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Turkey

Turkey

July 4, 2026

Ankara 1:37 pm

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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

'Décolletage' Reveals Secular-Islamist Divide in Turkey

The cleavage debate in Turkey has overwhelmed Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan’s democratization reform package.

TV Presenter in Turkey Loses Job Over Cleavage

After AKP spokesman Huseyin Celik objected to TV presenter Gozde Kansu’s décolleté dress, her contract was suspended, raising eyebrows over Turkey's human rights record.

Turkey Goes Ballistic for China

The whole episode has become an oxymoron of noisy speechlessness.

A sign advertising tea is seen at a store in New York in this picture taken July 31, 2007. Rather than pairing a filet mignon with a bottle of Cabernet, rising numbers of American diners are opting for a peach, mint or green iced tea with sales of iced tea, plain and exotic, surging nationwide. REUTERS/Shannon Stapleton (UNITED STATES) - RTR1SJN3

Pass the Sugar: Turkey, Middle East Need a 'Tea Party'

The region needs more openness and dialogue, and less conspiracy, around its tea culture.

Israel's President Shimon Peres (R) shakes hands with Greece's Prime Minister Antonis Samaras during their meeting in Jerusalem October 8, 2013. REUTERS/Baz Ratner (JERUSALEM - Tags: POLITICS) - RTX143VM

Israel's Ties With Greece No Substitute For Alliance With Turkey

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu develops relations with Greece knowing that, though beneficial to Israel, they cannot replace the strategic alliance with Turkey.

Relatives of detained military officers stage a protest in front of the Chief of Staff Headquarters in Ankara October 9, 2013. Turkey's appeals court upheld convictions on Wednesday of top retired military officers for leading a plot to overthrow Prime Minister Tayyip Erdogan's government a decade ago in a case underlining civilian dominance over a once all-powerful army. The court overturned convictions of dozens of less prominent defendants among more than 300 officers sentenced last September in the "Sle

Turkish Court Confirms Military Coup Attempt

In a historic ruling, the Supreme Court of Appeals in Ankara upholds the heavy prison sentences to top ex-officers accused of attempting to oust the government in 2003.

Sex Trafficking Open Secret In Northern Cyprus

A lawmaker reignites a debate on white-slavery trafficking in Turkish Cyprus, where the smoke screen of the “Las Vegas” myth obscures abuse and suffering.

A Syrian Kurd Asaish stands at a security checkpoint at Derik in Al-Hasakah October 31, 2012. Picture taken October 31, 2012. REUTERS/Thaier al-Sudani (SYRIA - Tags: CIVIL UNREST CONFLICT) - RTR39WOM

Syrian Kurdish Leader Urges Turkey To End Support for Salafists

Saleh Muslim, co-chairman of the Kurdish Democratic Union Party, had messages for Ankara in an exclusive interview with Al-Monitor.

A demonstrator reacts to security forces during a peace day rally at Taksim square in central Istanbul September 1, 2013. REUTERS/Osman Orsal (TURKEY - Tags: CIVIL UNREST POLITICS) - RTX133J7

Three Reasons Why Turkey Is So Polarized

The ruling Justice and Development Party can bridge the gaps by not responding to the provocations of the Kemalists.

Turkish Prime Minister Tayyip Erdogan addresses members of parliament from his ruling Islamist-rooted Justice and Development Party (AKP) on Cctober 8, 2013 during a meeting at the parliament in Ankara. Turkey lifted on October 8 a ban on women wearing the Islamic head scarf in state institutions, ending a decades-old restriction as part of a package of reforms instigated by Erdogan. AFP PHOTO / ADEM ALTAN (Photo credit should read ADEM ALTAN/AFP/Getty Images)

Erdogan's Frustration Shows Over Syria Deal

The Turkish prime minister is questioning John Kerry's praise of Syria’s compliance to date with UN Security Council Resolution 2118.

A man works at a makeshift oil refinery site in al-Mansoura village in Raqqa's countryside May 5, 2013. Many civilians in the village who lost their jobs due to the Syrian conflict are making a living by refining crude oil to extract useful fuel such as gasoline and kerosene for sale. Picture taken May 5, 2013. REUTERS/Hamid Khatib (SYRIA - Tags: CONFLICT ENERGY BUSINESS EMPLOYMENT) - RTXZIAB

Natural Gas Resources May Be Backstory in Syria War

The Syria war, like many of the region's other conflicts, has an important oil and gas angle.

Women's Film Festival in Gaza Touches on Sexual Taboos

The Gaza-based women's film festival has daringly screened films addressing women's issues that are considered taboo in this conservative society, including sexuality and harassment.