Recep Tayyip Erdoğan

Erdoğan rival given prison term for threatening Istanbul prosecutor

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City’s mayor Ekrem İmamoğlu says he is being targeted over plan to challenge Turkey’s president in 2028 electionIstanbul’s mayor and Turkey’s leading opposition figure, Ekrem İmamoğlu, has been given a 20-month prison sentence for insulting and threate…

Turkey’s Erdoğan bets big with high-stakes Kurdish gamble

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As the president’s traditional support wanes, he is seeking a risky deal with the Kurds to buy a political lifeline. But is there too much mutual mistrust for a deal?

Turkey bans Elon Musk’s Grok over Erdoğan insults

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X’s chatbot under fire in Poland, too, over insulting comments targeted at Prime Minister Donald Tusk.

3 Turkish mayors reported arrested as crackdown on opposition continues

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Saturday’s arrests come four months after the mayor of Istanbul, considered Erdoğan’s main political opponent, was jailed over corruption allegations.

Exodus review – broadside against Erdoğan’s Turkey takes the multi-narrative, multi-character route

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Serkan Nihat’s story follows a group of Turkish fugitives, but it bites off rather more than it can chewThe cinematic response to populism and incipient fascism worldwide over the last decade hasn’t fully mobilised – but this broadside on the authorita…

Turkish police arrest more than 50 people before banned Istanbul Pride parade

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City’s bar association says people ‘deprived of their liberty through arbitrary, unjust, and illegal detention’Police arrested more than 50 people in Istanbul on Sunday ahead of a banned LGBTQ+ Pride march, the city’s bar association said.“Before today…

Macron urges Trump to end trade war after NATO deal to boost defense spending

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The U.S. president threatened to punish Spain for not agreeing to new military spending goals.

Iran official warns US that joining Israel in attacks would be ‘very, very dangerous’

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Israel’s military said it struck an Iranian nuclear research facility overnight and killed three senior Iranian commanders in targeted attacks.

Second round of Ukraine-Russia talks end with PoW deal but no ceasefire

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Delegations in Istanbul agree swap of at least 1,000 prisoners, and Ukraine says Russia agreed to return some abducted childrenNegotiations between Ukrainian and Russian delegations in Istanbul ended without agreement on a ceasefire on Monday, but with…

Ukraine war briefing: Zelenskyy accuses Moscow of doing ‘everything it can’ to sabotage peace talks

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President hasn’t committed to Ukraine attending Monday’s meeting with Russia in Istanbul, saying Moscow first has to provide its proposals. What we know on day 1,193See all our Ukraine war coverageUkraine has said it does not expect any results from ta…

Ukraine war briefing: Flood of North Korean arms to Russia, say US, Japan and others

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20,000 cargo containers of ammo, shells, missiles and gear sent, says watchdog replacing UN panel scuppered by Moscow. What we know on 1,192North Korea has supplied to Russia as many as nine million rounds of artillery and rocket launcher ammunition, a…

Swedish journalist jailed in Turkey for insulting Erdoğan is freed

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Joakim Medin was in Turkey to cover protests over the detention of Istanbul Mayor Ekrem İmamoğlu.

Weird AI-generated babies greet European leaders at Albanian summit

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Italy’s Giorgia Meloni thanked the organizers for “making me feel very young again.”

European leaders want to turn screws on Putin after delayed Turkey talks 

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Ukraine’s Volodymyr Zelenskyy is heading to the Albania summit after Russia’s Vladimir Putin failed to show up for talks in Turkey.

Ukraine war: US secretary of state says ‘abundantly clear’ Trump and Putin needed for peace talks ‘breakthrough’ – as it happened

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This live blog is now closed. For the latest, read our full report:Zelenskyy sends team for peace talks but says Russia ‘not serious enough’President Volodymyr Zelenskyy is due to meet Turkish president Recep Tayyip Erdoğan on Thursday and after that w…

Ukraine war briefing: Force Putin’s hand, Nato leaders told in Turkey, as he snubs peace talks

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Lower-level Ukrainian delegations to negotiate after Russian president shies from Zelenskyy’s challenge to meet; Sumy attack kills three. What we know on day 1,177Vladimir Putin has refused a challenge to attend peace talks in Turkey but Nato ministers…

After handshake, Trump urges new Syrian leader al-Sharaa to mend ties with Israel

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The U.S. president met the former Islamist rebel for diplomatic talks in Saudi Arabia.

