Turkey News

The Daily Signal covers Turkey with conservative reporting on Erdogan’s authoritarian drift, NATO alliance strains, Syria intervention, refugee crisis management, Russia weapons purchases, and Ankara’s complicated position balancing Western alliance with regional ambitions.
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    • Opinion

    GOP House Majority: Thinner Than Saran Wrap Around Leftover Turkey

    Thanksgiving is upon us and, three weeks after Election Day, America STILL does not know the makeup of the incoming U.S. House. Pathetic! As of Tuesday at 11:22 p.m., The Associated Press reports Republicans have won 219 seats to the Democrats’ 213. At this writing, three seats remain uncalled:  If these margins hold, the new House should include 215 Democrats, 220…
    Deroy Murdock
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    • Opinion

    Responding to Tragedy in Turkey: How to Aid Earthquake Disaster-Relief Efforts

    Media reports on the aftermath of a massive earthquake in Turkey (which now has the official name of Türkiye) look and sound as devastating as that of any war. The 7.8 magnitude quake of Feb. 6 was so powerful that it ripped a 190-mile chasm across the country. Reuters reported Monday a death toll of well…
    James Carafano
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    • News

    Rebuking Russia, Turkey Pledges to Fund Ukraine’s Military

    KYIV, Ukraine—Turkish President Recep Erdogan joined Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy on Monday outside Kyiv’s 18th-century Mariyinsky Palace to review an honor guard of Ukrainian troops. A band played the anthems of both countries. Along the nearby streets, Turkish and Ukrainian flags hung side-by-side on light poles. The Mariyinsky Palace originally was built as a residence…
    Nolan Peterson
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    • Opinion

    Problematic Women: Talking Turkey, Career, and Feminism

    In our Thanksgiving week special, we interview Problematic Woman Maria Sousa, digital director of The Heritage Foundation, who also is a wife and mother to four children. Sousa is a native of Washington, D.C., a conservative, and a devout Catholic. She candidly shares life lessons, from her college days to more recent balancing of career…
    Virginia Allen
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    • News

    Trump Announces ‘Permanent’ Cease-Fire, End to Sanctions on Turkey

    President Donald Trump announced what he called a “permanent” cease-fire between Turkey and the Kurds, as well as the lifting of U.S. sanctions on Turkey. The president acknowledged that permanence is unpredictable in the Middle East, saying, “We’re willing to take blame and we’re willing to take credit.” Trump also reiterated his desire to get…
    Fred Lucas
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    • Opinion

    No, We’re Not Selling Out the Syrian Kurds. But We Should Mediate Their Conflict With Turkey.

    Caught up in a conflict between long-standing NATO ally Turkey and a recently engaged Kurdish tactical partner in Syria, the Trump administration has accommodated the legitimate security interests of Turkey by staging a partial pullback of U.S. special operations forces in northeastern Syria. It did so to get out of the way of a Turkish…
    James Phillips
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    • Opinion

    Turkey’s Anti-Western Drift Ought to Be Repudiated

    Turkey recently marked the three-year anniversary of the country’s failed July 15 coup attempt, which resulted in hundreds of deaths and almost succeeded in ousting Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan. Since the coup’s failure, Erdogan has solidified his control over the country—most notably the military and the press—and has turned the anniversary of the coup…
    James Phillips
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    • Opinion

    Turkey’s Arms Deal With Russia Is an Affront to NATO

    The Turkish government Tuesday reaffirmed its intention to complete the controversial purchase of a Russian S-400 surface-to-air missile defense system, a move appropriately drawing the ire of both parties in Washington. Both Congress and Secretary of State Mike Pompeo have warned of punitive action should Turkey follow through on the purchase, which Turkey says could…
    Michael Johns Jr.
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    • News

    Pastor Freed by Turkey Kisses American Flag, Prays for Trump

    Andrew Brunson’s first stop en route to the U.S. after being freed from house arrest in Turkey was Ramstein Air Base in Germany. There, the pastor from North Carolina was greeted by U.S. Ambassador Richard Grenell and a folded American flag. Fresh off of the airplane and with his wife Norine by his side, Brunson…
    Chuck Ross
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    • News

    Trump Seeks Answers in Saudi Journalist’s ‘Terrible’ Disappearance in Turkey

    Saudi Arabia’s government has some explaining to do to the United States about a missing Washington Post columnist, foreign policy experts say, but the Trump administration shouldn’t make a rush to judgment. Jamal Khashoggi, 59, a Saudi journalist and columnist for the Post, was last seen Oct. 2 going into the Saudi Consulate in Istanbul,…
    Fred Lucas
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    • News

    ‘This Innocent Man of Faith Will Soon Be Home!’: Turkey Releases Jailed Pastor

    An American pastor who was held for two years in Turkey for alleged terror and treason charges was released Friday. “Pastor Andrew Brunson is coming home! Thanks to the strong leadership of [President Donald] Trump and the steadfast prayers of millions of Americans, this innocent man of faith will soon be home!” tweeted Vice President…
    Rachel del Guidice
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    • Opinion

    US Pastor’s House Arrest in Turkey Puts Religious Freedom in the Spotlight

    After significant international pressure from the United States and other nations, American pastor Andrew Brunson was finally released from prison to house arrest after a Turkish court ruling last Wednesday. That’s a step forward—but it’s not enough. Brunson, originally from North Carolina, had previously lived with his family in Turkey for 23 years while leading…
    Olivia Enos
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    • Opinion

    American Pastor Back Behind Bars in Turkey

    They may not have had any evidence against American pastor Andrew Brunson, but that didn’t stop Turkish officials from holding a 13-hour hearing. For the North Carolina father, who’s spent the last 500 days in jail, it was another grueling chapter in the persecution of an innocent man. Facing up to 35 years in prison,…
    Tony Perkins
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    • Opinion

    Turkey Has Imprisoned an American Pastor for a Year. It’s Time We Take a Stand.

    It’s been almost one year since Andrew Brunson, an American pastor, was unjustly imprisoned without charges in Turkey. Imagine spending a whole year in a Turkish prison as a hostage. Unfortunately, most Americans have no idea what is really happening in Turkey. Turkey has traditionally been a strong ally of the United States, but has chosen…
    Sen. James Lankford
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    • Opinion

    Russia-Turkey Relations Unlikely to Be Derailed by Shooting of Ambassador

    The shocking assassination of the Russian ambassador to Turkey at an Ankara art exhibition on Monday by a Turk seemingly motivated by the situation in neighboring Syria clearly will not help stabilize a region that is rife with trouble—especially since it involves two of Eurasia’s key players. Ties between Russia and Turkey were already both…
    Peter Brookes
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    • Opinion

    The Attempted Coup Reveals Turkey’s Instability. That’s Bad News for the US.

    An attempted military coup in NATO member Turkey was foiled over the weekend. At the time of writing, at least 265 people have been killed and another 1,400 wounded. Thousands of judges have been dismissed or arrested. Tanks shelled the parliament in Ankara and at one point President Recep Tayyip Erdogan was forced to address…
    Luke Coffey
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    • News

    As Turkey Attack Unfolds, Cruz Faults Obama for How He Talks About Terrorism

    As Sen. Ted Cruz convened a hearing intended as a platform to criticize how President Barack Obama talks about Islamist extremism, news broke of suicide bombers attacking an airport in the capital of America’s NATO ally, Turkey. While families of the 41 people murdered in Turkey mourned, and world leaders and politicians expressed condolences, there…
    Josh Siegel
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