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Turkey

Turkey

July 16, 2026

Ankara 4:55 pm

29°C

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.

Latest News

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

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.

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

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’s threat of sanctions against Iraqi Kurds rattles its own traders

The economic sanctions that Turkey threatens against the Iraqi Kurds have sparked anxiety inside its own borders, where many depend on bilateral trade to make a living.

Border crossings bring in cash for Free Syrian Army factions

The Turkey-backed Free Syrian Army is racking up serious sums of money from fees it charges at border crossings in northern Syria.

Interview

Syrian Kurdish commander: We're 'ready to engage' with Damascus

In an interview with Al-Monitor, a Syrian Kurdish commander says the United States should stay in Syria during the post-Islamic State process.

Mazlum Kobane

Mazlum Kobane

SDF commander in chief

Turkish court frees leading journalist as press trial drags on

Prominent Turkish journalist Kadri Gursel has walked out of prison after 330 days, though the often ludicrous proceedings against him and 17 other Cumhuriyet journalists are far from over.

Some Turks blame US for Kurdish independence vote

Sources close to Turkey's ruling party say the United States secretly supports Iraqi Kurds' bid for independence as part of US plans for a "second Israel" in the region.

Israel cheers on Kurds while ignoring Palestinians

Senior Israeli politicians and the Israeli media have been showering the Kurds with warmth and support in their independence effort while ignoring the Palestinian aspirations for self-determination.

As Iraqi Kurds vote for independence, Turkey dials up hostility

Kurds in northern Iraq are holding a historic vote for independence, but opposition from their neighbors, especially Turkey, has ratcheted up regional tensions.

Fed’s road map threatens to jolt Turkey

The US Federal Reserve’s plan to trim its balance sheet and keep hiking interest rates could spell trouble for Turkey by changing the direction of global funds and pushing up the price of the dollar.

Turkey hopes to pounce on big piece of Mosul reconstruction

Despite their government's past gaffes, Turkish firms want, even expect, substantial contracts to help rebuild Iraq's Mosul, which was reduced to rubble during the long battle to exorcise the Islamic State.

A member of Peshmerga forces shows his ink-stained finger during Kurds independence referendum in Sheikh Amir village, Iraq September 25, 2017. REUTERS/Azad Lashkari - RC19A8F11230

What's next after Kurdish independence vote?

Millions in the Iraqi Kurdistan Region voted in today's independence referendum, despite threats by Iraq, Turkey, Iran and the United States.

A Turkish soldier points as he stands on a tank during a military exercise near the Turkish-Iraqi border in Silopi, Turkey, September 22, 2017. REUTERS/Umit Bektas TPX IMAGES OF THE DAY - RC1DFB08C2A0

Turkey's threats against Kurdish referendum vague but deliberate

Turkey’s National Security Council convened Sept. 22 to decide what measures to take against the Kurdistan Regional Government if it holds its independence referendum.

Participants attend the round of Syria peace talks in Astana, Kazakhstan September 15, 2017. REUTERS/Mukhtar Kholdorbekov - RC18D4821F20

Latest Syria peace talks solidify final de-escalation zone

Russia, Turkey and Iran met with opponents of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad’s regime to ink an agreement on the four safe zones.