Turkey - AL-MONITOR: The Middle Eastʼs leading independent news source since 2012

Turkey

Turkey

May 10, 2026

Ankara 10:01 am

18°C

ISTANBUL, TURKEY - MAY 06: A man poses for a photograph in front of the newly unveiled, Turkish made intercontinental ballistic missile Yildirimhan at the SAHA International Defence and Aerospace Expo on May 06, 2026 in Istanbul, Turkey. The International Defence and Aerospace Exhibition, showcased Turkish and foreign companies new products and technology. The expo was dominated by UAV products as modern warfare increasingly shifts to drone and unmanned technologies. (Photo by Chris McGrath/Getty Images)

Analysis

From drones to deterrence: Turkey's ICBM missile signals bigger ambitions

Turkey’s planned test of a 6,000-kilometer missile could boost Ankara’s defense industry prestige, strengthen its deterrence messaging and feed a powerful domestic narrative of technological self-reliance, but it also raises questions about cost, timing and NATO protection.

Barin Kayaoglu

By Barin Kayaoglu

In Ankara, reporting on geopolitics and national security

MURAT KOCABAS/Middle East Images/AFP via Getty Images

Culture

How ‘dog mom’ vacuum cleaner ad sparked culture war in Turkey

A Mother’s Day advertisement featuring a “dog mom” triggered a backlash from conservative media, government officials and regulators, turning a soft consumer campaign into a flashpoint over motherhood, declining birth rates, stray dogs and even antisemitism.

Latest News

Turkey, Japan launch defense industry partnership with eye on drones

People look at a drone on display at the Baykar exhibit at the SAHA International Defence and Aerospace Expo on May 06, 2026 in Istanbul, Turkey.

Saudi FM in Turkey as Ankara, Riyadh step up coordination amid Iran war

Saudi Foreign Minister Faisal bin Farhan Al Saud and Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan in Ankara, May 6, 2026.

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

This illustration picture shows social media applications logos from Linkedin, YouTube, Pinterest, Facebook, Instagram and Twitter displayed on a smartphone in Arlington, Virginia on May 28, 2020. - Trump is expected to sign an executive order on May 28, 2020, after threatening to shutter social media platforms following Twitter's move to label two of his tweets misleading. (Photo by Olivier DOULIERY / AFP) (Photo by OLIVIER DOULIERY/AFP via Getty Images)

Twitter adds warning label to Turkish minister's anti-LGBT tweet

Interior Minister Suleyman Soylu's tweet accused "LGBT perverts" protesting in Istanbul of disrespecting Islam.

Turkish students detained as Bogazici protests intensify

Police forces prevented demonstrations Monday, detaining several protestors attempting to rally against the recent arrests of Bogazici University students over a poster deemed insulting of religious values.

A military band performs during a graduation ceremony of soldiers loyal to Libya's UN-recognised Government of National Accord (GNA), a result of a military training agreement with Turkey, at the Omar Mukhtar camp in the city of Tajoura, southeast of the capital Tripoli on November 21, 2020. (Photo by Mahmud TURKIA / AFP) (Photo by MAHMUD TURKIA/AFP via Getty Images)

Misinformation, propaganda cloud Turkey's Africa policies

Myths and falsehoods abound in Turkish and Arab press about Turkey’s regional ventures, nourishing overblown elations and fears.

People sit at tables, at the Elmadag Ski Resort in Ankara, on January 22, 2021, after a snowfall. (Photo by Adem ALTAN / AFP) (Photo by ADEM ALTAN/AFP via Getty Images)

Parties at ski resorts outrage Turks in lockdown

Images of skiers partying on the slopes have angered ordinary Turks obeying coronavirus restrictions as vaccination efforts roll out.

Erdogan's man takes on mission impossible in Washington

Turkey's incoming ambassador to Washington has surprised observers by being a political appointee, but his perceived direct line to the Turkish president may prove a major asset.

WASHINGTON, DC - MARCH 31: U.S. Vice President Joe Biden (L) meets with Turkish President Recep Erdogan on March 31, 2016 in Washington, DC. Erdogan is in Washington to attend the Nuclear Security Summit. (Photo by Win McNamee/Getty Images)

Deciphering Erdogan's seeming pro-West shift in foreign policy

Ankara’s abrupt desire to mend fences with the West appears driven by domestic calculations, but even if its intentions are genuine, it lacks the institutional capacity to pull off such a U-turn.

Turkish firms fined over 'exorbitant' food prices as inflation soars

Turkey’s Ministry of Commerce announced Wednesday it would issue nearly $500,000 in fines for companies it found to be charging "exorbitant" prices for food as the nation grapples with high inflation.

COVID-19 pandemic expands poverty in Turkey

Charity workers say poverty in Turkey has reached unprecedented proportions amid the COVID-19 pandemic, as the government lacks the means to offer meaningful relief.

Six days after disappearance, Turkish worker returns home

Following a public outcry, Turkish electrician Gokhan Gunes returned to his family Tuesday after six days of alleged torture.

LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA - NOVEMBER 05: Hillary Clinton and Chelsea Clinton speak onstage at 'Hillary Clinton and Chelsea Clinton discuss their new book 'The Book of Gutsy Women' at The Wilshire Ebell Theatre on November 05, 2019 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Emma McIntyre/Getty Images)

Turkey enraged by Clintons' TV show exalting Syrian Kurdish women fighters

Turkey’s state-run press agency is churning out angry coverage of former US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton and her daughter Chelsea producing a TV series about the Syrian Kurdish women fighters who were key in defeating the Islamic State.

Greece, France sign fighter jet deal amid tensions with Turkey

Athens' roughly $3 billion purchase of 18 Rafale fighter jets comes as Greek officials meet Turkish counterparts for exploratory talks to resolve disputes.

A concrete box placed by the Turkish Army, for use as a guard point, is pictured overlooking the M4 highway near the town of Ariha in Syria's rebel-held northwestern Idlib province on January 4, 2021. (Photo by AAREF WATAD / AFP) (Photo by AAREF WATAD/AFP via Getty Images)

Turkey faces mysterious jihadi enemies in Idlib

Turkish forces continue to expand their presence around the key M4 highway in Idlib as attacks by new groups fuel uncertainties in the rebel-held region.