International report

Episodes

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  Erdogan hints at larger nuclear partnership with Russia, unsettling Turkey's allies 12.09.2026 6m

  Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan is signalling a move to expand nuclear power cooperation with Russia, just as his country’s first Russian-built nuclear station prepares to go live later this year. The deepening partnership is likely to unsettle Turkey’s western allies.
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  Turkey seeks Black Sea shipping deal as attacks threaten grain trade 06.09.2026 5m

  Turkey is racing to restore safe passage for cargo ships in the Black Sea as attacks on shipping disrupt grain exports and push up prices. Russia and Ukraine are major global wheat exporters, but Black Sea trade has been severely disrupted as both sides step up attacks on shipping and port infrastructure.
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  What the SDF’s dissolution means for Syria’s Kurds and neighbouring Turkey 31.08.2026 7m

  Nearly a week after the Syrian Democratic Forces agreed to dissolve, the consequences are beginning to take shape for Syria's Kurds and neighbouring Turkey. As the former US-backed force is absorbed into the Syrian state, questions remain over what the country's Kurds have secured in return – from language and political rights to protections for women – and what the end of more than a decade of Kurdish-led autonomy means for Turkey's own conflict with Kurdish militants.
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  Turkey, Saudi Arabia and Pakistan strengthen ties as Israel tensions rise 22.08.2026 6m

  Tensions between Turkey and Israel have intensified after an Israeli airstrike targeted a Syrian military airbase near the Turkish border. The strike came days after Turkey’s new military pact with Saudi Arabia and Pakistan.
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  In Turkey, one of the world's longest conflicts reaches a turning point 15.08.2026 7m

  Turkey stands on the threshold of closing a conflict spanning almost 50 years, after the Turkish parliament this week passed a law allowing exiled Kurdish militants to return home and rejoin society. The legislation aims to end the war with the Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK), which has battled the Turkish state for independence since 1984.
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  Turkey's new opposition party offers hope, but its future is already in jeopardy 08.08.2026 6m

  The launch of the Yeni Party in Turkey promises to energise the country's struggling opposition. But while some polls show it leading, it remains vulnerable – already beset by arrests it says are "politically motivated". 
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  Fears of wheat price surge amid Ukraine-Russia clashes in the Black Sea 31.07.2026 5m

  Intensifying clashes between Ukraine and Russia in the Black Sea are threatening a crucial trade artery responsible for nearly a third of the world's wheat supply, stoking fears of soaring prices and shortages.
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  Israel's move to recognise Armenian genocide stalls under regional pressure 25.07.2026 6m

  The Israeli parliament's decision to postpone a vote on recognising the Armenian genocide by Ottoman Turkey is being seen as a triumph for regional diplomacy, as Azerbaijan in particular seeks to avert a further escalation in tensions between its close allies.
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  Turkey marks a decade since the coup that never was, but never really ended 20.07.2026 5m

  On 16 July, Turkey marked a decade since the failed coup that shook the nation. Its defeat is widely viewed as the final curtain on military meddling in politics and as the moment when President Erdogan cemented his grip on power, yet the aftershocks for human rights and foreign relations still reverberate.
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  Trump lifts Turkey sanctions, eyes F-35 sale 13.07.2026 6m

  US President Donald Trump made headlines this week at the Nato summit in Ankara by declaring an end to all sanctions against Turkey, paving the way for the sale of the F-35 stealth fighter jet to the alarm of Greece and Israel.
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  China's missile test overshadowed by Iran war, but Pacific nations are watching 13.07.2026 6m

  China recenly test-fired a nuclear-capable missile from a submarine into the Pacific, the first such launch from a nuclear-powered vessel and the first submarine-based test since 1982.
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  Israel's recognition of the Armenian genocide unsettles Turkey and Azerbaijan 10.07.2026 8m

  Israel's government voted on 28 June to recognise the 1915 Armenian genocide, breaking with decades of official reticence on the issue. RFI spoke to three regional experts to unpack the politics behind the vote and its fallout: Gerald Steinberg, professor at Bar-Ilan University in Tel Aviv; Richard Giragossian, director of the Regional Studies Centre in Yerevan; and Ilter Turan, professor at Bilgi University in Istanbul.
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  Summit host Turkey eyes major weapons deals with NATO allies 05.07.2026 5m

  Next week's NATO Summit in Ankara is expected to showcase Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan’s rising influence within the alliance, as he aims to use the gathering to overcome resistance to crucial arms deals and highlight the rapid growth of Turkey’s defence industry.
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  Turkey opposition worries that Europe is sacrificing democracy for security 27.06.2026 7m

  Turkey's main opposition says its Western allies are failing to respond as a widening crackdown by President Recep Tayyip Erdogan's government targets its leaders and elected mayors.
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  Brexit at 10: What price has the UK paid for 'taking back control'? 26.06.2026 7m

  Ten years after the United Kingdom voted to leave the European Union, Brexit supporters still see this as a historic act of sovereignty, while critics point to the resulting economic damage and political division. 
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  Brexit at 10: the promises, the costs and the search for accountability 22.06.2026 16m

  Ten years on, the UK's decision to leave the European Union is increasingly seen as more than a single referendum result. Critics argue it reflected a wider crisis of political imagination, with Brexit supporters misreading both Britain and the world, while the promised future never arrived.
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  Lebanon becomes latest battleground in Turkish-Israeli tensions 20.06.2026 5m

  Lebanon is emerging as the newest flashpoint in the increasingly strained relations between Turkey and Israel, with the former's President Recep Tayyip Erdogan issuing a stark warning that Turkish security begins in Beirut.
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  Armenia election result revives hopes of reopening border with Turkey 13.06.2026 5m

  Nikol Pashinyan’s sweeping re-election in Armenia has raised fresh hopes that the border with Turkey could finally reopen after three decades of closure. The Armenian prime minister campaigned on restoring ties with Turkey and Azerbaijan, as well as moving Armenia closer to Europe – but constitutional reform remains a major obstacle.
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  Armenia election: what the vote could mean for Russia, the West and Azerbaijan 07.06.2026 7m

  As Armenians vote in a parliamentary election seen as a test of Nikol Pashinyan’s pro-Western course, RFI asks two regional experts what the result could mean for peace with Azerbaijan and relations with Russia.
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  Turkey expands influence in Africa through military training 06.06.2026 6m

  Turkey is expanding its military training programmes across Africa, with soldiers from Mali and Niger graduating from a special forces camp as Ankara seeks to deepen ties across the continent.