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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

Barron Trump, son of US President Donald Trump. Photo: AP

United States

US Secret Service says it is aware of Iranian video threat to Barron Trump

Iranian state TV airs video claiming tracking of US president’s 20-year-old son and offering US$10 million bounty for his killing.

26 Aug 2026 - 9:11AM

Middle East

Opinion | Could Mecca defence pact be first step to new Middle East order?

25 Aug 2026 - 8:30PM

Middle East

Israel’s strikes push Syria towards joining Mecca defence pact

25 Aug 2026 - 4:19PM

Middle East

US removes Syria from state sponsor of terrorism list in major diplomatic shift

Washington lifts decades-old designation, removing final barriers to foreign investment following Assad’s fall.

25 Aug 2026 - 1:47PM

Syrian President Ahmed al-Sharaa and US President Donald Trump meeting in Turkey. Photo: Reuters

Israel-Gaza war

Syria holds talks with Israel addressing de-escalation, Israel-Turkey tensions

A Syrian government source said Foreign Minister Assad al-Shaibani met the head of Israel’s Mossad intelligence agency, Roman Gofman.

24 Aug 2026 - 3:13PM

Middle East

US envoy walks back comments on Golan Heights that contradicted Trump’s position

Tom Barrack had said Israel ‘still’ occupies the territory but on Sunday said that was a description of the Golan Heights’ historical status.

24 Aug 2026 - 3:44AM

Israel

Israel targets ‘terrorist’ in southern Syria; Damascus condemns attack

Tensions between Israel and Syria flared this week after Israel bombed an airbase, a move ‌US special envoy Tom Barrack called ‘unnecessary’.

23 Aug 2026 - 3:31AM

US Special Envoy for Syria Tom Barrack in Antalya, Turkey in April. Photo: Reuters

United States

Israel and Turkey edge towards a dangerous miscalculation over Syria

Unannounced Israeli jets near the Turkish border could easily have triggered a clash, in a high-stakes ‘warning’ to Ankara.

22 Aug 2026 - 6:00PM

Lessons from China's history

Reflections | Like Trump, China’s first emperor survived various assassination attempts

Would-be assassins came close to ending Ying Zheng’s life on at least four occasions, including one whose weapon was a musical instrument.

22 Aug 2026 - 8:15AM

Israel-Gaza war

Turkey issues ‘genocide’ warrant for Israel’s Netanyahu over Gaza flotilla

Israel’s interception of the flotilla carrying some 430 activists in May sparked an international outcry.

22 Aug 2026 - 3:12AMvideocam

Israel

Netanyahu casts Turkey as Israel’s new villain amid tough re-election fight

The Israeli PM has escalated tensions with Turkish President Erdogan over Syria in a bid to ‘unify’ his voter base around him.

20 Aug 2026 - 9:36AM

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s election campaign team has put up billboards with images of several leaders, including Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, in Tel Aviv. Photo: Reuters

SCMP Highlights

How monarchies stay relevant; Pakistan’s new defence pact: 7 Asia highlights

From Southeast Asia’s monarchies to a shoving incident in Singapore, here are a few highlights from SCMP’s recent Asia reporting.

18 Aug 2026 - 2:31PM

Middle East

Editorial | Saudi Arabia-Turkey-Pakistan pact a sign of a realigning global order

China may view the agreement as an opportunity to expand its own diplomatic and economic influence in the Middle East and South Asia.

17 Aug 2026 - 7:15AM

Israel-Gaza war

US envoy Kushner meets Hamas leader in push for Gaza road map

Israeli PM Netanyahu last week rejected the US-backed 15-point plan in a rare public show of defiance against the Trump administration.

17 Aug 2026 - 2:22AM

Jared Kushner in Washington in February. On Sunday, the US negotiator held a rare meeting with Hamas’ chief Khalil al-Hayya. Photo: Getty Images / TNS

Saudi Arabia

Russia’s role in Middle East politics endures, shifts to being ‘secondary power’

Two Russian military bases will remain in Syria as the region continues to recalibrate its relations with major powers amid the Iran war.

15 Aug 2026 - 1:00PM

A Syrian rebel fighter stands at an inspection checkpoint for incoming vehicles before a Russian flag and Russian soldiers behind manning the entrance of the Russian-leased Syrian military base of Hmeimim in Latakia province in Syria in 2024. Photo: TNS

Nato

Nato jets shoot down foreign drone after it enters Latvian airspace

Latvia’s military said a foreign drone had entered its airspace as a result of Russia’s electronic warfare activity over the Balvi region.

