Newsroom
Turkey Watch: Live Updates on Ankara
Live tracking of Turkey: Ankara's military build-up, its revisionist claims against Greece and Cyprus, its defence industry, politics and moves across the region. Every entry links to our full report.
Monday 9 November 2026
Turkey
Erdoğan and Aliyev: an “unshakeable” alliance after the headscarf row – what was said in Shusha
Meeting in Shusha on November 8, Erdoğan and Aliyev stressed the “eternal and unshakeable” unity of Turkey and Azerbaijan after weeks of public friction over the headscarf ban and ties with Israel.
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Sunday 8 November 2026
Turkey
Erdoğan to Trump: Turkey will continue efforts for US–Iran peace – In Karabakh for Azerbaijan’s Victory Day
After a phone call with Trump, Erdoğan said the US–Iran tension must end through diplomacy. On Sunday he visits Karabakh at Aliyev’s invitation for Azerbaijan’s Victory Day.
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Saturday 7 November 2026
Turkey
Cyprus and Greece put hard questions to Sinirlioğlu at the UN on Cypriot sovereignty and the Turkish-Libyan memorandum
At the UN General Assembly dialogue with the candidates for Secretary-General, the delegations of Cyprus and Greece questioned Turkey’s candidate Feridun Sinirlioğlu on Cyprus’s sovereignty and the illegal Turkish-Libyan memorandum. He did not answer directly.
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Ankara “cancels” the Greek and Cypriot NAVTEX for the Abeille Marengo as Athens proceeds without its approval
Turkey’s foreign ministry says it has “cancelled” the Greek and Cypriot NAVTEX for the Abeille Marengo cable surveys south of Kasos. Athens, which licensed the work itself as the coastal state, is proceeding.
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Friday 6 November 2026
Turkey
Bayraktar: Turkey’s pipeline to the occupied north “could power the whole of Cyprus” – he blames Athens and Nicosia for blocking a cable
Turkish Energy Minister Alparslan Bayraktar said a planned gas pipeline to the occupied part of Cyprus could someday supply power to the whole island and accused Athens and Nicosia of blocking a Turkish cable plan in Brussels.
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Turkey: soldier killed on the border by fire “assessed to have come from Iran” – investigations open in Ankara and Tehran
Turkey’s defence ministry says the fire that killed a soldier on the Iranian border on October 31 is assessed to have come from the Iranian side, with Ankara and Tehran running separate investigations.
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The Mecca Pact: Turkey’s parliament ratifies the joint defence agreement with Saudi Arabia and Pakistan
Turkey’s Grand National Assembly ratified the Mecca Pact on joint defence with Saudi Arabia and Pakistan by 279 votes to 119, opening the way for Turkish military support to Riyadh.
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Thursday 5 November 2026
Turkey
Cyprus problem: Fidan heads to the occupied territories ahead of Monday’s talks, as Ankara insists on a “two-state solution”
Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan visits the occupied part of Cyprus on Friday, three days before the November 9 talks, while Ankara repeats that the “most realistic solution” is two states.
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Eurofighter for Turkey: assembly of the first jet begins in Britain, with a Turkish Air Force delegation on the production line
BAE Systems says assembly of the forward fuselage of the first of 20 Typhoons for Turkey has begun at Samlesbury, while a Turkish Air Force delegation toured the production line.
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Wednesday 4 November 2026
Turkey
US sanctions a Turkish company serving Iranian airlines and an Indian network of fake flags for Iran’s shadow fleet
The US Treasury sanctioned Turkey-based ground handler Fugo Ground Services, which serves blacklisted Iranian airlines, and an Indian network that issued fake flags and forged certificates to shadow-fleet tankers.
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Ankara answers the Commission report: the EU is “biased”, the positions of Greece and Cyprus “maximalist”
The Turkish Foreign Ministry rejected the Commission’s 2026 report as “biased”, called the positions of Greece and Cyprus “maximalist” and said the Turkish-Libyan memorandum is unaffected by it.
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Former Turkish ambassador: Ankara must forget the F-35, and fears the KAAN was hit too, after the Democratic win in Congress
Retired ambassador Selim Kuneralp wrote that Republicans’ loss of Congress closes Ankara’s road to the F-35 and may hit the KAAN fighter, whose F110 engines need congressional notification. He urged Turkey to turn back to the EU.
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Russia and Azerbaijan: new military-technical programme and Pantsir-S1 sales push after Aliyev’s absence from Ankara
Russia and Azerbaijan have signed a programme to build and modernise repair facilities for Azerbaijan’s armoured vehicles, while Moscow also wants to sell Baku Pantsir-S1 air defences, days after Aliyev skipped the Organization of Turkic States summit in Ankara.
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Tuesday 3 November 2026
Turkey
Aselsan signs $1.1 billion air-defence export contract with an undisclosed foreign customer
Turkey’s Aselsan says it signed a $1.1 billion contract to export air-defence systems to a foreign customer, without naming the buyer, the systems or the delivery schedule.
