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Turkey

Turkey

May 14, 2026

Ankara 4:05 am

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Mazloum Kobane, commander-in-chief of the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF), speaks during the pan-Kurdish "Unity and Consensus" conference in Qamishli in northeastern Syria on April 26, 2025.

Interview

Syrian Kurdish commander Kobane says Turkey visit ‘in the making,’ Ocalan meeting possible

The SDF commander-in-chief reflected on a fragile integration deal with Damascus, growing Kurdish backlash and ongoing talks with Turkey as questions mount over Rojava’s political future.

Mazloum Kobane

Mazloum Kobane

SDF commander in chief

Turkey’s President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, right, and Armenia’s Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan shake hands before a meeting at Prague Castle in Prague, Czech Republic, Thursday, Oct. 6, 2022.

Turkey, Armenia to launch direct trade in normalization push: What to know

The move removes a decades-old reexport mechanism routed largely through Georgia as Ankara and Yerevan step up normalization efforts.

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.

Latest News

Analysis

From drones to deterrence: Turkey's ICBM missile signals bigger ambitions

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)

Barin Kayaoglu

By Barin Kayaoglu

In Ankara, reporting on geopolitics and national security

Culture

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

MURAT KOCABAS/Middle East Images/AFP via Getty Images

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

Turkey’s exports decrease amid regional tension

Turkey has suffered unexpected declines in its exports to Iraq, Libya, Egypt, Ukraine and Russia, though Turkish exports to Russia may have more potential following its recent foodstuff import boycott of the United States and European Union.

Turkey's Foreign Minister Ahmet Davutoglu (R) meets with Iraq's Kurdish Regional Government (KRG) Prime Minister Nechirvan Barzani in Ankara July 30, 2013. REUTERS/Umit Bektas (TURKEY - Tags: POLITICS) - RTX1252R

Turkey downplays IS threat, but concerns grow

As the Islamic state draws closer to the Turkish border and Ankara struggles to overcome its differences with the Iraqi administration, Turkey may be left to face the jihadist threat on its own.

People walk past election posters for Turkey's Prime Minister and presidential candidate Tayyip Erdogan (L), Turkish main opposition presidential candidate Ekmeleddin Ihsanoglu (R) and Selahattin Demirtas, co-chairman of the pro-Kurdish Peoples' Democracy Party (HDP) and presidential candidate in Istanbul August 8, 2014. Erdogan is set to secure his place in history as Turkey's first popularly-elected president on Sunday, but his tightening grip on power has polarised the nation, worried Western allies and

Erdogan's divisive politics will give him first-round victory

Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan's fervent ethnic and religious discrimination will enable him to win in the first round of Turkey's presidential election.

Director Fatih Akin attends the "Soul Kitchen" premiere at the Sala Grande during the 66th Venice Film Festival September 10, 2009. REUTERS/Alessandro Bianchi (ITALY ENTERTAINMENT) - RTR27OBA

First Turkish film to show Armenian genocide wins harsh reception

A film by German-Turkish director Fatih Akin on the Armenian genocide is under attack in Turkey even before its release.

Turkey's Prime Minister Tayyip Erdogan (C), his family and AK Party (AKP) members attend a meeting where he is named as his party's candidate for the country's first direct presidential election in Ankara July 1, 2014. Tayyip Erdogan declared his candidacy on Tuesday for a more powerful presidency which rivals fear may entrench authoritarian rule and supporters, especially conservative Muslims, see as the crowning prize in his drive to reshape NATO member Turkey. REUTERS/Umit Bektas (TURKEY - Tags: POLITICS

The cult of Erdogan

Turkey’s ruling party and its supporters have come to attribute quasi-divine qualities to Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan, creating a personality cult that reinforces concerns over social peace in Turkey.

Must-see TV: Erdogan's new campaign movie

To understand the current political psychology among Turkey’s religious conservatives, you must see the new three-minute propaganda film Erdogan’s team launched in preparation for the presidential elections.

Turkey's Central Bank headquarters is seen in Ankara January 24, 2014. Turkey received a vote of confidence in its underlying economic health on Thursday, with foreign investors lapping up a $2.5 billion eurobond issue even as a corruption scandal swirled and the central bank intervened to prop up the lira. The graft investigation, one of the biggest threats to Prime Minister Tayyip Erdogan's 11-year rule, has shaken Turkey in recent weeks, helping send the lira into a tailspin and heightening uncertainty a

Will US court’s Argentina verdict impact Turkey?

Argentina's recently declared bankruptcy may set a risky precedent for high-debt countries like Turkey.

Residents inspect damage at a site which activists said was caused by a suicide bomber in the middle of a market last night in Tirbespiye village, east Qamishli, June 15, 2014. Activists claim that 14 people died due to the explosion, seven of them are Arab and the other seven are Kurds, while 25 were injured. REUTERS/Massoud Mohammed (SYRIA - Tags: POLITICS CIVIL UNREST CONFLICT) - RTR3TWNH

Kurdish security chief: Turkey must end support for jihadists

The head of the Syrian Kurdish security police forces, Ciwan Ibrahim, tells Al-Monitor that they are willing to cooperate with Turkey if it halts its support for jihadist groups.

A demonstrator hold pictures of Turkey's Prime Minister Tayyip Erdogan and Turkish cleric Fethullah Gulen (R), during a protest against Turkey's ruling AK Party (AKP), demanding the resignation of Erdogan, in Istanbul December 30, 2013. Erdogan swore on Sunday he would survive a corruption crisis circling his cabinet, saying those seeking his overthrow would fail just like mass anti-government protests last summer. Gulen denies involvement in stirring up the graft case, but he regularly censures Erdogan, a

Inside Turkey's wiretapped world

A firsthand account of just one of the many wiretapping cases that are happening in Turkey, where government corruption and Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan's obsession with the Gulen community is the primary cause of a massive abuse of public authority.

A fighter of the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL) holds an ISIL flag and a weapon on a street in the city of Mosul, June 23, 2014. U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry held crisis talks with leaders of Iraq's autonomous Kurdish region on Tuesday urging them to stand with Baghdad in the face of a Sunni insurgent onslaught that threatens to dismember the country. Picture taken June 23, 2014. REUTERS/Stringer (IRAQ - Tags: CIVIL UNREST POLITICS TPX IMAGES OF THE DAY) - RTR3VIB1

Turkey wakes up to Islamic State threat

An inflammatory sermon in Istanbul has made Turkey realize that the Islamic State has become a serious threat to its internal security and stability.

Turkey's Prime Minister and presidential candidate Tayyip Erdogan (C) greets his supporters during an election rally in Istanbul August 3, 2014. Turkey will vote for its first directly-elected president on August 10. The slogan in the background taht reads: "Add more strength to Turkey's power" REUTERS/Murad Sezer (TURKEY - Tags: POLITICS ELECTIONS) - RTR41360

Erdogan’s presidential rivals fight for airtime

Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan is accused of employing unfair advantages in his election campaign.

Share prices are seen on a screen alongside flags at the Istanbul Stock Exchange October 14, 2011. Picture taken October 14, 2011. REUTERS/Murad Sezer (TURKEY - Tags: BUSINESS) - RTR2SSND

Turkish stock market gains 40% in six months

The Istanbul stock exchange has been the most profitable investment instrument in Turkey since the beginning of the year, followed by Turkish lira deposits and bonds.