Turkey - AL-MONITOR: The Middle Eastʼs leading independent news source since 2012

Turkey

Turkey

May 13, 2026

Ankara 2:05 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

Veiled taekwondo champion breaks Turkish stereotypes

Kubra Dagli, the headscarved world champion in taekwondo, is challenging old secularist biases, new Islamist ideals and overarching national machismo in Turkey.

Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan attends the International Istanbul Law Congress in Istanbul, Turkey, October 17, 2016. REUTERS/Murad Sezer - RTX2P589

How Turkey’s government became the country’s top tycoon

The Turkish government has seized scores of companies in its crackdown on the Gulen community after the July coup attempt, which, some believe, will be now transferred to government cronies.

Erdogan not backing down on Turkish role in Mosul

Turkey’s demand seen as challenge to United States and Iran, as well as Iraq; Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan calls Hillary Clinton a "political novice" for remarks on Syrian Kurds; ultranationalist group dominates Turkish security services.

Football Soccer - Turkey v Ukraine - World Cup 2018 Qualifiers - Metropolitan Stadium, Konya, Turkey - 6/10/16. A fan uses his mobile phone before the match. REUTERS/Murad Sezer - RTSR2TZ

Why some Turks no longer rally behind their national soccer team

World Cup 2018 fever has gone cold in Turkey, as Turks are too polarized to cheer in unison for their national team.

Soldiers suspected of being involved in the coup attempt are escorted by policemen as they arrive at a courthouse in the resort town of Marmaris, Turkey, July 17, 2016. REUTERS/Kenan Gurbuz - RTSIFAO

Turkey’s new paradox

The aftermath of the July 15 attempted coup has produced the most serious crisis and erosion the Turkish state has ever seen.

Republican U.S. presidential nominee Donald Trump listnes as Democratic nominee Hillary Clinton answers a question from the audience during their presidential town hall debate at Washington University in St. Louis, Missouri, U.S., October 9, 2016. REUTERS/Rick Wilking - RTSRITA

Where does Turkey's Erdogan stand on US presidential race?

According to the Turkish president, former US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton lacks political experience.

Members of the Sinjar Resistance Units (YBS), a militia affiliated with the Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK), disarm an improvised explosive device placed by Islamic State fighters near the village of Umm al-Dhiban, northern Iraq, April 30, 2016. They share little more than an enemy and struggle to communicate on the battlefield, but together two relatively obscure groups have opened up a new front against Islamic State militants in a remote corner of Iraq. The unlikely alliance between the Sinjar Resistance

In struggle against PKK, Turkey takes flight

The conflict between Turkey and Kurdish militants is becoming more complex and destructive as the Turkish army begins using drones in warfare.

U.S. based cleric Fethullah Gulen at his home in Saylorsburg, Pennsylvania, U.S. July 29, 2016. REUTERS/Charles Mostoller - RTSKAI2

Why Turks are ignoring Gulen-related suicides

At least 17 people accused of links to Fethullah Gulen, the Muslim cleric Turkey blames for the July 15 coup attempt, have committed suicide.

How Gulenists played the Kurd card to gain academic influence

Dicle University's reputation as an academic hub for the Gulenist movement made it one of the Turkish government's first targets after the abortive July 15 coup.

Demonstrators hold signs in front of the High Education Board (YOK) during a protest against the suspension of academics from universities following a post-coup emergency decree, in Ankara, Turkey, September 22, 2016. The sign in the foreground reads "Let the emergency decrees go. We are remaining." REUTERS/Umit Bektas - RTSOY0Z

Turkey’s 'devout generation' project means lost jobs, schools for many

The Justice and Development Party continues its purge of secular teachers from schools, further tacking toward the Islamization of Turkish public education and leaving thousands of teachers without jobs.

People stand on a Turkish army tank at Ataturk airport in Istanbul, Turkey July 16, 2016. REUTERS/Huseyin Aldemir - RTSI871

Where has Turkey's foreign direct investment gone?

In the first half of this year, foreign direct investments in Turkey plummeted 54% compared to the same period last year.

Turkey’s Islamists can’t get enough of Lindsay Lohan

US celebrity Lindsay Lohan has become an unlikely promoter of Turkey.