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Turkey

Turkey

May 12, 2026

Ankara 10:57 am

21°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

Iranian media lauds Putin's restraint after assassination

Following the assassination of Russia’s ambassador to Turkey, Iranian newspapers praised President Vladimir Putin for his “wise” decisions after the killing.

Turkey’s entanglement in Syria sparks violence, assassination at home

As Turkey gets more into the Syrian swamp, the Syrian spillover into Turkey could turn into a flood.

Is Turkey going to reinstate the caliphate?

Erdogan’s populist slogan “National will demands this” is pulling the country into a quagmire.

Eurasia Tunnel overshadows murder of Russian envoy in Turkey

The opening of Istanbul's Eurasia Tunnel, the second underwater passageway connecting Europe and Asia under the Bosporus, has been a chance for some pro-Erdogan media outlets to sideline coverage of the murder of Russian Ambassador Andrei Karlov.

Why Aleppo will serve to embolden Iran

While having paid a steep price for standing by its regional allies, Iran increasingly appears to be achieving its objectives in Syria.

Turkey blames usual suspects for murder of Russian ambassador

Few people in Turkey are entertaining the possibility that the killing of Russian Ambassador Andrei Karlov by an off-duty police officer was a "lone wolf" attack.

Animosity toward Iran reaches fever pitch in Turkey after Aleppo

Agitation against predominantly Shiite Iran by Sunni Islamists has resulted in calls for attacks on Turkey’s Alevis for vengeance.

Who's behind Russian diplomat's murder in Ankara?

Turkish officials are seeking the true motive behind the slaying of Russian Ambassador Andrei Karlov at a public event in Ankara Dec. 19.

Thousands flee Aleppo as regime regains control

Three years after the opposition took control of Aleppo’s eastern neighborhoods, the Syrian regime’s army, with the help of foreign militias, entered the city and began evacuating civilians to the city’s countryside.

Turkey gripped by terror as Russian ambassador killed in Ankara

Turkish media outlets are scrambling to cover the killing of Russia's ambassador to Turkey, a break from their calls to attack the Kurdistan Workers Party's bases in response to the suicide attack that killed 13 Turkish conscripts on leave in the central Anatolian town of Kayseri.

Is Turkey recruiting militants evacuated from Aleppo?

After the Aleppo rout, Turkey considers boosting the ranks of its Free Syrian Army ally fighting in Operation Euphrates Shield, while fortifying the buffer zone and raising the bar in bargaining with Damascus.

What's behind Erdogan's call for 'national mobilization'?

Is Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan’s surprising call for national mobilization a tool to eliminate objections to his executive presidency?