14 Aug 2026 - 8:13PM

China-Latin America relations

US accuses 9 Latin American countries of helping China avoid Trump’s tariffs

More than 40 countries targeted for helping Beijing illegally avoid tariffs by rerouting trade via nations with lower American import duties.

14 Aug 2026 - 7:34AMvideocam

Middle East

Opinion | How Mecca defence pact changes China’s calculations in the Middle East

Defence pact between Saudi Arabia, Turkey and Pakistan presents a complex strategic calculus for Beijing, demanding a masterclass in balance.

14 Aug 2026 - 7:43AM

China-Middle East relations

Saudi-Turkey-Pakistan Mecca pact ‘far from’ Nato-style defence alliance

Observers say diverging strategic interests and a weak mutual security capacity will be the main challenges facing the agreement.

13 Aug 2026 - 6:55PMvideocam

Mental health

Letters | 5-year plan must take mental health seriously for the economy’s sake

Readers discuss why mental health ought to be positioned as a strategic asset, and how the city is well-placed to build health resilience for the world’s most impoverished.

13 Aug 2026 - 11:30AM

Saudi Arabia

Erdogan wants Turkey-Saudi Arabia-Pakistan defence pact to draw more countries

Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan has said Istanbul expects Egypt to join the pact ‘in the next stage’.

13 Aug 2026 - 12:02AM

Pakistani Prime Minister Muhammad Shehbaz Sharif, Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed Bin Salman and Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan sign the Mecca Joint Defence Agreement on August 7. Photo: PPI /ZUMA Press Wire/dpa

Donald Trump

Trump says Secret Service, military insisted on Air Force One decoy in Turkey

The US president confirmed he covertly switched planes upon his departure from Ankara, saying ‘I guess there was a threat out there’.

12 Aug 2026 - 10:59AM

US President Donald Trump switches planes at an airbase in Suffolk, eastern England, on his way back to Washington from the Nato summit in Ankara, Turkey, last month. Photo: AP

India

‘Islamic Nato’? Why Pakistan’s new defence pact has India on edge

Analysts say the pact could evolve into a broader ideological military bloc that could extend its influence to the Indian Ocean region.

11 Aug 2026 - 6:45PM

India

Can India and China rally Brics to ease Strait of Hormuz tensions?

Analysts say a unified Brics could support Oman-led talks for a resolution and provide an alternative to US diplomacy.

11 Aug 2026 - 6:29PMvideocam

Donald Trump

How US staged Air Force One departure to hide Trump’s secret exit from Turkey

A report said the US president secretly swapped planes while leaving a Nato summit due to an Iranian assassination threat.

11 Aug 2026 - 11:31AM

US President Donald Trump waves as he switches planes at an airbase in Suffolk, eastern England, on his way back to Washington from the Nato summit in Turkey last month. Photo: AP

China-Middle East relations

China, India and Pakistan’s dangerous nuclear triangle just got more complicated

New Delhi faces a strategic headache from its main rival’s defensive pact with Turkey and the Saudis – but it may be better news for Beijing.

11 Aug 2026 - 3:58AMvideocam

India has long-running border disputes with its two largest neighbours. Photo: EPA-EFE

China-Middle East relations

‘Islamic Nato’ may create China opening in Middle East

A new military alliance between Pakistan, Saudi Arabia and Turkey creates a potential gap with the US and the possibility of greater China influence in the region.

10 Aug 2026 - 5:07PM

Pakistan

Pakistan says ‘purely defensive’ Mecca accord is open to others

Egypt is likely to join the defence deal, signed by Pakistan, Saudi Arabia and Turkey amid rising tensions between the US and Iran.

10 Aug 2026 - 9:56AM

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Turkey

US Secret Service says it is aware of Iranian video threat to Barron Trump

Iranian state TV airs video claiming tracking of US president’s 20-year-old son and offering US$10 million bounty for his killing.

.css-1pcrwvc{color:#2aa191;}Opinion | Could Mecca defence pact be first step to new Middle East order?

Israel’s strikes push Syria towards joining Mecca defence pact

US removes Syria from state sponsor of terrorism list in major diplomatic shift

Washington lifts decades-old designation, removing final barriers to foreign investment following Assad’s fall.

Syria holds talks with Israel addressing de-escalation, Israel-Turkey tensions

A Syrian government source said Foreign Minister Assad al-Shaibani met the head of Israel’s Mossad intelligence agency, Roman Gofman.

