Facing a Russian threat and a rift with Washington, European capitals can’t afford to alienate a powerful ally.

By Akin Nazli in Belgrade Turkey’s ruling regime has transferred Kaj Joakim Medin, a Swedish national detained after arriving in Istanbul to report on the protests against the jailing of the city's mayor Ekrem Imamoglu,

Turkey, which allegedly a major role in the ousting of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad, is now reportedly planning to capture the strategic Tiyas Air Base, the largest airbase in Syria. According to reports,

The recent arrest of Istanbul’s Mayor Ekrem İmamoğlu has escalated political conflicts within Turkey and critically threatened the country’s democratic situation. Beyond its internal impact, this incident could change Turkey’s geographic and political position in the Middle East,

Turkey’s president has accused the political opposition of “sinking the economy” during the country’s largest protests in more than a decade.

The imprisonment of Istanbul's mayor and the resulting protests have put the focus back on the Turkish President's political evolution. Once considered a reformer, he has more recently mostly monopolized power.

Turkish authorities detained and deported BBC correspondent Mark Lowen​ and arrested other journalists amid the largest nationwide protests in a decade.

The mass protests in Istanbul aren't directed solely against the arrest of Mayor Ekrem Imamoglu. There's also growing discontent regarding the economic crisis in the country.

Opponents say President Recep Tayyip Erdogan manipulates the courts and the media to tighten his grip on power, and now is trying to prevent a top contender from running for president.