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Turkey

Turkey

May 12, 2026

Ankara 4:46 am

12°C

Turkish Red Crescent's cars and trucks cross the Turkish border as they leave the Syrian city of Tel Abyad on Oct. 19, 2019, in Akcakale, Turkey.

Turkey's border reopening unlocks new sphere of influence in Syria

Turkey reopened the Akcakale-Tell Abyad crossing on Monday, ending an 11-year closure along the Syria border.

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.

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

A boy wearing a Turkish flag stands next to a Turkish soldier in the town of Tal Abyad, Syria October 23, 2019. REUTERS/Khalil Ashawi TPX IMAGES OF THE DAY - RC1FEACF7860

Turkey gets comfortable in northern Syria

Turkey appears to be preparing to remain in Syrian areas under its control without much thought for the long-term financial and political costs.

Egypt’s top fatwa authority raises controversy after describing Ottoman control of Constantinople as 'occupation'

Egypt’s Dar al-Ifta described the Ottoman conquest of Constantinople as an invasion, raising controversy in Turkey and among critics who believe religious authorities should not get involved in politics.

UAE condemns Turkish and Iranian military interventions in Iraq

Turkey and Iran are conducting operations against Kurdish groups in the country.

United Arab Emirates

A member of Turkish police special forces stands guard in Azaz, Syria January 24, 2018. REUTERS/Osman Orsal - RC1CA41F7370

Turkey hammers Kurdish rebel targets in Iraq

Turkey has sent in special forces to fight the Kurdistan Workers Party in Iraq’s north, putting its soldiers on the ground in the third foreign country this year.

Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan attends a welcoming ceremony at the Presidential Palace in Asuncion, Paraguay December 2, 2018. REUTERS/Jorge Adorno - RC1A83AAAAA0

Is Turkey already done with executive presidency?

Restoring the parliamentary system makes a nifty slogan for the Turkish opposition, but the panacea for the clogged political establishment is more demanding.

Turkey, Italy conduct joint submarine drill in the Mediterranean

Other Mediterranean states have criticized Turkish actions in the sea recently.

Justice Palace, the Caglayan courthouse is pictured in Istanbul, Turkey, January 8, 2018. Picture taken January 8, 2018. REUTERS/Murad Sezer - RC1870F3C700

Turkish courts reopen to backlog of press freedom cases

The resumption of court hearings in Turkey has press freedom advocates anxious, amid fears of a second COVID-19 wave and ongoing pressure on the media covering the pandemic.

Turkey, Qatar, UAE among donors of virus-related aid to sub-Saharan Africa

The Center for Strategic and International Studies listed the countries as among 12 that have given medical aid directly to African states.

Turkey bombs PKK targets in northern Iraq as government's ratings sag

The early morning strikes comes as the Turkish opposition launched a march for justice and democracy today.

Why is Ankara pouring Turkish liras into Syria?

Taking advantage of Syria’s currency havoc, Ankara has funneled Turkish liras into “liberated” areas in northern Syria, but any plan to fully sideline the Syrian pound in those areas appears unrealistic.

Ankara spouts fury as Twitter takes down pro-Erdogan trolls

Twitter said the suspensions were part of a broader operation in which it had removed and suspended accounts linked to state-run propaganda and disinformation centers in China, Russia and Turkey.

Turkey’s economic turmoil imposing early polls on Erdogan

Grappling with economic strains that might grow worse down the road, Turkey’s president faces an early election conundrum.