Turkey

Turkey, officially the Republic of Turkey, is located partially in the continent of Asia and partially in Europe. It shares borders with Greece and Bulgaria to the Northwest, Iran to the east and Iraq to the southeast. It also shares various borders with Syria, Armenia, Azerbaijan and Georgia.

70%-75% of Turkey's population are Turks, and 19% are Kurds, making them the country's largest minority group. The country's capital is Ankara, and the largest city and financial city is Istanbul.

As of November 2021, the President of Turkey is Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, who has served in this position since 2014. Prior to that, he served as Prime Minister of the country from 2003-2014.

Since the start of the Syrian civil war in 2011, an estimated 3.6 million Syrian refugees have taken up residence in Turkey, most of them living with temporary residence permits.

Gaza Phase II begins: Trump unveils 'Board of Peace,' demands Hamas disarm

“As I have said before, we can do this the easy way or the hard way. The people of Gaza have suffered long enough. The time is NOW,” Trump wrote.

JANUARY 16, 2026|ByFRAIDY MOSER

Israeli army soldier holding a mounted machine gun in front of destroyed buildings in the vicinity of the Jordanian Field Hospital in Gaza City.

A member of the Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) stands guard as Syrian Kurds attend a protest in solidarity with people in Sweida, on July 17, 2025.

Syria's Kurdish outreach masks plans for new offensive against SDF in Aleppo - analysis

Syria’s President Ahmad al-Sharaa “affirmed that the injustices witnessed in Syria during the decades of the deposed regime’s rule affected all segments of the Syrian population without exception.”

JANUARY 15, 2026|BySETH J. FRANTZMAN

Iran's Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi, September 9, 2025.

Tehran doubles down on repression, believing US reluctance will delay new strikes - analysis

Iran's foreign minister claimed that “terrorist elements from the outside” were seeking to drag the US into a conflict.

JANUARY 15, 2026|BySETH J. FRANTZMAN

US Middle East envoy Steve Witkoff speaks at the weekly rally at Hostage Square in Tel Aviv, October 11, 2025.

Trump’s Gaza peace plan officially entering Phase II, Witkoff announces

The interim governing body for Gaza will have 15 members, according to Witkoff, though their names have not been confirmed. It remains unclear how Hamas will be disarmed as required by the plan.

JANUARY 14, 2026|ByJAMES GENN

Armed Kurdish groups sought to cross into Iran from Iraq, sources say

Turkey, which deems Kurdish militants in northern Iraq terrorists, has warned in recent days that any foreign intervention in Iran would escalate regional crises.

JANUARY 14, 2026ByREUTERS

Fighters from the Kurdistan Free Life Party (PJAK), an Iranian Kurdish opposition group, are pictured near the border with Iran in Iraq's Kurdistan Region, in the outskirts of Sulaimaniya, Iraq, June 21, 2025.

Where are the American bases in the Middle East Iran threatened it might strike? - explainer

Trump warned Iran that if it retaliated against the US, the US would respond at levels “never seen before.”

JANUARY 14, 2026ByREUTERS, JERUSALEM POST STAFF

Qatar Emiri Air Force personnel load aid onto a military cargo plane headed to Syria, at Al Udeid Air Base, Qatar, December 30, 2024.

Iranians arrive in Turkey through border gate as crackdown persists

The US issues a warning for citizens to evacuate Iran as protests intensify, with many Iranians seeking refuge in Turkey, crossing the Kapikoy border gate into Van Province.

JANUARY 14, 2026ByREUTERS, JAMES GENN

People stand at the Kapikoy Border Gate, between Turkey and Iran, in Van province, Turkey, January 14, 2026.

How Turkey’s dangerous course in the Middle East fuels massacres - opinion

Ankara has created, sustained, and directed a well-established network of Islamist proxies.

JANUARY 14, 2026ByVEYSI DAG

Members of the Kurdish forces hold a portrait of Turkish Defense Minister Yasar Guler which reads "Shame on the killers of innocents in the Sheikh Maqsud neighborhood" during a protest in the Kurdish-controlled northeastern city of Qamishli on January 13, 2026.

US urges citizens to leave Iran amid escalating protests and violence

Iran is currently seeing its biggest anti-government demonstrations in years as the administration of President Donald Trump weighs how to respond.

JANUARY 14, 2026ByREUTERS, JERUSALEM POST STAFF

L to R: Iran Ayatollah Ali Khamenei and US President Donald Trump against backdrop of respective flags and missile strikes.

Which are the best hair transplant clinics in Turkey?

JANUARY 12, 2026ByDAVID RABINOWICZ

Turkish FM accuses Mossad of stoking Iran protests, says Netanyahu aims for regional conflict

“The Mossad is not hiding this,” the FM said, referring to involvement in protests. “They are calling on the Iranian people to rise up against the regime through their internet and Twitter accounts.

JANUARY 10, 2026ByELI LEON

Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan speaks during an interview with Reuters at the 23rd edition of the annual Doha Forum, in Doha, Qatar, December 6, 2025

Flights canceled between Dubai and Iran as protests continue to expand

A flydubai spokesperson said that flights to Iran on Friday had been canceled and that the airline "will continue to monitor the situation" and revise its flight schedule accordingly.

JANUARY 9, 2026ByREUTERS

Iranians attend a protest in the city of Rasht, northern Iran, January 8, 2025

'Worst criminal of humanity': Pakistani DM calls on US, Turkey to 'kidnap' Netanyahu

Asif’s comments came following the US capture of Venezuelan president Nicolas Maduro, and he stated that he would support the capture of Netanyahu.

JANUARY 9, 2026BySHIR PERETS

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu (L) and Pakistani Defense Minister Khawaja Muhammad Asif over the Israeli and Pakistani flags.

Top 10 Best Hair Transplant Clinics in Turkey 2026: Picks for West Coast & Seattle

Explore the top 10 hair transplant clinics in Turkey for U.S. patients in 2026. Compare costs, techniques, travel details, and expert-led treatment options.

JANUARY 9, 2026ByHANNAH SCHWARTZ

UNRWA planning on opening Turkey office, seeks permanent presence in country

UNRWA Commissioner-General Phillipe Lazzarini announced that the agency has signed an agreement with the Turkish government to establish the office.

JANUARY 8, 2026ByREUTERS, JERUSALEM POST STAFF

Commissioner-General of the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA), Philippe Lazzarini, attends a meeting of the Global Alliance for the implementation of the two-state solution, at Oslo City Hall in Oslo, Norway, January 15, 2025.