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Turkey

Turkey

July 4, 2026

Ankara 6:28 pm

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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

Demonstrators protest over the death of African-American man George Floyd in Minneapolis police custody, in front of the U.S. consulate in Istanbul, Turkey, June 4, 2020. REUTERS/Umit Bektas - RC292H96R5RD

Reactions to George Floyd murder reveal Islamist fragility in Turkey

President Recep Tayyip Erdogan criticizes the United States for racism while pro-government media alleges that the anti-fascist groups in the protests are being supported by outlawed groups in Turkey.

Turkey senses advantage in shaping Libya negotiations

Ankara and Moscow might find common ground in Libya by bringing eastern and western forces to the negotiating table, excluding Khalifa Hifter. Such a prospect, however, would require pressuring Hifter’s backers.

A worker in protective suit disinfects the Turk Telekom Stadium in Istanbul, Turkey March 14, 2020. REUTERS/Umit Bektas - RC2OJF9UV6LF

Turkish soccer gears up for return, haunted by financial woes

Turkey’s debt-ridden soccer industry is likely to grow more desperate for government support under the bruising impact of the COVID-19 crisis.

Turkish police officers wearing face masks, with the Byzantine-era monument of Hagia Sophia, now a museum, in the background, patrol at touristic Sultanahmet Square following the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) outbreak, in Istanbul, Turkey, June 5, 2020. REUTERS/Murad Sezer - RC213H9TTIHG

Turkey's Erodgan cancels weekend curfew despite spike in cases

Hours after his government announced a weekend curfew for 15 major cities, a public backlash forced Turkey's president to call off the movement restrictions.

Turkey resuming domestic and international flights

Domestic airline flights recommence in Turkey and international flights to 40 countries are expected.

Enis Berberoglu, the first lawmaker from the main opposition Republican People's Party (CHP) to be jailed amid government purges following a failed military coup in 2016, is seen with his supporters after being released from the prison in Silivri near Istanbul, Turkey, September 20, 2018. REUTERS/Huseyin Aldemir - RC1FA81551A0

Fury as three Turkish lawmakers stripped of seats

Three Turkish opposition lawmakers lost their parliament seats today over controversial terror convictions as the chamber erupted in howls of protest, opposition deputies banging on their lecterns and shouting "Down with fascism."

An elderly couple poses for a picture at a park, as seniors over 65 years old have been exempted from curfew for six hours during the first day of Eid, amid the spread of the coronavirus disease (COVID-19), in Istanbul, Turkey, May 24, 2020. REUTERS/Umit Bektas - RC21VG9TUYL9

Elderly Turks furious over 'nonsense' lockdown

Grumbles are growing from senior citizens in Turkey who remain confined to their homes as curfews are lifted for most other Turks.

Turkey to reopen border crossings with Iran, Iraq

By opening two border crossings with Iran and Iraq, Turkey is seeking to boost the economy, and many businesses resume operations in the country this week.

Turkish drilling vessel Yavuz is escorted by Turkish Navy frigate TCG Gemlik (F-492) in the eastern Mediterranean Sea off Cyprus, August 6, 2019. Picture taken August 6, 2019. REUTERS/Murad Sezer - RC110E733AB0

EU criticizes Turkish energy exploration in Mediterranean

Turkey disputes the European Union's position that the waters where Turkey hopes to drill for hydrocarbon belong to Greece and Cyprus.

Women wearing protective face masks walk at the spice market, also known as the Egyptian Bazaar, as it reopens after weeks of the close doors amid the spread of the coronavirus disease (COVID-19), in Istanbul, Turkey, June 1, 2020. REUTERS/Umit Bektas - RC2B0H9WHBPH

As Turkey gets back to business, doctors warn second wave could follow

Cafes and restaurants reopened and intercity travel resumed in Turkey after new cases of the novel coronavirus have steadily declined, though health officials warn failure to follow social distancing measures could lead to new infections.

U.S.-based Turkish cleric Fethullah Gulen at his home in Saylorsburg, Pennsylvania, U.S. July 10, 2017. REUTERS/Charles Mostoller - RC1C1F12DE90

Turkey issues warrants for over 100 accused of Gulen ties

The Turkish prosecutor's office ordered the arrest of 118 people suspected of ties to the outlawed Gulen movement.

SENSITIVE MATERIAL. THIS IMAGE MAY OFFEND OR DISTURB Crowds of angry protestors line the motorcade route as seen from inside U.S. President Donald Trump's motorcade as he travels through Washington to visit the Saint John Paul II National Shrine as protests continue over the death in police custody of George Floyd, in Washington, U.S., June 2, 2020. REUTERS/Tom Brenner - RC241H90KOXZ

Turkey ignores its own record, denouncing press clampdown in US protests

Turkish officials have denounced the crackdown on journalists in the United States, drawing criticism given Ankara's own record on press freedom.