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Turkey

Turkey

May 11, 2026

Ankara 10:28 am

20°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

Kurdish Regional Government President Masoud Barzani speaks to the media during his visits in the town of Bashiqa, after it was recaptured from the Islamic State, east of Mosul, Iraq, November 16, 2016. REUTERS/Azad Lashkari - RTX2TYYB

Could Kurds hold independence referendum this year?

The Kurdistan Democratic Party is rushing to organize an independence referendum; however, there is no agreement on this matter among other Kurdish parties, and Baghdad, Iran and Turkey have strong reservations.

MEDITERRANEAN SEA - APRIL 7: In this handout provided by the U.S. Navy, the guided-missile destroyer USS Ross fires a Tomahawk land attack missile April 7, 2017 in the Mediterranean Sea. The Arleigh Burke-class Ross was one of two destroyers that fired a total of 59 cruise missiles at a Syrian military airfield in retaliation for a chemical attack that killed scores of civilians this week. The attack was the first direct U.S. assault on Syria and the government of President Bashar al-Assad in the six-year

How Turkey's 'hasty' support for US missile strike could backfire

Turkey's rash decisions about Syria could make it appear fickle to both Russia and the United States.

Why was deal to evacuate Syrian towns brokered by Qatar and Iran?

A deal brokered by Qatar and Iran that ignores Turkey and Russia — the largest respective sponsors of the opposition and the regime in Syria — threatens to derail broader peace talks aimed at ending the tragic civil war.

Men ride a motorbike past a hazard sign at a site hit by an airstrike on Tuesday in the town of Khan Sheikhoun in rebel-held Idlib, Syria April 5, 2017. The hazard sign reads, "Danger, unexploded ammunition". REUTERS/Ammar Abdullah - RTX3475J

Proof of poison gas in Syria massacre could reshape war

Now that autopsies have revealed evidence that chemical weapons were used in the attack in Idlib, calls are louder than ever for action against the Syrian regime and the United States could well respond with force.

Why did Erdogan sign emergency decree on laser hair removal?

In a last ditch effort to mobilize the "yes" vote for the April 16 referendum, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan resorts to unconventional methods, shocking Islamists and seculars in Turkey.

Interview

PKK leader: International mediation needed on Kurdish issue

In an exclusive interview, Al-Monitor met Cemil Bayik, one of the main leaders of the Kurdistan Workers Party, in northern Iraq's Qandil Mountains to talk about the current dispute between the Kurds and Turkey and its impact on Iraq.

Cemil Bayik

Cemil Bayik

Founder of the PKK

Supporters of Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan hold "Yes" campaign flags and "Yes" banners during a rally for the upcoming referendum in the Black Sea city of Trabzon, Turkey April 3, 2017. REUTERS/Umit Bektas - RTX33WEX

Congress raises specter of rupture with Turkey if referendum passes

A House panel slammed Ankara's authoritarian drift ahead of the April 16 vote.

Turkish Parliament convene to debate on the proposed constitutional changes in Ankara, Turkey, January 12, 2017. REUTERS/Umit Bektas - RTX2YN10

Will Turkey allow 18-year-old members of parliament?

One of the proposed amendments to Turkey’s constitution is the lowering of the age of candidacy for parliament to 18. What does that mean for Turkey's youth?

A money changer counts Turkish lira bills at an currency exchange office in central Istanbul, Turkey, August 21, 2015. REUTERS/Murad Sezer/File Photo - RTSKTP9

Why Turkey’s growth data has economists scratching their heads

Turkey’s latest growth data, which suggests the economy rebounded strongly in the fourth quarter of 2016, appears out of sync with other key indicators, fueling doubts over Ankara’s new calculation method.

A Syrian man receives treatment at a small hospital in the town of Maaret al-Noman following a suspected toxic gas attack in Khan Sheikhun, a nearby rebel-held town in Syrias northwestern Idlib province, on April 4, 2017.
Warplanes carried out a suspected toxic gas attack that killed at least 35 people including several children, a monitoring group said. The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said those killed in the town of Khan Sheikhun, in Idlib province, had died from the effects of the gas, adding tha

Turkish outrage mounts as doctors point to neurotoxin in Idlib attack

In Turkish hospitals, medical staff including a team from Doctors Without Borders report mounting evidence that victims of yesterday's attack may have been exposed to sarin or a similar toxin.

Kurdish Peshmerga forces celebrate Newroz Day, a festival marking spring and the new year, in Kirkuk March 20, 2017. REUTERS/Ako Rasheed - RTX31W8R

Anger in Ankara over Iraqi Kurdish independence moves

Given its close ties with the Kurdistan Regional Government, which it needs for economic, political and security interests, Turkey’s objections to Iraqi Kurdish plans remain low key, but a crisis between the sides may nevertheless be looming.

Turkish candy giant gets not-so-sweet reaction to April Fools' Day ad

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan’s supporters detected hidden message for a new military coup in a TV ad by Ulker, Turkey’s biggest chocolate company.