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

Turkey

Turkey

May 13, 2026

Ankara 6:00 am

13°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

Women walk past by shops at an open air bazaar near the Grand Bazaar, known as the Covered Bazaar, in Istanbul, Turkey, June 14, 2016. REUTERS/Murad Sezer - RTX2G65X

How a kick rattled Turkey

Turkish women take to the streets to denounce conservative pressures after a young nurse is assaulted on a public bus for wearing shorts.

Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi addresses the United Nations General Assembly in the Manhattan borough of New York, U.S. September 20, 2016. REUTERS/Eduardo Munoz - RTSOOE8

Are Egypt's lackluster efforts leaving it isolated?

Egypt seems to be ignoring chances to upgrade its social standing in the world.

U.S. President Barack Obama (R) tracks down Turkey's President Tayyip Erdogan (2nd L) for a brief private conversation after they gave remarks to reporters following their bilateral meeting alongside the G20 Summit in Hangzhou, China September 4, 2016. REUTERS/Jonathan Ernst TPX IMAGES OF THE DAY - RTX2O2NQ

Are US-Turkey military ties under threat?

Both Ankara and Washington seem to be oblivious to the changing nature of their relations.

Soldiers guard coffins of victims of the thwarted coup during a funeral service in Ankara, Turkey, July 17, 2016. REUTERS/Baz Ratner - RTSIDQK

'New Turkey' finds founding myth in failed coup

The political narrative about the failed July 15 coup attempt is entering Turkey’s textbooks as the core of a new shape of Turkish nationalism.

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan addresses the United Nations General Assembly in the Manhattan borough of New York, U.S. September 20, 2016. REUTERS/Eduardo Munoz - RTSONR7

Are Ankara, Washington on collision course in Syria?

The tension between Turkey and the United States is threatening to sharply escalate with any missteps in the dance between Turkey's anti-Kurdish objectives and Washington's support for Syrian Kurdish groups.

Wanted: Men to boycott male-only panels on Turkish TV

Women have regressed from a mere minority to a real rarity on Turkish political TV programs, and a protest movement is finding little support from their powerful male colleagues.

Kurdish fighters from the People's Protection Units (YPG) greet each other in the northeastern city of Hasaka, Syria, August 21, 2016. REUTERS/Rodi Said - RTX2MENR

Why US' biggest challenge to fighting IS in Syria might be its own allies

The Obama administration’s no-boots-on-the-ground policy in Iraq and Syria has forced it to employ creative solutions to manage the complex battlefield. But for how long?

A member of Turkish-backed Free Syrian Army (FSA), seen with the Islamic State flags in the background, walks outside of a building in the border town of Jarablus, Syria, August 31, 2016. REUTERS/Umit Bektas - RTX2NQ7V

Turkey seeks more military cooperation with US in Syria

Analysts who say the FSA is not a viable force against IS argue that the Turkish military needs the help of US forces as it prepares to move on the IS stronghold of al-Bab.

Alain Le Roy, under-secretary-general for Peacekeeping Operations at the United Nations, looks on in a helicopter during his visit at the Golf Hotel, headquarters of Alassane Ouattara, in Abidjan December 27, 2010, where a detachment of UNOCI peacekeepers provides security. An election meant to resolve Ivory Coast's decade-long political crisis has resulted in two rivals claiming the presidency, with incumbent Laurent Gbagbo defying world pressure to hand over to Ouattara. The standoff has killed more than

Veteran French diplomat: EU should play greater role in resolving Syria crisis

French diplomat Alain Le Roy discusses the European Union's "unstable" and "insecure" borders and its greater challenge of resolving the crisis in Syria.

Russia's President Vladimir Putin interacts with Turkey's President Tayyip Erdogan as they pose for a group picture during the G20 Summit in Hangzhou, Zhejiang province, China September 4, 2016. REUTERS/Damir Sagolj TPX IMAGES OF THE DAY - RTX2O1GI

New Turkey-Russia hotline still subject to static

Russia and Turkey are effusive about the positive gains in their relationship, but ties remain tenuous where Syria is concerned.

Turkish police stands guard in front of the Istanbul courthouse on July 20, 2016 following the military coup attempt of July 15.
Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan was today to chair a crunch security meeting in Ankara for the first time since the failed coup, with tens of thousands either detained or sacked from their jobs in a widening purge. / AFP / BULENT KILIC (Photo credit should read BULENT KILIC/AFP/Getty Images)

Turkey could find itself facing hefty legal bill for mass purges

The mass expulsions of public servants after the July 15 coup attempt bode big legal trouble for Turkey, legal experts warn.

Demonstrators scuffle with riot police during a protest against the suspension of teachers from classrooms over alleged links with Kurdish militants, in the southeastern city of Diyarbakir, Turkey, September 9, 2016. REUTERS/Sertac Kayar - RTX2OU7N

'Settlement schmettlement': Turkish purges target Kurds

Government crackdown targets include Kurds, military officers, educators and intellectuals, as well as supporters of Fethullah Gulen.