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Turkey

Turkey

May 10, 2026

Ankara 7:41 pm

20°C

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

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.

Latest News

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.

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.

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

Iraqi officers inspect a map on the outskirts of al-Alam March 8, 2015. REUTERS/Thaier Al-Sudani (IRAQ - Tags: MILITARY CIVIL UNREST CONFLICT)

Thaier Al-Sudani: "It was me and a few other Iraqi journalists working for local outlets. We went to the frontlines in coordination with the Iraqi government forces and supporting militias.

The press officer would come in the morning and take us to the frontline in a convoy.

Whenever an area was won from Islamic State, the fighters would chant and pray and sho

Are new provinces the key to a peaceful Iraq?

Turkmen politician Torhan al-Mufti spoke to Al-Monitor about Turkmen demands and political participation as well as the possible establishment of new provinces in Iraq.

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Iraqis dive deeper into sectarianism

Regional conflicts and shifting alliances since 2003 have led many Iraqis to view every development through a sectarian lens.

A boy walks past by burning tires during a protest against the curfew in Sur district, in the southeastern city of Diyarbakir, Turkey, December 14, 2015. REUTERS/Sertac Kayar - RTX1YNAN

The PKK's 'child terrorists'

The PKK takes full advantage of children it recruits as "child terrorists" in Turkey, pushing them to the front lines and using their arrests and deaths to stir up sympathy.

Turkish Foreign Minister Feridun Sinirlioglu addresses the media in Ankara, Turkey, October 16, 2015. REUTERS/Umit Bektas - RTS4Q7Z

The rocky road to Turkish, Israeli reconciliation

Turkey and Israel have much to gain from normalizing their relations, but recent reports to that effect should be met with caution.

Hamas leader Khaled Meshaal speaks during a news conference in Doha, Qatar September 7, 2015. REUTERS/Naseem Zeitoon - RTX1RJ1F

Is Erdogan closing Hamas' Istanbul office?

Israel has demanded that Turkey expel Hamas activist Salah Al-Arouri from Istanbul as a condition for normalizing bilateral relations.

Star Wars: How the force awakens Islamist fears

Seen by some as poison of Western cultural imperialism, Star Wars merchandise causes more controversy than the film in Turkey.

United States Secretary of State John Kerry (L) meets with Mohammad Javad Zarif, Minister of Foreign Affairs of Iran, at the United Nations in New York, September 26, 2015. REUTERS/Stephanie Keith TPX IMAGES OF THE DAY - RTX1SNOV

Zarif: Iran sees 'mostly negative signals' from US

Iran’s Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif, in an interview with Al-Monitor, confirmed brief bilateral exchanges with Saudi counterparts and said numerous disagreements remain inside the international Syria support group on a political transition.

A Turkish Attack and Tactical Reconnaissance Helicopter (ATAK) performs a manoeuvre during a ceremony marking the 93rd anniversary of Victory Day in Ankara, Turkey, August 30, 2015. REUTERS/Umit Bektas - RTX1Q9Q7

Will Turkey end up stuck between Kurds, Russia?

Observers wonder how long Turkey can juggle a cold war with Russia and a heated conflict with the PKK before the latter two join forces.

Turks equally pleased with first communist mayor

Fatih Mehmet Macoglu, the first and only communist mayor in Turkey, has impressed critics with his hard work and inclusive politics and seems ready to run for a second term.

Demonstrators sit between a fire and police barricades during a protest against the curfew in Sur district in the Kurdish dominated southeastern city of Diyarbakir, Turkey, December 10, 2015. Seven Kurdish militants and a policeman have been killed in four days of fighting in a southeastern Turkish province that has been under curfew all week, security sources said. Nusaybin, a district of Turkey's southeastern province of Mardin on the Syrian border, has been under curfew since Sunday. Eight policemen were

Turkey's unhealthy democracy

Turks stay away from politics except when it is time to go to the polls.

Turkey's blurred red line on Russia

With recent scuffles between Moscow and Ankara, further instability threatens the Middle East conflict; but will either country really push things that far?

Iran's military bulks up with new Russian tanks

Tehran plans to purchase T-90 tanks from Russia, but is it enough to strengthen the Iranian military?