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Turkey

Turkey

April 28, 2026

Ankara 10:16 am

15°C

Turkey's submarines and fast-attack craft ships participate in the live-fire phase of the Blue Homeland-2026 (Mavi Vatan) tactical military exercises in the eastern Mediterranean Sea, in Antalya on April 9, 2026.

Turkey’s military spending jumps to $30B, leads Mideast growth in 2025

Newly released data shows Ankara’s military spending hit $30 billion, while Saudi Arabia remained the region’s top spender and Israel’s outlays declined in 2025.

Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan hosted the third meeting of the foreign ministers of Turkey, Egypt, Pakistan and Saudi Arabia on the margins of the 5th Antalya Diplomacy Forum, on April 17, 2026.

Analysis

Why Saudi Arabia, Egypt are wary of Turkey’s proposed 4-way defense pact with Pakistan

The proposed framework faces major hurdles and fault lines, ranging from NATO constraints to Israeli opposition and weak military integration.

Barin Kayaoglu

By Barin Kayaoglu

In Ankara, reporting on geopolitics and national security

CORLU, TURKEY- MARCH 2: A B model of Bayraktar AKINCI TİHA (Assault Unmanned Aerial Vehicle) in the sky on March 2, 2022 in Corlu, Turkey. (Photo by Baykar Press Office/dia images via Getty Images)

Turkey’s Baykar tests K2 swarm kamikaze drones for first time: What to know

Baykar tested its K2 and new loitering drones, featuring AI-driven swarm capabilities and the ability to operate under GPS jamming.

Latest News

Trump envoy Barrack’s embrace of 'strong leaders' sparks fury in Turkey

US Ambassador to Turkey Thomas Barrack attends a meeting with President Donald Trump and President of Turkey Recep Tayyip Erdogan in the Oval Office at the White House on Sept. 25, 2025, in Washington, DC.

How Syria's border opening with Iraq redefines Turkey-Kurd balance

Members of Iraq's security forces stand guard on the the al-Rabia border crossing with Syria on April 20, 2026.

Analysis

Italy’s TB3 drone deal signals turn toward Turkey amid US-NATO tensions

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan and Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni shake hands during the press conference following their meeting at Villa Doria Pamphilj, on April 29, 2025, in Rome, Italy.

Barin Kayaoglu

By Barin Kayaoglu

In Ankara, reporting on geopolitics and national security

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

Hamas' political bureau chief Ismail Haniyeh addresses supporters during a rally in solidarity with the Palestinians outside Qatar's Imam Muhammad Abdel-Wahhab Mosque in the capital Doha on May 15, 2021. - Qatar's Foreign Minister hosted the political chief of Palestinian Islamist movement Hamas and called for an end to Israel's bombardment of Gaza, state media said. (Photo by KARIM JAAFAR / AFP) (Photo by KARIM JAAFAR/AFP via Getty Images)

In Turkey, Qatar defense chief says no plans to expel Hamas

The Qatari minister’s remarks came in response to increasing reports that the Gulf state is considering shuttering Hamas’ political headquarters in Doha.

The Soloturk aerobatic demonstration team of the Turkish Air Force flies an F-16 aircraft over Anitkabir, the mausoleum of Turkish Republic's Founder Mustafa Kemal Ataturk, during celebrations to mark the 100th anniversary of the Republic of Turkey in Ankara, on October 29, 2023. Turkey marked its centenary as a post-Ottoman republic on October 29, 2023, with somewhat muted celebrations held in the shadow of Israel's escalating war with Hamas militants in Gaza. (Photo by Adem ALTAN / AFP) (Photo by ADEM ALT

US welcomes Turkey’s signing $23 billion F-16 jets deal

Turkey's inking of the deal indicates that Ankara and Washington have agreed on the terms of the purchase and see an opportunity in exploring other avenues.

Syrian Kurdish women walk past an election campaign banner in the northeastern Syrian city of Qamishli on June 6, 2024.

