International report
Episodes
Turkey sounds alarm over planned French troop deployment to Cyprus
09 May 2026
Contributed by Lukas
Ankara has voiced alarm at Cyprus’s announcement that France will deploy soldiers on the Mediterranean island. The move has fuelled Turkish fears of...
Turkey boosts Mali defence ties after separatist and jihadist attacks
02 May 2026
Contributed by Lukas
Turkey’s efforts to expand its influence in West Africa could be threatened by attacks on Mali’s military regime, as Ankara pledges support while ...
Chernobyl, 40 years on: the disaster that triggered the downfall of a superpower
26 Apr 2026
Contributed by Lukas
As radiation spread across Europe in April 1986, so did the truth about a political system built on silence. Four decades on, RFI spoke to history an...
Turkey steps up as Europe's indispensable and uncomfortable defence partner
26 Apr 2026
Contributed by Lukas
Europe is turning to Turkey to fill the security vacuum left by an increasingly unreliable United States. But as Nato's secretary-general was praising...
Turkey warns it could be Israel's 'next enemy' as tensions escalate
18 Apr 2026
Contributed by Lukas
Turkey's foreign minister has warned it could be Israel’s "next enemy" as the war with Iran appears headed for closure, and called for a Middle East...
Turkey pushes for European missile defence deal amid Iran tensions
11 Apr 2026
Contributed by Lukas
Following several Iranian missile strikes targeting Turkey, Ankara is accelerating its efforts to create its own missile defence system dubbed the “...
Iraq turns to Turkey for oil exports as Middle East war reshapes routes
04 Apr 2026
Contributed by Lukas
Iraq is turning to Turkey as an alternative route for its oil exports, as the war in the Middle East continues. The Iraqi move comes as Ankara steps u...
Turkey-Azerbaijan alliance strained by opposing stances on Israel
28 Mar 2026
Contributed by Lukas
As Azerbaijan is hit by drone attacks and its security forces claim to have arrested Iranian agents planning attacks against Israeli interests, fears...
Europe confronts fragmented defence systems as pressure to rearm grows
27 Mar 2026
Contributed by Lukas
With war on the continent and uncertainty surrounding transatlantic guarantees, Europe is being forced to confront vulnerabilities in its defence. The...
Could the war in Iran lay a path for peace between Armenia and Azerbaijan?
21 Mar 2026
Contributed by Lukas
The Iran war is adding impetus to reconciliation efforts between Armenia and Azerbaijan, as the region seeks to position itself as a new trade corrid...
'War is not a video game': France gauges response to the Middle East conflict
16 Mar 2026
Contributed by Lukas
With French warships deployed from the Mediterranean to the Strait of Hormuz, former French general Dominique Trinquand speaks to RFI about what's at ...
Turkey warns against drawing Iran's Kurds into Middle East war
15 Mar 2026
Contributed by Lukas
The Turkish government is warning the United States and Israel against involving Iran’s Kurdish minority in the war against the Iranian regime. Home...
'War with no winners': Middle East crisis enters a dangerous new phase
10 Mar 2026
Contributed by Lukas
Even as Washington hints at a quick end to the war with Iran, analysts say Tehran is preparing for a longer strategic struggle. The Middle East is in ...
Turkey fears it will pick up the bill for Washington's war in Iran
05 Mar 2026
Contributed by Lukas
Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan is intensifying diplomatic efforts to end the Iran war after an Iranian missile was shot down approaching Turke...
Life after ruin: Aghdam's fragile rebirth after the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict
23 Feb 2026
Contributed by Lukas
Three decades after war reduced the city of Aghdam to ruins, deminers and returning residents are laying the groundwork for its revival. The destructi...
What does the end of US-Russia nuclear arms treaty mean for disarmament?
22 Feb 2026
Contributed by Lukas
For 15 years, the New Start treaty bound the United States and Russia to curb their nuclear arsenals – until it expired earlier this month. Research...
Somalia becomes a flashpoint in Turkey's rivalry with Israel
14 Feb 2026
Contributed by Lukas
Staunchly allied with Turkey, Somalia has become a flashpoint in Turkey's rivalry with Israel. Ankara recently deployed fighter jets to Mogadishu in t...
Greece and Turkey look to revive rapprochement amid Aegean tensions
08 Feb 2026
Contributed by Lukas
A meeting between the leaders of Greece and Turkey next week seeks to rejuvenate a stalled rapprochement process between the neighbouring countries, ...