Ukraine war briefing: Europe ready with sanctions if no ceasefire after Istanbul talks

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Pressure mounting on Putin to sit down with Zelenskyy in Turkey; Macron says Ukraine realises it cannot retake all territory. What we know on day 1,176 European leaders have indicated they will press ahead with further sanctions against Russia – whethe…

Zelenskyy says he will wait in Turkey for face-to-face talks with Putin – video

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Ukraine’s president, Volodymyr Zelenskyy, restated his commitment to meet Russia’s president for peace talks in Turkey, saying it would be a test of the Kremlin’s dedication to pursuing peace. Zelenskyy said he planned to wait for Putin in Ankara with …

Zelenskyy repeats vow to wait in Turkey for face-to-face talks with Putin

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Ukrainian president says if Russian leader does not arrive it will indicate ‘that he does not want to end the war’Volodymyr Zelenskyy has doubled down on his promise to wait in Turkey on Thursday for face-to-face talks with Vladimir Putin, calling it a…

Germany’s Merz softens NATO skepticism after meeting Rutte

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After warning that NATO might not survive the year, new German chancellor now says transatlantic unity is back on track.

Musk’s X blocks account of jailed Erdoğan rival

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Musk’s platform is challenging the government order to block Istanbul Mayor Ekrem İmamoğlu’s account.

Erdoğan tells protesters against Islamification in northern Cyprus they will fail

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Turkish president at odds with thousands of Turkish Cypriots who object to his attempts to undermine their secular way of lifeTurkey’s president, Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, has warned protesters in breakaway northern Cyprus not “to sow seeds of hatred” amid…

Swedish journalist sentenced in Turkey for ‘insulting Erdoğan’

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Joakim Medin given suspended sentence over photos on his articles, but remains in jail awaiting trial on terror chargeA Turkish court has handed a Swedish journalist an 11-month suspended sentence for insulting the president, Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, but …

Democratic backsliding in Europe holds lessons for America

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Authoritarians’ early popularity can delay resistance — but that’s when the real damage gets done.

Swedish journalist faces 12 years in Turkish prison after ‘insulting’ Erdoğan  

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Joakim Medin “is a journalist who has done journalism,” his employer argues.

Turkish opposition leader criticises Starmer for ignoring arrest of Istanbul mayor

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Leader of Turkey’s largest opposition party has hit out at the PM for failing to condemn attacks on a ‘sister party’The leader of Turkey’s largest opposition party has hit out at Keir Starmer, accusing the British prime minister of ignoring the arrest …

Meta faces ‘substantial’ fine for not complying with Turkey’s gag orders

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Turkish authorities are cracking down on online speech amid massive civil unrest.

Turkish opposition leader calls for weekly rallies and deeper economic boycott

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Özgür Özel expands call to boycott companies perceived as close to President Recep Tayyip ErdoğanTurkey’s anti-government protesters are weighing their options, amid calls by the main opposition leader for weekly rallies, a growing economic boycott and…

Turkey confirms Swedish journalist arrest

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The journalist’s incarceration comes in the context of huge protests in Istanbul against the arrest of opposition leader Ekrem İmamoğlu.

Turkey’s young ‘hope of millions’ held in jail as Erdoğan cracks down on protests

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Popular student demonstrator Berkay Gezgin, 21, snatched off street by police outside office of detained Istanbul mayorWhen 21-year-old Berkay Gezgin left the interior of Istanbul city hall, a squad of police was waiting for him outside. Protests that …

Turkey’s opposition mobilizes huge crowd to protest jailing of Istanbul mayor

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Brussels this week urged Ankara to ‘uphold democratic values.’

