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Turkey

Turkey

November 11, 2026

Ankara 3:10 pm

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Explainer

Iran war pushes up coal use, complicating Turkey’s COP31 pledge

Turkey is asking world leaders at COP31 to back a global push to use more electricity, even as the Iran war has driven up natural gas prices and pushed some power producers back to coal.

OZAN KOSE/AFP via Getty Images

Turkey bars MP’s wife from travel after his fund scandal criticism: What to know

Opposition politicians and rights advocates described Yonca Verdioglu Sik’s brief detention as an attempt to intimidate her husband, opposition lawmaker Ahmet Sik, over his criticism of the government.

A steel worker works in front of giant iron melting pot in Kardemir Iron and Steel Factory in Karabuk, northwestern Turkey, Aug. 26 2005. (TARIK TINAZAY/AFP via Getty Images)

Steel factory explosion in western Turkey kills at least 16

Footage from the scene showed a huge plume of thick smoke spreading into the sky as flames engulfed a tall structure within the plant.

Latest News

Analysis

Will Democrats block Trump’s push to deliver Turkey F-35s, lift sanctions?

MEHMET ESER/Middle East Images/AFP via Getty Images

Barin Kayaoglu

By Barin Kayaoglu

In Ankara, reporting on geopolitics and national security

Costa Rica's Grynspan extends lead in UNSG poll as Nusseibeh places fourth

United Arab Emirates

Turkey’s parliament ratifies Mecca pact in boost to Saudi Arabia

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan addresses Turkish members of parliament during the opening of the parliamentary session at the Grand National Assembly of Turkey in Ankara, on Oct. 1, 2026.

Samuel Wendel

Senior Analyst, Middle East Business & Tech

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

Relatives of car bomb victims inspect the damaged cars at the bomb explosion site in front of al-Salam mosque in the port city of Tripoli in northern Lebanon August 24, 2013. Bombs hit two mosques in the northern Lebanese city of Tripoli on Friday, killing at least 42 people and wounding hundreds, intensifying sectarian strife that has spilled over from the civil war in neighbouring Syria. REUTERS/Jamal Saidi (LEBANON - Tags: CIVIL UNREST POLITICS) - RTX12UWT

Factional Politics Limit Effectiveness of Lebanon Army

The Lebanese Armed Forces are well trained and armed, but handicapped by Lebanese politics.

Turkey’s Stairway to A Democratic Heaven

The crumbling, concrete street stairs in an Istanbul alley have become the latest battleground for the colorful pluralism of society and the “gray” authoritarianism of politicians in Turkey.

Turkey's ruling AK Party Deputy Chairman Huseyin Celik addresses the media in Ankara June 12, 2013. The AK Party on Wednesday ordered protesters to leave Istanbul's central Gezi Park immediately and said it would consider holding a referendum on redevelopment plans which sparked almost two weeks of violent demonstrations. REUTERS/Umit Bektas (TURKEY - Tags: POLITICS CIVIL UNREST) - RTX10LJ4

Veteran Journalist, AKP Official Clash Over Egypt

The former managing editor of daily newspaper Hurriyet clashes with Huseyin Celik, deputy chairman of the AKP, over Egypt.

Turkish Foreign Minister Ahmet Davutoglu speaks during a joint news conference with his Jordanian counterpart Nasser Judeh in Amman May 10, 2013. REUTERS/Muhammad Hamed (JORDAN - Tags: POLITICS) - RTXZHVL

Turkey's Role Limited In Syria Crisis

Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan and Foreign Minister Ahmet Davutoglu justify their tough approach to Syria, but may not have much of a role in de-escalating the crisis.

A Kurdish woman demonstrates against the conditions of detention of jailed Kurdistan Workers Party (PKK) leader Abdullah Ocalan during a protest in Strasbourg April 4, 2012. Hundreds of demonstrators protested in support of Ocalan, who was captured on February 15, 1999, and is currently serving a life sentence in Turkey. REUTERS/Vincent Kessler (FRANCE - Tags: POLITICS CIVIL UNREST) - RTR30BET

Is Turkey-PKK Peace Process At a Dead End?

