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Turkey

May 2, 2026

Ankara 8:23 am

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Members of the UN Peacekeeping Force in Cyprus (UNFICYP), from the British Army's 1st Battalion Coldstream Guards, No. 2 Company, patrol along the buffer zone separating the internationally recognized Republic of Cyprus and the breakaway Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus in the divided capital Nicosia on Feb. 17, 2026.

Turkey warns France over Cyprus troop deployment: What to know

A potential French deployment to Greek Cyprus comes amid Turkey’s growing concerns of strategic encirclement in the Eastern Mediterranean.

This aerial photograph shows Turkey's first floating natural gas production platform, "Osman Gazi," passing through the Bosphorus, in Istanbul, on May 29, 2025.

Turkey advances gas pipeline plan to northern Cyprus as East Med rivalry grows

The Turkish energy minister said the country's oil and natural gas pipeline operator, BOTAS, has started the engineering work for the pipeline.

Cadets of the Saiqa Force (Special Forces) of the self-styled Libyan National Army affiliated with eastern strongman Khalifa Hifter take part in a graduation ceremony in tribute to the force's late commander, Wanis Bukhamada, in the eastern city of Benghazi, on Jan. 20, 2022.

In first, Libya’s rival armies to join drill in Turkey: What to know

The move follows the first joint exercise inside Libya amid renewed international efforts to unify the country.

Latest News

Turkey’s military spending jumps to $30B, leads Mideast growth in 2025

Turkey's submarines and fast-attack craft ships participate in the live-fire phase of the Blue Homeland-2026 (Mavi Vatan) tactical military exercises in the eastern Mediterranean Sea, in Antalya on April 9, 2026.

Analysis

Why Saudi Arabia, Egypt are wary of Turkey’s proposed 4-way defense pact with Pakistan

Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan hosted the third meeting of the foreign ministers of Turkey, Egypt, Pakistan and Saudi Arabia on the margins of the 5th Antalya Diplomacy Forum, on April 17, 2026.

Barin Kayaoglu

By Barin Kayaoglu

In Ankara, reporting on geopolitics and national security

Turkey’s Baykar tests K2 swarm kamikaze drones for first time: What to know

CORLU, TURKEY- MARCH 2: A B model of Bayraktar AKINCI TİHA (Assault Unmanned Aerial Vehicle) in the sky on March 2, 2022 in Corlu, Turkey. (Photo by Baykar Press Office/dia images via Getty Images)

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

Armed Kurdish militants of the Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK) stand behind a barricade during clashes with Turkish forces on September 28, 2015, at Bismil, in Diyarbakir. Ankara launched a major "anti-terrorist" campaign against the PKK in late July, aimed at flushing it out of its strongholds in southeastern Turkey and northern Iraq. AFP PHOTO / ILYAS AKENGIN (Photo credit should read ILYAS AKENGIN/AFP/Getty Images)

Ankara silent on Turkish agents allegedly caught in Iraq assassination plot

Kurdish militants claim to have captured two Turkish intelligence officers planning to assassinate a senior Kurdistan Workers Party figure, though it's not clear what the group is demanding in exchange for their release.

Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan attends a ceremony in Istanbul, Turkey, August 25, 2017. REUTERS/Murad Sezer - RTS1DAHZ

Supporters scramble to distract Turkey from Erdogan's unpopular decisions

Journalists and trolls who support the rule of Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan often help him by distracting the public from any questionable decisions he makes with perennially rabble-rousing but vague scandals.

A view shows buildings in Doha, Qatar, June 9, 2017. REUTERS/Naseem Zeitoon - RTX39V40

What Iran-Qatar reset means for Syria

Iran adds another “Sunni” power to its regional network; Turkey ponders next moves in Idlib; Israel presents the “big picture” on Iran in Washington and Sochi, Russia; Akiva Eldar on Israel’s silence over Charlottesville.

Turkish foreign minister Mevlut Cavusoglu (L) speaks during a joint news conference with Iraqi Foreign Minister Ibrahim al-Jaafari in Baghdad, Iraq August 23, 2017. REUTERS/Khalid al Mousily - RTS1CY8B

Reality disrupts Turkey's dream-team triad

Iran and Iraq show no inclination to join Turkey's potential operations against the Kurdistan Workers Party.

Turkey's FM repeats toothless warnings against KRG independence vote

On his visit to Baghdad and Erbil, Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu brought with him Turkey’s mixed signals about the planned referendum on Iraqi Kurdish independence, asking for its cancellation but naming no consequences from his country.

Turkish military upheaval continues at top levels

Recent shake-ups at senior levels of the Turkish military indicate President Recep Tayyip Erdogan is placing his trust squarely with Chief of General Staff Gen. Hulusi Akar.

U.S. President Donald Trump (L) is introduced by Defense Secretary James Mattis (R) during the commissioning ceremony of the aircraft carrier USS Gerald R. Ford at Naval Station Norfolk in Norfolk, Virginia, U.S. July 22, 2017. REUTERS/Jonathan Ernst - RTX3CIPV

Mattis pledges Erdogan US support against PKK

By all accounts, US Defense Secretary James Mattis' visit to Turkey, intended to smooth fraught relations between the two NATO allies, went better than expected.

Local and foreign tourists watch International Oludeniz Air Games as they enjoy the sunny weather on a beach in Fethiye in Mugla province, Turkey October 11, 2016. Picture taken October 11, 2016. REUTERS/Kenan Gurbuz - RTSRW39

Turkey's exporters fear extended holiday may devastate their businesses

Turkey's tourism operators are overjoyed at the government decision to extend the Eid al-Adha break to 10 days, but exporters are furious at the potential loss in overseas business.

KRG doubles down on independence vote after Baghdad meeting

A visit by a Kurdish delegation to Baghdad amid strong regional and international objections to a Kurdish independence referendum failed to convince the Iraqi government of the merits of the vote.

Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan (L) welcomes his Iranian counterpart Hassan Rouhani during the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) Istanbul Summit in Istanbul, Turkey April 14, 2016. REUTERS/Berk Ozkan/Pool TPX IMAGES OF THE DAY - RTX29X07

Iran, Turkey move to re-establish role as regional backbone

Despite their major differences over key regional crises in past years, shared threats and shared objectives are once again pushing Iran and Turkey together.

Turkish dam project would wipe out ancient town

A Turkish government dam project is threatening to flood a 12,000-year-old ancient settlement, bringing Turkey to the verge of losing traces of at least 10 civilizations.

Syrians, who say they are returning to Syria ahead of Eid al-Fitr, carry their belongings as they walk to the Turkish Cilvegozu border gate located opposite of the Syrian crossing point of Bab al-Hawa in Reyhanli, in the southern Hatay province, Turkey June 14, 2017. REUTERS/Umit Bektas - RTS174AK

Ankara makes overtures to Idlib militants

The English-language edition of Yeni Safak has reported that Turkey asked the group to dissolve itself and for the militants, who seized Idlib province last month after routing Turkish-backed Ahrar al-Sham rebels, to relinquish the critical Bab al-Hawa border crossing linking Idlib to Turkey’s Hatay province.