Hundreds of thousands join protest in defence of Erdoğan rival jailed in Turkey – video

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Hundreds of thousands of people attended the protest called by Özgur Özel, the head of the opposition Republican People’s party (CHP), in a spot far from Istanbul’s city centre. Özel claimed 2.2 million people attended the protest in defence of the may…

Turkish opposition rallies in defence of jailed Istanbul mayor in mass protest

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Hundreds of thousands gather for Ekrem İmamoğlu outside Istanbul centre in move to keep momentum after clashes with policeTurkey’s main opposition has rallied in defence of the jailed Istanbul mayor, Ekrem İmamoğlu, in a move to sustain the largest ant…

Around me in Istanbul there is fear on every face – but I see a resilience that refuses to die | Carolin Würfel

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Many turbulent years have taught my friends never to make plans. Yet, even after Ekrem İmamoğlu’s arrest, they have hopeCarolin Würfel is a German writer based in IstanbulWhen I first visited Istanbul nearly 20 years ago, I spoke with an academic who h…

I’ve never seen such clampdowns in Istanbul. Turkey’s democracy is fighting for its life | Orhan Pamuk

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The jailing of President Erdoğan’s main political rival is the low point of a decade-long march towards autocracy – but the protesters aren’t done yet either• Orhan Pamuk won the 2006 Nobel prize in literatureSince the arrest earlier this month of Pres…

Erdoğan, not Trump, is Europe’s new best friend on security

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Ekrem İmamoğlu, Istanbul’s mayor and the main political rival of Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, has been arrested. So what is Europe doing about it? Staying pretty quiet, it seems. Mass protests are breaking out across Turkey but Brussels is keeping its counsel. In this episode Sarah Wheaton speaks with Aslı Aydıntaşbaş, a visiting fellow […]

La crise politique en Turquie, un dilemme à plusieurs milliards d’euros pour l’Europe

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Ankara est un allié trop important pour se le mettre à dos, peu importe ce qui se passe dans les rues d’Istanbul, estiment des responsables européens auprès de POLITICO.

EU faces billion-euro dilemma over Turkey crisis

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Ankara is too important an ally to alienate, no matter what happens on the streets of Istanbul, politicians and officials tell POLITICO.

In Turkey, we are showing the world how to challenge a callous, authoritarian leader | Ece Temelkuran

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The youthful energy of street protest is breathing life back into failing progressive parties – and it’s a model that could be applied everywhereEce Temelkuran is a Turkish journalist and political commentatorAfter 22 years of power grabs, the seizure …

‘It’s disinformation’: Turkish state TV avoids any coverage of mass street protests

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News of protests has been preserve of a few newspapers and channels outside well funded pro-government networksAt the same time as the sound of clanging pots and pans rang out through the streets of opposition strongholds in Istanbul on a recent evenin…

Eight journalists covering anti-government protests held in Turkey

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Arrests condemned as ‘unlawful’ by press freedom groups, highlighting growing repression amid demonstrations against President ErdoğanA prosecutor in Istanbul has remanded eight journalists in custody, reversing a decision to release them after they we…

Ekrem İmamoğlu: jailed rival to Turkish president who could emerge stronger

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Istanbul mayor has become the only politician capable of challenging Recep Tayyip Erdoğan at the ballot boxWhen crowds of police arrived at the residence of the Istanbul mayor, Ekrem İmamoğlu, to arrest him in a dawn raid last week, his response was ca…

EU warns Turkey as Erdoğan’s repression intensifies

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Brussels watches the crackdown with alarm.

Turkey arrests AFP photographer as Erdoğan’s crackdown builds

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Protests erupt across Turkey after Istanbul’s popular mayor is jailed.

Erdoğan seizes geopolitical moment to snuff out democratic opposition

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The Turkish president has chosen to bury the legacy of Mustafa Kemal Atatürk, the secular founder of the Republic of Turkey.


Turkey lurches toward outright autocracy as Erdoğan’s main rival is jailed

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Popular opposition leader Ekrem İmamoğlu calls for mass protests as he is thrown in jail and booted out as Istanbul mayor.

