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Turkey

Turkey

May 12, 2026

Ankara 1:23 am

14°C

Turkish Red Crescent's cars and trucks cross the Turkish border as they leave the Syrian city of Tel Abyad on Oct. 19, 2019, in Akcakale, Turkey.

Turkey's border reopening unlocks new sphere of influence in Syria

Turkey reopened the Akcakale-Tell Abyad crossing on Monday, ending an 11-year closure along the Syria border.

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.

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

A board showing the currency exchange rates of the U.S. dollar and the Euro against Turkish lira is on display at a currency exchange office in Istanbul, Turkey, January 11, 2017. REUTERS/Murad Sezer - RTX2YFYP

How political risks wreck Turkey’s economic prospects

Turkey has lost its investment grade status with all top three credit-rating agencies, falling behind many regional countries despite its geopolitical edge.

FILE PHOTO: Turkey's central bank governor Murat Cetinkaya speaks during a news conference in Istanbul, Turkey October 27, 2016. REUTERS/Murad Sezer/File Photo - RTX2YZ4Q

Will Turkey's new inflation calculations impact more than just economy?

Realizing that double-digit inflation could negatively affect the upcoming presidential system referendum, Turkey has changed its method of calculating the inflation rate.

Will digital platforms revolutionize Turkish TV series?

BluTV and Puhu TV, two Turkish companies that provide online broadcast content to their subscribers, have for the first time produced original TV shows. In Turkey, the change of switching from conventional TV to internet for watching shows will be gradual, but the potential is huge.

A general view of the exterior of the Washington Post Company headquarters in Washington, March 30, 2012. REUTERS/Jonathan Ernst (UNITED STATES - Tags: BUSINESS MEDIA) - RTR304SI

Why Turkish media is upset with CNN, WaPo

Many Turkish media outlets have responded harshly to a scholarly analysis on The Washington Post forecasting another coup in Turkey and an interview on CNN International of a Turkish military officer who some claim participated in the coup attempt.

Turkish-Greek standoff over Aegean islets continues

Disagreements over the fate of suspected Gulenist officers in Greece and the status of disputed Aegean Sea islands continue to chill Turkish-Greek relations.

Russian President Vladimir Putin meets with Jordan's King Abdullah at the Kremlin in Moscow, Russia January 25, 2017. REUTERS/Alexander Nemenov/Pool - RTSXBNR

Jordan eyes center stage in Russia’s anti-terrorism policy

Jordan's King Abdullah, who visited Russian President Vladimir Putin in Moscow last week and is in Washington this week, could become a key intermediary between Russia and the Trump administration.

Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan speaks to media after his meeting with Britain's Prime Minister Theresa May at the Presidential Palace in Ankara, Turkey, January 28, 2017. REUTERS/Umit Bektas - RTSXRXX

Turkey squeezed between Russia, US in Syria

US President Donald Trump’s safe zones idea and Russia’s draft constitution get cold reactions from Ankara.

U.S. President Donald Trump signs an executive order dealing with the structure of the National Security Council, in the Oval Office at the White House in Washington, U.S. January 28, 2017. REUTERS/Jonathan Ernst - RTSXTX4

Turkey angry over Trump’s 'Muslim ban'

Could the new US president’s executive order barring the citizens of seven Muslim-majority countries from entering the United States further undermine relations between Ankara and Washington?

Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan and Britain's Prime Minister Theresa May are seen after their meeting at the Presidential Palace in Ankara, Turkey, January 28, 2017. REUTERS/Umit Bektas - RTSXRR4

Why Turkey-Greece islands confrontation is more than it seems

Turkey sees a chance to offset its withering hope of being invited to join the European Union by working on relationships elsewhere.

People gather to protest against U.S. President Donald Trump's executive order travel ban at Los Angeles International Airport (LAX), California, U.S. January 31, 2017. REUTERS/Monica Almeida - RTX2Z2ZB

The real reason Erdoganists still love Trump despite 'Muslim ban'

One wonders why all this persistent sympathy for US President Donald Trump exists in Turkey’s pro-Erdogan universe. There are two answers.

People walk past a billboard depicting Syria's President Bashar al-Assad at Saadallah al-Jabri Square, in the government controlled area of Aleppo, Syria December 17, 2016. REUTERS/Omar Sanadiki - RTX2VGTH

Is Syria any closer to political solution after Astana talks?

It remains unclear whether the Astana talks were a success or a failure, amid intransigence by the Syrian government and the opposition to keep implementing their own agendas.

U.S. President Donald Trump signs an executive order to impose tighter vetting of travelers entering the United States, at the Pentagon in Washington, U.S., January 27, 2017. The executive order signed by Trump imposes a four-month travel ban on refugees entering the United States and a 90-day hold on travelers from Syria, Iran and five other Muslim-majority countries. Picture taken January 27, 2017. REUTERS/Carlos Barria - RTSXWM6

Trump’s Middle East fans get caught up in global blowback

Political leaders from Israel to Saudi Arabia are quickly finding out that siding with Trump comes at a price.