Letter from Washington: Trump Scores Big on Small Balkan Playing Field
Keen to show loyalty to the US president, some Balkan states signed up to Donald Trump’s contentious ‘Board of Peace’. Others, meanwhile, are looking to the US for new business…
Monday Briefing from the Balkans: January 26, 2026
Catch up on the weekend’s most important developments with Balkan Insight’s digest of news from countries across the region. KAYNAK: Balkan Insight
Turkey in 2026: Turbulence at Home, Uncertainty Abroad
An intensifying crackdown on the opposition and progress in the thorny Kurdish peace process may define Turkey’s political year - but outside developments may overshadow domestic initiatives. KAYNAK: Balkan Insight
Kosovo, Bulgaria, Turkey Join Trump’s ‘Board of Peace’
Kosovo, Bulgaria and Turkey have signed the Board of Peace Charter, under Donald Trump’s auspices, but several other Balkan countries are still pondering whether to join the initiative. KAYNAK: Balkan…
Albania to Join Trump Peace Board, Other Balkan Countries Silent
While Albania’s Edi Rama welcomed an invitation to join Donald Trump’s proposed Board of Peace, Croatia, Slovenia, Romania and Greece merely confirmed that they had received invitations. KAYNAK: Balkan Insight
Balkan States Give Divided Reactions to US Strike on Venezuela
Albania and Kosovo applauded the Trump administration’s military operation against Venezuela's regime and the ousting of Nicolas Maduro, while other states in the region initially remained silent or called for…
Turkish Leader‘s Deal with Kurdish Militants is About ‘Keeping Him in Power‘: Expert
Political expert Salim Cevik argues that Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan’s peaceable outreach to Kurdish militants and his deepening crackdown on the opposition have the same goal – perpetuating his…
Exposing Scams, Probing the Powerful: A Year of BIRN Investigations
As 2026 begins, we look back on some of the most important investigations published by BIRN in its 20th anniversary year – from brutal migrant-smuggling gangs and arms deals with…
Turkish Media Regulator Embraces New Role: Stifling Dissent
Vowing to protect the nation’s moral welfare, the Radio and Television Supreme Council imposes content takedowns, temporary bans and financial sanctions in line with the Turkish authorities’ ongoing crackdown on…
Nine Killed as Islamic State Militants Battle Turkish Police
Three police officers lost their lives and six Islamic State militants were killed in a gunbattle in Turkey's Yalova province after a large-scale police operation was launched to thwart suspected…