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July 4, 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.

Latest News

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

KAREN MINASYAN / AFP via Getty Images

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

Hundreds of trucks bringing in diesel from Iran line up on a road as they head to the eastern province of Van in Turkey November 30, 2005. In the shadows of mountains bordering Iraq and Iran, Turkey's Hakkari province may one day be an outpost of the European Union. But for now, it feels cut off from the world. Picture taken November 30, 2005. To match feature Turkey-Southeast REUTERS/Fatih Saribas PP05120119 - RTR1AGKV

Five Trends in Iran-Turkey Trade, Energy Ties

International sanctions and regional tensions over Syria could still upset the uptick in Iran-Turkey economic relations, but the trend is positive.

A man reads the Koran at Al-Azhar Mosque, where Sheikh Mohamed Sayed Tantawi was the Grand Imam, in the old Islamic area of Cairo March 10, 2010. Tantawi, the head of Egypt's most prestigious seat of Islamic learning al-Azhar died of a heart attack on Wednesday during a visit to Saudi Arabia, religious officials at al-Azhar said. He was 81. REUTERS/Amr Abdallah Dalsh (EGYPT - Tags: RELIGION) - RTR2BGGP

Egypt Sets New Limits On Mosque Activities

Setting stringent, if hard to enforce, rules on activities that take place in mosques, Egypt’s new government has incensed Islamists of various political persuasions.

New Kurdish Party Could Impact Local Turkish Elections

The election strategy of a small, fledgling Kurdish-socialist party may have a disproportionate impact on local polls next year and sway Turkish politics.

Anti-government Alevi protesters shout slogans during a demonstration in Istanbul June 23, 2013. The European Union is on the verge of scrapping a new round of membership talks with Turkey, a move that would further undermine Ankara's already slim hopes of joining the bloc and damage its relations with Brussels. Germany, the EU's biggest economic power, is blocking efforts to revive Turkey's EU membership bid, partly because of its handling of anti-government protests that have swept the country in the last

Turkey’s Minorities Still Orphans On 90-Year Anniversary

Turkey marked its 90th anniversary with the inauguration of an undersea railway linking the two continents, but Greek, Kurdish and Armenian communities feel disconnected.

Fashion Labels Popular In Gaza Despite Hardship

Siege and war have not prevented Palestinians in Gaza from keeping up to speed with the latest fashion trends.

An Israeli air force drone is seen flying over Gaza as seen from the northern Gaza strip border April 9, 2011. Israel killed four Palestinian militants and wounded half a dozen others as it pursued air raids in Gaza for a third day on Saturday, responding to increased rocket fire out of the territory, local medics said.

REUTERS/Darren Whiteside (ISRAEL - Tags: MILITARY SOCIETY IMAGES OF THE DAY) - RTR2L11O

Israeli Drones Haunt Gaza

Israeli drones are a constant reality in Gaza, proving a major obstacle to armed factions while destroying Palestinian civilians' sense of security.

Iraq's Prime Minister Nuri al-Maliki (R) welcomes his Turkish counterpart Recep Tayyip Erdogan at Baghdad International Airport, October 15, 2009. REUTERS/Iraqi Government/Handout (IRAQ POLITICS) - RTXPNTX

Erdogan Rebuilds Ties to Iraq

Regional events are catalysts for a rapprochement between Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan and Iraqi Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki.

A Palestinian militant stands guard during an anti-Israeli rally organized by Islamic Jihad movement in Rafah in the southern Gaza Strip October 24, 2013. REUTERS/Suhaib Salem (GAZA - Tags: POLITICS CIVIL UNREST) - RTX14MNO

Nationalist Slogans Fade From Palestinian Discourse

Despite the recent attacks on Israeli soldiers in the West Bank, many Palestinians are downplaying their connection to the resistance movement and avoiding nationalist rhetoric.

Turkey's Foreign Minister Ahmet Davutoglu (R) shakes hands with his Iraqi counterpart Hoshiyar Zebari after a news conference in Ankara October 25, 2013. REUTERS/Umit Bektas (TURKEY - Tags: POLITICS) - RTX14NP6

Turkey, Iraq Work to Renew Ties

Iraqi Foreign Minister Hoshyar Zebari’s visit to Ankara last week suggests Turkey is trying to adjust its approach to its neighbors.

Hamas chief Khaled Meshaal (C) visits the Islamic University in Gaza City December 9, 2012. Hamas's vow to vanquish Israel after claiming "victory" in last month's Gaza conflict vindicates Israel's reluctance to relinquish more land to the Palestinians, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said on Sunday. Meshaal made a defiant speech before thousands of supporters in the Gaza Strip on Saturday, promising to take "inch-by-inch" all of modern-day Israel, which he said he would never recognise. REUTERS/Suha

Why Did Iran Postpone Meshaal Visit?

The "resistance" axis of Iran, Syria and Hezbollah are not in agreement over welcoming Hamas back into the fold.

One of the nine newly released Lebanese hostages, who were held by rebels in northern Syria, carries a Hezbollah flag as he is welcomed by his relatives upon his arrival at Beirut international airport, October 19, 2013. A plane with nine Lebanese hostages freed from northern Syria landed safely in Beirut on Saturday night, witnesses said, nearly a year and a half after the men were captured by Syrian rebels near the Turkish border. REUTERS/Mohamed Azakir (LEBANON - Tags: POLITICS CIVIL UNREST) - RTX14H60

Turkey-Lebanon Detainee Swap Shows Lebanese State's Decline

Although the Lebanese rejoiced at the deal that secured the release of nine Lebanese detainees in Syria, the details of the swap reveal the Lebanese state’s inefficiency in dealing with such matters.

Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan looks on during his visit to Prizren, some 90 km (56 miles) southwest of capital Pristina October 23, 2013. REUTERS/Hazir Reka (KOSOVO - Tags: POLITICS) - RTX14LBP

Erdogan: 'Kosovo Is Turkey'

Prime Minister Erdogan's comments on Kosovo have damaged one of Turkey's few foreign policy bright spots, peacemaking and peacekeeping in the Balkans.