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Turkey

Turkey

April 28, 2026

Ankara 2:10 am

11°C

Turkey's submarines and fast-attack craft ships participate in the live-fire phase of the Blue Homeland-2026 (Mavi Vatan) tactical military exercises in the eastern Mediterranean Sea, in Antalya on April 9, 2026.

Turkey’s military spending jumps to $30B, leads Mideast growth in 2025

Newly released data shows Ankara’s military spending hit $30 billion, while Saudi Arabia remained the region’s top spender and Israel’s outlays declined in 2025.

Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan hosted the third meeting of the foreign ministers of Turkey, Egypt, Pakistan and Saudi Arabia on the margins of the 5th Antalya Diplomacy Forum, on April 17, 2026.

Analysis

Why Saudi Arabia, Egypt are wary of Turkey’s proposed 4-way defense pact with Pakistan

The proposed framework faces major hurdles and fault lines, ranging from NATO constraints to Israeli opposition and weak military integration.

Barin Kayaoglu

By Barin Kayaoglu

In Ankara, reporting on geopolitics and national security

CORLU, TURKEY- MARCH 2: A B model of Bayraktar AKINCI TİHA (Assault Unmanned Aerial Vehicle) in the sky on March 2, 2022 in Corlu, Turkey. (Photo by Baykar Press Office/dia images via Getty Images)

Turkey’s Baykar tests K2 swarm kamikaze drones for first time: What to know

Baykar tested its K2 and new loitering drones, featuring AI-driven swarm capabilities and the ability to operate under GPS jamming.

Latest News

Trump envoy Barrack’s embrace of 'strong leaders' sparks fury in Turkey

US Ambassador to Turkey Thomas Barrack attends a meeting with President Donald Trump and President of Turkey Recep Tayyip Erdogan in the Oval Office at the White House on Sept. 25, 2025, in Washington, DC.

How Syria's border opening with Iraq redefines Turkey-Kurd balance

Members of Iraq's security forces stand guard on the the al-Rabia border crossing with Syria on April 20, 2026.

Analysis

Italy’s TB3 drone deal signals turn toward Turkey amid US-NATO tensions

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan and Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni shake hands during the press conference following their meeting at Villa Doria Pamphilj, on April 29, 2025, in Rome, Italy.

Barin Kayaoglu

By Barin Kayaoglu

In Ankara, reporting on geopolitics and national security

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

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan holds a press conference following the weekly cabinet meeting at the Presidential Complex in Ankara on August 24, 2020. (Photo by Adem ALTAN / AFP) (Photo by ADEM ALTAN/AFP via Getty Images)

Erdogan sues Charlie Hebdo over caricature

An ongoing Turkey-France spat deepened after French satirical magazine Charlie Hebdo published a caricature of Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, prompting legal action from Ankara.

Turkey-backed Syrian fighters man a sand barricade near the rebel-controlled town of Tal Abyad in the northern Syria's Raqa province, along the frontline with Syrian Kurdish forces controling the Kurdish-majority city of Kobani, on October 10, 2020. (Photo by Bakr ALKASEM / AFP) (Photo by BAKR ALKASEM/AFP via Getty Images)

Erdogan warns Turkey has 'right to mobilize' again against Kurdish forces

The Turkish president's comments come a year after Turkey launched an offensive against Kurdish fighters in northeast Syria.

Turkish court hands US consulate worker 5-year prison sentence

Turkish citizen Nazmi Mete Canturk was convicted of "aiding an armed terror group."

A woman walks past an information screen displaying rates in front of an exchange office in Istanbul, on October 26, 2020 as Turkey's lira set a new record low against the US dollar. - Turkey's lira was trading at 8.03 against the dollar at around 0730 GMT, suffering a loss of nearly one percent since the beginning of the day. The Turkish currency also recorded its lowest level against the euro, trading near 9.52. (Photo by Yasin AKGUL / AFP) (Photo by YASIN AKGUL/AFP via Getty Images)

Turkish lira slump continues as foreign tensions simmer

The Turkish lira continued record losses Tuesday against major currencies as analysts questioned Central Bank independence and Ankara saw political spats deepen with foreign allies.

President of Turkey, Recep Tayyip Erdogan arrives to give a press conference after the cabinet meeting at the Presidential Complex in Ankara, Turkey, on September 21, 2020. (Photo by Adem ALTAN / AFP) (Photo by ADEM ALTAN/AFP via Getty Images)

How does Erdogan get away with it all?

The United States and European Union’s inertia may allow Turkey to threaten de-escalation efforts in Libya and South Caucasus.

Nagorno-Karabakh conflict tests Turkey’s hard power without diplomacy

Can Ankara’s “coercive diplomacy” in the south Caucasus yield tangible diplomatic benefits in the long run?

No good news for Turkey from jihadi ranks in Syria

Ahrar al-Sham, a prominent armed group that has often collaborated with Turkey in Syria, is hit by infighting that plays into the hands of Hayat Tahrir al-Sham and dampens Turkish plans to remold rebel factions in Idlib.

A man holds a picture of Macron with a shoe print on it as Turkish protesters shout slogans against France during a demonstration against French President's comments over Prophet Muhammad cartoons, in Istanbul, on October 25, 2020. - Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan on October 25, 2020 renewed his call for his French counterpart Emmanuel Macron to undergo mental checks, a day after his comments prompted Paris to recall its envoy to Ankara. Macron's comments, on October 21, 2020, came in response to th

Erdogan distracts from plummeting lira with call to boycott France

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan accused France’s Emmanuel Macron of pandering to anti-Muslim "fascists" in a desperate bid to bolster his electoral fortunes ahead of presidential elections in 2022, yet many would agree that Erdogan’s anti-Western tirades are designed to divert attention from his country’s mounting economic woes.

Turkey’s ruling party blunders at youth outreach

The Turkish government's recent attempts to reach out to the country's youth reveal that the generation gap is growing — and might be unbridgeable.

Erdogan goes on offense against European leaders in defense of lslam

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has taken up the cause of Islam in the West, further damaging Turkey's ties with Europe.

Turkey’s gold rush whets appetite of gold-mining companies

Turkey is eager to boost gold production amid surging demand for the precious metal despite a growing movement against the environmental damage caused by the industry.

Democratic senators demand inquiry into alleged Turkish and Azerbaijani human rights abuses

Turkey has responded to some of the recent criticisms it has received from Democrats in Washington. The recent call from the Senate focuses Turkish support for Azerbaijan in the war with Armenia.