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Turkey

Turkey

May 9, 2026

Ankara 9:43 am

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MURAT KOCABAS/Middle East Images/AFP via Getty Images

Culture

How ‘dog mom’ vacuum cleaner ad sparked culture war in Turkey

A Mother’s Day advertisement featuring a “dog mom” triggered a backlash from conservative media, government officials and regulators, turning a soft consumer campaign into a flashpoint over motherhood, declining birth rates, stray dogs and even antisemitism.

People look at a drone on display at the Baykar exhibit at the SAHA International Defence and Aerospace Expo on May 06, 2026 in Istanbul, Turkey.

Turkey, Japan launch defense industry partnership with eye on drones

The initiative could eventually lead to joint UAV development and production as Japan looks to expand drone capabilities amid regional tensions.

Latest News

Saudi FM in Turkey as Ankara, Riyadh step up coordination amid Iran war

Saudi Foreign Minister Faisal bin Farhan Al Saud and Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan in Ankara, May 6, 2026.

Turkey, Armenia agree to restore medieval bridge in normalization push

A picture taken near Kars on Feb. 28, 2024 shows the ruins of a bridge over Arpacay river, the natural border between Turkey and Armenia.

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

Turkey squeezed between American hammer, Russian anvil on Syrian stage

The Kurdish issue is only one of the catalysts to indicate Turkey’s weakened posture in Syria, the Middle East and the world.

Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko (R) and his Turkish counterpart Recep Tayyip Erdogan attend a ceremony before their meeting in Kiev on March 20, 2015. AFP PHOTO / SERGEI SUPINSKY (Photo credit should read SERGEI SUPINSKY/AFP/Getty Images)

Turkey, Russia exchange Chechen prisoners for Tatars

It has emerged that two Russian agents jailed in Turkey in connection with the deaths of Chechen dissidents were extradited to Russia as part of a prisoner swap enabled by Turkey's legal state of emergency.

Alevi demonstrators shout anti-goverment slogans during a protest against the latest violence in Okmeydani, a working-class district in the center of the city, in Istanbul May 25, 2014. Two people died last week after clashes between Turkish police and protesters in Okmeydani, a working-class district of Istanbul, stirring fears of further unrest as the anniversary of last year's anti-government demonstrations approaches. Okmeydani is home to a community of Alevis, a religious minority in mainly Sunni Musli

Turkey’s Alevis on edge after homes vandalized

More than a dozen Alevi homes were recently marked with red paint, setting off alarm bells for Turkey's largest minority group, which has a long memory of sectarian violence.

Iran's President Hassan Rouhani together with his counterparts, Russia's Vladimir Putin and Turkey's Tayyip Erdogan, attend a joint news conference following their meeting in Sochi, Russia November 22, 2017. Sputnik/Mikhail Klimentyev/Kremlin via REUTERS ATTENTION EDITORS - THIS IMAGE WAS PROVIDED BY A THIRD PARTY. - RC1D16F4FF70

Sochi summit leaves Turkey facing unsavory possibilities

It's unknown how far Moscow will go to appease Ankara with regard to the Syrian Kurds.

People gather at the Broadway entrance of Macy's Herald Square store ahead of early opening for the Black Friday sales in Manhattan, New York, U.S. November 23, 2017. REUTERS/Andrew Kelly - RC1C2A925EB0

Why so many Turks took Black Friday as insult to Islam

It may have looked silly when thousands of Turks took to Twitter to condemn Black Friday sales, but their frenzy tells an ominous story.

A fighter of the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) carries a weapon as he stands near a military vehicle in Raqqa, Syria, October 16, 2017. REUTERS/Rodi Said - RC1A33A0C9A0

Trump promises to end 'nonsense' of arming Syrian Kurds, Turkey says

Turkish officials say the US president promised Turkey’s leader that arms shipments to Kurds fighting the Islamic State would stop, but observers worry such a move will cost Washington a key partner and undermine stabilization efforts in Syria.

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan gestures during a joint press conference with Serbia's President Aleksandar Vucic (not in the picture) after their meeting in Belgrade, Serbia, October 10, 2017. REUTERS/Marko Djurica - RC11B290C400

Turkey's creative schemes aim to discredit Zarrab case in US

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan and his team failed to convince the United States to agree to a “diplomatic solution” in the financial crime case involving Reza Zarrab and Turkey’s top bankers and former ministers. Now, Erdogan claims the case is a conspiracy against Turkey between the United States and the Gulen movement.

Turkey’s meat row

Scrambling to rein in skyrocketing meat prices, the Turkish government has again resorted to imports of cheaper meat, angering producers in the country’s already shrinking husbandry sector.

Turks explore Ottoman past in visits to Jerusalem

Turkish pilgrims and visitors are increasingly heading to Jerusalem, following Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan's call on Muslims to visit the holy city.

A Turkish cook prepares a beef steak on fire at a restaurant in a five-star hotel in the Mediterranean Turkish city of Antalya, January 17, 2006. Turkey's top holiday destination Antalya is concerned by the westward spread of the bird flu disease towards the city blessed by a long Mediterranean coast. Photo taken January 17, 2006. REUTERS/Umit Bektas - RP3DSFDNCIAC

Second Turkish city makes UNESCO gastronomy list

Now that it boasts a second city, Hatay, in UNESCO’s Creative Cities Network, Turkey’s tourism leaders are hoping to lure back Western tourists with their country's gastronomic delights.

Iran's President Hassan Rouhani, Russia's Vladimir Putin and Turkey's Tayyip Erdogan meet in Sochi, Russia November 22, 2017. Sputnik/Mikhail Metzel/Kremlin via REUTERS ATTENTION EDITORS - THIS IMAGE WAS PROVIDED BY A THIRD PARTY. - RC1A068CD8A0

Iranian media: Sochi summit step toward 'new Middle East'

Iranian media reported on the trilateral meeting between the presidents of Iran, Russia and Turkey in Sochi as a step toward a new Middle East.

A butcher holds pieces of beef at a meat shop in Istanbul, Turkey, July 27, 2017. REUTERS/Murad Sezer - RC11950E5810

What Turkey's halal ambitions mean for the average Turk

The Turkish government says it will bring in more revenue with the newly created Halal Accreditation Authority, but the move raises questions about discrimination, disappearing secularism and rising food prices for citizens.