Turkey - AL-MONITOR: The Middle Eastʼs leading independent news source since 2012

Turkey

Turkey

May 10, 2026

Ankara 6:18 pm

22°C

ISTANBUL, TURKEY - MAY 06: A man poses for a photograph in front of the newly unveiled, Turkish made intercontinental ballistic missile Yildirimhan at the SAHA International Defence and Aerospace Expo on May 06, 2026 in Istanbul, Turkey. The International Defence and Aerospace Exhibition, showcased Turkish and foreign companies new products and technology. The expo was dominated by UAV products as modern warfare increasingly shifts to drone and unmanned technologies. (Photo by Chris McGrath/Getty Images)

Analysis

From drones to deterrence: Turkey's ICBM missile signals bigger ambitions

Turkey’s planned test of a 6,000-kilometer missile could boost Ankara’s defense industry prestige, strengthen its deterrence messaging and feed a powerful domestic narrative of technological self-reliance, but it also raises questions about cost, timing and NATO protection.

Barin Kayaoglu

By Barin Kayaoglu

In Ankara, reporting on geopolitics and national security

MURAT KOCABAS/Middle East Images/AFP via Getty Images

Culture

How ‘dog mom’ vacuum cleaner ad sparked culture war in Turkey

A Mother’s Day advertisement featuring a “dog mom” triggered a backlash from conservative media, government officials and regulators, turning a soft consumer campaign into a flashpoint over motherhood, declining birth rates, stray dogs and even antisemitism.

Latest News

Turkey, Japan launch defense industry partnership with eye on drones

People look at a drone on display at the Baykar exhibit at the SAHA International Defence and Aerospace Expo on May 06, 2026 in Istanbul, Turkey.

Saudi FM in Turkey as Ankara, Riyadh step up coordination amid Iran war

Saudi Foreign Minister Faisal bin Farhan Al Saud and Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan in Ankara, May 6, 2026.

Samuel Wendel

Senior Market Research Analyst

In Washington, DC, reporting on regional business and tech

Amberin Zaman

Chief Correspondent

Reporting on geopolitics, minorities, human rights, culture

Jack Dutton

Chief Business Correspondent

In Bristol, reporting on regional business, climate change, AI, tech

Ezgi Akin

Associate Editor (Turkey)

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

Francesco Schiavi

In Bologna, reporting on security, defense, economy, governance

Barin Kayaoglu

In Ankara, reporting on geopolitics and national security

Shells strike near Turkish, Italian embassies in central Tripoli, Libya

Turkey supports the embattled Tripoli government against rebel forces from the east led by Gen. Khalifa Hifter.

A member of the Kurdish Internal Security Forces of Asayesh stands guard on a deserted street in Syria's northeastern city of Hasakeh on April 30, 2020, following measures taken by the Kurdish-led local authorities there, to limit the spread of the novel coronavirus. (Photo by DELIL SOULEIMAN / AFP) (Photo by DELIL SOULEIMAN/AFP via Getty Images)

Turkey throttles water as pandemic looms over northeast Syria

Western nongovernmental organizations confirm that the water supply from the Alok pumping station has been repeatedly interrupted since the Turkish offensive.

With virus numbers low, Turkey turns to ailing lira

Nearly 83,000 people in Turkey have recovered from the novel coronavirus but as the government touts its success on the public health front, another fire has ignited: a record low in the lira as foreign investors flee.

Jailed musician dies after nearly yearlong hunger strike in Turkey

Grup Yorum's Ibrahim Gokcek died two days after suspending his “death fast."

Turkish soldiers stand on top of a tank in the border town of Akcakale in Sanliurfa province, Turkey, October 11, 2019. REUTERS/Murad Sezer - RC146E7AC710

Turkey's occupation of northern Syria includes population transfers

Turkey’s transfer of Syrian families to Tell Abyad from Afrin has reignited worries of demographic engineering in northern Syria.

Soccer Football - Super Lig - Galatasaray v Besiktas - Turk Telekom Stadium, Istanbul, Turkey - March 15, 2020 Besiktas' Victor Ruiz in action as the match is played behind closed doors as the number of coronavirus cases grow around the world REUTERS/Umit Bektas - RC2GKF9C7ZHA

Turkish soccer to welcome back players — but not fans

Turkey's professional soccer teams will begin playing in empty stadiums in June, the Turkish Football Federation president said Wednesday.

Turkish Treasury and Finance Minister Berat Albayrak attends a news conference in Istanbul, Turkey, April 10, 2019. REUTERS/Umit Bektas - RC1F2BCF1610

Turkey's finance minister assures investors as lira slides

As Turkey’s currency neared record lows Wednesday, Turkish Treasury and Finance Minister Berat Albayrak worked to reassure investors in a rare conference call.

People wearing face masks shop at Eminonu district, amid the spread of the coronavirus disease (COVID-19), in Istanbul, Turkey, May 4, 2020. REUTERS/Umit Bektas - RC2PHG9O2XF1

Turkey's relative coronavirus success may turn sour amid looming economic crisis

Turkey’s COVID-19 balance sheet: Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has had relative success in combat against the outbreak, but a financial collapse could be on the horizon.

Alan Dershowitz leaves the Manhattan Federal Court in New York, following a status conference in the defamation lawsuit brought by Virginia Giuffre against Dershowitz over discovery issues, in Manhattan, New York, U.S., December 2, 2019. REUTERS/Mike Segar - RC23ND9YXY2I

Trump defender Dershowitz, other star lawyers begin work for Azeri-Turkish billionaire

An international team of lawyers will represent Azeri-Turkish billionaire Mubariz Mansimov Gurbanoglu, a shipping magnate who has been held on terrorism charges in Istanbul since March 17.

How COVID-19 threatens Istanbul's cultural heritage

The novel coronavirus pandemic presents multiple threats to Istanbul's cultural heritage, both decimating tourism and distracting from destructive development projects.

Turkey grapples with manufacturing downturn, weak demand amid pandemic

As demand and manufacturing output dip during the novel coronavirus crisis in Turkey, analysts warn inflation may rise in the coming months.

Turkish army tank is being unloaded on a road near the Turkish border town of Ceylanpinar, Sanliurfa province, Turkey, October 18, 2019. REUTERS/Stoyan Nenov - RC13BD854EE0

Is Turkish defense industry’s ‘success story’ turning sour?

Growing investment in technology development is a promising sign for Turkey’s defense industry, but a series of structural problems that remain unresolved could damage the sector’s prospects.