Turkey

What Happens Next With Turkey's Refugee Crisis

For a war that’s supposedly been won, Syria continues to bleed refugees at an alarming rate. Idlib, a city in the country’s northwest, is the final rebel holdout that keeps Bashar al-Assad—and his Russian backers—from...

By Ian Bremmer March 8, 2020

Syrian Refugees Have Nowhere Left to Hide

Syrian-British humanitarian worker Mohannad Othman faces a stark choice. It occupies his mind as he drives his two children to Arabic language classes in the Turkish border city of Gaziantep, where he has lived for...

By Joseph Hincks / Gaziantep February 25, 2020

Inside the 'Crazy Project' Dividing Erdogan’s Turkey

The largest infrastructure project Turkey has ever undertaken is angering environmentalists, opposition politicians and potentially Moscow

By Joseph Hincks / Sazlibosna, Turkey February 14, 2020

John Oliver Accuses Donald Trump of Betraying the Kurds

“The Kurds fought with the U.S. military in at least two more wars than Donald Trump ever did,” Oliver said.

By Melissa Locker October 28, 2019

Yezidis in Iraq and Syria Fear Fresh Persecution After Turkey's Offensive

Five years after the ISIS slaughter of Yezidis pushed the U.S. to enter Syria, the long-persecuted minority is again feeling vulnerable

By Joseph Hincks October 24, 2019

Erdogan Says He Won’t Forget Trump’s ‘Tough Guy’ Letter

Erdogan is expected to meet Trump in Washington on Nov. 13

By Selcan Hacaoglu / Bloomberg October 18, 2019

Kurds Await Fate as Trump, Turkey Praise Brief 'Ceasefire'

The U.S. agreed to cancel recent economic sanctions, and Turkey agreed to suspend its military offensive in northern Syria for five days.

By W.J. Hennigan October 17, 2019

Trump to Erdogan: 'Don't Be a Fool!'

Trump insisted the letter was proof that he hadn’t provided Erodgan a “green light”

By Justin Sink / Bloomberg October 16, 2019

Can the U.N. Handle Another Humanitarian Crisis in Syria?

Turkey’s ongoing incursion into northeast Syria, which began Wednesday after President Donald Trump announced the surprise withdrawal of U.S. troops from the northern border area, has already become a humanitarian crisis. The fighting has forced...

By Joseph Hincks / Gaziantep October 14, 2019

Trump's Move on ISIS Prisoners Alarms Turkish Ex-Officials

The U.S. President handing Turkey responsibility for thousands of ISIS prisoners has rung alarm bells among former top officials in Ankara

By Joseph Hincks/Istanbul October 8, 2019

Trump's Retreat in Syria Is Dishonorable and Will Cost American Lives

Late Sunday night, the Trump administration announced that it was pulling American troops from key positions near the Syria-Turkey border and explicitly permitting the Turkish government to conduct military operations against the Kurdish allies who...

By David French October 7, 2019

Mourners in Istanbul Pay Tribute to Jamal Khashoggi One Year After Murder at Saudi Consulate

The U.N.’s special rapporteur on extrajudicial killings, a Yemeni Nobel Laureate, and the owner of the Washington Post were among mourners who gathered outside the Saudi Arabian Consulate in Istanbul on Wednesday to mark one...

By Joseph Hincks / Istanbul October 2, 2019

Russia Is Trying to Sell Turkey Its Own Stealthy New Fighter After U.S. Revoked Access to F-35

Erdogan is barred from buying a new U.S. fighter jet in a dispute with Trump

By Stepan Kravchenko and Henry Meyer / Bloomberg August 27, 2019

How President Trump Is Undercutting Pompeo in a Dispute Over Turkey's Purchase of a Russian Missile System

During his two and a half years in the Trump Administration, Mike Pompeo has mostly managed to stay on President Donald Trump's good side, even as other senior officials have come and gone. But the...

