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International report

RFI English 24 Épisodes sept. 18, 2026

RFI goes behind-the-scenes of one of the week's major stories, providing in-depth analysis and context on international news events.

Épisodes

Sweeping raids leave Turkey’s LGBTQI+ community fearing what comes next sept. 18, 2026 00:07:53 Turkey has jailed dozens of people pending trial as a sweeping crackdown on LGBTQI+ groups widens, prompting international condemnation and protests outside Turkish embassies on Friday. By Thursday, courts in several provinces had jailed at least 82 people following raids on LGBTQI+ organisations, clubs, cafes and homes. The cases include LGBTQI+ activists and members of rights groups as well as p

Erdogan hints at larger nuclear partnership with Russia, unsettling Turkey's allies sept. 12, 2026 00:06:14 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. On the sidelines of a recent gathering of regional leaders in Kyrgyzstan, Erdogan told his Russian counterpart, Vladimir Pu

Turkey seeks Black Sea shipping deal as attacks threaten grain trade sept. 6, 2026 00:05:38 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. Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan announced this week that Turkey was working on a plan to

What the SDF’s dissolution means for Syria’s Kurds and neighbouring Turkey août 31, 2026 00:07:21 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 Ku

Turkey, Saudi Arabia and Pakistan strengthen ties as Israel tensions rise août 22, 2026 00:06:35 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. Ankara swiftly condemned Tuesday's Israeli airstrike on Syria’s Abu Duhur military airbase, 70 kilometres from its border, calling it illegal and a breach of Syrian sovereignt

In Turkey, one of the world's longest conflicts reaches a turning point août 15, 2026 00:07:19 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. On Monday, legislators voted 468-88 in favour of a law det

Turkey's new opposition party offers hope, but its future is already in jeopardy août 8, 2026 00:06:50 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". In a glitzy video, set to pumping music and shared widely across social media, Ozgur Ozel launched the Yeni Party – "New Party" – vowing to usher in a new era in Turkish politics

Fears of wheat price surge amid Ukraine-Russia clashes in the Black Sea juil. 31, 2026 00:05:31 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. Earlier in July, a Russian cruise missile struck the grain carrier Golden Leo, claiming ten lives. This marked the deadliest blow yet in a mounting campaign by both Russian and Ukrainian fo

Israel's move to recognise Armenian genocide stalls under regional pressure juil. 25, 2026 00:06:38 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. The Israeli government gave no official reason for postponing the vote to formally recognise the Armenian genocide by Ottoman Turkey during

Turkey marks a decade since the coup that never was, but never really ended juil. 20, 2026 00:05:14 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. On 16 July, Turkey marked a decade since the failed coup that shook the nation. Its defeat

Trump lifts Turkey sanctions, eyes F-35 sale juil. 13, 2026 00:06:18 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. 'We are going to be taking the sanctions off; it's time to do that, OK. We don't want to sanction friends; it's very simple,' declared Trump to the international media, sit

China's missile test overshadowed by Iran war, but Pacific nations are watching juil. 13, 2026 00:06:39 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. The missile, identified by Taiwan as a JL-2 with a range of some 7,000 kilometres, came down near the Solomon Islands, drawing swift condemnation from Washington even as global attention remains fixed on the war bet

Israel's recognition of the Armenian genocide unsettles Turkey and Azerbaijan juil. 10, 2026 00:08:05 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

Summit host Turkey eyes major weapons deals with NATO allies juil. 5, 2026 00:05:33 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. Boasting NATO’s second-largest army and sharing borders with flashpoints from Ukraine to the Middle East, Turkey is at the he

Turkey opposition worries that Europe is sacrificing democracy for security juin 27, 2026 00:07:01 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. The latest arrests this week followed a court decision to remove Republican People's Party (CHP) leader Ozgur Ozel and reinstate former leader Kemal Kilicdaroglu in an unprecedented move that was widely condemned by T

Brexit at 10: What price has the UK paid for 'taking back control'? juin 26, 2026 00:07:18 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. This week RFI examines the legacy of the 2016 Brexit referendum through the sharply contrasting views of three analysts: Federico Fabbrini of the Brexit Institute in Dublin, Robert Ould

Brexit at 10: the promises, the costs and the search for accountability juin 22, 2026 00:16:23 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. The referendum held on 23 June 2016 remains one of the defining decisions in modern British history. Suppor

Lebanon becomes latest battleground in Turkish-Israeli tensions juin 20, 2026 00:05:42 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. Earlier this month, Erdogan addressed his parliamentary deputies with a forceful condemnation of Israel’s strikes on Lebanon and Syria, warning that Turkey’s security now stret

Armenia election result revives hopes of reopening border with Turkey juin 13, 2026 00:05:11 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. The vote on 7 June gave Nikol Pashinyan a clear victory over the

Armenia election: what the vote could mean for Russia, the West and Azerbaijan juin 7, 2026 00:07:20 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. Eight years after the street revolution that brought him to power, Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan is asking voters for a fresh mandate built around the promise of lasting peace with Azerba

Turkey expands influence in Africa through military training juin 6, 2026 00:06:02 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. The soldiers completed training this month at Turkey's special forces camp in Isparta. The approach, known as the "Somalia model" after Turkey's largest overseas base, has become central to Ankara's strategy

Turkey enters political unknown after police raid opposition party headquarters mai 30, 2026 00:06:31 Turkey's main opposition CHP was thrown into fresh disarray Saturday as court-installed leader Kemal Kilicdaroglu made his first visit to party headquarters since a controversial court ruling scrapped a 2023 party primary. Ozgur Ozel, the CHP leader ousted by the decision, called for an urgent congress, telling thousands at an Ankara rally that the party "cannot be run by an appointed leader". The

Turkey courts Libya's rival factions in bid to further Mediterranean ambitions mai 23, 2026 00:05:40 In a bold move by Ankara, Turkey this week brought together Libya’s two rival militaries for international exercises. While firmly supporting the Tripoli-based regime, Turkey is now extending an olive branch to the Benghazi administration, aiming to steady Libya and broaden its sway across the region. For the first time, Libya’s two military forces participated internationally together under one f

Turkey expands military footprint in Somalia as regional rivalries intensify mai 16, 2026 00:05:37 Turkey’s role in Somalia is under growing scrutiny, with the East African country embroiled in controversy over elections and Israel stepping up efforts to challenge Turkey in the region. Over the last two years Turkey has ramped up its economic and military presence in Somalia, building on decades of development. The East African country is home to Turkey’s largest overseas military base and this