Caught between conflict and crisis, Syria faces 'incredibly fragile moment'
06 Feb 2026
Contributed by Lukas
After more than a decade of war, a surge of violence in northern Syria is forcing thousands of people to flee – even as others return to a fracture...
As Syrian workers return home from Turkey, local businesses feel the loss
31 Jan 2026
Contributed by Lukas
While polls say the majority of Turkish people welcome the departure of Syrians displaced by the civil war, Turkey's business owners are feeling the p...
Syrian Army seizes northeast as US abandons Kurdish-led forces
24 Jan 2026
Contributed by Lukas
The Syrian Army has made sweeping gains against Kurdish-led forces in northeast Syria, dealing a major blow to Syrian Kurdish autonomy and handing vic...
Trump 2.0: tariffs, trade and the state of the US economy one year in
20 Jan 2026
Contributed by Lukas
From tariff-funded refunds to tough talk with allies, trade has once again become a central theme of Donald Trump’s White House. One year into Trump...
Turkey blocks calls for regime change in Iran as protests escalate
17 Jan 2026
Contributed by Lukas
Turkey is opposing calls for regime change in Iran as security forces carry out a deadly crackdown on nationwide protests. The Turkish government accu...
Syrian army offensive in Aleppo draws support from Turkey
10 Jan 2026
Contributed by Lukas
Turkey has backed a Syrian army offensive against the Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) in Aleppo, Syria’s second-largest city, despite a f...
Trump offers Turkey fresh hope for US fighter jets despite Israel's opposition
04 Jan 2026
Contributed by Lukas
After years of negotiations, the Turkish military may finally be close to acquiring American F-35 fighter jets. United States President Donald Trump h...
US pushes Israel to accept Turkish role in Gaza stabilisation force
21 Dec 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Washington is stepping up diplomatic efforts to address Israeli objections to a possible Turkish role in an International Stabilisation Force in Gaza,...
Turkey and Iran unite against Israel as regional power dynamics shift
17 Dec 2025
Contributed by Lukas
For years, regional rivalries have limited cooperation between Turkey and Iran. Now, shared security concerns over Israel are providing common ground....
Israel responsible for half of journalist deaths in 2025, RSF report finds
10 Dec 2025
Contributed by Lukas
A new Reporters Without Borders report warns of escalating danger for journalists globally, and highlights that deaths in Gaza at the hands of the Isr...
Turkey fears Ukraine conflict will spill over on its Black Sea shores
08 Dec 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Ankara is voicing alarm over a spate of attacks on Russian tankers in the Black Sea, with fears that strikes on ships carrying oil and other key commo...
France in turmoil: 'No one is willing to say the country needs to make sacrifices'
29 Nov 2025
Contributed by Lukas
As Paris wrestles with political deadlock, questions are mounting over France’s ability to project strength abroad. RFI spoke to author and politic...
Turkey’s mediator role in the Ukraine war faces growing US pressure
22 Nov 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Turkey’s role as a mediator in the Ukraine war is coming under strain as Washington advances its own peace efforts and urges Ankara to loosen its ti...
Israel talks defence with Greece and Cyprus, as Turkey issues Netanyahu warrant
16 Nov 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Israeli-Turkish relations were dealt another blow when a Turkish court issued an arrest warrant on genocide charges against Israeli Prime Minister Ben...
Europe’s defence dilemma: autonomy or dependence?
12 Nov 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Europe’s pursuit of “strategic autonomy” has become more urgent than ever. In this edition of The International Report, Jan van der Made examine...
Montenegro protests expose fragile balance in Serbia-Turkey relations
10 Nov 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Anti-Turk protests in Montenegro have added to rising tensions between Serbia and Turkey. The unrest was set off by anger over Ankara’s sale of weap...
Criminalising identity: Turkey’s LGBTQI+ community under threat
04 Nov 2025
Contributed by Lukas
International human rights groups are calling for the withdrawal of proposed legislation against Turkey’s LGBTQI+ community, who warn that the law c...
Turkish Cypriot vote could force shift in Erdogan’s approach to divided island
25 Oct 2025
Contributed by Lukas
The landslide defeat of Turkey's ally in the Turkish Cypriot elections could now force President Recep Tayyip Erdogan to drop his push for a permanent...
