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Turkey

Turkey

July 16, 2026

Ankara 6:22 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.

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

Turkish military sends anti-referendum message with exercises across border

Ankara is trying to tell its neighbors something with its massive military exercise across the border from Iraqi Kurdistan as the Kurdish Regional Government's independence referendum nears.

Turkey-PKK 'drone wars' escalate

The armed conflict between Turkey and the PKK has been rapidly becoming drone-centric, with this dynamic radically altering the basic characteristics of this conflict while amassing legal and moral issues.

(LtoR) Turkey's Foreign Affairs Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu and the High Representative of the European Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy and Vice-President of the European Commission Federica Mogherini give a joint press conference following the EU-Turkey High Level Political Dialogue meeting at the EU headquarters in Brussels on July 25, 2017. / AFP PHOTO / JOHN THYS (Photo credit should read JOHN THYS/AFP/Getty Images)

Turkish FM says KRG referendum 'big mistake'

In an interview with Al-Monitor, Turkey's Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu speaks about the upcoming independence vote in Iraqi Kurdistan, Turkish-EU relations and expanding cooperation with Russia.

Pro-Kurdish former lawmakers Leyla Zana (R) and Aysel Tugluk who were banned from politics attend a gathering to celebrate Newroz in the southeastern Turkish city of Diyarbakir March 21, 2010. Newroz, which means "new day" in Kurdish, marks the arrival of spring and is also celebrated in Afghanistan, Azerbaijan, Iran, and Tajikistan. Newroz has long served as a rallying cry for Kurdish nationalism and public celebrations were illegal in Turkey until 2000, when fighting between security forces and separatist

Mob attack on Kurdish funeral sparks outrage in Turkey

A mob attack on the funeral of a prominent Kurdish politician’s mother is seen as an indication of the high level of polarization Turkey has reached.

What's behind Turkish economic miracle?

Under Turkey's emergency law, big business may benefit while the middle class is fast disappearing.

Ankara hardens opposition to KRG referendum

As the Sept. 25 referendum approaches, Ankara seems to be toughening its stance against Iraqi Kurdistan's independence move, while a mob attacked the funeral procession for the mother of a Kurdish politician.

Turkey's Erdogan defends Rohingya to enhance image

Big political ambitions lurk behind Erdogan’s vocal defense of suffering Muslims in Myanmar, as Ankara’s own human rights record casts doubt on his credibility.

Turkey nominates Korean War story for Oscar

"Ayla: The Daughter of War," the story of a Turkish soldier who saves a Korean orphan during the Korean War, is Turkey’s candidate for the Academy Awards' Best Foreign Language Film.

A man looks at a printed banner of Kurdistan region referendum in Erbil, Iraq August 26, 2017. Picture taken August 26, 2017. REUTERS/Azad Lashkari - RC1D90FE8B20

200,000 Jewish Kurds headed for Iraqi Kurdistan, howls Turkish press

The Turkish media is abuzz with the story of a secret agreement between the Kurdistan Regional Government and Israel to resettle Jewish Israelis of Kurdish origin in Iraqi Kurdistan after the independence referendum, and some quarters are taking the news as an indication of US support for Kurdish independence.

Erdogan trouble continues with US indictment

The US indictment and issue of an arrest warrant for Turkey’s former economy minister has created more setbacks for Ankara, where many believe the ultimate target of the investigation is President Erdogan.

Why are Turks flocking to Greece?

A combination of economic, social and political factors has led to a significant increase in the number of Turks vacationing in Greece.

Demonstrators stand around a copy of the daily Cumhuriyet newspaper during a rally in the Silivri district of Istanbul on September 11, 2017.
The controversial trial of staff from Turkey's main opposition daily resumes on September 11, 2017 in a case seen as a test for press freedom under President Recep Tayyip Erdogan. / AFP PHOTO / OZAN KOSE (Photo credit should read OZAN KOSE/AFP/Getty Images)

No release for jailed journalists in Turkey’s Cumhuriyet case

During the latest hearing in a state lawsuit against journalists from Turkey's Cumhuriyet newspaper, the court has upheld its decision to keep the defendants in jail until the next hearing.