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Turkey

Turkey

May 12, 2026

Ankara 9:25 pm

16°C

The helicopter of Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan lands on Abdulhamid Han drill ship, the fourth built by Turkey, in Mersin on Aug. 9, 2022, before being sent for gas exploration to an undisputed area in the Mediterranean Sea, south of Gazipasa.

New Turkey maritime draft bill fuels EastMed tensions with Greece, Cyprus

Turkey’s draft maritime bill seeks to formalize Ankara’s claims in the Aegean, Eastern Mediterranean and Black seas, raising tensions with Greece and Cyprus over contested maritime boundaries and offshore energy rights.

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

Latest News

Culture

How ‘dog mom’ vacuum cleaner ad sparked culture war in Turkey

MURAT KOCABAS/Middle East Images/AFP via Getty Images

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

People look at buildings and cars, which were damaged during Friday's car bomb attack, in the Kurdish-dominated southeastern city of Diyarbakir, Turkey, November 5, 2016. REUTERS/Sertac Kayar - RTX2S0OF

One bomb, three suspects: Who was behind latest Diyarbakir attack?

A vehicle-borne bomb attack against a police compound in Diyarbakir left behind 11 fatalities and unanswered questions when three organizations were blamed for the carnage.

A demonstrator stands next to a fence with padlocks left by prisoners, during a protest against the arrest of three prominent activists for press freedom, in front of Metris prison in Istanbul, Turkey, June 24, 2016. REUTERS/Murad Sezer - RTX2HYKN

Ankara denies torture accusations as prisons fill with dissenters

There has been an alarming spike in allegations of ill-treatment and torture in Turkish prisons, and although the claims are backed by a damning EU Commission report, Turkish journalists are scarcely covering the story for fear of their own detention.

ÖmerHalisdemir.jpg

Turning a true Turkish hero into a commodity

Since the July 15 coup attempt, opportunists have been exploiting emotions and cashing in on others' memories.

Under financial strains, Turkey designs "parallel budget"

Turkey is creating a sovereign wealth fund, exempt from public auditing, which seems designed to function as a parallel budget.

Why Turkey's hostile stance doesn't worry PYD leader

PYD leader Salih Muslim told Al-Monitor they are not worried about Ankara's hostile stance toward the PYD and YPG, and ruled out Turkish military action targeting al-Bab in Syria.

Turkey's President Tayyip Erdogan attends a Republic Day ceremony at Anitkabir, the mausoleum of modern Turkey's founder Ataturk, to mark the republic's anniversary in Ankara, Turkey, October 29, 2016. REUTERS/Umit Bektas - RTX2QXQ0

AKP targets judicial independence in latest post-coup takedown

Turkey's judicial oversight body has been disbanded in the aftermath of the coup attempt, as Ankara continues to dissolve independent institutions and replace them with pro-government ones.

A protester holds a Turkish flag under a sign of the U.S. consulate in Istanbul, during a demonstration against the U.S. policy over northern Iraq as well as the killing of Turkish soldiers by PKK Kurdish rebels in southeast Turkey, October 26, 2007. Turkish helicopters ferried more troops to the border with Iraq on Friday as diplomatic efforts got under way in Ankara to avert a major offensive against Kurdish guerrillas based in northern Iraq. REUTERS/Fatih Saribas (TURKEY) - RTR1VCO0

US order to evacuate dependents worries Turks

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan seems indifferent to Western countries' warnings about the increased likelihood of terror attacks in Turkey, but citizens there are taking note.

A Syrian refugee teacher distributes books to her refugee students in their classroom at Fatih Sultan Mehmet School in Karapurcek district of Ankara, Turkey, September 28, 2015. Out of 640,000 Syrian children in Turkey, 400,000 are not at school, a Turkish official told Reuters on Friday, warning that those who miss out are likely to be exploited by "gangs and criminals". Educating the children among more than 2.2 million Syrian refugees in Turkey - most of whom live outside purpose-built camps - is seen as

Educating Syrian refugees still a challenge in Turkey

Syrian refugee children in Turkey are being educated in a variety of government, private and religious schools.

People are pictured outside the parliament building in Ankara, Turkey July 16, 2016, after an attempted Turkish military coup. REUTERS/Tumay Berkin - RTSI91O

'Putin's Rasputin' pushes Russian alliance in parliament visit to AKP

President Recep Tayyip Erdogan’s Justice and Development Party formally met with the Russian president’s special adviser Alexander Dugin, who was busy nurturing the seeds of Turkish suspicion of the United States long before the attempted coup and is now massaging the party's relations with Russia.

Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan leaves after a news conference following the National Security Council and cabinet meetings at the Presidential Palace in Ankara, Turkey, July 20, 2016. REUTERS/Umit Bektas TPX IMAGES OF THE DAY - RTSIXEM

Turkey's domestic policy losing its foreign friends

Turkey’s foreign relations continue to deteriorate, especially with Europe.

Kurdish fighters from the People's Protection Units (YPG) carry their weapons as they take positions in the northeastern city of Hasaka, Syria, August 20, 2016. Picture taken August 20, 2016. REUTERS/Rodi Said TPX IMAGES OF THE DAY - RTX2MEE9

A look at battle for Raqqa from a Kurdish perspective

A YPG commander told Al-Monitor in an interview that Kurdish militias will help the Syrian Democratic Forces liberate Raqqa but won’t remain in the city after the Islamic State is expelled.

U.S. President Barack Obama (R) and Turkey's President Tayyip Erdogan (L) deliver remarks after their bilateral meeting alongside the G20 Summit, in Hangzhou, China September 4, 2016. REUTERS/Jonathan Ernst - RTX2O1AM

US promises Turkey role in Raqqa in surprise Ankara meeting

The United States has reached out to Turkey, which is fuming over US support for Kurdish-led forces in Syria, by sending its chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff to meet with his Turkish counterpart in Ankara and discuss Raqqa.