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Turkey

July 4, 2026

Ankara 4:35 am

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A screenshot of one of Deniz Goktas' standup routines posted to YouTube.

Culture

Turkish standup comic detained after act calling Erdogan 'dictator' goes viral

Comedian Deniz Goktas’ arrest comes as Ankara intensifies prosecutions against opposition figures, journalists, artists and critics ahead of a major NATO summit.

Somalia's President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud speaks during the launch of an offshore energy exploration at the port in Mogadishu on April 10, 2026.

Turkish jets strike al-Shabab targets in Somalia: What to know

A Somali Defense Ministry statement initially said Turkish F-16s carried out strikes on Al-Shabab targets before a later version referred only to “international partners.”

Syrian textile employees work in a textile workshop in Gaziantep, Turkey, on Jan. 30, 2025.

Explainer

Turkey eases job rules for 1M+ Syrians under temporary protection: What to know

The move, part of a broader easing of restrictions on Syrians living in Turkey, could allow roughly 1.1 million working-age Syrians to enter registered employment more easily as Ankara seeks to reduce informal labor and address workforce gaps.

Latest News

Turkey, Azerbaijan slam Israel’s Armenian genocide recognition as Yerevan mum

KAREN MINASYAN / AFP via Getty Images

Analysis

Why Turkey and Egypt are deepening military ties amid regional turmoil

From (L-R) Pakistani Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar, Egyptian Foreign Minister Badr Abdelatty, Saudi Foreign Minister Faisal bin Farhan and Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan attend a meeting in Cairo on June 21, 2026.

Barin Kayaoglu

By Barin Kayaoglu

In Ankara, reporting on geopolitics and national security

Explainer

Israel's Armenian genocide recognition marks new front against Turkey

Members of the Jerusalem Armenian community hold placards as they march during commemorations for the 94th anniversary of mass killings of their kin under the Ottoman Empire, Jerusalem's Old City, April 24, 2009.

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

Israeli soldiers stand on a field overlooking Syria in the Golan Heights March 19, 2014. Israel launched air strikes on Wednesday against Syrian military sites in response to a roadside bombing that wounded four of its soldiers, but both sides signalled they were not seeking further escalation. REUTERS/Ronen Zvulun (CIVIL UNREST MILITARY POLITICS) - RTR3HQDT

Israel adjusts to Syrian insurgents on Golan border

Israel is assessing the consequences and contingencies for dealing with Syrian insurgents on its northern border and Syrian President Bashar al-Assad's holding on to power.

TO GO WITH AFP STORY BY PHILIPPE ALFROY
A view of a vineyard near the Tamay Wine House on the island of Bozcaada in Turkey on September 4 ,2013. Off the coast from the mythical city of Troy, the Turkish island of Bozcaada has an ancient tradition of wine making that is both a source of cultural pride and important for local tourism. However many people on the wine-producing island feel their culture is now threatened by the conservative AKP ruling party's new legislation on alcohol which amongst other meas

Are Greeks returning to Turkey?

Ankara’s softening minority policies have encouraged several Greek families to return to their native lands in Turkey, but a genuine reconciliation requires farther-reaching steps.

Turkey's Energy Minister Taner Yildiz speaks at the Iraq-Kurdistan Oil and Gas Conference at Arbil in Iraq's Kurdistan region, December 2, 2013. Turkey said on Monday it stood by a bilateral oil deal with Iraq's Kurdistan region that bypassed central government but wanted to win Baghdad's support by drawing it into the arrangement. Reuters reported that Turkey and Iraqi Kurdistan signed a multi-billion-dollar energy package last week, infuriating a central Baghdad government which claims sole authority over

Turkey pivots to Baghdad to close deal on Kurdish oil

Turkey has realized it can’t sell Kurdish oil without Baghdad’s blessing.

Turkey's Prime Minister Tayyip Erdogan addresses members of parliament from his ruling AK Party (AKP) during a meeting at the Turkish parliament in Ankara April 29, 2014. REUTERS/Umit Bektas (TURKEY - Tags: POLITICS) - RTR3N1XI

Turkey’s Erdogan problem

Events in Turkey since the March 30 elections have seen problems mostly of Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan’s making.

