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Turkey

Turkey

May 12, 2026

Ankara 2:16 pm

24°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

Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan arrives for the funeral ceremony for police officer Hasim Usta who was killed in Saturday's blasts, in Istanbul, Turkey, December 12, 2016. REUTERS/Osman Orsal - RTX2UMSP

Turkish state 'out for revenge' after Istanbul bombings

Ankara promises revenge after the deadly twin bombing attacks hit Istanbul last weekend.

Syria's President Bashar al-Assad speaks during an interview with Russian tabloid Komsomolskaya Pravda, in this handout picture provided by SANA on October 14, 2016. SANA/Handout via REUTERS ATTENTION EDITORS - THIS PICTURE WAS PROVIDED BY A THIRD PARTY. REUTERS IS UNABLE TO INDEPENDENTLY VERIFY THE AUTHENTICITY, CONTENT, LOCATION OR DATE OF THIS IMAGE. FOR EDITORIAL USE ONLY. TPX IMAGES OF THE DAY - RTSS7BS

Is Turkey’s fight against Syrian Kurds enabling Assad?

Ankara’s constantly evolving intentions in Syria have eased the minds of Russia and the Syrian regime as they continue to consolidate their position in Aleppo and beyond.

People check currency exchange rates at an currency exchange office in Istanbul, Turkey, November 25, 2016. REUTERS/Murad Sezer - RTST8W8

Dollar-hungry Turkey eyes Middle Eastern markets

Scrambling to overcome a foreign exchange crunch, Turkey’s government has outlined incentives to prop up exporters, and while Middle Eastern markets figure high on the target list, Ankara’s political conflicts with neighbors present an obstacle that needs to be addressed.

Protesters hold flags showing jailed PKK leader (Kurdistan Workers' Party) Abdullah Ocalan during a demonstration against Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan in central Brussels, Belgium, November 17, 2016. REUTERS/Yves Herman - RTX2U3V0

Iranian-Turkish tug-of-war over Kurds

Allegations of Iranian support for the Kurdistan Workers Party (PKK) have created fresh tension in the region as Turkey faces new violence from Kurdish militants.

Police arrive at the site of an explosion in central Istanbul, Turkey, December 10, 2016. REUTERS/Murad Sezer TPX IMAGES OF THE DAY - RTX2UG1D

Turkey moves against HDP after Istanbul attack

After the attack in Istanbul claimed by the Kurdistan Freedom Falcons, the Turkish government launched raids to detain more than 200 people, including Kurdish leaders.

Will Turkey finally launch space agency?

With the launch of its second active military satellite on Dec. 5, Turkey now has five satellites in orbit and is planning for even more activity in space.

Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan leaves Eyup Sultan mosque in Istanbul, Turkey, December 11, 2016. REUTERS/Murad Sezer - RTX2UIEV

Erdogan’s war on the market economy

Challenging the tenets of the market economy, Turkish leaders have portrayed the country’s economic downturn as a foreign plot to discredit the government — an attitude that signals a dangerous course for Turkey.

Can Syrian Democratic Council play unifier in postwar Syria?

In an interview with Al-Monitor, Ilham Ahmed, Kurdish co-president of the Syrian Democratic Council, discussed the reasons behind the council's establishment and its aspirations for Syria.

A member of Forces loyal to Syria's President Bashar al-Assad carries his weapon as he walks past damaged buildings in a government held area of Aleppo, Syria December 9, 2016. REUTERS/Omar Sanadiki - RTSVEBH

Turkey scrambles to cut its losses in Syria

Turkey’s Syria policies "lie in shreds"; Syrian Kurds coordinate with government forces in Aleppo; would Russia support federalism in Syria?

Turkey's President Tayyip Erdogan (C) greets his supporters as he arrives at a mosque for Friday prayers in Istanbul, Turkey, May 29, 2015. Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan said the launch of Ziraat Bank's Islamic business should help to attract new funds to Turkey and urged other state lenders to help to triple Islamic banking's share of the market by 2023. Islamic finance has developed slowly in Turkey, the world's eighth most populous Muslim nation, partly because of political sensitivities and the secul

How Islamic will Erdogan’s presidential system be?

As the presidential system looks more probable than ever, Turkey’s pro-government pundits are looking for references for it within the Islamic tradition.

How one woman is standing up to Turkey’s purges

A Turkish academic, expelled after the July 15 coup attempt, has kept up a solo protest in downtown Ankara since early November, despite frequent detentions and mistreatment by the police.

Erdogan's money troubles

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has called on citizens to convert their dollars to Turkish lira to shore up the economy, but many are choosing other options.