The Sept. 1 deadline for the second stage in the Kurdish peace process is about to expire, without progress.

Turkish Karadeniz Powership Fatmagul Sultan, an electricity-generating ship, is seen docked at Beirut port February 18, 2013. A member of Karadeniz Holding's powership fleet, Karadeniz Powership Fatmagul Sultan, departed from Istanbul on February 8 to Beirut to supply electricity to Lebanon. REUTERS/Mohamed Azakir (LEBANON - Tags: ENERGY BUSINESS POLITICS) - RTR3DY6T

UAE Investment Casualty Of Turkey’s Egypt Policy

Foreign policy decisions are negatively affecting Turkey’s exports and attraction of foreign investment.

Turkey's Foreign Minister Ahmet Davutoglu addresses the media in Ankara June 13, 2013. REUTERS/Umit Bektas (TURKEY - Tags: POLITICS) - RTX10M6J

Turkey Frustrated Over Syria

Western aims in Syria are proving to be at odds with the Turkish government’s expectations.

Free Syrian Army fighters are seen on a Russian-made helicopter that belonged to the Syrian Army at the Minnig Military Airport, after it was seized by the rebels August 11, 2013. Syrian rebels captured the main military airport near the border with Turkey on August 6, consolidating their hold on a key supply route north of the city of Aleppo, opposition activists said. REUTERS/Mahmoud Hassano (SYRIA - Tags: CIVIL UNREST CONFLICT MILITARY TPX IMAGES OF THE DAY) - RTX12H8L

Turkey's Opposition Parties Reject Military Strike in Syria

The Turkish political opposition has doubts about whether it was the Syrian regime that used chemical weapons and concern over being pulled into a Middle Eastern quagmire.

Patriot missile batteries are pictured at their positions near the city of Kahramanmaras, February 23, 2013. Germany's defence minister inspected Patriot missile batteries close to the Syria-Turkey border on Saturday and said they delivered a "clear warning" to Damascus that NATO would not tolerate missiles being fired into Turkey. Thomas de Maiziere and his Dutch counterpart Jeanine Hennis-Plasschaert travelled to the Turkish cities of Adana and Kahramanmaras to inspect the batteries provided by their coun

The Costs of Turkey Joining the Anti-Syria Coalition

Foreign Minister Ahmet Davutoglu created excitement by saying Turkey would be part of a coalition of the willing in an operation against Syria — but can Turkey do it?

A convoy of U.N. vehicles carrying a team of United Nations chemical weapons experts and escorted by Free Syrian Army fighters (vehicle on left) drive through one of the sites of an alleged chemical weapons attack in eastern Ghouta in Damascus suburbs August 28, 2013. A team of United Nations inspectors reached rebel-held territory outside Damascus on Wednesday, opposition activists said, and would soon begin a second day of investigating the sites of an alleged chemical weapons attack that killed hundreds

Experts in Turkey Differ on Syria Policy

A group of well-informed experts on Syria warned that Turkey may face unprecedented challenges after a potential military strike against the Assad regime.

Turkey's Prime Minister Tayyip Erdogan (R) shakes hands with Yusuf Islam, formerly known as Cat Stevens, as they meet in Ankara August 2, 2013. REUTERS/Adem Altan/Pool (TURKEY - Tags: POLITICS ENTERTAINMENT) - RTX1288Q

Erdogan’s Fateful Season

The real danger for the Turkish prime minister is in the warning signs of the economy.

Turkey's Prime Minister Tayyip Erdogan (R) attends a wreath-laying ceremony as he is followed by Chief of Staff General Necdet Ozel at the mausoleum of Mustafa Kemal Ataturk, founder of modern Turkey, in Ankara August 1, 2013. REUTERS/Umit Bektas (TURKEY - Tags: MILITARY POLITICS) - RTX126OB

Erdogan, Egypt’s Coup And the Israeli Connection

While Turkish Prime Minister Erdogan was wrong if he meant to imply that Israel engineered the coup in Egypt, Tel Aviv is certainly glad the coup happened.