By Madeleine Joung August 2, 2019

Istanbul’s Rebuke of Erdogan Shows That Democracy Lives

In March, Turkish opposition candidate Ekrem Imamoglu defeated Binali Yildirim, the candidate of President Recep Tayyip Erdogan's Justice and Development Party, by about 13,000 votes to claim victory in the race to become Istanbul's mayor....

By Ian Bremmer June 27, 2019

Istanbul's Elections a Heavy Defeat for Erdogan

An opposition candidate has shown a 'way to defeat the populists'

By Joseph Hincks / Istanbul June 24, 2019

The Quick Read About… Turkey’s Troubling Russian Shopping Spree

What Happened This Week: Back in 2017, Turkey agreed to purchase Russia’s advanced S-400 air defense missile system over the strong objections of both the US and NATO, of which Turkey is a member. Turkey...

By Ian Bremmer June 14, 2019

The Quick Read… Turkey Calling 'Redo' on Istanbul’s Mayoral Elections

What Happened This Week: A little over a month ago, Turkey held local elections. For the first time in more than twenty years, the ruling Justice and Development Party (AKP) of Turkish President Recep Tayyip...

By Ian Bremmer May 10, 2019

Turkey's Local Elections Show Erdogan's Weakening Support After Losing Istanbul

President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, the strongman of Turkish politics and a former mayor of Istanbul, has lost Istanbul. In the March 31 municipal elections, he and his party also lost Ankara, the country's capital, and...

By Ian Bremmer April 4, 2019

The Quick Read...About Turkish Local Elections

The Quick Read About… Turkish Local Elections What Happened This Week: Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan braces for municipal elections on Sunday, March 31. It’s the first time Turks head to the polls since Erdogan’s...

By Ian Bremmer March 29, 2019

Erdogan Uses New Zealand Shooting Footage in Campaign

The footage was apparently used to galvanize his base ahead of local elections

By Baris Balci / Bloomberg March 17, 2019

Turkey's Expulsion of German Journalists Prompts Censorship Fears

Berlin says it is "unacceptable" that Turkey did not renew the German journalists' press credentials

By Hillary Leung March 11, 2019

Turkey Demands China Close 'Concentration Camps' Holding Muslim Uighurs

Turkey says more than 1 million Uighurs are being tortured and “politically brainwashed”

By Cagan Koc / Bloomberg February 9, 2019

How the Murder of Jamal Khashoggi Could Upend the Middle East

The vanishing of Jamal Khashoggi threatens to make a global pariah out of Saudi Arabia's once feted crown prince

By Karl Vick October 18, 2018

Why the Release of Pastor Andrew Brunson Is a Good Sign for U.S-Turkey Ties

Here's how Erdogan and Trump can move forward on key issues

By Soner Cagaptay October 17, 2018

Why the Trump Administration and Turkey Don’t Win in Pastor Andrew Brunson’s Release

Predictably Pastor Andrew Brunson was released following a court appearance on October 12 from custody in Turkey after two years of incarceration for supposedly supporting terrorist groups. This was part of a fantastical indictment that...

By Henri Barkey October 12, 2018

Senate Forces U.S. Probe of Jamal Khashoggi Disappearance

“I’m not happy about it,” Trump said of Jamal Khashoggi’s disappearance

By Anna Edgerton / Bloomberg October 10, 2018

NBA Star: Why Turkey’s President Erdogan Banned Me From Going Home

The father of the New York Knicks player is facing trial for "membership of a terror group"

By Enes Kanter Freedom September 11, 2018

Why Emerging Markets Are in Crisis Across the Globe

A crisis is looming in developing economies, or what investors know as emerging markets. An economic crisis in Turkey has pushed inflation to new heights and the value of the lira to new lows. Argentina's...

By Ian Bremmer September 6, 2018

Turks Smash Their iPhones to Protest Trump's Tariffs

Videos of Turkish people smashing, shooting and setting fire to iPhones have gone viral online in recent days, in a show of support for Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, who called for a boycott of...

