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Turkey

Turkey

July 15, 2026

Ankara 11:08 pm

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Ozgu Ozel

Turkish opposition leader Ozgur Ozel could launch new party by August

Ozgur Ozel’s remarks on a potential new party came as the legal crackdown on the main opposition widened further this week with the arrest and suspension of the mayor of Cankaya,one of the party’s most secure and symbolically important strongholds in the heart of Ankara.

Visitors stand inside Hagia Sophia Grand Mosque in Istanbul on April 14, 2025.

Russian couple faces deportation from Turkey after Bible reading at Hagia Sophia

The couple were detained after reading from the Bible inside the Istanbul landmark, which remains one of Christianity’s most important historic sites despite its conversion into a mosque.

Turkish Defense Minister Yasar Guler and his Egyptian counterpart, Lt. Gen. Ashraf Salem Zaher, met at the Turkey’s Defense Ministry in Ankara, July 13, 2026.

Turkey, Egypt expand military ties with cooperation frameworks: What to know

Increasing defense cooperation between Ankara and Cairo comes as Turkey seeks to offset the expanding Greek-Cypriot-Israeli alignment in the Eastern Mediterranean.

Latest News

Analysis

From S-400s to SAMP/T: Turkey’s defense pivot gathers pace after NATO summit

Britain's Prime Minister Keir Starmer (L) and Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan pose after signing a defense partnership agreement on the sidelines of the NATO summit in Ankara, Turkey, Wednesday, July 8, 2026.

Barin Kayaoglu

By Barin Kayaoglu

In Ankara, reporting on geopolitics and national security

Lebanese PM Salam in Turkey as Erdogan seeks wider regional role

Lebanon's Prime Minister Nawaf Salam speaks during a joint declaration press event with French President following their meeting at the Elysee Presidential Palace in Paris on April 21, 2026.

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 - APRIL 04: Bulk carrier freight container ship China Shipping Line in River Bosphorus and Sea of Marmara, Istanbul, Republic of Turkey (Photo by Tim Graham/Getty Images)

Questions persist as Canal Istanbul construction begins

We have to hope Ankara has developed contingency plans for the potential political, economic, environmental and especially geostrategic consequences of the Canal Istanbul project.

Turkey's President Tayyip Erdogan speaks during a news conference with Tunisia's President Beji Caid Essebsi (not pictured) at Carthage Palace in Tunis, Tunisia, December 27, 2017. REUTERS/Zoubeir Souissi - RC1C0962BF30

Experts examine Erdogan's continuing escalation in Syria

Decoding the Turkish president's harsh rhetoric on Syria is becoming increasingly difficult as he alienates almost all parties working to end the war.

Saudi Arabia, Turkey watch Iran-Iraq oil rapprochement warily

The oil swap deal between Iran and Iraq represents an opportunity to counterbalance Saudi-Iraq ties.

Yazidis in Turkey camp wish for IS captives to return home

Yazidis who have been in a camp near Mardin wish for their women and children to return home safely from IS captivity.

Turkish army tanks and military personal are stationed in Karkamis on the Turkish-Syrian border in the southeastern Gaziantep province, Turkey, August 25, 2016. REUTERS/Umit Bektas - S1BETXLBLSAE

Is Turkey aligned with al-Qaeda affiliate in Idlib?

Russian-Turkish relations worsen as Syrian forces advance in Idlib; Al-Monitor leads media coverage of Iran’s financial crisis — by six months; the American University of Beirut dedicates "transformative" Halim and Aida Daniel Academic and Clinical Center.

A soldier walks at Ibrahim Khalil border gate between Iraq and Turkey, near Zakhu, February 26, 2008. Turkish products dominate shop shelves in Iraq's Kurdish north. So, even as residents here seethe in anger at Turkey's big military incursion into their homeland, they cannot afford to cut the economic lifeline with their larger neighbour. Picture taken February 26, 2008. To match feature IRAQ-TURKEY/TRADE REUTERS/Ceerwan Aziz (IRAQ) - GM1E42R1FKC01

Turkey’s optimistic plans in Iraq seem to be faltering

Ankara thought it had promising deals with the Iraqi government — such as a new pipeline from Kirkuk, Iraq, to Ceyhan, Turkey, and a new crossing to Iraq — but the proposals now are in question.

Turkey’s national booze under government siege

On top of sky-high taxes on liquor, the Turkish government has moved to thwart the home brewing of raki, the much-coveted national booze.

Macron slams door on Erdogan's EU ambitions

The Turkish public's strong desire for its country to join the EU could eventually have political implications for its president, who just returned from Europe empty-handed — again.

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan attends the news conference after his meeting with Poland's President Andrzej Duda at the Presidential Palace in Warsaw, Poland, October 17, 2017. REUTERS/Kacper Pempel - UP1EDAH0WNL3N

Erdogan: No extradition to US until Turkey gets Gulen

Turkey has announced it will suspend extraditions to the United States until Washington produces Muslim cleric Fethullah Gulen as US-Turkish relations continue to circle the drain.

Opposition fighters prepare to fire missiles from a village near al-Tamanah during ongoing battles with government forces in Syria's Idlib province on January 11, 2018.
The regime hopes to seize control of southeast parts of Idlib province to secure a main road between the capital Damascus and the northern city of Aleppo. / AFP PHOTO / OMAR HAJ KADOUR (Photo credit should read OMAR HAJ KADOUR/AFP/Getty Images)

Turkey calls on Russia, Iran to get Syrian army under control

The Syrian army's attacks against armed groups at Idlib could ignite tensions between Russia and Turkey.

Riot police detain protesters during the trial of two Turkish teachers, who went on a hunger strike over their dismissal under a government decree following last year's failed coup, outside of a courthouse in Ankara, Turkey, September 14, 2017. REUTERS/Umit Bektas - RC1C4AF5B7A0

A new refugee flow to Europe: Turkish refugees

The mass arrests in Turkey after the failed coup in July 2016 have prompted many Turks to flee their country for Europe.

French President Emmanuel Macron (R) and Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan walk out after a joint press conference at the Elysee Palace in Paris, France, January 5, 2018. REUTERS/Ludovic Marin/Pool - RC1B3603AB90

Do improved ties with France, Germany signal end to Turkey’s EU bid?

Turkish liberals lament the state of Ankara-EU relations, but pro-government analysts believe developing practical ties with key European powers is better than waiting at the EU’s door.