Turkey

Ankara-backed Syrian forces ‘fully prepared’ for Turkish operation

Turkey has threatened to launch a military operation against the SDF in the wake of attacks carried out by the latter in north Syria. Turkey has threatened to launch a military operation against the Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF), which has recently stepped up its attacks in the areas controlled …

Read More »

Iraqi Elections Signal Stronger Ankara-Baghdad Ties – OpEd

Iraqis went to the polls on Oct. 10 to elect the 329 members of a new parliament, in what is considered one of the most crucial elections since the US-led invasion that ousted Saddam Hussein’s regime in 2003. Iraq historically has been the focal point of Turkey’s regional politics due …

Read More »

Iranian, Turkish FMs Discuss Situation In Afghanistan

The foreign ministers of Iran and Turkey talked about collective efforts to ensure stability and fight against terrorism in Afghanistan, as Tehran is going to host a ministerial meeting of the Afghan neighbors next week. In a telephone conversation on Thursday, Iranian Foreign Minister Hossein Amirabdollahian and his Turkish counterpart …

Read More »

15 spies for Israel’s Mossad arrested, reports Turkish press

Turkey’s Sabah newspaper reported that a 15-member spy network was arrested on Oct. 15 in an operation carried out across four Turkish provinces. Turkish authorities arrested 15 people earlier this month who are accused of spying for Israel’s Mossad intelligence agency, Turkish media outlets reported on Thursday. Turkey’s Sabah newspaper …

Read More »

Turkey’s spy bust escalates rivalry with Iran

The reported capture of Iranian spies in Turkey comes as the latest sign of the rivalry heating up between Ankara and Tehran, as bilateral tensions over Iraq and Syria have been steadily expanding to the Caucasus since last year’s war between Armenia and Azerbaijan. Turkey extended strong military support to …

Read More »

Turkey Intelligence Forces Arrest 15 Alleged Mossad Spies

Turkish intelligence forces arrested 15 people working on behalf of Israel’s Mossad secret service agency, Turkey’s Sabah newspaper first reported on Thursday. The suspects, divided into five cells of three people each and all said to be Arabs, were arrested in four separate provinces in a covert operation on October …

Read More »

Turkey’s spy bust escalates rivalry with Iran

Iran and Turkey are increasingly rivals in the Caucasus and in Iraq. The reported capture of Iranian spies in Turkey comes as the latest sign of the rivalry heating up between Ankara and Tehran, as bilateral tensions over Iraq and Syria have been steadily expanding to the Caucasus since last …

Read More »

Will Turkey’s opposition blow golden opportunity to beat Erdogan?

Opposition head Kemal Kilicdaroglu accuses Turkish government of “mafialike” activities. The leader of Turkey’s secular main opposition, Kemal Kilicdaroglu, delivered an Oct. 18 deadline over the weekend to members of Turkey’s sprawling bureaucracy. They needed to stop engaging in illegal, “mafialike” activities. If they ignored his calls, they would not …

Read More »

Turkey’s Passage To Great Power Status? – Analysis

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has a monumental vision for his country’s largest city: building a new mega canal through Istanbul. Of course, Istanbul is already home to the Bosporus Strait, whose bisection of Europe and Asia has been fought over in numerous wars throughout history and inspired numerous cliches. …

Read More »

Jailing of terminally ill Gulen disciple stirs hearts across Turkey’s ideological divide

Ayse Ozdogan, an imprisoned end-stage cancer patient, has been denied release, despite a recommendation by a government-run hospital. A well-known saying of the Prophet Mohammed intones, “Allah has no mercy for him who has no mercy for his fellows.” It appears to be lost on Turkey’s Islamist Justice and Development …

Read More »