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July 3, 2026

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A screenshot of one of Deniz Goktas' standup routines posted to YouTube.

Culture

Turkish standup comic detained after act calling Erdogan 'dictator' goes viral

Comedian Deniz Goktas’ arrest comes as Ankara intensifies prosecutions against opposition figures, journalists, artists and critics ahead of a major NATO summit.

Somalia's President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud speaks during the launch of an offshore energy exploration at the port in Mogadishu on April 10, 2026.

Turkish jets strike al-Shabab targets in Somalia: What to know

A Somali Defense Ministry statement initially said Turkish F-16s carried out strikes on Al-Shabab targets before a later version referred only to “international partners.”

Syrian textile employees work in a textile workshop in Gaziantep, Turkey, on Jan. 30, 2025.

Explainer

Turkey eases job rules for 1M+ Syrians under temporary protection: What to know

The move, part of a broader easing of restrictions on Syrians living in Turkey, could allow roughly 1.1 million working-age Syrians to enter registered employment more easily as Ankara seeks to reduce informal labor and address workforce gaps.

KAREN MINASYAN / AFP via Getty Images

Turkey, Azerbaijan slam Israel’s Armenian genocide recognition as Yerevan mum

Ankara accused Israel of weaponizing history as Armenia avoided public comment amid delicate regional diplomacy.

Latest News

Analysis

Why Turkey and Egypt are deepening military ties amid regional turmoil

From (L-R) Pakistani Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar, Egyptian Foreign Minister Badr Abdelatty, Saudi Foreign Minister Faisal bin Farhan and Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan attend a meeting in Cairo on June 21, 2026.

Barin Kayaoglu

By Barin Kayaoglu

In Ankara, reporting on geopolitics and national security

Explainer

Israel's Armenian genocide recognition marks new front against Turkey

Members of the Jerusalem Armenian community hold placards as they march during commemorations for the 94th anniversary of mass killings of their kin under the Ottoman Empire, Jerusalem's Old City, April 24, 2009.

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

Supporters of Egypt's deposed Islamist President Mohamed Mursi and the Muslim Brotherhood wave Turkish and Egyptian flags during a rally in protest against the recent violence in Egypt, outside of the Eminonu New mosque in Istanbul August 17, 2013. REUTERS/Murad Sezer (TURKEY - Tags: POLITICS CIVIL UNREST) - RTX12P97

The future of political Islam: lessons from Turkey, Egypt

Islamist parties can either hold on to their rigid ideological base trying to mold their societies to fit within their singular vision, or accept their role as an influential force in a democratic pluralistic regime, within which the rule of law must guarantee the protection of rights for everyone, including Islamists.

Ruins of Gaza airport tell sad tale

Twelve years have passed since Israel destroyed Gaza's international airport, and there's no hope it will be rehabilitated anytime soon.

EDITORS' NOTE: Reuters and other foreign media are subject to Iranian restrictions on their ability to film or take pictures in Tehran.

An Iranian official works at her desk in the main hall of the Tehran Stock Exchange August 3, 2010. Sanctions against Iran have done nothing to dent a boom in its stock market, as investors bet on a continued rise in company stocks which have been undervalued for years, the head of the Tehran bourse said. REUTERS/Morteza Nikoubazl (IRAN - Tags: BUSINESS POLITICS) - RTR

Tehran Stock Exchange plunges, baffling investors

Why is Iran’s stock exchange falling under President Hassan Rouhani and after the easing of sanctions?

Turkey's Prime Minister Tayyip Erdogan addresses members of parliament from his ruling AK Party (AKP) during a meeting at the Turkish parliament in Ankara January 28, 2014. Erdogan, keen to maintain economic growth ahead of an election cycle starting in two months, has been a vociferous opponent of the higher borrowing costs sometimes needed to bolster currencies, railing against what he describes as an 'interest rate lobby' of speculators seeking to stifle growth and undermine the economy. REUTERS/Umit Bek

Erdogan visit to Iran to address Syria, economic ties

The visit of Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan to Tehran will offer an opportunity to defuse tensions on Syria while expanding economic relations.

