TOPIC

/ location

Turkey

Latest news and updates on the country which straddles both Europe and Asia.

Capital

Ankara

Head of State

President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan

Head of Government

President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan

French national Martin Ryan (left) attends his trial on spy charges in Baku, Azerbaijan, on January 6. Photo: AFP

France

‘I’m not a spy’: Frenchman jailed for 10 years in Azerbaijan

Prosecutors say Martin Ryan passed on secrets about Azerbaijan, as well as Russian and Chinese firms, to the French security service.

16 Mar 2026 - 8:54PM

China trade

Strait of Hormuz marks first full day’s pause as no ships cross amid Iran war

16 Mar 2026 - 7:02PM

US, Israel war on Iran

Letters | US has succeeded in plunging Middle East into dangerous conflict

16 Mar 2026 - 11:30AM

Iran

Why the Iran war marks a turning point for Gulf-Asia trade

The closure of the Middle East’s important straits – Hormuz and Bab el-Mandeb – is forcing Gulf and Asian nations to explore other options.

15 Mar 2026 - 2:00PMvideocam

Oil tanker trucks stand parked near an oil storage terminal in Karachi on Thursday as global energy markets face disruptions amid ongoing conflict in the Middle East. Photo: AFP

US, Israel war on Iran

Turkey says Iran feels ‘betrayed’ by US attacks during nuclear talks

Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan says Tehran still ‘open to any sensible backchannel diplomacy’, vows to keep Ankara out of the war.

15 Mar 2026 - 11:15AMvideocam

US, Israel war on Iran

Israel may commit ‘new genocide’ in Lebanon with Iran as pretext, Turkey warns

Lebanon was dragged into the conflict when Iran-backed Hezbollah attacked Israel in response to the killing of Supreme Leader Khamenei.

15 Mar 2026 - 1:40AMvideocam

US, Israel war on Iran

Iran war entering ‘decisive phase’, Israel says, as attacks continue

Washington’s embassy in Iraq was hit by a drone, while clouds of black smoke rose over the Fujairah energy facility in the UAE.

14 Mar 2026 - 11:51PM

Smoke rises in the Fujairah oil industry zone, caused by debris after interception of a drone by air defences, according to the Fujairah media office, amid the US-Israel conflict with Iran, in Fujairah, the United Arab Emirates, on Saturday. Photo: Reuters

Pakistan

Afghan Taliban’s drone attacks on civilians ‘crossed red line’, Pakistan warns

Pakistani President Asif Ali Zardari says the administration in Kabul has brought ‘grave consequences upon itself’.

14 Mar 2026 - 9:30PM

US, Israel war on Iran

Hamas calls on Iran to ‘avoid targeting neighbouring countries’

The Palestinian Islamist group also urges the international community to ‘work towards halting’ the ongoing war immediately.

14 Mar 2026 - 7:30PMvideocam

Israel-Gaza war

Trump’s Gaza plan ‘on hold’ as Iran war halts disarmament talks

The pause threatens to stall implementation of Trump’s flagship Middle East peace initiative.

10 Mar 2026 - 1:53PMvideocam

Palestinians walk past the rubble of residential buildings destroyed during the two-year Israeli offensive, in Jabalia, northern Gaza Strip. Photo: Reuters

US, Israel war on Iran

Ships brandish China links to evade Iran’s attacks in Strait of Hormuz

Vessels are claiming to have an ‘all-Chinese crew’ or ‘Chinese owner’ in a bid to reduce the risk of being targeted.

10 Mar 2026 - 1:52AMvideocam

Ships sit anchored in Muscat, Oman, on Monday, as Iran vows to close the Strait of Hormuz. Photo: Reuters

US, Israel war on Iran

Nato intercepts Iran missile fired towards Turkey

There was a similar incident last week, with the latest Nato interception coming amid Iran’s targeting of several nations as it retaliates.

9 Mar 2026 - 10:55PMvideocam

Malaysia

Malaysia vows to hold petrol prices as Iran war pushes oil past US$100

Malaysia’s prime minister guarantees citizens that RON95 petrol will remain at 1.99 ringgit despite the US-Israel war on Iran.

9 Mar 2026 - 2:11PMvideocam

Middle East

Demand for change in Turkey cannot be stopped, jailed Istanbul mayor says

Support for the opposition has been growing, amid increasing fatigue with President Recep Tayyip Erdogan’s rule, Ekrem Imamoglu says.

8 Mar 2026 - 3:50PM

A supporter of Turkey’s main opposition CHP holds a poster of jailed Istanbul mayor Ekrem Imamoglu with a slogan reading “CHP will succeed, Turkey will win!”, during a rally in Istanbul in November 2025. Photo: Reuters

Iran

How far could the war with Iran spread beyond the Middle East?

