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Turkey

June 23, 2026

Ankara 7:14 pm

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Germany's forward #26 Deniz Undav (2nd R), an ethnic Kurd, scores his team's first goal during the 2026 World Cup Group E football match between Germany and Ivory Coast at the Toronto Stadium in Toronto on June 20, 2026.

Culture

Amid political setbacks, Kurds shine at the World Cup

Kurdish players and clubs are making rare global gains on football’s biggest stage, offering a brief lift amid ongoing political setbacks across the region.

This photograph shows a Turkish national flag at the Razi-Kapikoy border crossing with Iran next to a black flag on the Iranian side, following the death of Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, in eastern Turkey on March 2, 2026.

Analysis

Turkey eyes gains from US-Iran deal as Ankara balances Tehran, Washington

Turkey sees the US-Iran memorandum as a chance to reduce regional spillover risks, revive trade with Tehran and gain diplomatic breathing room.

Barin Kayaoglu

By Barin Kayaoglu

In Ankara, reporting on geopolitics and national security

A Turkish police officers patrols at the scene of a motor-bike bomb explosion, next to a police station on Oct. 6, 2016, in Istanbul.

Turkey captures alleged ISIS-K media chief near Afghanistan-Pakistan border

The capture comes as Turkish authorities intensify raids against Islamic State networks following recent attacks and alleged plots.

Latest News

Culture

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

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

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

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

Analysis

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

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

Barin Kayaoglu

By Barin Kayaoglu

In Ankara, reporting on geopolitics and national security

Feature

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

Yasin AKGUL / AFP via Getty Images

Ezgi Akin

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

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

Pressure mounts on PKK over Sinjar presence

The United States, Iraqi Kurdistan, Turkey and Iraq have all expressed their strong opposition to the presence of the Kurdistan Workers Party in northern Iraq's Sinjar.

Will Turkey's economic crisis doom presidential system?

Turkey seems to be on the cusp of a stormy 2017, as a failing economy and the drive for a presidential regime threaten to increase its already high economic and political risks.

Who's telling Turkish couples to quiet down during sex?

Turkey's ruling party shrewdly raises sexual and chauvinistic topics whenever the going gets tough.

Would Putin accept Turkish buffer zone in Syria?

Heavy casualties at al-Bab and the recently released video of IS' burning alive of two Turkish soldiers have not affected Turkey’s Operation Euphrates Shield.

Christmas brings hope for peace for Aleppo’s Christians

Christians part of region’s DNA, said incoming UN secretary-general; Turkey’s “impossible war”; Erdogan backers blame Iran for Aleppo.

How Russia views Ankara envoy's assassination

Following the assassination of the Russian ambassador to Turkey, Russia’s political and expert communities are mulling over potential masterminds behind the assassination and what responses Moscow has at its disposal.

Erdogan claims Turkey in 'greatest struggle' since independence

In his latest speech, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan invoked a traumatic memory for Turks, the Treaty of Sevres, in a move calculated to appeal to his nationalist supporters.

Why Ankara now feels vulnerable to Russia

The assassination of the Russian ambassador in Ankara has engaged Turkey to the Russian option in Syria, while Russia sees it as an opportunity to create an alternative axis in the Middle East

Could ambassador's slaying bring about Russian-Turkish cooperation?

Russian and Turkish cooperation in the battle against terrorism could help bring about a more stable Middle East.

Turkish Islamists’ trial with sectarianism

Turkish Islamists’ Middle Eastern vision did not begin with a sectarian outlook, but the existing sectarian tension may change this.

Rojava leader: Turkey cannot stop Kurds from advancing in Syria

In an interview with Al-Monitor, Fawza al-Yusuf, a board member of the Democratic Federal System for Rojava-Northern Syria, spoke about the battle for Raqqa, Turkey's involvement in the conflict and Syria's future.

Iranian media lauds Putin's restraint after assassination

Following the assassination of Russia’s ambassador to Turkey, Iranian newspapers praised President Vladimir Putin for his “wise” decisions after the killing.