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Politics & Security

A demonstrator carries a CHP flag during a protest in Izmir, Turkey, on May 24, 2026.

Explainer

What’s behind Turkey’s latest wave of arrests against opposition mayors?

The operations come as Ozgur Ozel’s newly formed party gains momentum.

A woman stands next to Iranian-made Zolfaghar missiles displayed at Azadi Square in Tehran on July 24, 2026.

Iran’s new calculus: Strike first, talk later

An increasingly emboldened Tehran has put President Donald Trump in a bind.

A Saudi navy ship is pictured docked at King Faisal navy base in Jeddah before the departure of a team to Port Sudan to help with the evacuation efforts of people fleeing Sudan, on April 29, 2023.

Turkey, Pakistan among 14 countries backing Saudi Arabia's anti-Houthi Red Sea alliance

Riyadh won political backing from 14 countries for its proposed maritime defense coalition, but members have yet to commit to joining as Washington weighs its position.

Erdogan and Aoun

Turkey ready to participate in post-UNIFIL force in Lebanon, Erdogan tells Aoun

Aoun paid a one-day visit to Ankara amid Lebanon's push to secure an Israeli withdrawal and end the fighting between Israel and Hezbollah.

Latest News

Houthis deny responsibility for drone attack hitting Egypt's Damietta Port

A ship transits the Suez Canal towards the Red Sea on Jan. 10, 2024 in Ismailia, Egypt.

US carries out strikes in southern Iran after IRGC attack on Jordan airbase

In this handout photo provided by the US Navy, Two F/A-18 Super Hornets launch from the flight deck of Nimitz-class aircraft carrier USS Abraham Lincoln (CVN 72) in support of Operation Epic Fury on March 3, 2026 in the Mediterranean Sea.

Exclusive

Saudi Arabia to announce Red Sea coalition to counter Houthi threats

Houthi soldiers stand guard on a missile carrier during an official military parade marking the ninth anniversary of the Houthi takeover of the capital, Sanaa, on Sept. 21, 2023.

Amberin Zaman

Jared Szuba

By Amberin Zaman , Jared Szuba

Amberin Zaman

Chief Correspondent

Reporting on geopolitics, minorities, human rights, culture

Adam Lucente

News and Business Correspondent

In New York City, reporting on regional news, militancy, climate change

Elizabeth Hagedorn

Diplomatic Correspondent

In Washington, DC, reporting on diplomacy, regional politics, human rights

Ezgi Akin

Associate Editor (Turkey)

In Ankara, reporting on diplomacy, EU-Turkey ties, NATO

Ben Caspit

Israel Columnist

In Tel Aviv, reporting on national security, Israeli politics, defense

Jared Szuba

Defense and Security Correspondent

In Washington, DC, reporting on defense, national security, military

A general view shows a damaged mansion following an overnight attack in Erbil.

Iraqi Kurdistan hit by multiple missile attacks as threats rise

Attacks have increased against the Kurdistan Region of Iraq in recent months, targeting energy infrastructure while warning against continuing collaboration with Turkey.

Iraq Turkey

Pentagon: Iran-backed militias, PKK coordinated vs. Turkish troops in Iraq

Turkey’s targeting of veteran PKK cadres in Iraq has pushed the Kurdish guerrillas to collaborate with an unlikely partner, a new Pentagon report suggests.

Iran nuclear

Iran denies impasse in nuclear deal diplomacy

Even as a break from Vienna talks over the revival of the Iran nuclear deal continues to linger, Tehran said communication was still in progress with the American side.

JACK GUEZ/AFP via Getty Images

Russian-Israeli tensions escalate over Ukraine, Holocaust

Jerusalem and Moscow continue to exchange accusations following the Sunday statement by Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov that Hitler was of Jewish descent.

A general view of the Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam, Guba, Ethiopia, Feb. 20, 2022.

Ethiopia’s next move on Nile dam may hinder negotiations

Ethiopia started concrete construction on the body of the Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam ahead of the third filling of the dam’s reservoir, amid continued stalled negotiations with Egypt and Sudan.

Chris McGrath/Getty Images

Istanbul mayor challenges AKP government on visit to Erdogan’s home province

Ekrem Imamoglu of the Republican People’s Party took his campaign to Rize on the Black Sea coast during the Eid al-Fitr holiday.

Tehran

Israeli intel shares story of Iranian spy plot

The Shin Bet and the Mossad have tightened their cooperation on Tehran in recent months, uncovering hostile actions by Iranian agents on social media.

Iraqi riot police protect the Turkish embassy in Baghdad on February 18, 2021.

Is Turkey behind border wall, Iraqi deployment in Sinjar?

Baghdad’s military moves in Sinjar, coinciding with a Turkish military operation in northern Iraq, and the construction of a wall along the border with Syria have rekindled fears among the local Yazidi population.

Iraqi-Kurdistan

KHALED DESOUKI/AFP via Getty Images

Cairo releases dozens of activists, calls for dialogue with political opposition

Egyptian President Abdul Fattah Al-Sisi has called for a national dialogue with opposition groups.

This general view shows an Ethiopian national flag.

Egypt braces for third-stage filling of Nile dam

Egypt continues to implement projects for water management, although some say the third filling of the Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam will not affect Cairo’s water supply this year.

ATTA KENARE/AFP via Getty Images

Iran’s president meets with political activists

In a rare move, Iran’s President Ebrahim Raisi met with a group of activists to discuss their political and economic concerns.

Turkey's President Recep Tayyip Erdogan delivers a speech.

Has Ukraine war given Erdogan free hand at home?

Turkey’s President Recep Tayyip Erdogan might be aiming to tighten his grip on the domestic front, taking advantage of Ankara’s rising profile amid the Russian invasion of Ukraine.