From Turkey and the Caucasus to South Asia, analysts warn the war could ignite new flashpoints along regional fault lines.

6 Mar 2026 - 6:29PMvideocam

The sun sets behind a plume of smoke from a US-Israeli military strike in Tehran, Iran, on Tuesday. Photo: AP

US, Israel war on Iran

Azerbaijan vows to respond after Iranian drones injure 4

Azerbaijan and Iran already have tense ⁠relations over Baku’s growing economic, energy and military ties to Turkey and Israel.

5 Mar 2026 - 8:33PM

Hong Kong tourism

Hong Kong trying to secure seats on flights from Dubai for stranded residents

Carrier Emirates is planning to operate direct flights from Dubai to Hong Kong from Friday to Sunday, government says.

6 Mar 2026 - 10:49AMvideocam

US, Israel war on Iran

A guide to how the Iran war has ricocheted across the Middle East and beyond

From sunken warships to closed airspaces, here is a country-by-country breakdown of the conflict’s impact so far.

5 Mar 2026 - 10:01AMvideocam

Exposing himself to the danger of unexploded ordnance, a boy tries to climb on an Iranian projectile that landed in an open field in the outskirts of Qamishli, eastern Syria. Photo: AP

Israel-Iran conflict

Turkey says missile launched from Iran destroyed by Nato

A Turkish official said the missile had been ‘aimed at a base in Greek Cyprus but veered off course’.

5 Mar 2026 - 12:40AM

US, Israel war on Iran

US and Kurds discuss potential Iran military operation: sources

The prospect of Kurdish groups operating inside Iran signals US consideration for a ground uprising.

4 Mar 2026 - 12:33PMvideocam

Hong Kong economy

Middle East conflict to drive up airfares for Hong Kong travellers: analysts

Suspension of major transit hubs in Dubai and Doha sends travellers scrambling for flights on ‘conflict-free’ paths to Europe.

2 Mar 2026 - 11:00PM

Travellers at Hong Kong International Airport. Analysts predict airline ticket prices will rise as carriers seek to offset higher expenses. Photo: Eugene Lee

Cathay Pacific

432 Hongkongers stranded in Middle East and 47 flights cancelled

Cathay Pacific also suspends Dubai and Riyadh flights, as attacks force countries to close airspace.

2 Mar 2026 - 11:04PMvideocam

Flag carrier Cathay Pacific has suspended its Dubai services until Thursday. Photo: Eugene Lee

Middle East

Turkish journalists jailed for filming near Nato base hosting US troops

Turkey also hosts a highly sensitive Nato early-warning radar system at Kurecik base in the central Malatya province that can detect Iranian missile launches.

1 Mar 2026 - 9:51PM

Pakistan

‘Managed escalation’: Pakistan-Taliban stand-off enters dangerous new phase

With positions entrenched, mediation efforts by regional powers are unlikely to deliver a swift breakthrough, observers say.

28 Feb 2026 - 4:03PMvideocam

Pakistan

A tale of 2 allies: inside the deadly unravelling of Pakistan-Taliban ties

Islamabad is in an ‘open ‌war’ with Kabul due to persistent border clashes and militant attacks, straining their historic relationship.

28 Feb 2026 - 7:32PMvideocam

Pakistan

China seeks to mediate after Pakistan declares ‘open war’ on Afghanistan

Beijing calls on Islamabad and Kabul to stay calm and exercise restraint as relations between the neighbours plummet.

27 Feb 2026 - 8:11PMvideocam

Taliban security personnel keep watch for air strikes in Khost province, Afghanistan on Friday following overnight cross-border fighting with Pakistan. Photo: AFP

Ukraine war

Opinion | Don’t expect Russia’s war on Ukraine to end in its fifth year

Barring Moscow or Kyiv reaching breaking points in their war efforts, neither side will make any steps to end or ‘freeze’ the conflict.

26 Feb 2026 - 8:30PMvideocam

Ukraine war

Where Ukraine and Russia stand as war enters fifth year

Europe’s biggest conflict since World War II shows no signs of stopping any time soon.

24 Feb 2026 - 3:19PM

Help preserve 120 years of quality journalism.

SUPPORT NOW

Turkey

‘I’m not a spy’: Frenchman jailed for 10 years in Azerbaijan

Prosecutors say Martin Ryan passed on secrets about Azerbaijan, as well as Russian and Chinese firms, to the French security service.

Strait of Hormuz marks first full day’s pause as no ships cross amid Iran war

.css-19im5qg{color:#c79a00;}Letters | US has succeeded in plunging Middle East into dangerous conflict

Why the Iran war marks a turning point for Gulf-Asia trade

The closure of the Middle East’s important straits – Hormuz and Bab el-Mandeb – is forcing Gulf and Asian nations to explore other options.

