International report
RFI goes behind-the-scenes of one of the week's major stories, providing in-depth analysis and context on international news events.
Épisodes
Trump lifts Turkey sanctions, eyes F-35 sale
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
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
Israel's parliament voted on 29 June 2026 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
Summit host Turkey eyes major weapons deals with NATO allies
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
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'?
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
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
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
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
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
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
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
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
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
Turkey sounds alarm over planned French troop deployment to Cyprus
Ankara has voiced alarm at Cyprus’s announcement that France will deploy soldiers on the Mediterranean island. The move has fuelled Turkish fears of encirclement, as Cyprus and Greece continue to deepen defence ties with Turkey’s rival Israel. Turkish officials have strongly criticised France’s plan to send soldiers to Cyprus, warning it could escalate tensions. Cyprus has remained divided since 1
Turkey boosts Mali defence ties after separatist and jihadist attacks
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 its growing security cooperation with Bamako faces new pressure. Ankara has strongly condemned attacks by Tuareg separatists and Al Qaeda-linked jihadists on Mali’s military government. The attacks began last weekend, killed the defence minister and hand
Chernobyl, 40 years on: the disaster that triggered the downfall of a superpower
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 and politics professor Oleg Kobtzeff about how the Chernobyl nuclear disaster exposed the USSR's culture of secrecy, and was among the catalysts for its collapse. On 26 April, 1986, a reactor exploded at the Chernobyl nuclear power plant in what was the
Turkey steps up as Europe's indispensable and uncomfortable defence partner
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 Ankara's growing military role this week, the European Commission president was placing Turkey in the same bracket as China and Russia. The contradiction points to a dilemma that is only going to deepen. Nato Secretary-General Mark Rutte visited Ase
Turkey warns it could be Israel's 'next enemy' as tensions escalate
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 security pact amid rising tensions between the two countries. "After Iran, Israel cannot live without an enemy – it has to develop a rhetoric to shape public opinion," declared Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan in a television interview on Monday.
Turkey pushes for European missile defence deal amid Iran tensions
Following several Iranian missile strikes targeting Turkey, Ankara is accelerating its efforts to create its own missile defence system dubbed the “steel dome”. According to reports, it is in talks to procure Europe's latest anti-missile system. But Ankara’s aspirations are unnerving Israel – as well as its neighbours, Greece and Cyprus. Air raid warnings during an Iranian missile strike on the Tu
Iraq turns to Turkey for oil exports as Middle East war reshapes routes
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 up efforts to capitalise on the shifting diplomatic, economic and security landscape in the region. In a race to find routes that circumvent the Strait of Hormuz, Iraq has resumed pumping oil through a previously disused pipeline to the Turkish port
Turkey-Azerbaijan alliance strained by opposing stances on Israel
As Azerbaijan is hit by drone attacks and its security forces claim to have arrested Iranian agents planning attacks against Israeli interests, fears of contagion in the Iranian war are rising. For Turkey, which has a defence alliance with Azerbaijan, its relationship with Baku is complicated by the latter's close ties with Israel. On 5 March, drones attacked the airport of Azerbaijan’s Nakhchivan
Europe confronts fragmented defence systems as pressure to rearm grows
With war on the continent and uncertainty surrounding transatlantic guarantees, Europe is being forced to confront vulnerabilities in its defence. The combination is forcing governments to tackle long-standing inefficiencies – and to ask whether current plans go far enough. As the war grinds on in Ukraine and alliances shift under pressure, policymakers across Europe are confronting a stark realit
Could the war in Iran lay a path for peace between Armenia and Azerbaijan?
The Iran war is adding impetus to reconciliation efforts between Armenia and Azerbaijan, as the region seeks to position itself as a new trade corridor between Europe and energy-rich central Asia, with the conflict highlighting Europe's energy dependency on the volatile Middle East. Addressing the European Parliament earlier this month, Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan declared that, with t
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