Turkey in June 2026: the most important developments in politics
In June 2026, Turkey's politics were dominated by an escalating exchange between President Erdogan and Israel, and by preparations for the NATO summit in Ankara. On 10 June Erdogan said Israeli strikes in Lebanon and Syria threaten Turkey's security and called for an end to the aggression. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu answered by calling Erdogan an "antisemitic dictator" who supports Hamas. Erdogan later spoke of using force against Israel, and on 29 June Netanyahu accused him of threatening to destroy Israel. After Israel recognised the Armenian genocide on 28 June, Erdogan criticised the decision on 30 June and pointed to civilian deaths in Gaza.
The NATO summit in Ankara shaped much of the month. On 3 June Secretary of State Marco Rubio said President Trump would attend. On 24 June Trump criticised NATO, praised Erdogan and said he did not think the United States struck a school in Minab, and NATO allies feared a clash with him. On 25 June Trump claimed he had stopped Erdogan from bringing Turkey into the war on Iran's side. On 30 June Turkey said NATO was adapting to a new security landscape and that the United States was not withdrawing, while a NATO parliamentary delegation visited the drone maker Baykar. The EU warned Turkey over what it called an unacceptable snub of Cyprus in preparations for a climate summit.
The war involving Iran, Israel and the United States ran through the month. Erdogan said the region was paying a heavy economic price for the attacks on Iran. Trump signed a nuclear deal with Iran on 18 June, and on 22 June Erdogan pledged Turkey's support for the truce. On 28 June Trump threatened Iran after a night of attacks, and by 29 June Iran said it planned no talks with the United States in the coming days.
Turkey also expanded its diplomacy on Ukraine. Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan met Putin in Moscow on 17 June, and Turkey said it was ready to host negotiations and to normalise relations with Armenia.
by WorldBrief & Maksim Micheliov | AI-generated summary
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