Turkey says Iran feels ‘betrayed’ by US attacks during nuclear talks

Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan says Tehran still ‘open to any sensible backchannel diplomacy’, vows to keep Ankara out of the war.

Israel may commit ‘new genocide’ in Lebanon with Iran as pretext, Turkey warns

Lebanon was dragged into the conflict when Iran-backed Hezbollah attacked Israel in response to the killing of Supreme Leader Khamenei.

Iran war entering ‘decisive phase’, Israel says, as attacks continue

Washington’s embassy in Iraq was hit by a drone, while clouds of black smoke rose over the Fujairah energy facility in the UAE.

Afghan Taliban’s drone attacks on civilians ‘crossed red line’, Pakistan warns

Pakistani President Asif Ali Zardari says the administration in Kabul has brought ‘grave consequences upon itself’.

Hamas calls on Iran to ‘avoid targeting neighbouring countries’

The Palestinian Islamist group also urges the international community to ‘work towards halting’ the ongoing war immediately.

Trump’s Gaza plan ‘on hold’ as Iran war halts disarmament talks

The pause threatens to stall implementation of Trump’s flagship Middle East peace initiative.

Ships brandish China links to evade Iran’s attacks in Strait of Hormuz

Vessels are claiming to have an ‘all-Chinese crew’ or ‘Chinese owner’ in a bid to reduce the risk of being targeted.

Nato intercepts Iran missile fired towards Turkey

There was a similar incident last week, with the latest Nato interception coming amid Iran’s targeting of several nations as it retaliates.

Malaysia vows to hold petrol prices as Iran war pushes oil past US$100

Malaysia’s prime minister guarantees citizens that RON95 petrol will remain at 1.99 ringgit despite the US-Israel war on Iran.

Demand for change in Turkey cannot be stopped, jailed Istanbul mayor says

Support for the opposition has been growing, amid increasing fatigue with President Recep Tayyip Erdogan’s rule, Ekrem Imamoglu says.

How far could the war with Iran spread beyond the Middle East?

From Turkey and the Caucasus to South Asia, analysts warn the war could ignite new flashpoints along regional fault lines.

Azerbaijan vows to respond after Iranian drones injure 4

Azerbaijan and Iran already have tense ⁠relations over Baku’s growing economic, energy and military ties to Turkey and Israel.

Hong Kong trying to secure seats on flights from Dubai for stranded residents

Carrier Emirates is planning to operate direct flights from Dubai to Hong Kong from Friday to Sunday, government says.

A guide to how the Iran war has ricocheted across the Middle East and beyond

From sunken warships to closed airspaces, here is a country-by-country breakdown of the conflict’s impact so far.

Turkey says missile launched from Iran destroyed by Nato

A Turkish official said the missile had been ‘aimed at a base in Greek Cyprus but veered off course’.

US and Kurds discuss potential Iran military operation: sources

The prospect of Kurdish groups operating inside Iran signals US consideration for a ground uprising.

Middle East conflict to drive up airfares for Hong Kong travellers: analysts

Suspension of major transit hubs in Dubai and Doha sends travellers scrambling for flights on ‘conflict-free’ paths to Europe.

432 Hongkongers stranded in Middle East and 47 flights cancelled

Cathay Pacific also suspends Dubai and Riyadh flights, as attacks force countries to close airspace.

Turkish journalists jailed for filming near Nato base hosting US troops

Turkey also hosts a highly sensitive Nato early-warning radar system at Kurecik base in the central Malatya province that can detect Iranian missile launches.

‘Managed escalation’: Pakistan-Taliban stand-off enters dangerous new phase

With positions entrenched, mediation efforts by regional powers are unlikely to deliver a swift breakthrough, observers say.

A tale of 2 allies: inside the deadly unravelling of Pakistan-Taliban ties

Islamabad is in an ‘open ‌war’ with Kabul due to persistent border clashes and militant attacks, straining their historic relationship.

China seeks to mediate after Pakistan declares ‘open war’ on Afghanistan

Beijing calls on Islamabad and Kabul to stay calm and exercise restraint as relations between the neighbours plummet.

.css-1pcrwvc{color:#2aa191;}Opinion | Don’t expect Russia’s war on Ukraine to end in its fifth year

Barring Moscow or Kyiv reaching breaking points in their war efforts, neither side will make any steps to end or ‘freeze’ the conflict.

Where Ukraine and Russia stand as war enters fifth year

Europe’s biggest conflict since World War II shows no signs of stopping any time soon.

Letters | US has succeeded in plunging Middle East into dangerous conflict

Opinion | Don’t expect Russia’s war on Ukraine to end in its fifth year