US envoy walks back comments on Golan Heights that contradicted Trump’s position

Tom Barrack had said Israel ‘still’ occupies the territory but on Sunday said that was a description of the Golan Heights’ historical status.

Israel targets ‘terrorist’ in southern Syria; Damascus condemns attack

Tensions between Israel and Syria flared this week after Israel bombed an airbase, a move ‌US special envoy Tom Barrack called ‘unnecessary’.

Israel and Turkey edge towards a dangerous miscalculation over Syria

Unannounced Israeli jets near the Turkish border could easily have triggered a clash, in a high-stakes ‘warning’ to Ankara.

Reflections | Like Trump, China’s first emperor survived various assassination attempts

Would-be assassins came close to ending Ying Zheng’s life on at least four occasions, including one whose weapon was a musical instrument.

Turkey issues ‘genocide’ warrant for Israel’s Netanyahu over Gaza flotilla

Israel’s interception of the flotilla carrying some 430 activists in May sparked an international outcry.

Netanyahu casts Turkey as Israel’s new villain amid tough re-election fight

The Israeli PM has escalated tensions with Turkish President Erdogan over Syria in a bid to ‘unify’ his voter base around him.

How monarchies stay relevant; Pakistan’s new defence pact: 7 Asia highlights

From Southeast Asia’s monarchies to a shoving incident in Singapore, here are a few highlights from SCMP’s recent Asia reporting.

Editorial | Saudi Arabia-Turkey-Pakistan pact a sign of a realigning global order

China may view the agreement as an opportunity to expand its own diplomatic and economic influence in the Middle East and South Asia.

US envoy Kushner meets Hamas leader in push for Gaza road map

Israeli PM Netanyahu last week rejected the US-backed 15-point plan in a rare public show of defiance against the Trump administration.

Russia’s role in Middle East politics endures, shifts to being ‘secondary power’

Two Russian military bases will remain in Syria as the region continues to recalibrate its relations with major powers amid the Iran war.

Nato jets shoot down foreign drone after it enters Latvian airspace

Latvia’s military said a foreign drone had entered its airspace as a result of Russia’s electronic warfare activity over the Balvi region.

US accuses 9 Latin American countries of helping China avoid Trump’s tariffs

More than 40 countries targeted for helping Beijing illegally avoid tariffs by rerouting trade via nations with lower American import duties.

Opinion | How Mecca defence pact changes China’s calculations in the Middle East

Defence pact between Saudi Arabia, Turkey and Pakistan presents a complex strategic calculus for Beijing, demanding a masterclass in balance.

Saudi-Turkey-Pakistan Mecca pact ‘far from’ Nato-style defence alliance

Observers say diverging strategic interests and a weak mutual security capacity will be the main challenges facing the agreement.

Letters | 5-year plan must take mental health seriously for the economy’s sake

Readers discuss why mental health ought to be positioned as a strategic asset, and how the city is well-placed to build health resilience for the world’s most impoverished.

Erdogan wants Turkey-Saudi Arabia-Pakistan defence pact to draw more countries

Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan has said Istanbul expects Egypt to join the pact ‘in the next stage’.

Trump says Secret Service, military insisted on Air Force One decoy in Turkey

The US president confirmed he covertly switched planes upon his departure from Ankara, saying ‘I guess there was a threat out there’.

‘Islamic Nato’? Why Pakistan’s new defence pact has India on edge

Analysts say the pact could evolve into a broader ideological military bloc that could extend its influence to the Indian Ocean region.

Can India and China rally Brics to ease Strait of Hormuz tensions?

Analysts say a unified Brics could support Oman-led talks for a resolution and provide an alternative to US diplomacy.

How US staged Air Force One departure to hide Trump’s secret exit from Turkey

A report said the US president secretly swapped planes while leaving a Nato summit due to an Iranian assassination threat.

China, India and Pakistan’s dangerous nuclear triangle just got more complicated

New Delhi faces a strategic headache from its main rival’s defensive pact with Turkey and the Saudis – but it may be better news for Beijing.

‘Islamic Nato’ may create China opening in Middle East

A new military alliance between Pakistan, Saudi Arabia and Turkey creates a potential gap with the US and the possibility of greater China influence in the region.

Pakistan says ‘purely defensive’ Mecca accord is open to others

Egypt is likely to join the defence deal, signed by Pakistan, Saudi Arabia and Turkey amid rising tensions between the US and Iran.

Opinion | Could Mecca defence pact be first step to new Middle East order?