- Aug 25
European rights court orders Turkey to free Osman Kavala and voids life sentence
The European Court of Human Rights ruled on Tuesday that Turkey must immediately release jailed philanthropist Osman Kavala, finding that his aggravated life sentence violated fundamental rights and declaring his conviction null and void.
- Aug 23
Israel Katz rejects US envoy criticism over military strikes in Syria
Defense Minister Israel Katz dismissed remarks by US envoy Tom Barrack over strikes on a Syrian air base, stating Washington was informed beforehand to deter Turkish troop deployments.
- Aug 22
Syria and Israel hold direct US-mediated talks in Jordan to ease military tensions
Syrian Foreign Minister Asaad al-Shaibani and Israeli Mossad chief Roman Gofman met in Amman on 23 August 2026 for US-brokered talks to create a joint operations center and halt military escalation.
- Aug 22
Turkey seeks arrest of Netanyahu as Israel warns against Turkish military presence in Syria
Ankara asked Interpol to issue an arrest warrant for Benjamin Netanyahu over a May 2026 Gaza flotilla raid, as Israel warned it will counter Turkish deployments in Syria.
- Aug 21
Turkey requests Interpol red notice for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu over Gaza flotilla raid
Turkish authorities requested an Interpol red notice for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and citizen Afek Moskovitch following the May interception of the Global Sumud Flotilla.
- Aug 18
US-Iran truce expires as Trump claims Hormuz and projectile strikes Gulf ship
The 60-day truce between Washington and Tehran expired on 18 August 2026 without an agreement, coinciding with a projectile strike on a commercial vessel in the Strait of Hormuz and missile interceptions over Dubai.
- Aug 18
Israel strikes Syrian airbase as Turkey and Damascus deny troop deployment plans
Israel launched airstrikes on the Abu al-Duhur military airfield in Syria, claiming Turkey planned a military deployment, while Ankara and Damascus rejected the allegations.
- Aug 16
Turkey declares two marine parks near Greek islands; Athens calls them illegal under international law
Turkey published two presidential decrees on 16 August declaring national marine parks in the NE Aegean and Eastern Mediterranean, drawing an immediate rebuke from Athens, which called the parks illegal and said they cannot create faits accomplis.
- Aug 16
Kushner meets Egypt's al-Sisi at El Alamein to push Trump's 15-point Gaza roadmap
Jared Kushner met Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi at El Alamein on 16 August 2026 to push the 15-point Trump roadmap for Gaza, as a Hamas delegation separately held talks with Egyptian intelligence and Netanyahu's rejection of the plan remained the chief obstacle.
- Aug 15
Erdogan tells Al Jazeera Egypt may join Mecca defence pact, EU accession no longer a priority, Trump promised F-35s
In an Al Jazeera interview airing Sunday, Turkish President Erdogan said Egypt could join the Turkey-Saudi Arabia-Pakistan Mecca defence pact, declared EU accession no longer a priority, and repeated that Donald Trump promised him F-35 jets.
- Aug 14
Turkey, Pakistan and Saudi Arabia detail mechanisms of Mecca defence pact
Turkey's defence ministry outlined coordination mechanisms for the Mecca Joint Defence Agreement signed August 7 with Pakistan and Saudi Arabia, as a Houthi drone strike on a Saudi refinery two days later tested the pact's mutual-defence clause.
- Aug 10
Turkey's parliament passes conditional PKK pardon law, leaving Öcalan in prison
Turkey's parliament approved a framework law on Monday evening offering conditional sentence suspensions to thousands of PKK members, a step toward ending a conflict that has killed more than 40,000 people since 1984.
- Aug 8
Houthi attacks kill dozens in Yemen as UN warns of worst escalation since 2022 truce
Houthi rebels killed at least 58 soldiers in missile and drone strikes on government camps in Marib and Hadramaut, the deadliest attacks since Yemen's 2022 truce. The UN warned the country faces the greatest risk of full-scale war since that ceasefire.
- Aug 8
Turkey, Saudi Arabia and Pakistan sign Mecca defense pact with NATO-style mutual defense clause
Saudi Arabia, Turkey and Pakistan signed a trilateral defense agreement in Mecca on Friday, August 7, 2026, stipulating that an armed attack against any one of the three states will be considered an attack against all, a formulation echoing NATO's Article 5.
- Aug 7
Turkey, Saudi Arabia and Pakistan sign Mecca defense pact with NATO-style collective defense clause
Three Sunni Muslim-majority states signed a collective defense agreement in Mecca on August 7, with an attack on any member considered an attack on all, amid the ongoing war between Iran and the US-Israeli coalition.
- Aug 4
Berlin's Hotel Adlon up for sale at €280 million minimum as 4,000 investors vote on exit
The Jagdfeld Group is seeking to sell the landmark Hotel Adlon on Pariser Platz in Berlin, with a minimum price of €280 million. More than 4,000 investors in the Fundus-Fonds 31 are voting through August on the proposed liquidation.
- Jul 29
Turkey insists on sovereign equality for Turkish Cypriots as Guterres brokers new 5+1 meeting on Cyprus
After a trilateral meeting with UN Secretary-General António Guterres and Cypriot leaders, Ankara says no common ground exists for a settlement and only recognition of Turkish Cypriot 'sovereign equality' can yield a solution.
- Jul 22
DW correspondent Alican Uludağ arrested again in Turkey over social media post criticising the judiciary
Alican Uludağ, a Deutsche Welle court reporter in Ankara, was taken into custody on Tuesday afternoon and brought to the prosecutor's office, his lawyer confirmed.
- Jul 21
Deposed Turkish opposition leader Özgür Özel announces new party, could become largest opposition force
The deposed leader of Turkey's main opposition CHP, Özgür Özel, announced the creation of a new social democratic party on Tuesday, with around 80 of 135 CHP lawmakers expected to defect, instantly making it the largest opposition force in parliament.
- Jul 14
Turkey marks decade since failed 2016 coup as Erdogan demands extraditions and launches fresh wave of arrests
A new 'major cleansing campaign' saw 968 people detained across all 81 Turkish provinces this week, while President Erdogan called on NATO allies to extradite alleged plotters.
