Country in Middle East

Türkiye

Also known as Turkey

Türkiye is a transcontinental country spanning West Asia and Southeast Europe. Known for its strategic NATO membership, assertive foreign policy under Erdogan, and role as a regional power balancing Western alliances with independent engagement across the Middle East. Recently, Türkiye has deepened defense ties with Saudi Arabia and Pakistan, mediated U.S.-Iran diplomacy, and intensified its rivalry with Israel. Last updated 4 days ago

Within Türkiye

Recep Tayyip Erdogan Head of State Anadolu Agency Media Outlet Turkish Ministry of Defense Government Body Turkish Ministry of Foreign Affairs Government Body IHH NGO / Watchdog Turkish Airlines Energy / Industry Ankara Airport Strategic Site ASELSAN Energy / Industry Baykar Energy / Industry Beşiktaş District Central Bank of Turkey Government Body Diyarbakir City Gaziantep City Incirlik Air Base Strategic Site Israeli Consulate Istanbul Strategic Site Istanbul Chief Public Prosecutor's Office Government Body Kahramanmaraş City Karaman City Mersin–Antalya Highway Strategic Site Metafraks Kemikals Energy / Industry MIT Intelligence Agency NTV Media Outlet Ömer Aslan Other Pegasus Airlines Energy / Industry Republican People's Party Political Party / Movement Samsun City Şanlıurfa City Siverek City Temelli City Turkish Armed Forces Military Turkish Security Forces Military YASAM NGO / Watchdog Justice and Development Party Political Party / Movement

Latest coverage

Leaders

CBS Report: A possible surface-to-air missile threat prompted Trump to leave last month's NATO Summit in Turkey on a secret plane.

On the secret flight with Trump: Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth and White House aides Natalie Harp, Walt Nau...

CBS Report: A possible surface-to-air missile threat prompted Trump to leave last month's NATO Summit in Turkey on a secret plane.

On the secret flight with Trump: Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth and White House aides Natalie Harp, Walt Nauta and Dan Scavino.

On the decoy posing as Air Force One: Secretary of State Marco Rubio, Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent, and aides Stephen Miller, Will Scharf, Steven Cheung, Mike Needham, Ross Worthington and Monica Crowley. Rubio and Bessent were reportedly aware Trump had been moved.

Alerts

MORE INFO: U.S. intelligence identified a possible surface to air missile threat against Air Force One during Trump’s trip to the NATO summit in Turkey, prompting his return aboard a covert aircraft.

The New York Times claims that a person near the summit was spotted with a shoulder fired missile. U.S. officials also learned that Iran knew where Trump was staying in Ankara, including the floor of his building.

Global

Qatar’s Foreign Ministry on the Mecca Alliance:

We welcome any regional cooperation for the sake of security and stability and defense in the region.

The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. Türkiye and Pakistan are countries that we have good relations with.

We have brotherly relations based on the common destiny and common worries, and we welcome this step and we support it.

Alerts

NYT Report: The U.S. carried out a sophisticated ruse to smuggle President Trump out of Turkey during last month's NATO summit. American officials said security personnel transferred him inside a catering container to a military plane over ...

NYT Report: The U.S. carried out a sophisticated ruse to smuggle President Trump out of Turkey during last month's NATO summit. American officials said security personnel transferred him inside a catering container to a military plane over a threat from Iran against him and Air Force One.

Publicly, Trump and other officials said he would leave Turkey on July 8 aboard one of the older versions of Air Force One, rather than the luxury Boeing 747-8 donated by Qatar that he arrived in. Trump told reporters he was switching planes "in memory of the good old days."

He boarded the older plane through the door on its left side, in full view of the cameras. Media outlets reported he flew it to Britain, where he transferred back to the newer plane. The Times had reported at the time that the decision was partly due to safety concerns over the Qatari-donated jet, which did not have all the security features installed on the older versions.

But instead of taking off on the old 747, Trump was secretly removed from it inside a catering container hoisted to the opposite side of the plane, away from where the journalists who flew with him boarded. He was then transferred to a third plane, on which he secretly flew to Britain.

Signals

A year and eight months after the IDF declared the Syrian air force destroyed, Israeli defense officials say Syria has significantly accelerated its rebuilding in recent weeks.

In the past day, Syria carried out its first exercise of its k...

A year and eight months after the IDF declared the Syrian air force destroyed, Israeli defense officials say Syria has significantly accelerated its rebuilding in recent weeks.

In the past day, Syria carried out its first exercise of its kind using fighter jets in the north of the country.

Under a-Sharaa, Syria is receiving support from Turkey, Saudi Arabia, Russia, France and other states in the region. Despite talk of a future security agreement with Israel, defense officials are tracking developments that could harm Israeli freedom of action over Syrian skies.

@ItayBlumental

Global

Iran's FM Spokesperson Esmail Baghaei on the Mecca Agreement:

There is no reason for us to be concerned that this pact between the two neighboring countries of Türkiye and Pakistan, as well as Saudi Arabia--three countries with which we sh...

Iran's FM Spokesperson Esmail Baghaei on the Mecca Agreement:

There is no reason for us to be concerned that this pact between the two neighboring countries of Türkiye and Pakistan, as well as Saudi Arabia--three countries with which we share deep religious, historical, and civilizational bonds -- is directed against Iran.

The history of friendship between the nations of Türkiye and Pakistan, as two neighboring Muslim countries, is long-standing.

This development is an important sign [of a shift in regional perceptions].

Leaders

Israeli Diaspora Affairs Minister Amichai Chikli:

The Mecca Alliance is a very dangerous and very troubling development.

Saudi Arabia was essentially sitting on the fence. It already had a defense agreement with Pakistan, but the moment i...

Israeli Diaspora Affairs Minister Amichai Chikli:

The Mecca Alliance is a very dangerous and very troubling development.

Saudi Arabia was essentially sitting on the fence. It already had a defense agreement with Pakistan, but the moment it goes with the Turks—who are in a direct confrontation with us, one that could develop to dimensions that may have extremely serious consequences, both in the Mediterranean and on the Syrian front, this is a development that is very, very bad for us, for Israel.

It requires us to deepen our alliances with Greece and Cyprus, the United Arab Emirates, and Somaliland.

Global

Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan on Russia-Ukraine:

When the war of attrition at the front turns into attrition behind the front lines, the issue becomes a matter of whether or not you will continue to exist as a nation. You use whatev...

Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan on Russia-Ukraine:

When the war of attrition at the front turns into attrition behind the front lines, the issue becomes a matter of whether or not you will continue to exist as a nation. You use whatever last resort you have at your disposal.

If the destruction reaches that level, Russia may resort to the final option at its disposal. During my visit to Russia, it seemed that this issue might come up as well, because it was said that the public is now demanding such a thing.

This is a dangerous situation. Everything people say will not happen ends up happening.

Leaders

Houthi PM Mahdi Almshat responds to the Saudi-Turkish-Pakistani defense alliance signed today: the agreements do not apply retroactively, and the "blockade for blockade" equation will continue until its goals are met.

Anyone backing what he called Saudi Arabia's 12-year aggression and blockade is "an aggressor - even if he wraps the matter in flashy headlines."