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Turkey

Turkey

May 13, 2026

Ankara 12:10 pm

21°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 stroll at Istiklal street, a major shopping and tourist district, in central Istanbul, Turkey March 22, 2016. A Turkish flag, which is placed on the stall of a street vendor, is seen on the right. REUTERS/Osman Orsal - RTSBZAH

Gentrification glitter fades into dust in Istanbul’s heart

Istanbul’s most famous avenue falling into urban decay is a sign of economic hardship awaiting Turkey in the near future.

United States one dollar bills are seen on a light table at the Bureau of Engraving and Printing in Washington November 14, 2014. REUTERS/Gary Cameron/File Photo GLOBAL BUSINESS WEEK AHEAD PACKAGE – SEARCH “BUSINESS WEEK AHEAD JUNE 13” FOR ALL IMAGES - RTX2FV2B

Why are Turks disposing of $1 bills?

The discovery of $1 bills on Turkish soldiers involved in the July 15 putsch suggest the greenback has been used as a secret code of communication.

Turkey's President Tayyip Erdogan arrives for the NATO Summit in Warsaw, Poland July 9, 2016. REUTERS/Kacper Pempel - RTSH1FO

Is Turkey abandoning NATO or vice versa?

Some Turks view NATO’s aloofness regarding the coup attempt as a sign it is fatigued by Turkey's continual crises.

Turkish soldiers patrol in the Sur district of Diyarbakir, Turkey February 26, 2016. REUTERS/Sertac Kayar/File Photo - RTSHUCB

Did Gulenists sabotage Ankara’s Kurdish peace process?

Long-standing allegations of Gulenists meddling in efforts to settle Turkey’s Kurdish problem appear to have gained more credence after the failed July 15 coup attempt.

Major Sukru Seymen (C), one of the military personnel suspected of being involved in the coup attempt, is brought to a court house as he is accompanied by police officers and other detaniees in Mugla, Turkey, August 17, 2016. REUTERS/Kenan Gurbuz TPX IMAGES OF THE DAY - RTX2LGHG

Coup attempt could cost Turkey more than military might

Many observers fear that measures to radically reshape Turkey’s once all-powerful military are already affecting freedom there.

Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu (R) shakes hands with his Iranian counterpart Mohammad Javad Zarif (L) during a meeting at the Foreign Ministry in Ankara on August 12, 2016. / AFP / ADEM ALTAN (Photo credit should read ADEM ALTAN/AFP/Getty Images)

Turkey, Iran rekindle courtship but take things slow

Ankara appreciates Iran’s position regarding the failed coup attempt in Turkey, but talk of a strategic "axis" between the two countries appears premature.

Russian President Vladimir Putin shakes hands with Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan during their meeting in St. Petersburg, Russia, August 9, 2016. REUTERS/Sergei Karpukhin TPX IMAGES OF THE DAY - RTSM27W

Putin gets big kiss-and-make-up gift from Erdogan

As part of fence-mending efforts with Russia, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has pledged a special status with huge financial boons for the nuclear plant the Russians are building in Turkey.

Russian President Vladimir Putin leads the way for Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan during a news conference following their meeting in St. Petersburg, Russia, August 9, 2016. REUTERS/Sergei Karpukhin - RTSM3BJ

Will road to Moscow lead Ankara to Damascus?

Turkey has reportedly resorted to the same track II diplomacy to Damascus that it used to reconcile with Moscow.

Egypt's former Grand Mufti Ali Gomaa speaks during the King Abdullah II World Interfaith Harmony Week prize ceremony at the Royal Palace in Amman April 27, 2014. The World Interfaith Harmony Week was first proposed at the United Nations' General Assembly on September 23, 2010 by Jordan's King Abdullah to promote global religious harmony and was subsequently unanimously adopted by the UN. REUTERS/Muhammad Hamed (JORDAN - Tags: POLITICS RELIGION) - RTR3MTUP

Who's behind assassination attempt on former Egyptian mufti?

Egypt may not have enough evidence to accuse Turkey for the assassination attempt on former Grand Mufti Ali Gomaa, but they have enough to inflame tensions between the two countries.

Turkey's Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu and EU Affairs Minister Volkan Bozkir (R) attend a joint news conference after a European Union-Turkey accession conference in Brussels, Belgium, December 14, 2015. REUTERS/Francois Lenoir - RTX1YNPC

Turkey-EU clash is now just a matter of time

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has issued a series of warnings that Turkey will stop taking refugees back from the European Union if it fails to waive visa restrictions for Turks, signaling the two sides are on a collision course.

U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry (L) meets Russia's foreign minister Sergey Lavrov during a bilateral meeting at the sidelines of the ASEAN foreign ministers meeting in Vientiane, Laos July 26, 2016. REUTERS/Jorge Silva - RTSJMOU

Are regional powers finally reaching consensus on Syria?

Iran’s Deputy Foreign Minister for Arab and African Affairs Hossein Jaberi Ansari spoke to Iranian media about Syria after meeting with Mikhail Bogdanov, Russia's deputy foreign minister.

A supporter of Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan steps on a photo of U.S.-based cleric Fethullah Gulen during a pro-government demonstration on Taksim Square in Istanbul, Turkey, July 18, 2016. REUTERS/Alkis Konstantinidis - RTSILD2

What's behind AKP's allegations of Gulen-PKK ties?

Some fear the increasing AKP-inspired allegations of a relationship between the PKK and the Gulen movement may be a harbinger of a new round of attacks on Kurds.