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July 4, 2026

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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

ISTANBUL, TURKEY - NOVEMBER 21: Turkish Lira currency is seen on November 21, 2017 in Istanbul, Turkey. The Turkish Lira plunged to a record low of 3.978 against the dollar in early Tuesday trading. Concern's over deteriorating relations with the U.S. and the central bank continue to effect Turkish markets. (Photo by Chris McGrath/Getty Images)

Turkish lira slides 2% amid reserves concerns

Turkey’s currency slumped 2% against the dollar Wednesday as concerns linger over Central Bank policies and depleted reserves.

Full-fledged military escalation looms large in Idlib

Developments in southern Idlib suggest that a five-month truce could soon come to an end with a fresh regime offensive to capture Syria’s last rebel stronghold.

ANKARA, TURKEY - JUNE 25: Muharrem Ince, presidential candidate of main opposition Republican People's Party (CHP) holds a news conference evaluating the election results on June 25, 2018 in Ankara, Turkey. More than 59 million citizens vote yesterday for presidential and parliamentary elections. Turkey's High Electoral Board declared Recep Tayyip Erdogan the winner of Sunday's polls. Erdogan won 52.6 percent of the votes in the presidential race, avoiding a second-round runoff vote. His ruling Justice and

Rumors swirl in Turkey as former presidential candidate reportedly seeks to form new political party

Muharrem Ince, a former presidential candidate for Turkey’s main opposition Republican People’s Party (CHP), reportedly expressed interest in establishing a breakaway party, fueling rumors analysts say might serve as a trial balloon for future political maneuvers.

Intel: Syria to build Hagia Sophia replica with Russian backing

With support from Russian officials and the Orthodox Church, Syria will begin construction on a small-scale replica of the Hagia Sophia that will serve as an Orthodox cathedral.

This picture taken on October 19, 2018 shows a view of the exterior of the 6th-century Greek Orthodox Christian monastery of Saint Catherine, near the Egyptian town of the same name in south of the Sinai peninsula. (Photo by Sally KANDIL / AFP) (Photo credit should read SALLY KANDIL/AFP via Getty Images)

Cairo denounces Hagia Sophia move, develops Egypt's Christian sites

Days after Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan declared Istanbul’s historic Hagia Sophia a mosque, Egypt announced ambitious restoration plans for South Sinai's Saint Catherine area.

A man walks at a makeshift refinery using burners to distill crude oil in the village of Bishiriya in the countryside near the town of Qahtaniya west of Rumaylan (Rmeilan) in Syria's Kurdish-controlled northeastern Hasakeh province, on July 19, 2020. - Oil pollution in Syria has become a growing concern since the 2011 onset of a civil war that has taken a toll on oil infrastructure and seen rival powers compete over control of key hydrocarbon fields. In the Kurdish-held northeast, a large storage facility i

Turkey joins Syria in slamming oil agreement between US firm, Syrian Kurds

Ankara has spoken out against a new oil agreement between an American-based company and the Kurdish-led Autonomous Administration of North and East Syria.

Ankara to host interfaith dialogue expo as Hagia Sophia controversy heats up

The Turkish capital’s only contemporary museum is slated to host an exhibition that highlights interfaith dialogue amid controversy over Hagia Sophia's conversion.

ISTANBUL, TURKEY - APRIL 06: A teacher inspects a newly made surgical face mask amid the COVID-19 outbreak at a Vocational and Technical Anatolian School on April 06, 2020 in Istanbul, Turkey. Since the outbreak of the Coronavirus Turkey's Ministry of National Education Istanbul Province Directorate, has launched a school program, turning some schools into makeshift factories to produce medical equipment. The program that is run and operated by the schools teachers themselves, has produced 2,700,000 surgic

Turkish health officials watch for COVID-19 cases to rise after holiday

Turkish health officials are calling for increased precautions to limit the spread of COVID-19 as citizens conclude festivities for the Muslim holiday of Eid al-Adha.

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan (R) and Libyan Prime Minister Fayez al-Sarraj (L) hold a joint press conference at the Presidential Complex in Ankara on June 4, 2020. (Photo by Adem ALTAN / AFP) (Photo by ADEM ALTAN/AFP via Getty Images)

Libya score-settling moves closer to Turkey’s borders

Turkey’s intervention in the Libyan war is driving its adversaries to retaliate beyond Libya in conflict zones along Turkey’s own borders.

A picture taken at the port of Dilovasi, outside Istanbul, on June 20, 2019 shows the drilling ship 'Yavuz' scheduled to search for oil and gas off Cyprus. - Turkey is set to send a new ship on June 20 to search for oil and gas off Cyprus, in a move expected to escalate tensions after the EU called on Ankara to stop its "illegal drilling activities". The region near the divided island is believed have rich natural gas deposits, triggering a race between Turkey and the internationally recognised Cyprus, whic

Egypt, Turkey show off naval strength in eastern Mediterranean

Turkey conducted a military drill in the eastern Mediterranean that was followed by an Egyptian-French drill amid tensions in the region among Turkey, Greece and Cyprus on gas exploration, and between Turkey and Egypt on Libya.

Does Erdogan think Sisi is bluffing in Libya?

Trump and Putin can prevent the "Syrianization" of Libya.

Turkey holds joint military drills with Azerbaijan amid Armenia conflict

Azerbaijan and Armenia, long at odds, have been fighting in the strategic Tavush-Tovuz border area; Turkey has threatened to intervene on the side of Azerbaijan.