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Turkey

Turkey

May 9, 2026

Ankara 10:56 am

17°C

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.

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.

Turkey, Japan launch defense industry partnership with eye on drones

The initiative could eventually lead to joint UAV development and production as Japan looks to expand drone capabilities amid regional tensions.

Latest News

Saudi FM in Turkey as Ankara, Riyadh step up coordination amid Iran war

Saudi Foreign Minister Faisal bin Farhan Al Saud and Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan in Ankara, May 6, 2026.

Turkey, Armenia agree to restore medieval bridge in normalization push

A picture taken near Kars on Feb. 28, 2024 shows the ruins of a bridge over Arpacay river, the natural border between Turkey and Armenia.

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 students up in arms over Islamization of education

Students in Turkey’s leading high schools have rebelled against government efforts at an Islamist makeover of the education system.

A vendor, selling corn, waits for customers after iftar, or the breaking of the fast meal in Beylikduzu, a district of Istanbul August 1, 2011. Muslims around the world abstain from eating, drinking and conducting sexual relations from sunrise to sunset during Ramadan, the holiest month in the Islamic calendar. REUTERS/Osman Orsal (TURKEY - Tags: RELIGION SOCIETY FOOD) - RTR2PJ7R

Ramadan no longer a month of peace, serenity in Turkey

Hate speech and aggression against those who do not observe the fast during Ramadan in Turkey spike as the government and state authorities look the other way.

Meet TEMA, Turkey’s fastest growing civic group

In a country where civic organizations are met with suspicion, Turkey’s environmentalist group TEMA has reached a membership of 600,000 people.

Islamic preacher Fethullah Gulen is pictured at his residence in Saylorsburg, Pennsylvania September 24, 2013. Born in Erzurum, eastern Turkey, Gulen built up his reputation as a Muslim preacher with intense sermons that often moved him to tears. From his base in Izmir, he toured Turkey stressing the need to embrace scientific progress, shun radicalism and build bridges to the West and other faiths. The first Gulen school opened in 1982. In the following decades, the movement became a spectacular success, s

Erdogan expected to put anti-Gulen movement in high gear

The Turkish government has officially declared the Gulen movement a terrorist organization, paving the way for even speedier seizures of Gulen-affiliated universities.

How are Turkey and Russia getting along these days?

As Moscow and Ankara work to shore up their relations, it's clear the foundation wasn't all that solid to begin with.

Activists seek to rein in horse mistreatment on unique Turkish island

Mounting criticism over mistreatment of horses could end the carriage trade on Buyukada, a picturesque island near Istanbul that remains off limits to motor vehicles.

A bus drives past concrete blocks painted with the Syrian flag near the Central Bank of Syria in Damascus, Syria May 31, 2016. REUTERS/Omar Sanadiki - RTX2EZEA

Near Damascus, watch out for missiles, shelling and speeding tickets

In a visit to Damascus, Al-Monitor spoke with Syrian officials about the latest developments happening in Syria.

Is Erdogan's university diploma forged?

Allegations regarding the authenticity of Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan's diploma, and therefore his position, are gaining substance.

The battle for Hagia Sophia in Istanbul escalates

The Turkish conservative movement’s demand to turn the Hagia Sophia Museum into a mosque is gaining strength.

Turkey huffs and puffs at genocide vote, but it's business as usual with Germany

Ankara is angry after Berlin adopted a nonbinding resolution recognizing the mass killing of Armenians in 1915 as genocide, but Turkey is wary of undermining important ties with Germany.

Can US-backed offensive bring back residents to Syria's Manbij?

The citizens of Manbij, which is northeast of Aleppo, have high hopes of returning to their hometown in light of the US-backed offensive against the Islamic State in their city.

Turkey's Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu (L) and Mohammed Siyala, foreign minister in Libya's new U.N.-backed national unity government, smile after a joint news conference in Tripoli, Libya, May 30, 2016. REUTERS/Ismail Zitouny - RTX2ETWP

Why Turkey is making a return to Libya

Given economic troubles at home, it is no surprise that Ankara has decided to reopen its embassy in the Libyan capital of Tripoli, which had been closed since 2014.