Politics

Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan heads a cabinet meeting in Ankara on Oct. 25. "No one, whatever their title is, can stay here if they do not respect our country’s independence and our nation's sensitivities," he told reporters afterward.
International relations

Erdogan lets envoys stay after embassies affirm noninterference

Turkish lira rebounds from record lows after a week of diplomatic tumult

26 October 2021
Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan in Sochi, Russia, on Sept. 29. On Saturday, he ordered 10 foreign ambassadors who called for the release of a jailed philanthropist to be declared persona non grata.
International relations

Turkey's Erdogan orders 10 ambassadors to get out, including U.S. envoy

President's black list includes 7 NATO allies and further risks lira stability

24 October 2021
Migrants are seen after they were detained by Turkish security forces during an operation in the border city of Van in late August.
Afghanistan turmoil

Afghan refugees get cold welcome in Turkey after perilous journey

Turkey building wall on Iran border as Erdogan cornered by new arrivals

1 October 2021
Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, left, visits Russian President Vladimir Putin in Sochi on Sept. 29. (Anadolu Agency via Getty Images)
International relations

Turkey keen to deepen ties with Russia, from submarines to space

Amid tensions with Biden, Erdogan defends missile deal after talks with Putin

1 October 2021
The S-400 Triumph surface-to-air missile system is seen at a military base outside the town of Gvardeysk near Kaliningrad, Russia. Turkey's acquisition of the system has created a rift between the country and its NATO allies.
International relations

Erdogan: Turkey intends to buy 2nd batch of Russian S-400s

Country was unable to purchase defense systems from NATO, president says

27 September 2021
Taliban fighters patrol a market in Kabul's Old City on Sept. 14.
Afghanistan turmoil

Iran joy at U.S. withdrawal from Afghanistan fades quickly

Taliban's takeover of Kabul creates economic and security conundrum for Tehran

22 September 2021
The new Turkevi, or Turkish House, sits across from United Nations headquarters in New York. (Anadolu Agency)
21 September 2021
Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi, left, speaks with Tajik President Emomali Rahmon while attending the Shanghai Cooperation Organization summit in Dushanbe on Sept. 17.
International relations

Iran to gain Central Asia clout with entry into SCO security club

China and Russia-led group expands amid fear of radical spillover from Afghanistan

17 September 2021
Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan is welcomed in Dakar, Senegal, on Jan. 28, 2020. (Anadolu Agency via Getty Images)
Indo-Pacific

Turkey's push into Africa has China looking over its shoulder

Powered by direct flights and 43 embassies, Ankara expands its sphere of influence

15 September 2021
The Taliban's actions have raised skepticism about its promises to respect women's rights. (West Asia News Agency via Reuters)
Afghanistan turmoil

Aid for Taliban-led Afghanistan poses dilemma for West

Economic paralysis since takeover seen plunging 97% into poverty

15 September 2021
Stream article image
Datawatch

U.S. freed from burden of high crude oil prices

Washington to reduce Middle East involvement even further

14 September 2021
Carlos Ghosn, pictured in Beirut on June 14: he is a complicated combination of the concerns many foreign CEOs harbor about Japan's legal system.
Opinion

How Carlos Ghosn could help enliven Japan's election

Extending aid to Lebanon in return for former Nissan CEO is a tempting possibility

13 September 2021
A female taxi driver transports a passenger in Tehran in August 2011. About 500 women drive for the Women's Taxi company, which serves only female passengers. In Iran, women are playing an increasing role in society.
20 years after 9/11

Keiko Sakai sees Islam, democracy as compatible

Expert says deep understanding of each country's culture and traditions needed

8 September 2021
U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken and Qatari Foreign Minister Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al Thani arrive for a joint news conference in Doha onn Tuesday. 
Afghanistan turmoil

Blinken says Taliban agreed to let people leave Afghanistan

In Doha talks, top US diplomat says Washington will hold group to its word

7 September 2021
Industry insiders say the head of Myanmar's junta, Senior Gen. Min Aung Hlaing, may reject Telenor's exit plan. (Nikkei montage/Reuters/Getty Images)
Myanmar Crisis

Telenor's Myanmar sell-off mired in uncertainty

Alibaba's pullout from stake purchase of payments service clouds picture

7 September 2021
Siblings who arrived from Afghanistan with their families are seen in Pakistan on Sept. 1. Thousands, if not millions, of people are expected to attempt to escape Afghanistan, leaving nations in the region anxious about a flood of refugees coming in. 
Asia Insight

Turkey, Iran and Pakistan raise entry bars for Afghan refugees

Nations across region worry influx could exacerbate political and social problems

7 September 2021
Indonesia's President Joko Widodo and Abu Dhabi's Crown Prince Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed Al Nahyan hold a pitcher as they plant a tree during a welcoming ceremony at the presidential palace in Bogor, Indonesia on July 24, 2019.
Trade

Indonesia and UAE begin talks on trade and investment pact

Jakarta wants to use CEPA to access African and other Gulf markets

2 September 2021
Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan speaks at the groundbreaking ceremony for a new defense ministry building in Ankara on Aug. 30. (Anadolu Agency)
Politics

Turkish Pentagon: Erdogan breaks ground on crescent defense complex

President says new headquarters will 'strike fear in enemies' but embolden friends

1 September 2021
Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu meets with his German counterpart Heiko Maas in Antalya, Turkey Aug. 29.
Afghanistan turmoil

Turkey cannot take new refugee burden, foreign minister says

Already hosts 3.7 million Syrian refugees in addition to around 300,000 Afghans

30 August 2021
Pakistani Prime Minister Imran Khan and his government have launched an ambitious diplomatic campaign aimed at stabilizing the region around Afghanistan. (Source photo by Reuters)
Afghanistan turmoil

Pakistan lobbies neighbors to push for inclusive Afghan government

Islamabad ready to offer recognition if Taliban forms multiethnic regime

26 August 2021
The evacuation of Turkish Armed Forces serving at Hamid Karzai Airport in Afghanistan has begun, Ankara announced. The troops are "returning to our homeland with the pride of successfully fulfilling this task," the Defense Ministry said in a statement. (Photo courtesy of the Turkey Ministry of National Defense)
Afghanistan turmoil

Turkish military to pull out of Afghanistan

Taliban requests tech support for airport, but says no to presence of troops

26 August 2021
Iran and Saudi Arabia are trying to bridge their longtime hostilities following the Taliban's takeover in Afghanistan. (Nikkei montage/AP)
Afghanistan turmoil

Taliban's rise pressures Iran and Saudi Arabia to bury the hatchet

As US exits Afghanistan, rivals band together to face common threat

19 August 2021
Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu speaks to Nikkei in an interview in Ankara on Aug. 18. (Photo courtesy of the Foreign Ministry)
19 August 2021
On Afghanistan, "we should act together as an international community, both the Muslim and non-Muslim world," Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu tells Nikkei. (Photo courtesy the Ministry of Foreign Affairs)
Interview

Turkey to decide on Taliban recognition after government forms: foreign minister

Cavusoglu warns nation 'cannot shoulder wave of refugees,' calls for EU cooperation

19 August 2021
Activists shout slogans during a protest against Indian government of using Pegasus spyware in New Delhi on Aug. 2: mistrust among the government, opposition and local leaders has rarely been higher.
Opinion

Pegasus spyware threatens to chip away our freedoms

Tech companies are already playing a larger and more destabilizing role

17 August 2021