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Turkey

Turkey

June 17, 2026

Ankara 3:30 pm

30°C

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan meets with Orthodox Patriarch of Bartholomew at the presidential complex, Ankara, Turkey, June 16, 2026.

Culture

Turkey’s Erdogan meets Orthodox patriarch amid push for reopening Halki Seminary

The meeting comes ahead of US President Trump’s expected attendance at next month's NATO leaders’ summit in Turkey, after Trump personally urged his Turkish counterpart to reopen the Halki Seminary.

Turkey's Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan attends the NATO Foreign Ministers' meeting in Helsingborg, Sweden, on May 22, 2026.

Turkey’s Fidan heads to Moscow as S-400 sanctions issue returns to fore

The visit comes weeks before Turkey hosts NATO leaders, on the sidelines of which Ankara hopes to reach a deal with Washington over CAATSA sanctions over its purchase of Russian S-400s.

President Recep Tayyip Erdogan received Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu at the Turkish House in New York on Sept. 19, 2023.

Analysis

Erdogan-Netanyahu war of words signals deeper rivalry for regional influence

The latest Erdogan-Netanyahu clash underscored how Turkey-Israel tensions have grown beyond the Palestinian issue and into a wider regional rivalry spanning Syria, Lebanon, Iran and the eastern Mediterranean.

Barin Kayaoglu

By Barin Kayaoglu

In Ankara, reporting on geopolitics and national security

Yasin AKGUL / AFP via Getty Images

Feature

Turkey’s World Cup return clouded by politics, dawn kickoffs

Turkey finally has the World Cup moment it waited 24 years for, but much of the country will either be asleep for it or arguing over efforts to claim it.

Ezgi Akin

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

Latest News

Explainer

Turkey slams France-Cyprus military pact as East Med rivalries deepen

Cyprus' President Nikos Christodoulides (2nd L) and his French counterpart Emmanuel Macron (C) review the honor guard at the Presidential Palace in Nicosia on April 23, 2026, ahead of a meeting on the sidelines of a European summit.

Analysis

As Trump admin drops Halkbank case, S-400 last big hurdle in US-Turkey ties

Russian S-400 anti-aircraft missile launching system is displayed at the exposition field in Kubinka Patriot Park outside Moscow on Aug. 22, 2017 during the first day of the International Military-Technical Forum Army-2017.

Amberin Zaman

By Amberin Zaman

Reporting on geopolitics, minorities, human rights, culture

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

Syrians wave Iranian, Russian and Syrian flags during a protest against U.S.-led air strikes in Damascus,Syria April 14,2018.REUTERS/ Omar Sanadiki TPX IMAGES OF THE DAY - RC1815671B90

Iran maneuvers around gaps to preserve interests in Syria

The West’s new activism on Syria is pushing Iran to adapt its approach, though its bottom line remains the same.

Calls mount for Turkey to release jailed Kurdish politician ahead of vote

Nationalist presidential candidate Meral Aksener has joined a growing chorus demanding the release of politician Selahattin Demirtas, who is staging a quixotic bid to become head of state from his prison cell.

Can Israeli-Turkish rift be mended?

With the latest mudslinging between Israeli and Turkish leaders following the killing of at least 62 Palestinians by Israeli forces in Gaza, some in Israel are calling for a tougher approach toward Ankara instead of holding back in an effort to maintain proper relations.

Palestinian demonstrators run for cover from Israeli fire and tear gas during a protest against U.S. embassy move to Jerusalem and ahead of the 70th anniversary of Nakba, at the Israel-Gaza border in the southern Gaza Strip May 14, 2018. REUTERS/Ibraheem Abu Mustafa - RC1712A20510

Turkey recalls envoys from US, Israel over Gaza violence

Tensions between Turkey and the United States and Israel have hit new heights as politicians across the Turkish political spectrum furiously denounce the treatment of Palestinian civilians during the ongoing protests at the Gaza border.

US pullout from Iran deal rattles Turkey’s Syria agenda

Ankara faces a navigational nightmare in Syria as each new regional development seems to push its divergent objectives further apart.

The President of Turkey, Recep Tayyip Erdogan, listens at Chatham House in central London, Britain May 14, 2018. REUTERS/Henry Nicholls - RC1E66A36BD0

Erdogan enjoys royal welcome in UK

Despite the United Kingdom's prominence in the anti-Western conspiracies regurgitated by Turkey's pro-government press, the Anglo-Turkish relationship is pretty tight as the Turkish president tours London.

A man walks in front of the portraits of Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan (R) and founder of modern Turkey Mustafa Kemal Ataturk (L), on May 11, 2018 at Emininonu district in Istanbul. - President Recep Tayyip Erdogan called snap elections in Turkey for June 24, bringing the polls forward by over a year and a half after a call from his main nationalist ally on April 18, 2018. (Photo by OZAN KOSE / AFP) (Photo credit should read OZAN KOSE/AFP/Getty Images)

Turkish election pledges belie serious economic problems

Both the ruling party and the opposition have pledged various incentives and social welfare benefits ahead of next month's vote.

Swedish meatballs just one taste of Turkey's rich kofte culture

The Ottoman roots of Sweden's beloved meatballs has caused an amusing social media flurry and reminded the world of the incredibly diverse culinary heritage of Anatolia.

Kurdish alliance emerges as key actor in Turkey's upcoming elections

Rejected by two major electoral alliances, the Kurds have set up their own alliance with an eye on prizes much further away than Turkey’s snap polls.

Putin’s stock rises as 'go-to' mediator between Israel, Iran

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu may have given Russian president advance notice of attack on Syria; Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan labels United States as loser in decision to withdraw from Iran nuclear deal.

Turkish opposition motto comes from unexpected contributor: Erdogan

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan’s statement that he will step down if the people say "Enough" gave the opposition the best slogan for the June 24 snap elections.

Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan meets with Iran's President Hassan Rouhani during an extraordinary meeting of the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) in Istanbul, Turkey, December 13, 2017. REUTERS/Kayhan Ozer/Pool - RC1507ABA930

Ankara vows to help resist US sanctions on Iran

Turkey has reacted to the promised US withdrawal from the Iran nuclear deal with outrage, though some analysts believe the US withdrawal offers Turkey opportunities.