By Billy Perrigo August 17, 2018

Turkey's Economy May Be in Freefall, But Erdogan's Base Believes He Can Do No Wrong

The president's fervent supporters believe in "Erdoganism" — a nationalistic ideology rooted in Turkey's history with the president at the center

By Soner Cagaptay August 16, 2018

Turkey’s Erdogan Is in a No-Win Situation With Washington

Recep Tayyip Erdogan is having a very bad August. Turkey's President finds himself locked in a confrontation with a belligerent Donald Trump, and the U.S. President has again shown himself willing to use economic weapons...

By Ian Bremmer August 16, 2018

U.S. Says Tariffs to Stay as Qatar Aids Turkey

Washington said tariffs will stay regardless of whether an American pastor detained in Turkey is freed

By Justin Sink, Onur Ant & Birgit Jennen / Bloomberg August 16, 2018

Turkey's Financial Crisis Worsens as Erdogan Remains Defiant

Turkish currency has fallen to 25 percent in the past month as Erdogan maintains his defiance toward the U.S. and financial-market orthodoxy

By Benjamin Harvey and Onur Ant / Bloomberg August 13, 2018

Why Trump Imposed Sanctions on a Key NATO Ally

Over the course of 18 months, President Donald Trump has shown he’s willing to use American economic might in ways his predecessors were too cautious — or too prudent — to risk. On Wednesday, he...

By W.J. Hennigan August 1, 2018

Who is Andrew Brunson, the Evangelical Pastor Freed in Turkey?

Sanctioning a NATO ally would be unprecedented

By Ciara Nugent July 27, 2018

Why Turkey Is Heading for Economic Meltdown

The deteriorating state of the economy is President Erdogan's Achilles’ heel and the biggest threat to his currently unrivaled leadership

By Fadi Hakura July 20, 2018

Democracy Isn't Perfect, But It Will Still Prevail

Mass migration, terrorism and economic woes are fueling authoritarians around the world. NATO's former Supreme Allied Commander on why government of, by and for the people will win again

By James Stavridis July 12, 2018

Why Turkish President Erdogan Is Not as All-Powerful as He Seems

Now that Recep Tayyip Erdogan has been re-elected as President of Turkey, is the nation headed for "one-man rule," as opposition candidate Muharrem Ince warned and international headlines suggest? Not so fast. Erdogan has dominated...

By Ian Bremmer June 28, 2018

Why America Should Pay Attention to Turkey's Election Result

Both Turkey and the U.S. are deeply polarized along identity lines, with leaders who challenge democratic institutions and norms

By Amanda Sloat June 25, 2018

What Erdogan’s Election Victory Means For Turkey’s Future

President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has cemented himself as the strongman of Turkey, after his coalition won presidential and parliamentary elections that will extend his powers and possibly his rule for as long as a decade....

By Billy Perrigo June 25, 2018

Turkey's Elections May Be Imperfect But They Still Matter

The elections might not be fair, but they are free. That means Turkey's opposition could stand a chance

By Amanda Sloat June 22, 2018

4 Things to Watch in Turkey's Elections

If he wins on Sunday, Erdogan will become Turkey’s most powerful leader since 1923.

By Soner Cagaptay June 21, 2018

A Jailed Kurdish Kingmaker Could Decide Turkey's Future

In the race for Turkey's presidency, a candidate is entitled to 20 minutes of television time - even, it turns out, from prison. In what state media are calling a "first in the history of...

By Billy Perrigo June 21, 2018

Today I Visited My Turkish Colleague in Prison. Erdogan’s Crackdown Must Stop

President Erdogan is still pursuing journalists and activists, even two years after an attempted coup

By Salil Shetty June 20, 2018

Four Dead as Violence Mars Election Campaigning in Turkey

Anticipation and anxieties around the election have mounted as President Recep Tayyip Erdogan faces a close race

By Laignee Barron June 15, 2018

Bomb Hits Major Istanbul Avenue, Killing 6 and Wounding Dozens

Turkey Faces Rates Impasse as Inflation Hits 20-Year High

The 'Badass Chief of Staff' of Turkey's Opposition Faces Years in Jail After Challenging Erdogan's Power. She's Not Backing Down

Why the E.U. Is Doomed to Repeat the Mistakes of the 2015 Refugee Crisis