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Turkey

Turkey

May 10, 2026

Ankara 12:10 pm

21°C

ISTANBUL, TURKEY - MAY 06: A man poses for a photograph in front of the newly unveiled, Turkish made intercontinental ballistic missile Yildirimhan at the SAHA International Defence and Aerospace Expo on May 06, 2026 in Istanbul, Turkey. The International Defence and Aerospace Exhibition, showcased Turkish and foreign companies new products and technology. The expo was dominated by UAV products as modern warfare increasingly shifts to drone and unmanned technologies. (Photo by Chris McGrath/Getty Images)

Analysis

From drones to deterrence: Turkey's ICBM missile signals bigger ambitions

Turkey’s planned test of a 6,000-kilometer missile could boost Ankara’s defense industry prestige, strengthen its deterrence messaging and feed a powerful domestic narrative of technological self-reliance, but it also raises questions about cost, timing and NATO protection.

Barin Kayaoglu

By Barin Kayaoglu

In Ankara, reporting on geopolitics and national security

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.

Latest News

Turkey, Japan launch defense industry partnership with eye on drones

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.

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.

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

Amnesty International Belgium's Director Philippe Hensmans poses in a cage in front of the Turkish embassy in Brussels to protest against the detention of his Turkish counterpart Idil Eser, Belgium, July 10, 2017. REUTERS/Francois Lenoir TPX IMAGES OF THE DAY - RTX3ATNW

Human rights groups become new target of Ankara’s crackdown

The arrest of six prominent human rights activists in Turkey on terrorism-related charges marks a new phase in the suppression campaign of the Erdogan regime.

German Foreign Minister Sigmar Gabriel addresses a news conference in Berlin, Germany, July 20, 2017, after he has interrupted his summer vacation and returned to Berlin to discuss a deepening crisis in relations with Turkey over the arrest of human rights activists. REUTERS/Fabrizio Bensch - RTX3C6LW

Berlin says German citizens 'no longer safe' in Turkey

Ankara-Berlin animosity is likely to spill over from harsh words to action as Germans languish in Turkish detention and German investors are warned away from the country.

Members of the Emergency Response Division celebrate in the Old City of Mosul, Iraq July 8, 2017. REUTERS/Alaa Al-Marjani - RTX3AM9I

Military setbacks don't ensure Islamic State's demise

The Islamic State's loss of territory in Iraq and Syria is accompanied by opponents' cheers of a military victory — but is it really victory?

Sevan_Nişanyan.jpg

The story of a Turkish intellectual’s escape from prison

After years of controversy and trials, Armenian intellectual Sevan Nisanyan dropped a bombshell on Twitter, announcing his escape from a prison in Turkey.

Kurdish fighters from the People's Protection Units (YPG) stand near U.S military vehicles in the town of Darbasiya next to the Turkish border, Syria April 29, 2017. Picture taken April 29, 2017. REUTERS/Rodi Said - RTS14IHP

Turkey’s state news agency exposes US positions in Syria

A Turkish state news agency revealed US troops' positions in Syria in what US officials see as further Turkish hostility over the US alliance with the Syrian Kurdish People's Protection Units.

German Chancellor Angela Merkel greets Turkey's President Recep Tayyip Erdogan at the beginning of the G20 summit in Hamburg, Germany, July 7, 2017. REUTERS/Bernd Von Jutrczenka/POOL - RTX3AG1I

Coup anniversary leaves US, Europe facing few choices on Turkey

Despite his jibes and vitriolic rhetoric against them, Western powers appear set to continue appeasing President Erdogan for the sake of their broader interests.

Turkish Parliament convenes to commemorate the attempted coup on its first anniversary at the Turkish parliament in Ankara, Turkey July 15, 2017. REUTERS/Umit Bektas - RTX3BK3S

Turkey’s parliament could be finalizing its own demise

The "palace regime," a phrase coined by opposition members to define the Turkish president's agenda, aims to silence the last legitimate venue for political opposition prior to the 2019 presidential election.

TOPSHOT - A picture taken on July 9, 2017, shows a general view of the destruction in Mosul's Old City.
Iraq will announce imminently a final victory in the nearly nine-month offensive to retake Mosul from jihadists, a US general said Saturday, as celebrations broke out among police forces in the city. / AFP PHOTO / AHMAD AL-RUBAYE (Photo credit should read AHMAD AL-RUBAYE/AFP/Getty Images)

Turkey eager for role in rebuilding war-torn Mosul

Turkish companies have a lot of experience to offer in reconstructing Mosul, but their government's political indiscretions pose serious obstacles.

A U.S. fighter, who is fighting alongside with Syria Democratic Forces (SDF), carries his national flag as he stands with SDF fighters in northern province of Raqqa, Syria May 27, 2016. REUTERS/Rodi Said - RTX2EIZN

Turkey wanted thousands of US troops for Raqqa offensive

As the US-led coalition fights to liberate Raqqa, Turkey continues to complain about the inclusion of Syrian Kurdish fighters, arguing the United States should have committed enough troops.

Turkey’s economic dilemma: Win Qatar or lose the Gulf?

By backing Qatar, Turkey faces economic losses in the Gulf but improved economic ties with Iran

Kurdish fighters from the People's Protection Units (YPG) run across a street in Raqqa, Syria July 3, 2017. REUTERS/Goran Tomasevic TPX IMAGES OF THE DAY - RTS19M60

Turkish-YPG clashes rage around critical sites in northern Syria

Turkey and its allies among the Syrian rebel forces have intensified attacks on Syrian Kurdish fighters in northwest Syria as Turkey's buildup continues.

A soldier accused of attempting to assassinate Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan on the night of the failed July 15, 2016 coup is carried by gendarmes to the courthouse in Mugla, Turkey July 14, 2017. REUTERS/Kenan Gurbuz - RTX3BFT0

Even through all his bluster, Erdogan's fear is obvious

Despite massive purges since the attempted coup a year ago, Turkey's president and those around him are still afraid of their own military.