chokepoints linking the Black Sea to the Mediterranean &mdash; the Bosporus and the Dardanelles. This area is the core of Turkey&#39;s population and economy. Turkey&rsquo;s geographic challenge is expanding the economic stability and development of this core into the eastern region of the country. Anatolia&rsquo;s rugged geography and mountainous terrain make economic and infrastructure development difficult, but has historically helped to prevent land invasions from the east and south. Modern Turkey is working to integrate this largely rural, poorer hinterland into the political and economic mainstream in an attempt to link its current Islamist government to its neighbors in the broader Middle East. However, significant challenges remain. Turkey has fought a decades-long Kurdish insurgency in its southeastern regions, where the Taurus Mountains and the Eastern Anatolian plateau give sanctuary to Kurdish separatist militants. Turkey&rsquo;s position at the crossroads between East and West provides the country with several geopolitical possibilities. The country is working to serve as a transit state linking the exports of its energy-rich eastern neighbors to consumer markets in Europe. Its location also invites a series of constraints, as reflected by Turkey&rsquo;s position surrounded by Europe&rsquo;s economic decline, Iranian ambitions in Syria and Iraq, and Russian interests in the Caucasus.</p>

SITUATION REPORTS

Turkey: Istanbul Court Rules Against Main Opposition Party, as Government Expands Crackdown

Turkey: Authorities Arrest Opposition Istanbul District Mayor, 40 Others

Turkey, Syria: Turkey and Syria Ink Military Cooperation Deal

Kazakhstan: Tokayev-Erdogan Summit Revives Strategic Ties, Anchors Oil and Transit Cooperation

Indonesia, Turkey: Sales Deepen Defense, Technology Cooperation

Somalia: Turkish Arms Seizure Heightens Tensions Between Federal Government and Puntland

Turkey, Syria: Turkish President, Foreign Minister Reject Syrian Fragmentation

Saudi Arabia, Syria: Riyadh To Increase Investment in Syria's Provisional Government

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