Syrian Kurds postpone local elections amid US disapproval, Turkish threats

The prevailing consensus is that the Biden administration’s opposition was the main driver of the postponement.

In this picture taken on October 26, 2011 workers assemble one of the many car models at Chinese carmaker's Chery Automobile plant in Wuhu, east China's Anhui province. The growth of China's car market will be driven primarily by exports this year because domestic sales have slowed dramatically, as the world's largest car market -- sold 614,000 cars abroad in the first nine months of 2011, a 60 percent rise on the same period in 2010. CHINA OUT AFP PHOTO (Photo credit should read STR/AFP via Getty Images)

China’s EV giants target Turkey as trade wars intensify

Samuel Wendel

In Washington, DC, reporting on regional business and tech

Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan is on a visit to Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region in northwest China Photo Credit: @HakanFidan on X

Analysis

Have Turkey, China hit reset button on Uyghurs as Fidan visits Xinjiang?

Experts say Beijing and Ankara skillfully managed the contentious Uyghur issue during the Turkish diplomat's China visit, but Fidan's messages might raise eyebrows in the West.

Ezgi Akin

In Ankara, reporting on diplomacy, EU-Turkey ties, NATO

Supporters of the Pro-Kurdish Peoples' Equality and Democracy Party (DEM) take part in the Kurdish celebration of Nowruz (aka Noruz or Newroz), the New Year of the Persian calendar, in Istanbul on March 17, 2024.

Outrage as Turkish court hands Kurdish mayor 20-year prison sentence

There is widespread anger in Turkey's Kurdish-majority city of Hakkari after its democratically elected mayor was handed a nearly 20-year prison sentence.

Turkish Foreign Minister, Hakan Fidan (C) welcomes his Chinese counterpart and Director of the Office of the Central Foreign Affairs Commission, Wang Yi (R) in Ankara, on July 26, 2023.

In China, Turkey’s Fidan says he plans to attend BRICS meeting in Russia

The top Turkish diplomat says his country explores new opportunities with BRICS

Supporters of the pro-Kurdish Peoples DEM Party attend a rally for the Turkish Municipal elections to be held on March 31, in Esenyurt Square, in Istanbul on February 25, 2024. (Photo by YASIN AKGUL / AFP) (Photo by YASIN AKGUL/AFP via Getty Images)

Turkey’s opposition stands with Kurds after sitting Kurdish mayor jailed

After Turkish police detained the mayor of Hakkari province, his party called on “all those on the side of democracy to take a stand."

met with Chen Wenqing, member of the Political Bureau of the Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee and Head of the Commission for Political and Legal Affairs of the CPC Central Committee, in Beijing

Turkey’s Fidan arrives on first visit to China, will travel to Uyghur region

Fidan is also slated to travel to the Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region, in the first high-level visit to the region since 2012.

A teller counts US dollar bills at an exchange office in Ankara, Turkey, July 20, 2023.

Turkey’s inflation tops 75% but economy czar says 'worst is over'

Finance and Economy Minister Mehmet Simsek has said that inflation will begin dropping from June.

A launch from the RM-70 Vampir Multiple Launch Rocket System during the Super Garuda Shield 2023 joint military exercise including Indonesia, Japan, Singapore and the US, Situbondo, East Java, Sept. 10, 2023.

Analysis

Can Turkey help Europe build effective air and missile defense system?

With Turkey joining the German-led European Sky Shield Initiative, in the long run Ankara could use its burgeoning Hisar and Siper platforms to improve Europe’s air and missile defense.

Barin Kayaoglu

By Barin Kayaoglu

In Ankara, reporting on geopolitics and national security

Iraq's Prime Minister Mohammed Shia al-Sudani (R) and Turkey's President Recep Tayyip Erdogan shake hands after a joint statement to the media in Baghdad on April 22, 2024.

Iraq's PM says Baghdad mediating potential Syria-Turkey reconciliation

The Iraqi prime minister says he is in contact with the Turkish and Syrian presidents as part of reconciliation efforts