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Turkey

Turkey

May 13, 2026

Ankara 2:05 am

14°C

The helicopter of Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan lands on Abdulhamid Han drill ship, the fourth built by Turkey, in Mersin on Aug. 9, 2022, before being sent for gas exploration to an undisputed area in the Mediterranean Sea, south of Gazipasa.

New Turkey maritime draft bill fuels EastMed tensions with Greece, Cyprus

Turkey’s draft maritime bill seeks to formalize Ankara’s claims in the Aegean, Eastern Mediterranean and Black seas, raising tensions with Greece and Cyprus over contested maritime boundaries and offshore energy rights.

Turkish Red Crescent's cars and trucks cross the Turkish border as they leave the Syrian city of Tel Abyad on Oct. 19, 2019, in Akcakale, Turkey.

Turkey's border reopening unlocks new sphere of influence in Syria

Turkey reopened the Akcakale-Tell Abyad crossing on Monday, ending an 11-year closure along the Syria border.

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

Latest News

Culture

How ‘dog mom’ vacuum cleaner ad sparked culture war in Turkey

MURAT KOCABAS/Middle East Images/AFP via Getty Images

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.

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

Couples pose for souvenir pictures in front of the Ottoman-era Ortakoy Mecidiye mosque by the Bosphorus strait in Istanbul January 5, 2015. REUTERS/Murad Sezer (TURKEY - Tags: RELIGION CITYSCAPE TRAVEL SOCIETY) - RTR4K534

Turkey's mosque-building diplomacy

Turkey is running a state-sponsored program to build mosques in countries from Kazakhstan to Cuba, which some say prevents more radical groups to gain power and is widening Turkey’s global influence.

Turkey's Prime Minister Ahmet Davutoglu addresses the media in Ankara December 11, 2014. REUTERS/Umit Bektas (TURKEY - Tags: POLITICS) - RTR4HNSC

Davutoglu's tragedy

Prime Minister Ahmet Davutoglu has failed to escape the shadow of President Recep Tayyip Erdogan.

Hollande-PYD meeting challenges Erdogan

French President Francois Hollande, by hosting at Elysee Palace two Kurdish female leaders from Kobani, sends a strong message to Ankara.

This file picture taken on December 19, 2014 shows the head of Turkey's intelligence agency Hakan Fidan (C) standing in Ankara. The powerful head of Turkey's intelligence agency, one of the most loyal allies of President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, has resigned to stand for election as a lawmaker, the official Anatolia news agency said on February 7, 2015. The resignation of Hakan Fidan, who has headed the National Intelligence Agency (MIT) since 2010, has been accepted by Prime Minister Ahmet Davutoglu and will

Are tensions straining AKP's inner circle?

Despite rumors otherwise, President Recep Tayyip Erdogan's relationships with his prime minister and former intelligence chief remain strong.

TO GO WITH AFP STORY BY ANTONIO PAMPLIEGA
A masked Syrian Turkmen rebel takes posision in the Hanano district of the northern city of Aleppo on January 28, 2013. Members of Syria's Turkmen minority have joined forces with rebels fighting President Bashar al-Assad's regime in a struggle they say is for democracy and revenge for years of oppression. AFP PHOTO/JM LOPEZ (Photo credit should read JM LOPEZ/AFP/Getty Images)

Syrian Turkmens are forgotten ally in war against Islamic State

Syrian Turkmens say they can play key role in fighting IS in northern Syria.

Turkish riot police use their shields to protect themselves as they clash with demonstrators during a protest in central Istanbul May 31, 2014. On the first anniversary of nationwide protests that shook Prime Minster Tayyip Erdogan's rule, barely a thousand anti-government demonstrators marched in Istanbul on Saturday. Outnumbered by riot police, they were soon sent scurrying into side streets by tear gas and water cannon. Their scant numbers were an illustration of Erdogan's tightening grip on power despit

Is Turkey becoming a police state?

Critics say a proposed law will turn Turkey into a police state by providing security forces with extensive powers to suppress the government’s opponents.

Turkey's President Tayyip Erdogan speaks during the World Economic Forum Special Meeting on Unlocking Resources for Regional Development in Istanbul September 28, 2014. REUTERS/Osman Orsal (TURKEY - Tags: POLITICS BUSINESS) - RTR481R0

Erdogan's 'facts' muddle Turkey's economic reality

For his supporters, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan is an unquestionable leader who, not being limited by reality, is able to create his own facts.

Supporters of the Gulen movement read the Koran as they gather in front of the Bank Asya headquarters in Istanbul February 4, 2015. Turkey has taken control of Bank Asya, the Islamic lender caught up in a feud between President Tayyip Erdogan and his ally-turned-foe, U.S.-based Muslim cleric Fethullah Gulen. The action by Turkey's banking regulatory authorities follows a run on deposits at Bank Asya last year when the lender became embroiled in the power struggle between Erdogan and Gulen, whose followers h

Why did Turkey seize Bank Asya?

A Turkish government agency made the unprecedented move of taking control of the management of the financially sound Bank Asya.

Brides and bridegrooms wave on the stage as they wait for their wedding ceremony in Ankara, August 6, 2006. 206 couples married together with an annual ceremony organised by Ankara municipality. REUTERS/Umit Bektas (TURKEY) - RTR1G5LY

Turkey offers cash rewards for marrying early

The Justice and Development Party government is offering incentives to encourage university students to get married before graduation and to have more than three children.

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Turkey's intelligence czar resigns to run for office

The resignation of intelligence chief Hakan Fidan to run for parliament becomes the center of debate in Turkey.

Obama: 'Iran’s program has not advanced'

US allies puzzled by March deadline for consideration of Senate sanctions bill; Iran’s gesture to Saudi Arabia; Iran’s man in Beirut; Erdogan’s anti-Western pivot; Aleppo’s fuel shortage; Israel reconciling to Hamas?

People hold a banner as they protest against the government and violence against women, a day after International Women's Day in Istanbul March 9, 2014. On March 8 activists around the globe celebrate International Women's Day, which dates back to the beginning of the 20th Century and has been observed by the United Nations since 1975. The UN writes that it is an occasion to commemorate achievements in women's rights and to call for further change. The banner reads, "8 march women unions". REUTERS/Osman Ors

AKP's views on sexuality create uproar

President Recep Tayyip Erdogan’s dream of raising a "pious generation" fails to deal with taboo matters of sexuality.