
Trump’s Inexplicable Crusade to Help Iran Evade Sanctions
The U.S. president never could grasp that shielding Turkey’s Halkbank for Erdogan would make Iranian sanctions evasion easier.

Biden and Erdogan Are Trapped in a Double Fantasy
Why Washington and Ankara don’t get each other at all—and need each other anyway.

Turkey’s Year of Living Dangerously
Turkey took its expansionist vision to new heights in 2020—but with a battered economy, growing opposition, and now U.S. sanctions, it’s not clear how long that can continue.

Biden Faces Troubled Eastern Mediterranean Waters
Greeks and Greek Cypriots are hoping for stronger U.S. support in their disputes with Turkey. But that may not be the president-elect’s greatest priority.

Biden Can’t Avoid Erdogan, but He Can Keep the U.S.-Turkish Relationship on Track
Turkey’s leader has caused many headaches in Washington in recent years, but letting ties deteriorate further would be disastrous.

Changing Tides in Divided Cyprus
The victory of an Erdogan ally in Northern Cyprus spells danger for the island’s reunification prospects—and sets Turkey up for regional hegemony.

Turkey’s Generation Z Turns Against Erdogan
The Turkish leader tried to mold a generation of pious followers. Instead, the country’s youth could bring about his final defeat.

The Turkish Government Closed a University Because It Fears Free Speech
Ankara shut an institution founded by religious conservatives and attacks tech companies in order to stop young Turks from accessing a free academic and media environment.

Erdogan Is Libya’s Man Without a Plan
Turkey is standing in the wreckage of a foreign-policy adventure with no discernible strategy.

Erdogan Should Not Erase Turkey’s Christian Past
The Turkish president wants to turn Istanbul’s Hagia Sophia back into a mosque. Destroying its dual Orthodox-Islamic heritage would be a blow to religious pluralism and tolerance.

Why Erdogan Won’t Ask the IMF for Help
Turkey’s economy is a mess, but its president won’t seek an IMF loan because the conditions would mean giving up his extensive patronage network.

A Motorcycle-Riding Leftist Feminist Is Coming for Erdogan
Canan Kaftancioglu has fueled the rise of Turkey’s increasingly effective opposition—and earned the president’s ire.

The Coronavirus Will Destroy Turkey’s Economy
Ankara’s finances were weak before the pandemic—but the combination of external debt, a public health crisis, and a president who chooses to protect his reputation rather than his people could spell disaster.

Sisi and Erdogan Are Accomplices of the Coronavirus
By killing the Middle East’s sense of community, the region’s dictators have helped the pandemic on its death march.

Erdogan’s Empty Threats
Turkey’s decision to allow migrants to cross into the European Union was intended to pressure EU leaders to come to Ankara’s aid against Bashar al-Assad. It isn’t working.

The U.N. Won’t Save Idlib. The EU and NATO Can.
It’s too late to defeat the Assad regime, but a humanitarian intervention by the EU and NATO could prevent countless deaths and another massive refugee crisis.

In Turkey, a Battle Over Infrastructure Could Shape the Next Presidential Race
President Recep Tayyip Erdogan’s drive to build a new canal to bypass the Bosphorus faces a formidable opponent: Istanbul mayor and likely presidential contender Ekrem Imamoglu.

Erdogan’s Purges Have Replaced One Islamic Sect With Another
Turkey expelled alleged sympathizers of Fethullah Gulen from government jobs after the 2016 coup attempt. Other Islamic sects, and one in particular—the Menzil—are now filling the vacuum.

Who Exactly Is Turkey Resettling in Syria?
Ankara claims it’s helping displaced Syrians return home. Kurds and international observers accuse Recep Tayyip Erdogan’s government of demographic engineering.

Don’t Blame Turkey for NATO’s Woes
Emmanuel Macron thinks the Atlantic alliance is brain-dead, but its problems have deeper roots than the recent U.S.-Turkish spat over Syria.