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Turkey

Turkey

July 4, 2026

Ankara 3:47 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

Erdogan Deserves Credit For Democratization Package

Give credit where it's due: The Turkish prime minister's democratization package is overwhelmingly positive.

A picture shot through the window of a house that has to be torn down as it is within the perimeters of the Olympic Park shows the Olympic stadium for the Sochi 2014 Winter Olympics at the Olympic Park in Adler, near Sochi February 18, 2013. Although many complexes and venues in the Black Sea resort of Sochi mostly resemble building sites that are still under construction, there is nothing to suggest any concern over readiness. Construction will be completed by August 2013 according to organizers. The Sochi

Russia Curbs Freedom of Press Ahead of Olympics

Russia denies entry to Turkish journalist ahead of the 2014 Winter Olympics in Sochi, a city that holds tragic memories of war and deportation for Circassians, who refer to their events as "genocide."

Sunni Muslims pray in the Blue mosque in Istanbul September 19, 2009. REUTERS/Morteza Nikoubazl (TURKEY RELIGION SOCIETY) - RTR281VZ

The Real Beneficiaries Of Erdogan’s Democracy

Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan's democratization package has lifted restrictions on devout Sunnis imposed by previous secular governments, pleasing his Islamist constituency.

50-year-old Mevlut Dogan of Turkey poses with his 1,5 metres long moustache in front of the irrigation tunnel in the southeast Turkish town of Sanliurfa November 9. He was one of the characters present during the inauguration of the next stage of Turkey's regional development project by opening up the world's largest irrigation tunnel for a ceremonial run - RTXF4TZ

The Return of Turkey's Mustaches

As Fashion Week approaches in Istanbul, reports of the demise of the mustache proved premature.

How Yemeni Coffee Reaches American Cups

Yemeni farmers preserve a coffee industry that dates back to ancient times to transform beans from the mountains of Haraaz into coffee sold in trendy coffee shops in North America.

Palestinian women watch their neighbours as they bake bread in a clay oven inside their dwelling in Beit Lahiya, near the border between Israel and northern Gaza Strip April 7, 2013. REUTERS/Mohammed Salem (GAZA - Tags: SOCIETY POVERTY) - RTXYC6N

Gaza's Extreme Poor Face Social Stigma

Already humiliated for relying on UN food rations, Gaza's extreme poor also find themselves ostracized from other parts of society.

Riot police officers run after demonstrators on Istiklal Street in central Istanbul July 13, 2013. Turkish police fired water cannon and tear gas on Saturday to disperse hundreds of protesters who gathered to march to Gezi Park, which has been at the heart of fierce unrest against Prime Minister Erdogan's rule. Protesters scattered, running into sidestreets where police pursued them, before starting to regroup on Istiklal Street, metres from the main Taksim Square. REUTERS/Umit Bektas (TURKEY - Tags: POLITI

Turkey's 'Massive' Rights Crimes At Gezi Protests Cited by Amnesty

In a detailed study on Turkey's recent urban unrest, the international human rights body Amnesty International reports widespread abuse by authorities.

Turkish Parliament convene for a debate after a summer recess in Ankara October 1, 2013. REUTERS/Umit Bektas (TURKEY - Tags: POLITICS) - RTR3FH3D

The Democratization Package That Missed the Point

Ersan Sen, a well-known lawyer, argues that the government’s democratization package missed the point because it did not offer any changes to political parties or the election law put into effect after the 1980 military coup.

Why Are 700 Greeks Praying In a Turkish Hotel?

Despite the Turkish government’s drive to renovate ancient churches, many religious shrines remain off-limits to Turkey’s non-Muslim communities.

Palestinian protesters throw stones at Israeli security forces during clashes in the West Bank city of Hebron September 27, 2013. Israeli police clashed with Palestinian protesters in Jerusalem's Old City, the Gaza Strip and the occupied West Bank on Friday, reflecting growing tensions over an increase in Jewish visits to the al-Aqsa mosque. REUTERS/Mussa Qawasma (WEST BANK - Tags: POLITICS CIVIL UNREST RELIGION) - RTX1426K

Volatile Hebron Could Derail Talks

Riddled with Israeli checkpoints and neglected by the Palestinian Authority, Hebron is a powder keg that could explode at any moment.

Pro-Kurdish Peace and Democracy Party (BDP) co-leader Gultan Kisanak listens to a question during an interview with Reuters in Ankara October 1, 2013. Turkey on Monday announced reforms seen as designed to salvage a peace process with Kurdish insurgents, including changes to the electoral system, broadening of language rights and permission for villages to to use their original Kurdish names. BDP said the proposals, presented by Prime Minister Tayyip Erdogan, were not enough to satisfy Kurdish militants who

Mysterious Reform Package Disappoints Turks

The Turkish prime minister’s reform package has gotten mixed reactions.

Turkey’s Choice of Chinese Missiles Poses Problem for West

Washington is upset by Prime Minister Erdogan’s decision to enter into negotiations to purchase an air-defense system from a Chinese state company under sanctions by the United States.