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Turkey

Turkey

May 13, 2026

Ankara 1:10 am

14°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

REFILE - ADDITIONAL CAPTION INFORMATIONIraqi army gather after the liberation of a village from Islamic State militants, south of Mosul, during an operation to attack Islamic State militants in Mosul, Iraq, October 21, 2016, as toxic smoke is seen over the area after Islamic State militants set fire to a sulphur factory. REUTERS/Thaier Al-Sudan TPX IMAGES OF THE DAY - RTX2PXNT

Turkey’s misguided policies now haunt it at Mosul

Turkey criticizes the Mosul operation but is doing everything possible to be part of it.

Colombia's President Juan Manuel Santos reacts as he addresses the media next to his wife and first lady Maria Clemencia de Santos, after winning the Nobel Peace Prize, at Narino Palace in Bogota, Colombia, October 7, 2016. REUTERS/John Vizcaino TPX IMAGES OF THE DAY - RTSRAJC

What Turkey's peace activists are learning from Colombia

Colombia's success in at least forging a peace agreement with guerrillas, even if it didn't survive a vote, is inspiring both hope and concern among Kurdish peace activists.

Smoke rises from a bomb attack south of Mosul, during an operation to attack Islamic State militants in Mosul, Iraq, October 20, 2016. REUTERS/Thaier Al-Sudani - RTX2PQIP

How Ankara plans to repeat Syria success in Iraq

Ankara seems to have contingency plans for every situation to make its presence felt in Mosul.

SANLIURFA, TURKEY - OCTOBER 19: (TURKEY OUT) A fighter jet flies above the Syrian town of Kobani on October 19, 2014 in Sanliurfa, Turkey. Kurdish fighters in Syrian city of Kobani have pushed back Islamic State militants in a number of locations as U.S. air strikes on ISIS positions continue in and around the city. In the past month more than 200,000 people from Kobani have fled into Turkey. (Photo by Gokhan Sahin/Getty Images)

What Turkish raid on Syrian Kurds means for Ankara-Washington ties

Turkey's decision to launch airstrikes on fighters for the Kurdish People's Protection Units in Syria could have a major impact on Washington's efforts to balance relations with Ankara.

IMC TV employees react after their broadcaster's transmission cut by the authorities, based on a government decree, at IMC TV studios in Istanbul, Turkey, October 4, 2016. REUTERS/Huseyin Aldemir - RTSQPFE

The death of critical journalism in Turkey

Press freedom in Turkey is often assessed on the basis of jailed journalists, but this fails to fully reflect the gravity of the situation if one omits the huge number of journalists who have lost their jobs and are facing an uncertain future and struggling to survive.

Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan delivers a speech during the 23rd World Energy Congress in Istanbul, Turkey, October 10, 2016. REUTERS/Murad Sezer - RTSRM4N

Erdogan’s plans for executive presidency firm up

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan’s plans to amass even more power have received a welcome boost from his ultranationalist rival, and a referendum on an executive presidency could be held as early as April, his lieutenants now say.

What state of emergency means for Turkey’s Protestants

After the declaration of the state of emergency in Turkey, in addition to a series of repressive measures, foreign Protestants are being deported.

Supporters of Iraqi Shi'ite cleric Moqtada al-Sadr shout slogans during an anti-Turkey protest in front of the Turkish embassy in Baghdad, Iraq October 18, 2016. REUTERS/Wissm al-Okili - RTX2PACJ

Will Iraq boycott Turkey?

As tension escalates between Iraq and Turkey regarding the battle to rid Mosul of the Islamic State, Iraqi politicians call for boycotting Turkish products.

Peshmerga forces advance in the east of Mosul to attack Islamic State militants in Mosul, Iraq, October 18, 2016. REUTERS/Thaier Al-Sudani - RTX2PAM8

Erdogan claims Turkey prepping for Mosul action

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has vowed to keep troops near Mosul and says preparations for Turkish role "in the field" are underway.

Turkey's Prime Minister Binali Yildirim (2-R) and Chief of the General Staff of the Turkish Armed Forces, Hulusi Akar (L) are seen during Turkish Supreme Military Council (YAS) members' visit at Anitkabir, mausoleum of Mustafa Kemal Ataturk in Ankara, on July 28, 2016. / AFP / ADEM ALTAN (Photo credit should read ADEM ALTAN/AFP/Getty Images)

Why US-educated Turkish officers could soon be out of their jobs

Turkey's purges since the failed coup are now targeting armed forces officers with advanced degrees from the United States, threatening to devastate the military's brain trust.

Smoke rises from clashes at Bartila in the east of Mosul during clashes with Islamic State militants, Iraq, October 18, 2016. REUTERS/Thaier Al-Sudani - RTX2PCDM

Turkey hasn't given up on role in Mosul battle

While Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan fumes at Baghdad for excluding Turkey from the operation to liberate Mosul, Ankara has sent a team to the Iraqi capital to continue negotiating a role for Turkey.

US Navy's tweet seen as call to battle in Turkey

The US Navy's birthday tweet of a painting depicting one of its first international battles has furious Turks asking what message the United States is trying to send to the Turkish government.