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Erdoğan in Seoul: Turkey and South Korea agree to deepen cooperation on nuclear energy and defence
After talks with President Lee Jae Myung in Seoul, Recep Tayyip Erdoğan said Turkey and South Korea will expand cooperation on nuclear energy, including the Sinop plant, and on defence co-production.
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Bahçeli on the Turkish-Libyan memorandum: a message to Athens, Nicosia and Brussels over “fait accompli” in the Mediterranean
Turkey’s MHP leader Devlet Bahçeli called the Libyan House’s approval of the Turkish-Libyan memorandum a “satisfactory development” and attacked Greece, the Republic of Cyprus, Israel and the EU.
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Monday 2 November 2026
Turkey
Zelensky to CNN Türk: ready to meet Putin in Turkey, but neither the Donbas nor recognition of Crimea
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky told CNN Türk he is ready to meet Vladimir Putin in Turkey to discuss a ceasefire, security guarantees and the future of the occupied territories, but ruled out giving up the Donbas or recognising Crimea as Russian.
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Kremlin: Russia’s participation in the Organization of Turkic States would be “understandable and appropriate”, after Tokayev’s proposal in Ankara
Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said on November 2 that Russian participation in the Organization of Turkic States would be understandable and appropriate, responding to Kazakh President Tokayev’s proposal at the Ankara summit.
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Sunday 1 November 2026
Turkey
Turkey: pupils dressed as devils with Greek and British flags at a school celebration spark outrage
Photos from a Turkish primary-school event for the anniversary of the Republic, showing children in red devil masks wrapped in Greek and British flags, caused strong reactions on social media on November 1.
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Zelensky meets Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew in Istanbul and says Russia has killed about 120 clergy
Volodymyr Zelensky met Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew in Istanbul on October 31, congratulating him on 35 years since his enthronement. The same day he accused Russia of deliberately killing about 120 clergy and damaging some 800 religious buildings.
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Erdoğan and Zelensky in Istanbul: “We cannot accept” attacks on civilian ships in the Black Sea, and a joint push for the grain corridor
Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan said on October 31 that Ankara “cannot in any way accept” attacks on civilian ships in the Black Sea, after meeting Volodymyr Zelensky in Istanbul. The two leaders agreed to work for a functioning grain corridor.
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Saturday 31 October 2026
Turkey
Erdoğan to Erhürman: no solution in Cyprus without the rights of the Turkish Cypriots, as the Organization of Turkic States backs a settlement “based on the realities”
Erdoğan received Turkish Cypriot leader Tufan Erhürman in Ankara on the sidelines of the Organization of Turkic States summit, whose declaration echoes Ankara’s line on a settlement “based on the realities on the island”.
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Friday 30 October 2026
Turkey
Erdoğan on Turkey’s 103rd anniversary: “We are determined to neutralise those who come between us and our goals”
At a dinner for the Organization of Turkic States summit in Ankara, Erdoğan said Turkey is determined to “neutralise” those who stand between it and its goals, and thanked Turkish Cypriot leader Tufan Erhürman as “president” of the pseudo-state recognised only by Ankara.
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Thursday 29 October 2026
Turkey
UN resolutions on Cyprus explained: what 353, 541 and 550 demand
The UN Security Council demanded an end to Turkey’s intervention in Cyprus in 1974 and declared the 1983 secession invalid. What each resolution says.
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Greece vs Turkey military spending: what NATO and SIPRI data show
Turkey’s defence budget is about three times Greece’s, but Greece spends a larger share of GDP. What NATO’s 2026 estimates and SIPRI’s 2025 data show.
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Retired Turkish colonel on TV: if Israel attacks Turkey, “Turkish commanders will drink their morning coffee in Tel Aviv”
A retired Turkish staff colonel told TGRT Haber that if Israel attacked Turkey, Israel’s “geography” would change within 24 hours. The remarks, made on a talk show, reflect the rising Turkish–Israeli tension.
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ASELSAN’s order backlog reaches $30.7 billion, above $30 billion for the first time, with $14 billion of new contracts in nine months
Turkey’s ASELSAN said its backlog reached $30.7 billion at the end of September, a record, after $14 billion of new contracts in nine months, led by air defence, radar and electronic warfare.
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Black Sea: the Contship Jet sinks after a three-sea-drone strike off Bulgaria, all 18 crew rescued, as Turkey warns Russia and Ukraine
The container ship Contship Jet sank after three sea drones struck it off Cape Kaliakra on October 28 while the defence ministers of Bulgaria, Romania and Turkey met in Sofia. All 18 crew were rescued.
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Wednesday 28 October 2026
Turkey
Halki seminary explained: closed by Turkey since 1971
The Halki Theological School, the Ecumenical Patriarchate’s seminary near Constantinople, has been closed by Turkey since 1971. This explainer sets out why, what the U.S. State Department records and where a reopening stands.
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