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Turkey

Turkey

May 11, 2026

Ankara 1:07 pm

21°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

Journalists face further violence in southeast Turkey

The tension and restrictions that have affected social, economic, education and health services are now threatening journalists, and journalism itself.

Will US, Russia find common ground in Syria?

A common enemy, the Islamic State, should be the first step in an expanded international coalition; does Iraqi Kurdistan face the prospect of "administrative breakup"?

Confidence crisis hits lagging Turkish economy

Turkey's economy is weakening further amid plummeting investor and consumer confidence.

An image distributed by Islamic State militants on social media on August 25, 2015 purports to show the destruction of a Roman-era temple in the ancient Syrian city of Palmyra. Syria's antiquities chief Maamoun Abdulkarim told Reuters the images did appear to show the destruction of the ancient Baal Shamin temple and correlated with descriptions given by residents of the explosion detonated there on Sunday. Five photos were distributed on social media showing explosives being carried inside, being planted a

Turkey major conduit for Syrian 'blood antiquities'

Turkey is a major transit country used by the Islamic State for trafficking looted antiquities, but authorities have not been forthcoming about their seizures.

(R-L) Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas, Russian President Vladimir Putin and Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan walk to attend a ceremony to open the Moscow Grand Mosque in Moscow, Russia, September 23, 2015. The new mosque, which was erected on the site of the city's original mosque built in 1904 and which has been under reconstruction since 2005, will be able to accommodate up to 10,000 people simultaneously, according to local media. REUTERS/Maxim Shemetov - RTX1RZOH

Do Erdogan’s post-Moscow visit remarks indicate change in Syria policy?

Following talks with his Russian counterpart, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan vaguely hints at a change in Ankara’s position on Syrian President Bashar al-Assad.

Russian President Vladimir Putin delivers a speech during a ceremony to open the Moscow Grand Mosque in Moscow, Russia, September 23, 2015. The new mosque, which was erected on the site of the city's original mosque built in 1904 and which has been under reconstruction since 2005, will be able to accommodate up to 10,000 people simultaneously, according to local media. REUTERS/Alexei Druzhinin/RIA Novosti/Kremlin ATTENTION EDITORS - THIS IMAGE HAS BEEN SUPPLIED BY A THIRD PARTY. IT IS DISTRIBUTED, EXACTLY A

Putin supports Erdogan in Turkey, but not in Syria

Despite his perceived alignment with Russian President Vladimir Putin, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan came back from his trip to Moscow disappointed.

A 20 lira banknote is seen through a magnifying lens in this illustration picture taken in Istanbul January 28, 2014. Turkey's central bank governor raises hopes of emergency rate hike in face of opposition from Prime Minister Tayyip Erdogan, denying he is hostage to political pressures and vowing to fight rising inflation and tumbling lira. REUTERS/Murad Sezer (TURKEY - Tags: BUSINESS POLITICS) - RTX17YSG

Soaring bad debts sound alarm in Turkey

Political uncertainty and conflict with the PKK are taking their toll on the Turkish economy, with the number and value of bounced checks on the rise, threatening company bankruptcies and fresh woes in the banking sector.

A high school student wearing a Guy Fawkes mask takes part in a protest against the education policies of the ruling AK Party, as a police vehicle is seen in the background, in Istanbul February 13, 2015. Education is the latest flashpoint between the administration of President Tayyip Erdogan, and secularist Turks who accuse him of overseeing creeping 'Islamisation' in the NATO member state. Parts of some regular schools have been requisitioned to create more places for students in "Imam Hatip" religious s

As Turkey's students head back to class, many fear escalating violence

Millions of students in Turkey are set to return to school Sept. 28, and their families are deeply concerned that the students will be in danger if clashes worsen between the government and PKK.

Kerry's remarks on Syria trouble Turkey

Despite Ankara’s dissatisfaction over suggestions that Syrian President Bashar al-Assad has to be part of a settlement, experts say there is little Turkey can do to alter the course of events.

How voters, not politicians, could be the losers in Turkey's November elections

Continued fighting in Turkey is raising security and transparency concerns about the upcoming parliamentary elections.

The revival of Turkey’s 'lynching' culture

Nationalist and religious fervors have revived Turkey’s tradition of physical and political "lynching," with the victims ever unprotected and the assailants ever untouchable.

Is AKP heading for a split?

With his strong grip on the ruling Justice and Development Party, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has made decisions that could cause a split in the ranks after the Nov. 1 election.