Istanbul mayor jailed on day of likely presidential nomination

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Ekrem İmamoğlu, rival of Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, placed in pre-trial detention along with dozens of staff and officialsAn Istanbul court has formally arrested the city’s mayor, Ekrem İmamoğlu, on corruption charges, sending him to pre-trial detention on …

Huge protests as Istanbul mayor jailed on day of likely presidential nomination

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Ekrem İmamoğlu, rival of Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, placed in pre-trial detention along with dozens of staff and officialsAn Istanbul court has formally arrested the city’s mayor, Ekrem İmamoğlu, on corruption charges, sending him to pre-trial detention on …

Turkey’s protests over Istanbul mayor grow into ‘fight about democracy’

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Anger over detention of Ekrem Imamoğlu becomes a touchstone for opposing President Recep Tayyip ErdoğanWhen demonstrators gathered ­at Istanbul’s city hall last week in outrage at the arrest of mayor Ekrem İmamoğlu, 26-year-old Azra said she was initia…

A turning point for Turkey’s democracy

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The Istanbul mayor’s arrest isn’t just about one man — it’s about whether Turkey will slide further into authoritarian rule. The outcome will define the country for generations to come.

Crowds defy public protests ban after Istanbul mayor Ekrem İmamoğlu detained – video

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Clashes have broken out between police and protesters in Turkey, as thousands took to the streets over what they call the undemocratic detention of Istanbul’s mayor Ekrem İmamoğlu. Turkish police had arrested the mayor of Istanbul, the primary challeng…

‘This is about injustice’: crowds defy ban to protest over Istanbul mayor’s detention

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People gather at city hall and students march in anger at arrest of Ekrem İmamoğlu, a likely opposition candidate for presidencyOutside Istanbul’s city hall on Wednesday night a mass of protesters gathered in the freezing air to defy a city-wide ban on…

Germany’s Scholz slams Turkey for arrest of Erdoğan’s main political rival

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Ekrem İmamoğlu’s detention “is depressing for democracy in Turkey, but it is certainly also depressing for relations between Europe and Turkey,” says German chancellor.

Erdoğan’s main rival arrested in major clampdown on Turkish opposition

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Arrested mayor of Istanbul accuses authorities of blow “against the will of the people.”

Istanbul mayor arrested days before likely presidential nomination

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Ekrem İmamoğlu of CHP opposition party detained alongside 100 others accused of corruption and links to terror groupsTurkish police have arrested the mayor of Istanbul, detaining the primary challenger to the president, Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, in dawn ra…

Erdoğan’s biggest rival faces block to presidential candidacy

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The annulment of the Istanbul mayor’s diploma is seen as a bid by Turkey’s president to prevent his main challenger from running for president.

Ukraine allies plan meeting of military chiefs next week

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U.K.’s Starmer announced the London meeting after a call with 29 allies — but not the U.S. Still he insisted any Ukraine peacekeeping plan needs an American security backstop.

Poland’s Tusk wants Turkey to take a leading role in ending Ukraine war

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Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan urged Russia to accept a ceasefire deal with Ukraine.

Turkey’s Erdoğan tries to sink popular rival in flood of court battles

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Popular Istanbul Mayor Ekrem İmamoğlu is seen by many as a likely next president — as long as Erdoğan’s authorities don’t jail him.

Kurdish militant group PKK declares truce with Turkey after 40 years of conflict

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Move hailed as a “historic opportunity,” but the group fighting for Kurdish independence stopped short of declaring its dissolution.

Macron becomes first EU leader to speak with Syria’s new president

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The French president also invited al-Sharaa to travel to Paris.

Can Erdoğan forge a new bromance with Trump? His future may depend on it | Paul Taylor

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If the Turkish strongman clashes with Israel over Syria he will be blamed for wrecking Trump’s plans to pacify and disengage from the regionRecep Tayyip Erdoğan has trodden a fine line between the west, Russia and China for more than two decades. Turke…

Turkey pushing to help EU replace Ukraine gas transit

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Ankara is angling for new energy talks in Brussels amid pressure for closer ties with the bloc.

How Charles Michel waded into a minefield in Nagorno-Karabakh

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The former Council President wanted to intervene in a bitter conflict between Armenia and Azerbaijan. He ended up mired in problems of his own, excerpts from a new book on the region reveal.

