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Turkey

July 5, 2026

Ankara 6:39 am

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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

An alleged Palestinian collaborator with Israel covers his face as he poses for the camera inside a Hamas-run prison in Gaza City April 23, 2013. The Islamist Hamas government, which is pledged to Israel's destruction by force of arms, is lauding a recent campaign to root out informants in its midst, which it hopes will deprive Israel of a subtle but effective tool. Picture taken April 23, 2013. To match Feature PALESTINIANS-HAMAS/SPIES REUTERS/Suhaib Salem (GAZA - Tags: POLITICS TPX IMAGES OF THE DAY) -

Families of Palestinian Spies for Israel Face Stigma in Gaza

Families of Palestinians who have been caught spying for Israel suffer discrimination and isolation in their communities.

A supporter of deposed Egyptian President Mohamed Mursi holds up his photo while standing at the top of lamp posts during a march to show solidarity with his supporters in Egypt, in Sanaa August 15, 2013. The poster reads "We are all with legitimacy". REUTERS/Mohamed al-Sayaghi (YEMEN - Tags: TPX IMAGES OF THE DAY CIVIL UNREST POLITICS) - RTX12MHB

Turkish Lessons for Egypt’s Muslim Brotherhood

Whatever its current mistakes, the success of the AKP — arguably the superstar of global Islamism — lies in the fact that it is less ideological and more pragmatic than its forerunners.

Supporters of Turkey's Prime Minister Tayyip Erdogan (not pictured) cheer as he addresses the members of parliament from his ruling AK Party (AKP) during a meeting at Turkish parliament in Ankara June 25, 2013. Turkish anti-terrorism police detained 20 people in raids in the capital Ankara on Tuesday in connection with weeks of anti-government protests across the country, media reports said. REUTERS/Umit Bektas (TURKEY - Tags: POLITICS) - RTX11029

Erdogan’s Biggest Fear: The 'Concerned' Islamists

Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan is still resentful of Gezi protests because he fears losing the support of "concerned" Islamists.

Turkey's Prime Minister Tayyip Erdogan walks to his plane as he leaves for Turkmenistan, at Esenboga Airport in Ankara August 15, 2013. Erdogan called on Thursday for the U.N. Security Council to convene quickly and act after what he described as a massacre in Egypt, during a news conference in Ankara. REUTERS/Umit Bektas (TURKEY - Tags: POLITICS) - RTX12M4A

Erdogan Weighs In on Egypt

Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan condemned the loss of life in Egypt, but his words carry less and less weight both domestically and internationally.

Noor video still_Alshaibi-001.jpg

Arab Spring Triggers Renaissance in Turkish Art

More than 560 years after the fall of Constantinople, which precipitated an exodus of artists, the Arab Spring has created an influx of artists to Istanbul.

Turkey's ruling AK Party (AKP) lawmaker Muhittin Aksak (R) and main opposition Republican People's Party (CHP) lawmaker Mahmut Tanal (L) scuffle during a debate at the parliament in Ankara late February 8, 2012. REUTERS/Stringer (TURKEY - Tags: POLITICS CIVIL UNREST) - RTR2XIJE

Turkish CHP Leader Says Party Under Surveillance

Leader of Turkey's opposition Republican People’s Party (CHP) Kemal Kilicdaroglu says state institutions are gathering unlawful information.

Russia's President Vladimir Putin (R) and Secretary General of Saudi Arabia's National Security Council Prince Bandar Bin Sultan meet in Moscow, August 2, 2007. REUTERS/Alexander Natruskin (RUSSIA) - RTR1SGI2

Saudi Arabia and The Illusory Counterrevolution

Washington and Riyadh no longer share the same assessment of the threat and the need for reform in the region.

Workers repair machine gun at Jabal Al-Turkman near the coastal city of Latakia, October 30, 2012. REUTERS/Abu Al-Hassan/Shaam News Network/Handout (SYRIA - Tags: POLITICS CIVIL UNREST) FOR EDITORIAL USE ONLY. NOT FOR SALE FOR MARKETING OR ADVERTISING CAMPAIGNS. THIS IMAGE HAS BEEN SUPPLIED BY A THIRD PARTY. IT IS DISTRIBUTED, EXACTLY AS RECEIVED BY REUTERS, AS A SERVICE TO CLIENTS - RTR39SAY

Syrian Opposition Condemns Jihadists Targeting Alawites

Syria's internal opposition has condemned attacks on Alawite civilians in Latakia.

A street vendor sells Turkish flags bearing images of Mustafa Kemal Ataturk, the first president of Turkey, as demonstrators gather for an anti-government protest on the main Istiklal Street in central Istanbul August 3, 2013. REUTERS/Murad Sezer (TURKEY - Tags: POLITICS CIVIL UNREST) - RTX129LP

Turkey’s Conspiracy Entrepreneurs

Conspiracy theories are becoming an industry in Turkey.

Women walk as they shout slogans during a rally calling for gender equality, two days after International Women's Day, in Istanbul March 10, 2013. REUTERS/Osman Orsal (TURKEY - Tags: POLITICS CIVIL UNREST) - RTR3ET3V

Erdogan Insists on Demanding Three Children

Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan asked women to "donate" at least three children to the nation.

U.S. President Barack Obama (R) and Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan arrive for a joint news conference in the White House Rose Garden in Washington, May 16, 2013. REUTERS/Jason Reed (UNITED STATES - Tags: POLITICS) - RTXZPAE

Turkey Reconsiders Support For Jabhat Al-Nusra

Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan tells US President Barack Obama he is “disturbed” by the rise of extremist groups in Syria.

Riot police guard the entrance of Gezi Park as anti-government protesters shout slogans at Taksim square in central Istanbul July 20, 2013. REUTERS/Osman Orsal (TURKEY - Tags: CIVIL UNREST POLITICS) - RTX11T4H

After Gezi, Is Turkey’s AKP Correcting Course?

A report indicates that the ruling Justice and Development Party (AKP) may be implementing a course correction in its handling of the Gezi park protests to better position itself for next year’s elections.