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Turkey

Turkey

July 16, 2026

Ankara 5:33 am

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Ozgu Ozel

Turkish opposition leader Ozgur Ozel could launch new party by August

Ozgur Ozel’s remarks on a potential new party came as the legal crackdown on the main opposition widened further this week with the arrest and suspension of the mayor of Cankaya,one of the party’s most secure and symbolically important strongholds in the heart of Ankara.

Visitors stand inside Hagia Sophia Grand Mosque in Istanbul on April 14, 2025.

Russian couple faces deportation from Turkey after Bible reading at Hagia Sophia

The couple were detained after reading from the Bible inside the Istanbul landmark, which remains one of Christianity’s most important historic sites despite its conversion into a mosque.

Turkish Defense Minister Yasar Guler and his Egyptian counterpart, Lt. Gen. Ashraf Salem Zaher, met at the Turkey’s Defense Ministry in Ankara, July 13, 2026.

Turkey, Egypt expand military ties with cooperation frameworks: What to know

Increasing defense cooperation between Ankara and Cairo comes as Turkey seeks to offset the expanding Greek-Cypriot-Israeli alignment in the Eastern Mediterranean.

Latest News

Analysis

From S-400s to SAMP/T: Turkey’s defense pivot gathers pace after NATO summit

Britain's Prime Minister Keir Starmer (L) and Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan pose after signing a defense partnership agreement on the sidelines of the NATO summit in Ankara, Turkey, Wednesday, July 8, 2026.

Barin Kayaoglu

By Barin Kayaoglu

In Ankara, reporting on geopolitics and national security

Lebanese PM Salam in Turkey as Erdogan seeks wider regional role

Lebanon's Prime Minister Nawaf Salam speaks during a joint declaration press event with French President following their meeting at the Elysee Presidential Palace in Paris on April 21, 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

Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu (2nd, L) speaks during a meeting with Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi (2nd, R) on June 15, 2018, in Beijing, China. (Photo by Greg Baker-Pool/Getty Images)

Turkey, China assert rapprochement despite Uyghur protests, vaccine delay

The Chinese foreign minister’s visit to Turkey reflects the desire of both sides to further develop bilateral ties despite hitches stemming primarily from the widespread public support Uyghurs enjoy in Turkey.

People shop in Istanbul's famous Spice Market on July 09, 2020 in Istanbul, Turkey.

Turkey to reimpose curfews after new COVID-19 cases double

Putting normalization efforts on hold, Turkish officials will reimpose weekend curfews after the rate of new COVID-19 cases doubled in recent weeks.

Recep Tayyip Erdogan, Turkish president and leader of the Justice and Development Party (AKP), delivers a speech during a meeting of members of the AKP at the Turkish Grand National Assembly in Ankara, Turkey, Feb. 24, 2021.

How likely is Turkey’s international charm offensive to succeed?

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan hopes to reap the economic and political benefits that normalized ties with estranged allies and traditional partners would bring.

People walk past a currency exchange board on March 22, 2021, in Istanbul, Turkey. Turkey's lira plummeted as much as 15% to hit 8.39 per US dollar in the first day of trading after Turkey's President Recep Tayyip Erdogan replaced central bank governor Naci Agbal, triggering fears of another currency crisis.

Did Erdogan commit economic suicide by sacking central bank chief?

The predicaments of Turkey’s cash-strapped central bank augur a highly challenging period for Erdogan while reducing the visibility range in Turkey’s economy to almost zero.

A protester from the Uyghur community living in Turkey attends a protest against the visit of China's Foreign Minister to Turkey, in Istanbul on March 25, 2021. - Hundreds protested against the Chinese official visit and what they allege is oppression by the Chinese government to Muslim Uyghurs in the far-western Xinjiang province.

Uyghurs in Turkey protest Chinese FM's visit

Hundreds gathered in both Ankara and Istanbul in protest of what they say is a genocidal campaign against the ethnic group by Beijing.

A member of the Syrian Civil Defense, also known as the White Helmets, searches through the rubble and debris in a building at the site of reported airstrikes on the rebel-held town of Ariha in the northern countryside of Idlib province, Syria, Jan. 30, 2020.

Turkish-Russian partnership under fresh stress test in Syria

Turkey’s appeal for Western backing in Syria has cast a pall on its partnership with Russia, whose toughening attitude on the ground is a reminder to Ankara of what could happen down the road.

Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu (R) attends a meeting with US Deputy Secretary of State Antony Blinken (2nd L), Ankara, Turkey, June 17, 2016.

Blinken’s first meeting with Turkish counterpart yields little

In a meeting on the sidelines of a NATO ministerial meeting in Brussels, the US secretary of state and Turkish foreign minister discussed a range of issues.

EU Commission President Ursula von der Leyen and the EU Council President Charles Michel hold a video conference call with Turkey's President Recep Tayyip Erdogan in Brussels on March 19, 2021. The call comes as the two neighbors seek to make good on improved ties after a spike in tensions last year over maritime claims in the Eastern Mediterranean. The leaders of the EU's 27 member states are set to discuss the state of relations with Ankara as one of the issues at their summit in Brussels next week.

European Council report presents roadmap for EU-Turkey ties

Ahead of a European Council summit this week, a report by EU Foreign Policy Chief Josep Borrell laid out a roadmap to deepen bilateral trade despite recent setbacks in Ankara’s human rights record, while outlining economic sanctions should more turbulence arise.

IAKOVOS HATZISTAVROU/POOL/AFP via Getty Images

Egypt-Turkey rivalry goes deeper than politics

Cairo is treading cautiously on Ankara’s fence-mending overtures toward Turkey.

Traders work at their desks on the floor of the Borsa Istanbul in Istanbul on May 22, 2018. - Turkey's embattled currency, the lira, has hit new historic lows against the US dollar after Fitch ratings agency expressed concerns over the central bank's independence in the wake of comments by President Recep Tayyip Erdogan. (Photo by OZAN KOSE / AFP)

Turkish markets rattled after surprise firing of central bank head

Turkey’s lira and main stock index slid about 9% Monday as markets reacted to the surprise removal of the nation’s central bank chief amid broader political turmoil.

Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu gives a press conference following a meeting with his Slovakian counterpart in Ankara, on March 16, 2021.

Blinken to hold bilateral talks with Turkish foreign minister at NATO meeting in Brussels

This will be the first face-to-face meeting between the two since US President Joe Biden took office.

German Chancellor Angela Merkel (R), French President Emmanuel Macron (C) and Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan (L) and other leaders pose for a family picture at the Chancellery on January 19, 2020, in Berlin, Germany.

Is Europe on the way to appease Erdogan yet again?

The forthcoming Turkey-European Union summit could spell a diplomatic success for Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, bolstering his hand in domestic politics.