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Turkey

Turkey

May 9, 2026

Ankara 7:05 pm

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

Why Turkey is finally getting serious about the Islamic State

The Islamic State seems determined to open a front in Turkey, militarizing its operations there and forcing Ankara to respond in kind.

Erdogan’s secret economic weapon

Turkey’s defense industry sector has emerged as a shining star in a turbulent period of economic jitters and falling exports.

A helmet belonging to a Islamic State militant is seen on the ground at the 121 Regiment base after Fighters from the Democratic Forces of Syria took control of the base in the town of al-Melabiyyah, south of Hasaka city, Syria November 24, 2015. Picture taken November 24, 2015. REUTERS/Rodi Said - RTX1VR2N

Russia, US and the Kurds: The friend of my enemy is — wait, what?

While the world squabbles over who is helping or should help Syrian Kurds, the Kurds aren't turning down aid from any quarter.

Turkey's President Tayyip Erdogan (L) chats with Prime Minister Ahmet Davutoglu during a Republic Day ceremony at Anitkabir, the mausoleum of modern Turkey's founder Ataturk, in Ankara, Turkey, October 29, 2015. Turkey marks the 92nd anniversary of the Turkish Republic. REUTERS/Umit Bektas - RTX1TSXH

How mysterious new Turkish blog exposed Erdogan-Davutoglu rift

The anonymous blog that condemned Turkish Prime Minister Ahmet Davutoglu for betraying President Recep Tayyip Erdogan may be more than just a text.

Turkey's Prime Minister Tayyip Erdogan speaks during the opening session of Arab League's foreign ministers meeting at the League headquarters in Cairo September 13, 2011. Erdogan told a meeting of Arab League foreign ministers in Cairo on Tuesday that the recognition of a Palestinian state was "not an option but an obligation". Arab states will push for a fully fledged Palestinian state at the United Nations next week. REUTERS/Amr Abdallah Dalsh (EGYPT - Tags: POLITICS) - RTR2R8UK

Erdogan suggests name change for Arab League

"Why don’t we just call it the 'Islamic League' instead of the Arab League?" Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said in a remark that is bound to raise eyebrows in Arab capitals.

How Syrian women are gaining new confidence in Turkish refugee camp

Syrian women who take part in craft workshops in Islahiye refugee camp learn new skills, earn some extra money and above all find a place of support.

US, Russia compete to woo Syrian Kurds

The recent rapprochement between the Kurds and Russia is a new phase in the two sides' relations that date back to the 19th century, but Kurds do not want to alienate the United States either.

Islamic State isn’t the only one calling for a caliphate in Turkey

The Islamist group Hizb ut-Tahrir is hosting a series of conferences in Ankara and Istanbul calling for a caliphate to be reinstated and demanding the closure of the US and British embassies to end terror in Turkey.

On Children’s Day in Turkey, adults set bad example

The anniversary of the opening of the Turkish parliament coincided with the centennial of an Ottoman military victory in Iraq during World War I, creating a new fault line in Turkey.

Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan leaves from the Ottoman-era Dolmabahce mosque after Friday prayers in Istanbul, Turkey April 15, 2016. REUTERS/Murad Sezer - RTX2A3RC

Does Erdogan want his own Islamic state?

Erdogan is willing to not abolish Turkey’s constitutional secularism, as some fear, but rather to use religion in the most effective way.

US and Syria's Kurds: Love on the rocks?

PKK violence is complicating US relations with Syria’s Kurds just as Turkey steps up its cooperation against the Islamic State.

People wave flags outside the AK Party headquarters in Ankara, Turkey November 1, 2015. Turks went to the polls in a snap parliamentary election on Sunday under the shadow of mounting internal bloodshed and economic worries, a vote that could determine the trajectory of the polarised country and of President Tayyip Erdogan. The vote is the second in five months, after the AK Party founded by Erdogan lost in June the single-party governing majority it has enjoyed since first coming to power in 2002. REUTER

Mad love, amnesia or fear? How Erdogan pulls it off

President Recep Tayyip Erdogan’s political fortunes have not suffered from his contradictions, questionable denials and attacks on opponents.