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Turkey

Turkey

May 13, 2026

Ankara 3:06 am

14°C

The helicopter of Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan lands on Abdulhamid Han drill ship, the fourth built by Turkey, in Mersin on Aug. 9, 2022, before being sent for gas exploration to an undisputed area in the Mediterranean Sea, south of Gazipasa.

New Turkey maritime draft bill fuels EastMed tensions with Greece, Cyprus

Turkey’s draft maritime bill seeks to formalize Ankara’s claims in the Aegean, Eastern Mediterranean and Black seas, raising tensions with Greece and Cyprus over contested maritime boundaries and offshore energy rights.

Turkish Red Crescent's cars and trucks cross the Turkish border as they leave the Syrian city of Tel Abyad on Oct. 19, 2019, in Akcakale, Turkey.

Turkey's border reopening unlocks new sphere of influence in Syria

Turkey reopened the Akcakale-Tell Abyad crossing on Monday, ending an 11-year closure along the Syria border.

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

Latest News

Culture

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

MURAT KOCABAS/Middle East Images/AFP via Getty Images

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.

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

Russian President Vladimir Putin and Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan talk after a joint news conference with Iranian President Hassan Rouhani in Ankara, Turkey, September 16, 2019. Pavel Golovkin/Pool via REUTERS - RC18FEF72E00

Turkey at odds with US and Russia over northern Syria

As Ankara loses ground in Idlib, President Erdogan’s threat of military action east of the Euphrates raises the stakes for Turkey.

A general view of Nizip refugee camp, near the Turkish-Syrian border in Gaziantep province, Turkey, November 30, 2016. REUTERS/Umit Bektas - RC1EA9753170

Erdogan touts grand plans to resettle Syrian refugees in safe zone

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan claims a safe zone in northeast Syria could be used to resettle up to three million refugees currently in Turkey and Europe, but critics doubt his proposal is feasible.

Has Erdogan revealed Ankara’s occupational goals?

Syrian Kurds and Armenians fear a Turkish-run safe zone east of the Euphrates, particularly since Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan had threatened to establish a military safe zone east of the Euphrates and labels the Kurdish People's Protection Units as terrorists.

Presidents Vladimir Putin of Russia, Hassan Rouhani of Iran and Tayyip Erdogan of Turkey attend a news conference following their talks in Ankara, Turkey September 16, 2019. Sputnik/Alexei Nikolsky/Kremlin via REUTERS ATTENTION EDITORS - THIS IMAGE WAS PROVIDED BY A THIRD PARTY. - RC1179072220

What the latest Astana summit tells us about Iran’s position on Syria

Russia, Iran and Turkey continue to negotiate a settlement to the Syrian war that works to their advantage.

Russian President Vladimir Putin is seen during trilateral talks with his counterparts Hassan Rouhani of Iran and Tayyip Erdogan of Turkey in Ankara, Turkey September 16, 2019. Sputnik/Valery Melnikov/Kremlin via REUTERS ATTENTION EDITORS - THIS IMAGE WAS PROVIDED BY A THIRD PARTY. - RC1A1133AD90

Intel: What’s behind Putin’s arms sale proposal to Saudis

Putin's offer of defense missile systems for the Saudis was political but there's more to this in the runup to his visit to Riyadh.

Supporters of main opposition Republican People's Party (CHP) hold a banner with pictures of four former ministers while shouting anti-government slogans during a protest in Ankara December 17, 2014. Main opposition CHP held an anti-government protest in Ankara on the first anniversary of the corruption probe, which became public with police raids on Dec. 17 last year, leading to the resignation of three ministers and prompted Erdogan to purge the state apparatus, reassigning thousands of police and hundred

Don't read too much into Turkey's gag order reversal, warn free press advocates

Turkey’s highest court has struck down a reporting ban surrounding a 2013 corruption probe, but some human rights defenders warn the win for press freedom may prove minor.

Presidents Vladimir Putin of Russia, Tayyip Erdogan of Turkey and Hassan Rouhani of Iran chat following a joint news conference in Ankara, Turkey, September 16, 2019. REUTERS/Umit Bektas - RC1EF10953B0

How latest Astana talks between Turkey, Russia, Iran went beyond Syria

What the Astana guarantors agreed upon in Ankara will have implications for Syria but the way the leaders communicated past each other each is even more telling.

The leader of Turkey's pro-Kurdish opposition Peoples' Democratic Party (HDP) Selahattin Demirtas, makes a speech during a rally in Istanbul, Turkey, June 5, 2016. REUTERS/Osman Orsal - D1BETIDULRAB

Lawyers urge Turkish court to free top Kurdish politician

A Turkish appeals court has approved the release of jailed opposition politician Selahattin Demirtas, but he and his lawyers are pessimistic that the judiciary will act independently of political pressure to keep him behind bars.

Supporters of the ruling AK Party (AKP) wave flags as their mayoral candidate Binali Yildirim speaks during an election rally in Istanbul, Turkey, June 21, 2019. REUTERS/Murad Sezer - RC17CE82D9C0

Is Turkish presidential system helping cause fall in AKP membership?

Recep Tayyip Erdogan’s realized goal for Turkey to have an executive presidency may be fast becoming his worst mistake: His party is losing members at the top and from the base and former colleagues are challenging him directly. Can Erdogan survive his party’s decay?

Turkey going full speed ahead with ambitious drone projects

The Turkish defense industry continues intensive work to develop long-range armed drones and cruise missiles, seeking to gain preemptive strike capability to eliminate threats at their source.

ANKARA, TURKEY - SEPTEMBER 10: Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan (C) meets United States Secretary of Commerce Wilbur Ross (L) at Presidential Complex in Ankara, Turkey on September 10, 2019. Turkish Treasury and Finance Minister Berat Albayrak (R) also attended the meeting. (Photo by Murat Kula/Anadolu Agency via Getty Images)

Can trade dialogue help improve Turkish-US ties?

Amid the lingering threat of US sanctions on Turkey over its purchase of Russian missiles, US Secretary of Commerce Wilbur Ross paid a long visit to Turkey, leading many to believe bilateral trade will be set apart from the political rows between the two countries.

Can new Turkish posts calm Idlib?

The Turkish army is preparing to build more observation posts in Syria’s Idlib, where a fragile cease-fire is violated daily.