Turkey - AL-MONITOR: The Middle Eastʼs leading independent news source since 2012

Turkey

Turkey

May 11, 2026

Ankara 1:04 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

Palestinians hold a poster of Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan during a Hamas rally in support of Erdogan's government against a coup attempt, in Khan Younis in the southern Gaza Strip July 16, 2016. REUTERS/Ibraheem Abu Mustafa TPX IMAGES OF THE DAY - RTSI917

Is Turkey trying to bypass Abbas in Gaza?

Hamas says it has not succumbed to Turkish pressure to negotiate with Israel, but the exchange raises discussion about Turkey’s role in accelerating the peace process between the adversaries.

A customer (C) uses an automated teller machine at a branch of Halkbank in Istanbul August 15, 2014. Turkey's state-run lender Halkbank said on Friday it has offer to buy a 76.76 percent stake in Serbian lender Cacanska Banka for an undisclosed sum. Halkbank offered no further details on the potential acquisition in a statement to the Istanbul stock exchange. REUTERS/Osman Orsal (TURKEY - Tags: BUSINESS) - RTR42JV5

Turkey shocked over banker's arrest in New York

The arrest of the vice president for Turkey’s state-owned Halkbank in New York has stunned Ankara and when the shock wears off, it will likely have complex implications for US-Turkish relations.

Red and white balloons are released during the opening ceremony of newly built Yavuz Sultan Selim bridge, the third bridge over the Bosphorus linking the city's European and Asian sides in Istanbul, Turkey, August 26, 2016. REUTERS/Murad Sezer - RTX2N6ZG

Turkey’s 'megaprojects' off to disappointing start

In an outcome that many have long feared, Turkey’s “megaprojects” are underperforming, meaning the government now has to compensate the construction companies under contract terms.

U.S. based cleric Fethullah Gulen at his home in Saylorsburg, Pennsylvania, U.S. July 29, 2016. REUTERS/Charles Mostoller - RTSKAK8

Gulen casts a large shadow over Turkey’s ties with West

Erdogan’s fury grows as more European countries express doubt that Gulen is behind last year’s failed coup against him.

Turkey deals death blow to Kurdish leadership with DBP conviction

Democratic Regions Party co-chair Kamuran Yuksek has been convicted of terrorism and sentenced in absentia to a lengthy prison term, while party officials decry insufficient evidence in "purely political” trial.

Protesters from human rights organisation Mazlumder hold torches during a demonstration in Istanbul January 26, 2008. Students may soon be allowed to wear the Muslim headscarf in Turkish universities, a watershed for a devout, growing middle class that has long complained of discrimination against its faith. Picture taken on January 26, 2008. To match feature TURKEY-HEADSCARF REUTERS/Fatih Saribas (TURKEY) - RTR1WHXV

Turkey’s main Islamic human rights organization faces internal upheaval

Mazlumder, Turkey’s main pro-Islamic human rights organization, has witnessed an internal revolution as those who criticized the government too much were kicked out.

People wave national flags as they wait for arrival of Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan during a ceremony in Istanbul, Turkey, March 26, 2017. Picture taken March 26, 2017. REUTERS/Murad Sezer - RTX32WEA

New poll gives Turkish opposition slight edge as referendum nears

Opinion polls suggest Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan is somewhat likely to lose the April 16 presidential referendum that would expand his powers.

A campaign banner for the upcoming referendum with the picture of Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan is seen on Taksim square in central Istanbul, Turkey March 15, 2017. REUTERS/Murad Sezer - RTX314BZ

Will Turks give blessing to Erdogan’s autocratic course?

President Recep Tayyip Erdogan’s referendum campaign is drowning Turkey in populist and nationalist bluster, but it seems to have little effect in swaying the vote, including in Erdogan’s own conservative base.

Members of Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) attend the funeral of eight fellow fighters who died during an assault against the Islamic State (IS) group in the town of Manbij, in the Syrian Kurdish town of Kobane (aka Ain al-Arab) on June 24, 2016. In the background a Martyrs memorial is under construction.
The US-backed Kurdish and Arab forces, pushed further into the Islamic State group stronghold of Manbij, seizing a key road junction and grain silos overlooking the city, a monitoring group said. The city l

Is Manbij the latest Kurdish poke in Erdogan's eye?

Erdogan's plan to contain Kurds suffers a setback as Manbij on Syria's northern border with Turkey declares itself a self-governed canton.

A Turkish flag (R) flies among others flags of NATO members during the North Atlantic Council (NAC) following Turkey's request for Article 4 consultations, at the Alliance headquarters in Brussels, Belgium, July 28, 2015. Turkey sought moral support for its campaign against militants in Syria and Iraq at an emergency meeting on Tuesday with its North Atlantic allies, with both NATO and Ankara playing down any idea of a call for military help from the alliance. Turkey requested urgent consultations with its

Turkey determined to test NATO

Turkey’s bargaining with Russia for the S-400 air defense system raises a number of military issues, the least of which being that the system is incompatible with NATO's defense structure.

Idlib — more than Raqqa — may be decisive Syria fault line

Russian-Turkish agreement under strain in key northern city.

Tourists enjoy a beach in the Mediterranean resort city of Antalya, a popular destination for German tourists, in Turkey, July 25, 2016. REUTERS/Kaan Soyturk - RTSJIDA

Turkey's drive to attract Iranian tourists hits political snags

Scrambling to compensate for lost markets, Turkey’s tourism sector aims to attract 2 million tourists from Iran this year, but Ankara’s erratic foreign policy could throw this target into jeopardy.