A miner waits in front of the coal mine in Soma, a district in Turkey's western province of Manisa, after a coal mine explosion, May 17, 2014. Rescue workers began winding up their operations on Saturday after finding the bodies of two more miners, believed to be the last remaining in the mine, bringing the death toll in Turkey's worst industrial disaster to 301, the energy minister said. REUTERS/ Osman Orsal (TURKEY - Tags: DISASTER ENERGY) - RTR3PKPJ

In mining tragedy, Erdogan doesn't learn from past mistakes

Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan’s disastrous response to the Soma mining tragedy reflects a narrow and defensive approach to politics.

Destroyed buildings are pictured, after the cessation of fighting between rebels and forces loyal to Syria's President Bashar al-Assad, in Homs city, May 10, 2014. Picture taken May 10, 2014. REUTERS/Ghassan Najjar (SYRIA - Tags: CIVIL UNREST CONFLICT) - RTR3ON0N

US should test Iran on Syria

The United States and Iran can build on shared interests in combating al-Qaeda and terrorist groups, disarmament of Syria’s chemical weapons and opening humanitarian aid corridors.

Saudi Arabia's Foreign Minister Prince Saud al-Faisal attends the opening of an Arab foreign ministers emergency meeting to discuss the Syrian crisis and President Bashar al-Assad's regime, at the Arab League headquarters in Cairo, March 9, 2014. The Arab League on Sunday endorsed Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas's rejection of Israel's demand for recognition as a Jewish state, as U.S.-backed peace talks approach a deadline next month. The United States want Abbas to make the concession as part of effort

Saudi invitation a first step with Iran

Resolving the problems that mar Saudi-Iran relations remain out of reach for now, but Saudi Arabia’s invitation to the Iranian foreign minister to visit the kingdom is an opportunity to calm tensions.

A sign is pictured inside the 16th-century Tatar Khans' palace in Bakhchisaray April 2, 2014. From the 16th-century Tatar Khans' palace in Bakhchisaray to the former tsarist residence that hosted the World War Two Yalta conference, Crimea's heritage sites have become a source of bitter contention since Russia seized the region from Ukraine. REUTERS/Yannis Behrakis (UKRAINE - Tags: TRAVEL SOCIETY) - RTR3JPF8

Erdogan under pressure over threat to Tatars in Ukraine

Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan is boxed in by a looming civil war in Ukraine and an intractable conflict in Syria.

TURKEY-GREENPEACE:ISTANBUL,10APR00-Greenpeace activists fly a hot air balloon sporting a slogan in Turkish reads as "Stop Akkuyu" in front of sixth century Byzantinian church of St. Sophia as they demonstrate in the old city in Istanbul April 10 against the Turkish government decision to build a first ever nuclear plant in Akkuyu. Turkish police detained nine activists during the protest.

FS - RTR3057

Turkey's countdown to nuclear energy

When Turkey’s two planned nuclear power plants become fully operational, the country’s annual bill for energy imports will decrease by an estimated $7.2 billion.

Egyptians hold pictures of Egypt's presidential candidate and former army chief Abdel Fattah al-Sisi as they wait to cast their votes for the presidential election at the Egyptian embassy in Riyadh May 15, 2014. Egyptians living outside the country on Thursday began voting in the presidential election, which will be held on May 26-27 in Egypt. REUTERS/Faisal Al Nasser (SAUDI ARABIA - Tags: POLITICS ELECTIONS) - RTR3PAN1

Millions will boycott Egypt's elections

Sisi expects a comfortable win, while a boycott campaign may hurt Sabahi's chances.

Search and rescue officers work at a damaged building at the site of blast in the town of Reyhanli in Hatay province, near the Turkish-Syrian border, May 14, 2013. REUTERS/Umit Bektas (TURKEY - Tags: POLITICS CIVIL UNREST) - RTXZLWH

Turkish governor lays out ISIS threat

Celalettin Lekesiz, the governor of Hatay province, is now going public with the threats to Turkey from al-Qaeda and ISIS operations in Turkey and on the Turkey-Syria border.

A Palestinian boy holds a poster of Turkish Prime Minister Tayyip Erdogan as he celebrates after Erdogan declared victory in local polls during a rally organised by Hamas movement in the northern Gaza Strip March 31, 2014. Erdogan declared victory in local polls that had become a referendum on his rule and said he would "enter the lair" of enemies who have accused him of corruption and leaked state secrets. The Arabic words read "Turkey Justice and development forward". REUTERS/Mohammed Salem (GAZA - Tags:

Hamas wary of improved Turkey-Israel ties

Many within Hamas are quietly disappointed that Islamist ally Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan may be pursuing reconciliation with Israel.