Comment résoudre le problème Musk ?

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Le magnat de la tech est en relation avec de nombreux responsables politiques dans le monde. Les gouvernements européens n’ont pas encore trouvé comment gérer le fait d’être dans son collimateur.

How do you solve a problem like Elon Musk?

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The “chameleon” tech billionaire is one of the most powerful politically connected people in the world. Europe’s governments are still working out how to deal with being on his bad side.

Kurdish rebel leader reportedly suggests he’s open to ending insurgency

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Abdullah Öcalan was quoted as saying he has the “necessary competence and determination to contribute positively to the new paradigm” in Turkey.

Kurdish militia in Syria will be buried if they do not lay down arms, Erdoğan threatens

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Following Assad’s departure, Ankara has repeatedly insisted that the Kurdish YPG militia must disband, asserting that the group has no place in Syria’s future.
The post Kurdish militia in Syria will be buried if they do not lay down arms, Erdoğan thre…

The balance of power is shifting in the Middle East – and it is Turkey’s ‘full moon’ on the rise | Hassan Hassan

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Ankara’s support of Syria’s rebels was a strategic triumph that confirms it is replacing Iran as the regional powerhouseThe fall of the Assad regime in Syria marks the end of Iran’s long-feared “Shia crescent” and the rise of Turkey’s “full moon”, resh…

Trump says Turkey orchestrated Assad’s overthrow in Syria

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U.S. president-elect said Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan conducted an “unfriendly takeover” of Syria, which Turkey has wanted “for thousands of years.”

Russia and Turkey need each other as Putin’s influence wanes, experts say

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Russia is losing influence in the international arena, so it is important for it to maintain ties with Erdoğan.
The post Russia and Turkey need each other as Putin’s influence wanes, experts say appeared first on Euractiv.

Syrie : les gagnants et les perdants de la chute d’Assad

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POLITICO évalue les perspectives des principaux acteurs, au Moyen-Orient et au-delà, après la fin du régime du dictateur syrien.

Assad’s downfall — the winners and losers

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Across the region and beyond, POLITICO assesses the prospects of key players after the ouster of Syrian dictator Bashar Assad.

Ten days in Syria that shook the Middle East

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Was the astonishing implosion of Bashar Assad’s regime exclusively the result of its rottenness or did elements inside his government coordinate with rebels?

Israel to Trump: It would be ‘better’ to stay in the Paris Agreement

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Middle East conflict has been inescapable at the COP29 climate talks.

‘A shrine’: Turkish visitors throng to Atatürk’s birthplace in Thessaloniki

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Museum dedicated to founder of republic is marking ‘improved’ relations between Greece and Turkey – and changes in Turkey itselfThis autumn, Ozlem Karakus, her son Ali and cousin Cansu made the long drive from Ankara to Thessaloniki. Their three-day od…

‘If I had the power I’d destroy the whole thing’: what went wrong with the ghost town of Disney-style castles?

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It was meant to be a dream development but, 13 years on, it remains unfinished – a microcosm of Turkey’s scandal-hit construction sector under ErdoğanFrom the rooftop of the castle where I’m standing, a panorama of blue-grey turrets stretches into the …

Turkey’s outlawed Kurdish rebel leader is back — thanks to his nemesis

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Imprisoned militia chief Abdullah Öcalan set for dramatic return to the political stage.

Putin faces calls for peace at flagship BRICS summit

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In private bilateral talks, Putin welcomed offers by several BRICS leaders to mediate in Ukraine, even as he told them his forces were advancing on the battlefield.

How Gülen’s feud with Erdoğan shaped today’s Turkey

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The cleric’s supporters infiltrated the police and judiciary — but went too far when they challenged Erdoğan’s allies and family.

Moldova and Georgia ring alarm bells for the EU

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Moscow is willing to put big money into bribes and disinformation in its battle for influence with the EU in former Soviet republics.

Turkey, Germany discuss arms supplies and Israel’s conflicts in Gaza, Lebanon

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A project to supply Turkey with Eurofighter jets, spearheaded by Britain, is still in its early stages, German Chancellor Scholz said.

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