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Turkey

Turkey

June 25, 2026

Ankara 12:35 am

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Demonstrators take part in a rally against the upcoming NATO Summit early July in Ankara, on June 13, 2026.

Turkey detains 233 ahead of NATO summit, including LGBTQ+ activist Yildiz Tar

The operation included alleged militant suspects as well as LGBTQ+ and leftist activists, raising concerns over the scope of the crackdown.

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

Latest News

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

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.

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

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

United States one dollar bills are seen on a light table at the Bureau of Engraving and Printing in Washington November 14, 2014. REUTERS/Gary Cameron/File Photo GLOBAL BUSINESS WEEK AHEAD PACKAGE – SEARCH “BUSINESS WEEK AHEAD JUNE 13” FOR ALL IMAGES - RTX2FV2B

Why are Turks disposing of $1 bills?

The discovery of $1 bills on Turkish soldiers involved in the July 15 putsch suggest the greenback has been used as a secret code of communication.

Turkey's President Tayyip Erdogan arrives for the NATO Summit in Warsaw, Poland July 9, 2016. REUTERS/Kacper Pempel - RTSH1FO

Is Turkey abandoning NATO or vice versa?

Some Turks view NATO’s aloofness regarding the coup attempt as a sign it is fatigued by Turkey's continual crises.

Turkish soldiers patrol in the Sur district of Diyarbakir, Turkey February 26, 2016. REUTERS/Sertac Kayar/File Photo - RTSHUCB

Did Gulenists sabotage Ankara’s Kurdish peace process?

Long-standing allegations of Gulenists meddling in efforts to settle Turkey’s Kurdish problem appear to have gained more credence after the failed July 15 coup attempt.

Major Sukru Seymen (C), one of the military personnel suspected of being involved in the coup attempt, is brought to a court house as he is accompanied by police officers and other detaniees in Mugla, Turkey, August 17, 2016. REUTERS/Kenan Gurbuz TPX IMAGES OF THE DAY - RTX2LGHG

Coup attempt could cost Turkey more than military might

Many observers fear that measures to radically reshape Turkey’s once all-powerful military are already affecting freedom there.

Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu (R) shakes hands with his Iranian counterpart Mohammad Javad Zarif (L) during a meeting at the Foreign Ministry in Ankara on August 12, 2016. / AFP / ADEM ALTAN (Photo credit should read ADEM ALTAN/AFP/Getty Images)

Turkey, Iran rekindle courtship but take things slow

Ankara appreciates Iran’s position regarding the failed coup attempt in Turkey, but talk of a strategic "axis" between the two countries appears premature.

Russian President Vladimir Putin shakes hands with Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan during their meeting in St. Petersburg, Russia, August 9, 2016. REUTERS/Sergei Karpukhin TPX IMAGES OF THE DAY - RTSM27W

Putin gets big kiss-and-make-up gift from Erdogan

As part of fence-mending efforts with Russia, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has pledged a special status with huge financial boons for the nuclear plant the Russians are building in Turkey.

Russian President Vladimir Putin leads the way for Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan during a news conference following their meeting in St. Petersburg, Russia, August 9, 2016. REUTERS/Sergei Karpukhin - RTSM3BJ

Will road to Moscow lead Ankara to Damascus?

Turkey has reportedly resorted to the same track II diplomacy to Damascus that it used to reconcile with Moscow.

Egypt's former Grand Mufti Ali Gomaa speaks during the King Abdullah II World Interfaith Harmony Week prize ceremony at the Royal Palace in Amman April 27, 2014. The World Interfaith Harmony Week was first proposed at the United Nations' General Assembly on September 23, 2010 by Jordan's King Abdullah to promote global religious harmony and was subsequently unanimously adopted by the UN. REUTERS/Muhammad Hamed (JORDAN - Tags: POLITICS RELIGION) - RTR3MTUP

Who's behind assassination attempt on former Egyptian mufti?

Egypt may not have enough evidence to accuse Turkey for the assassination attempt on former Grand Mufti Ali Gomaa, but they have enough to inflame tensions between the two countries.

Turkey's Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu and EU Affairs Minister Volkan Bozkir (R) attend a joint news conference after a European Union-Turkey accession conference in Brussels, Belgium, December 14, 2015. REUTERS/Francois Lenoir - RTX1YNPC

Turkey-EU clash is now just a matter of time

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has issued a series of warnings that Turkey will stop taking refugees back from the European Union if it fails to waive visa restrictions for Turks, signaling the two sides are on a collision course.

U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry (L) meets Russia's foreign minister Sergey Lavrov during a bilateral meeting at the sidelines of the ASEAN foreign ministers meeting in Vientiane, Laos July 26, 2016. REUTERS/Jorge Silva - RTSJMOU

Are regional powers finally reaching consensus on Syria?

Iran’s Deputy Foreign Minister for Arab and African Affairs Hossein Jaberi Ansari spoke to Iranian media about Syria after meeting with Mikhail Bogdanov, Russia's deputy foreign minister.

A supporter of Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan steps on a photo of U.S.-based cleric Fethullah Gulen during a pro-government demonstration on Taksim Square in Istanbul, Turkey, July 18, 2016. REUTERS/Alkis Konstantinidis - RTSILD2

What's behind AKP's allegations of Gulen-PKK ties?

Some fear the increasing AKP-inspired allegations of a relationship between the PKK and the Gulen movement may be a harbinger of a new round of attacks on Kurds.

Russian President Vladimir Putin shakes hands with Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan during a news conference following their meeting in St. Petersburg, Russia, August 9, 2016. REUTERS/Sergei Karpukhin TPX IMAGES OF THE DAY - RTSM4CK

What's next following Erdogan-Putin summit?

Ankara was delighted with the recent Turkish-Russian summit, while Moscow sounded guardedly optimistic, but a true assessment of the meeting's implications will take time.