A Russian supertanker is anchored by Neka oil terminal, 300 km north-east of [Tehran], during an inauguration ceremony of the first phase of an oil swap project with Iran's Caspian neighbours, April 29, 2004. [ Under the project Iran will take crude from Russia, Kazakhstan and Turkmenistan and transfer them through pipelines to refineries in the cities of Tehran and Tabriz.] - RTXMLA4

Russia can't lose in oil deal with Iran

Russia is seeking to expand trade ties with Iran and is angling to benefit from any lifting of international sanctions on Iran.

Turkey's Prime Minister Tayyip Erdogan gestures as he addresses supporters during a party meeting to announce AK Party candidates for the upcoming local elections, in Istanbul January 26, 2014. REUTERS/Murad Sezer (TURKEY - Tags: POLITICS) - RTX17VM8

Erdogan accuses TUSIAD chairman of treason

Muharrem Yilmaz, chairman of the Turkish Industry and Business Association, had accused the prime minster of imposing tax penalties against political opponents.

Iranian TV breaks taboo on music performance

Although musicians on a TV show on Jan. 19 were only shown for a few seconds, it has created a stir and rekindled debates about Islam and music.

Egyptians cut a Qatari flag during a protest against what they say is Qatar's backing of ousted Egyptian president Mohamed Mursi's government, outside the Qatari Embassy in Cairo November 30, 2013. REUTERS/Stringer (EGYPT - Tags: POLITICS CIVIL UNREST) - RTX15Z60

Egypt warns Qatar about interference

Egyptian authorities have been frustrated by official statements from Doha expressing Qatari concern about increasing violence in Egypt, as Cairo considers it interfering in its internal affairs.

Kurdish President Massoud Barzani (C) and Iraqi President Jalal Talabani open a ceremonial valve during an event to mark the official start of oil exports from the autonomous region of Kurdistan, in the northern Kurdish city of Arbil June 1, 2009. Iraq's Kurdistan region said on Monday it hoped to be producing 1 million barrels per day of oil within the next 2-3 years, despite discord with the Arab-led government in Baghdad over Iraq's oil wealth. REUTERS/Safin Hamed/Pool (IRAQ CONFLICT POLITICS ENERGY BUS

Russia's Kurdish dilemma

Russia seeks to place its Kurdish policies in the broader context of a changing Middle East.

A man stands near a burning motorbike at the site of a car bomb attack at the Bab al-Hawa border crossing between Syria and Turkey, in Idlib January 20, 2014. Two car bombs hit a rebel-held border post in the northwest Syrian province of Idlib on Monday, opposition activists and fighters said, killing at least 10 people and closing the frontier. The Bab al-Hawa crossing is held by a rebel alliance called the Islamic Front, which have been fighting with the al Qaeda-linked Islamic State in Iraq and the Levan

Turkey deals with terrorist blowback on Syria

Turkey may be resetting its regional policies in response to popular discontent and the threat from terrorist groups operating in Syria.

Men react as others rush at the site of a car bomb attack at the Bab al-Hawa border crossing between Syria and Turkey, in Idlib January 20, 2014. Two car bombs hit a rebel-held border post in the northwest Syrian province of Idlib on Monday, opposition activists and fighters said, killing at least 10 people and closing the frontier. The Bab al-Hawa crossing is held by a rebel alliance called the Islamic Front, which have been fighting with the al Qaeda-linked Islamic State in Iraq and the Levant (ISIL), a s

Turkey under pressure over jihadists on border

The recent terrorist bombing at the border and the acrimonious exchange between the Turkish and Syrian foreign ministers at Geneva II hints at the extent to which Turkey has become embroiled in the Syria conflict.

Turkey's Prime Minister Tayyip Erdogan (L) shakes hands with European Union Council President Herman Van Rompuy as he is welcomed ahead of a meeting at the EU council headquarters in Brussels January 21, 2014. REUTERS/Yves Herman (BELGIUM - Tags: POLITICS) - RTX17NNJ

Erdogan briefs EU on ‘rule of judiciary’ danger

During a trip to Brussels, Erdogan tells EU leaders about Gulenist activities in the judiciary, where the community wields huge influence, and explains his vision for Syria.