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Turkey

Turkey

May 13, 2026

Ankara 4:03 am

13°C

The helicopter of Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan lands on Abdulhamid Han drill ship, the fourth built by Turkey, in Mersin on Aug. 9, 2022, before being sent for gas exploration to an undisputed area in the Mediterranean Sea, south of Gazipasa.

New Turkey maritime draft bill fuels EastMed tensions with Greece, Cyprus

Turkey’s draft maritime bill seeks to formalize Ankara’s claims in the Aegean, Eastern Mediterranean and Black seas, raising tensions with Greece and Cyprus over contested maritime boundaries and offshore energy rights.

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

Latest News

Culture

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

MURAT KOCABAS/Middle East Images/AFP via Getty Images

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

U.S soldiers walk next to a Patriot missile defence battery during join exercises at the military grouds in Sochaczew, near Warsaw, March 21, 2015. The U.S. Army Europe has deployed a Patriot missile defence battery as part of joint exercises with Poland aimed at reassuring the NATO member in light of the conflict in neighbouring Ukraine. Picture taken March 21, 2015. REUTERS/Franciszek Mazur/Agencja Gazeta THIS IMAGE HAS BEEN SUPPLIED BY A THIRD PARTY. IT IS DISTRIBUTED, EXACTLY AS RECEIVED BY REUTERS,

Pentagon says Patriot sale to Turkey still on table

The United States is reportedly still considering supplying Patriot missile systems to Turkey in what the administration may see as an opportunity to convince Ankara to walk back from the Russian system it acquired last year.

A still image taken from a video obtained by Reuters and shot on March 2, 2020, shows Syrian army soldiers firing a weapon as they advance on the town of Kfar Nabl, Syria. Reuters TV/via REUTERS - RC2DCF9FHZKZ

Turkey looks to Russia for 'quick cease-fire' in Syria

President Recep Tayyip Erdogan will discuss a truce in Turkey's offensive against the Syrian army during talks in Moscow, seeking to avert a new refugee influx even as another humanitarian crisis deepens on Turkey's border with Greece.

Situation remains heated in Syria's Idlib as Putin, Erdogan reach deal

The Syrian regime and opposition factions are racing for military control on the ground in Idlib, while Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan and Russian President Vladimir Putin met in Moscow to discuss a cease-fire.

U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations Kelly Craft and James Jeffrey, the U.S. envoy for Syria, pose with rescue workers at the Syrian commercial crossing point of Bab al-Hawa opposite to Turkey's Cilvegozu border gate, in Idlib governorate, Syria, March 3, 2020. REUTERS/Tuvan Gumrukcu - RC2DCF9L6XKM

US not planning to send new weapons to Turkey for Syria campaign

The State Department clarifies its special envoy's remarks that the United States would be supplying ammunition to Turkey — which has been engaged in battle in Idlib, Syria — saying only that the United States is considering Turkish requests for assistance.

Kurdish protesters carry flags and a banner with a portrait of jailed Kurdistan Workers Party (PKK) leader Abdullah Ocalan during a demonstration against Turkey's military action in northeastern Syria in Zurich, Switzerland October 12, 2019. REUTERS/Arnd Wiegmann - RC148C889EE0

What's behind Ankara's decision to lift visit ban on jailed PKK leader?

The Turkish government's decision to allow family visits for Abdullah Ocalan may be linked to Ankara's ongoing operation in northwest Syria.

Turkish military vehicles enter the Bab al-Hawa crossing at the Syrian-Turkish border, in Idlib governorate, Syria, February 9, 2020. REUTERS/Khalil Ashawi - RC2AXE9GPS00

Iran risks confrontation with Turkey over Idlib

While Iran's military command in Syria has issued direct warnings aimed at Turkey, President Hassan Rouhani and the Iranian foreign ministry continue to insist on the role of diplomacy and dialogue.

Migrants walk with boxes of food delivered by members of United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees at the Turkey's Pazarkule border crossing with Greece's Kastanies, in Edirne, Turkey, February 29, 2020. REUTERS/Huseyin Aldemir - RC2FAF9OGDW7

Breakthrough on Syria refugee crisis unlikely as EU sends emissary to Ankara

European-Turkish contacts are intensifying in an effort to stave off a disastrous refugee crisis on Turkey's border with Greece that could have repercussions across Europe.

Looming coronavirus threat adds to Turkey’s economic woes

Turkey’s economic recovery is facing fresh threats from the global impact of the coronavirus outbreak, which has already reached the country’s eastern neighbor Iran, coupled with war jitters from Turkey’s deepening military involvement in Syria.

Idlib operation splits Turks more than other Syria interventions

Opinion polls show mixed feelings about Turkey’s declaration of a major offensive in Syria after an attack killed dozens of its soldiers. Public attention has also shifted hundreds of miles away to its borders with Europe after the government invited millions of refugees to leave.

Turkish army tank is being unloaded on a road near the Turkish border town of Ceylanpinar, Sanliurfa province, Turkey, October 18, 2019. REUTERS/Stoyan Nenov - RC1C41D0BF40

Pentagon says US will not retaliate for Turkey in Syria

The United States will not take direct action in Syria despite a dramatic uptick in violence and calls for an immediate no-fly zone over Idlib, which would require the Pentagon to take out aircraft and airfields.

Migrants throw stones at a Greek military vehicle on the Turkish-Greek border at Turkey's Pazarkule border crossing with Greece's Kastanies, near Edirne, Turkey, March 2, 2020. REUTERS/Cansu Alkaya - RC2OBF93OREA

Thousands stranded at Greek border as Ankara pressures EU over Idlib escalation

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said border security would continue to stand down Monday as thousands of refugees and migrants attempt to enter Greece by land and sea.

Idlib escalation shelves talk of coup in Turkey

The survival of the Erdogan government requires periodic activation of coup rhetoric.