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Turkey

Turkey

February 19, 2026

Ankara 11:08 am

2°C

Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan speaks during a press statement with his French counterpart in Ankara, on Jan. 27, 2026.

Fidan heads to US as Turkey eyes Gaza troop role: What to know

Israeli Foreign Minister Gideon Saar is also expected to attend the Board of Peace meeting, raising the prospect of the first face-to-face talks between top Turkish and Israeli diplomats since the war amid high-running tensions.

Marco Simoncelli / AFP via Getty Images

On first Horn of Africa trip in 10 years, Erdogan cautions Ethiopia over Somaliland

Turkey opposes Somaliland's recognition to protect its strategic military foothold in Mogadishu and the Red Sea.

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan looks on as Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis (not pictured) addresses the media during a joint press conference at the Presidential Complex, Ankara, Turkey, Feb. 11, 2026.

Turkey’s Erdogan heads to Ethiopia amid tensions over Horn of Africa

The Turkish leader is expected to raise Ankara’s concerns over Somalia’s territorial integrity while discussing ways to deepen bilateral ties with Addis Ababa.

This photograph taken on Jan. 20, 2026, organized by the Saudi-backed Yemeni government, shows Saudi-backed Yemeni forces in the city of Mukalla in Yemen's coastal southern Hadhramaut province.

Saudi-UAE rift complicates Israel's counter-Iran efforts, normalization

Israel fears that the rivalry between the UAE and Saudi Arabia will further push Riyadh toward countries that espouse political Islam policies.

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Analysis

Turkey courts Saudi Arabia on Kaan, but stealth fighter deal faces hurdles

Photo of a waving Turkish flag in the sky with a jet flyover behind, and a crowd below holding flags, captured on Izmir's liberation anniversary.

Barin Kayaoglu

By Barin Kayaoglu

In Ankara, reporting on geopolitics and national security

Culture

Israeli, Turkish stars named to NBA All-Star World team: What to know

SAN ANTONIO, TX - JANUARY 03: Deni Avdija #8 of the Portland Trailblazers drives over the San Antonio Spurs in the second half at Frost Bank Center on January 3, 2026 in San Antonio, Texas. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Ronald Cortes/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

Supporters attend a rally airing a televised statement by the jailed leader and founder of Turkey's Kurdistan Workers Party (PKK), Abdullah Ocalan, in Syria's predominantly Kurdish northeastern city of Qamishli on July 9, 2025.

PKK militants symbolically lay down arms in historic ceremony in Iraqi Kurdistan

The ceremony marks a fresh turning point in a peace process aimed at ending the militant group’s four-decade armed campaign against Turkey.

People wave flags of Libya (R) and Turkey (L) during a demonstration in the Martyrs' Square in the center of the Libyan capital Tripoli on June 21, 2020.

Libya, Turkey sign agreement to deepen military ties: What to know

The agreement comes at a time when the Libyan Army is struggling to assert control in a capital increasingly dominated by rival militias.

BAKR ALKASEM/AFP via Getty Images

US envoy Barrack pushes deal between Syria's Sharaa, Kurdish commander Kobane

The talks come amid shifting dynamics on the ground and a reduced US military presence in the northeast.

RICCARDO MILANI/Hans Lucas/AFP via Getty Images

In first AI crackdown, Turkey blocks access to some Grok content

The access ban marked the first AI content censorship in Turkey, stemming from offensive material targeting the Turkish president, religious values, and the country’s founder.

Turkey protest

Turkey’s Sozcu TV forced off air in latest crackdown on opposition: What to know

As Istanbul's mayor remains jailed, pressure mounts on opposition-aligned media to soften their criticism, analysts say.

An Iraqi Kurdish man holds a flag with the portrait of jailed Kurdish militant leader Abdullah Ocalan during a demonstration in the northern Iraqi Kurdish city of Sulaimaniyah on Oct. 10, 2019 against the Turkish offensive in northeastern Syria.

Turkey's spy chief heads for Iraq as PKK militants prepare to disarm

The planned weapons handover marks a major step in Turkey’s quiet bid to end the PKK’s decades-long insurgency and secure Kurdish political support for constitutional reform.

ISTANBUL, TURKEY - MAY 15: Turkish soldiers stand guard ahead of the arrival of Ukrainian, American and Russian delegates for Ukraine-Russia peace talks on May 15, 2025 at the office of Turkish President in Dolmabahce Palace in Istanbul, Turkey. Under pressure from the United States to negotiate with Russia, President Zelensky had challenged Russian President Vladimir Putin to meet him in Turkey today for direct negotiations, although Putin declined the invitation. Instead, delegates from the countries, as

12 Turkish soldiers die from methane poisoning in Iraq: What to know

Turkish troops were exposed to the toxic gas while searching for the remains of a soldier.

Chris McGrath/Getty Images

Analysis

Turkey’s defense industry eyes $200B opportunity from NATO's 5% push

NATO’s recent decision to mandate its members to spend at least 5% of their GDP on defense presents Turkey with new possibilities in planning and acquisitions.

Barin Kayaoglu

By Barin Kayaoglu

In Ankara, reporting on geopolitics and national security

Leader of Turkey's main opposition Republican People's Party (CHP) Ozgur Ozel addresses the audience during a rally in Istanbul on April 9, 2025.

Analysis

Erdogan’s long game: How CHP court case could cripple Turkey’s opposition

Analysts say the protracted trial over the CHP’s 2023 leadership vote is less about overturning results than draining the opposition’s energy ahead of key political battles.

Ezgi Akin

In Ankara, reporting on diplomacy, EU-Turkey ties, NATO

Smoke and flames rise from a forested area following a wildfire in the Seferihisar district of Izmir, Turkey, June 30, 2025.

At least two dead, hundreds displaced as wildfires rage across Turkey

Fire crews are battling to contain six fires across several Turkish provinces that have also displaced thousands on the Aegean coast.