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Turkey

Turkey

May 10, 2026

Ankara 11:10 pm

16°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

Turkey's President Recep Tayyip Erdogan delivers a statement to reporters alongside U.S President Donald Trump after their meeting at the White House in Washington, U.S. May 16, 2017. REUTERS/Kevin Lamarque - RTX363JM

Why Erdogan's US visit will only create more problems for Turkey

The expectation that Erdogan and Trump will get along because they share dominant personality traits backfired, as Erdogan concluded the shortest international meeting in his 15-year political history.

Turkey’s struggling wine sector gets Levantine touch

Along Turkey’s chic Aegean coast, the dream of owning a vineyard could easily turn into a nightmare as tourism declines and legal restrictions rise.

Morocco cracks down on fighters returning from IS

The Moroccan authorities are deploying all efforts to curb the phenomenon of former Islamic State fighters returning to their home country by arresting them.

Turkish soldiers stand at attention at Hoyuk military post on the border between Turkey and Syria near the southeastern city of Kilis, Turkey, March 2, 2017. REUTERS/Murad Sezer - RTS114DJ

How lucrative is Turkey’s defense industry?

A permanent agenda item of Erdogan’s foreign travels is military cooperation and finding markets for Turkey’s defense industry products, but it's sometimes difficult to tell how much of the achievement touted in this area is real.

Police secure the street outside the Turkish embassy during a visit by Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan on May 16, 2017 in Washington, DC.
Earlier, after Erdogan had met US President Donald Trump at the White House, the Turkish leader's security detail had clashed with pro-Kurdish protesters, leaving at least eight people wounded, one of them critically. / AFP PHOTO / Dave Clark (Photo credit should read DAVE CLARK/AFP/Getty Images)

McCain reacts to DC brawl: Throw Turkey's ambassador 'the hell out'

Calls are growing in Washington for a serious response to the violent behavior of the Turkish president's security detail as a high-level investigation opens and a prominent senator speaks out.

Did Erdogan leave Trump meeting empty-handed?

After the meeting between the Turkish and US presidents, it seems that the two country's diplomatic problems will continue, but there could be some slight improvements in military cooperation.

DC treated to Turkish-style crackdown on pro-Kurdish demonstrators

In a replay of last year's violence, the Turkish president's security detail was filmed beating up peaceful Syrian Kurdish protesters in Washington.

Erdogan-Trump: The most unsuccessful Washington visit ever

History will record Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan’s recent visit to Washington as the most unsuccessful presidential visit ever to Washington.

The rise of the Eurasianist vision in Turkey

The Eurasianist vision for Turkey has gone beyond rhetoric, gaining weight especially with regard to defense and security, but its proponents are themselves divided on what the country’s Eurasian future should mean.

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan arrives for a working dinner with heads of delegations for the Nuclear Security Summit at the White House in Washington March 31, 2016. REUTERS/Jonathan Ernst - RTSD2WC

DC think tank accused of bending over backwards for Erdogan

Washington tongues are wagging as prominent think tank the Atlantic Council prepares to receive Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, with whom its leadership has enthusiastically pursued relations.

Riot police detain a demonstrator during a protest against the dismissal of academics from universities following a post-coup emergency decree, outside the Cebeci campus of Ankara University in Ankara, Turkey, February 10, 2017. REUTERS/Umit Bektas TPX IMAGES OF THE DAY - RTX30FAC

Ankara hunger strikers reach 70 days without food

A researcher and an elementary school teacher have quietly been on hunger strike for 70 days now to protest the post-coup purges that led to their dismissals.

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan attends the Roundtable Summit Phase One Sessions of Belt and Road Forum at the International Conference Center in Yanqi Lake on May 15, 2017 in Beijing, China REUTERS/Lintao Zhang/Pool *** Local Caption *** Aung San Suu Kyi - RTX35UUY

Erdogan’s foreign policy leaves Turkey in the doldrums

Turkey gives the impression of a beleaguered country that is losing ground on all fronts.