Turkey ready to help rebuild Gaza, but tensions with Israel could be a barrier
18 Oct 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan says Turkey wants to take part in rebuilding Gaza and is ready to join a peacekeeping force once the fighting e...
Czech voters re-elect populist and move the EU further to the right
15 Oct 2025
Contributed by Lukas
In this edition of International Report, RFI talks with David Ondracka, former president of Transparency International Czech Republic, about the ...
Trump tests Turkey's energy dependence on Russia with lure of US power
11 Oct 2025
Contributed by Lukas
President Recep Tayyip Erdogan is facing growing pressure from Washington to cut Turkey’s heavy dependence on Russian oil and gas – and end his lo...
Turkey and Egypt's joint naval drill signals shifting Eastern Med alliances
04 Oct 2025
Contributed by Lukas
As efforts continue to resolve Israel’s war in Gaza, the conflict is threatening to destabilise the wider region. A rare joint naval exercise betwee...
Europe’s 'Truman Show' moment: is it time to walk off Trump’s set?
03 Oct 2025
Contributed by Lukas
When Truman Burbank finally realises that his life is a television show – every neighbour an actor, every event scripted – he faces a terrifying c...
Erdogan’s Washington visit exposes limits of his rapport with Trump
27 Sep 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Turkey has hailed President Recep Tayyip Erdogan’s first White House visit in six years as a diplomatic win, though tensions over Donald Trump’s s...
Turkey opposition faces wave of arrests and court fight over leadership
20 Sep 2025
Contributed by Lukas
The legal noose is tightening around Turkey’s main opposition party, with waves of arrests targeting mayors and local officials. But the troubles of...
Macron and Erdogan find fragile common ground amid battle for influence
12 Sep 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Following years of tension, the presidents of Turkey and France are finding new areas of cooperation. Ukraine is at the centre of this shift, but the ...
Druzhba pipeline: dependence, diplomacy and the end of Russian leverage in Europe
11 Sep 2025
Contributed by Lukas
The bombing of the Druzhba pipeline has disrupted oil supplies to Hungary and Slovakia and exposed new political rifts in Central Europe. RFI spoke wi...
Turkey warns Kurdish-led fighters in Syria to join new regime or face attack
04 Sep 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Turkey's President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has warned of military action against the Syrian Democratic Forces over its failure to honour an agreement to ...
Turkey eyes Ukraine peacekeeping role but mistrust clouds Western ties
25 Aug 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Turkish armed forces could play a major role in securing any peace deal between Ukraine and Russia. For Ankara, this would be a chance to reassert its...
Armenia and Azerbaijan peace deal raises hopes of Turkish border reopening
19 Aug 2025
Contributed by Lukas
The signing of a peace deal between Armenia and Azerbaijan in Washington has raised hopes of ending decades of conflict and reopening Turkey's border ...
Turkey and Italy boost cooperation in bid to shape Libya’s political future
13 Aug 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Turkey and Italy are working more closely on migration, energy and regional influence as they seek to shape Libya’s political future. Both see the N...
Turkey walks a tightrope as Trump threatens sanctions over Russian trade
04 Aug 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Ankara is aiming to dodge President Donald Trump’s threat of sanctions against countries that trade with Russia. While Turkey is the third largest i...
Azerbaijan flexes its muscles amid rising tensions with Russia
28 Jul 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Azerbaijan is increasingly engaging in tit-for-tat actions towards powerful neighbour Russia amid escalating tensions in the South Caucasus region. Th...
Europe’s new right: how the MAGA agenda crossed the Atlantic
27 Jul 2025
Contributed by Lukas
With political landscapes across Europe shifting, in this edition of International Report we explore the growing influence of Donald Trump's "Make Ame...
Peace or politics? Turkey’s fragile path to ending a decades-long conflict
21 Jul 2025
Contributed by Lukas
One of the world's most protracted armed conflicts could finally be drawing to a close in Turkey. This month, a small group of fighters from the Kurdi...
Forty years on from Rainbow Warrior bombing, Greenpeace leader reflects
17 Jul 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Forty years after the bombing of its Rainbow Warrior vessel, Greenpeace International’s executive director Mads Christensen tells RFI that the attac...
Crackdown on Turkish opposition intensifies, with further arrests of mayors
12 Jul 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Turkey's main opposition Republican People's Party (CHP) is warning that the future of democracy in the country is at stake, as a legal crackdown agai...