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Turkey

July 17, 2026

Ankara 11:10 am

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DAVOS, SWITZERLAND - JANUARY 22: U.S. President Donald Trump (C) sits in between Prime Minister of Armenia Nikol Pashinyan (L) and Azerbaijan President Ilham Aliyev during a signing ceremony for the “Board of Peace” at the World Economic Forum (WEF) on January 22, 2026 in Davos, Switzerland. The US-backed “Board of Peace” is intended to administer the fragile ceasefire in the Gaza Strip after the war between Israel and Hamas. The final makeup of the board has not been confirmed. (Photo by Chip Somodevilla/G

Trump taps Russia-born investor to oversee $200M+ fund backing Armenia-Azerbaijan corridor

The appointment of Chicago-based investor Konstantin Sokolov to oversee a $200 million fund marks a new phase for Washington's proposed trade and transportation route linking Azerbaijan, Armenia and Turkey.

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 President Recep Tayyip Erdogan (L) shakes hands with Emir of Qatar, Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani (R) during the 13th Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) Summit at Istanbul Congress Center (ICC) on April 14, 2016 in Istanbul.
Erdogan on April 14 hosts over 30 heads of state and government from Islamic countries in Istanbul for a major summit aimed at overcoming differences in the Muslim world. / AFP / POOL / ARIF HUDAVERDI YAMAN (Photo credit should read ARIF HUDAVERDI YAMAN/AFP/Get

Turkey scrambles for regional footing as Qatar debacle expands

Head-spinning developments in the region have lead to interesting realignments as a cautious President Recep Tayyip Erdogan works to deploy Turkish forces in Qatar and meets with Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif in Ankara.

Turkey's President Recep Tayyip Erdogan (L) meets with U.S President Donald Trump in the Oval Office of the White House in Washington, U.S. May 16, 2017. REUTERS/Kevin Lamarque - RTX363HP

As Trump stumbles, Turkish economy comes back from brink of crisis

US President Donald Trump's underperformance on his pledges has led global funds to return to emerging economies, which helped Turkey to escape an economic crisis, though not without a growing baggage of problems.

Members of the US-backed Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) stand in the village of Hazima on the northern outskirts of the Islamic States (IS) group's Syrian bastion of Raqa on June 6, 2017.
SDF broke into Raqa less than an hour after declaring a new phase in their fight for the city. / AFP PHOTO / DELIL SOULEIMAN (Photo credit should read DELIL SOULEIMAN/AFP/Getty Images)

Kurdish-backed militia launches Raqqa operation as another declares war on Turkey

Coming just days after the Pentagon began distributing weapons to the YPG, Turkey could easily construe threats of escalation by the Kurdistan Freedom Falcons as proof that US support for the Syrian Kurds emboldens the Kurdistan Workers Party.

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan and German Chancellor Angela Merkel walk past a picture of Turkish Republic state founder Kemal Atatuerk before their bilateral meeting at the presidential palace during the first visit since July's failed coup in Ankara, Turkey, February 2, 2017. REUTERS/Umit Bektas TPX IMAGES OF THE DAY - RTX2ZBPW

German troops poised to leave Turkey for Jordan

President Recep Tayyip Erdogan might have miscalculated the patience of Western leaders who adopted an “appeasement” policy regarding Turkey.

Turkish Prime Minister Binali Yildirim (C) arrives to welcome Qatar's Prime Minister Abdullah bin Nasser bin Khalifa Al Thani (Unseen) before their meeting at Cankaya Mansion in Ankara, on September 8, 2016. / AFP / ADEM ALTAN (Photo credit should read ADEM ALTAN/AFP/Getty Images)

Turkey can't afford to take sides in Qatar crisis

A rattled Ankara is trying to keep to the middle ground in the crisis around its ally Qatar, but its soft calls for dialogue are unlikely to have much impact.

Russian President Vladimir Putin (R) and Jordan's King Abdullah attend a meeting at the Bocharov Ruchei state residence in Sochi, Russia November 24, 2015. Speaking before a meeting with Jordan's King Abdullah, Putin called Turkey's downing of a Russian fighter jet "a stab in the back" carried out by the accomplices of terrorists, saying the incident would have serious consequences for Moscow's relations with Ankara. REUTERS/Maxim Shipenkov/Pool TPX IMAGES OF THE DAY TPX IMAGES OF THE DAY

Jordan pins hopes on US-Russian accord on southern Syria

Amid talks about secret trilateral meetings being held in Amman between Jordan, the United States and Russia to establish a de-escalation zone in southern Syria, Jordan would reject the presence of Islamic State militants on its northern borders, or fighters supported by Iran.

Smoke rises after shelling on a rebel-held area of Deraa, Syria, June 4, 2017. REUTERS/Alaa Al-Faqir - RTX3909A

Applying the ‘Bosnian model’ to Syria’s crisis

Could the United States and Russia learn from the Dayton Agreement to reach a lasting peace deal in Syria?

Qatari Crown Prince Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad bin Khalifa al-Thani (R) and Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan (2ndL), walk past a guard of honor during an official welcoming ceremony prior to their meeting at the presidential palace in Ankara, Turkey, on December 19, 2014. AFP PHOTO / ADEM ALTAN (Photo credit should read ADEM ALTAN/AFP/Getty Images)

Ankara's paranoia spikes as Qatar shunned

The news that five Arab countries have cut ties with Qatar, its close regional ally, has rattled Turkey, which depends on its political, military and business ties with Qatar.

United Arab Emirates

Protesters listen to a man playing the violin in a public garden in Ankara, on June 7, 2013. Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan said on June 7 his Islamic-rooted government was open to "democratic demands" and hit back at EU criticism of his handling of a week of deadly unrest. Turkey's protests began when police cracked down heavily on a peaceful campaign to save Istanbul's Gezi Park, spiralling into nationwide anti-government demos. AFP PHOTO / ADEM ALTAN (Photo credit should read ADEM AL

Ankara's governor decrees no protest singing after sundown

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan’s fascination with bans is increasing along with his desperation to remain in control.

Turks don't click and tell on e-matchmaking

Turkey’s largest online dating site has 18 million registered profiles and 1 million people who have logged in over the last 12 months, but few will tell about their experiences.

People sit in the back of a truck as they celebrate what they said was the liberation of villages from Islamist rebels near the city of Ras al-Ain in the province of Hasakah, after capturing it from Islamist rebels November 6, 2013. Redur Xelil, spokesman for the armed wing of the Syrian Kurdish Democratic Union Party (PYD), said Kurdish militias had seized the city of Ras al-Ain and all its surrounding villages. Syrian Kurdish fighters have captured more territory from Islamist rebels in northeastern Syria

Ankara looks beyond Raqqa offensive for fate of northern Syria

The Turkish government is worried about how the Democratic Union Party will transform northern Syria once the Islamic State is defeated in Raqqa.

Kurdish fighters from the Popular Protection Units (YPG) man a checkpoint near the city of Afrin, which is under the control of the Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK), April 30, 2014. REUTERS/Mahmoud Hebbo (SYRIA - Tags: POLITICS CIVIL UNREST CONFLICT) - RTR3NB2H

Kurdish cantons in northern Syria already linked

One of the most heated issues of the Syrian war has been the possibility of Kurdish cantons connecting, overcoming Turkey’s threatening objections. And now, with the Aleppo road open, Kurdish cantons are connected for the first time in four years.