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Turkey

Turkey

July 23, 2026

Ankara 8:49 pm

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David's Sling.

Explainer

As Turkey rivalry heats up, Greece to acquire $4B Israeli air defense system

The Greek defense minister said that the air defense system will be operational within 35 months.

Turkey's servicemen stand at attention on a Turkish submarine as they participate in the live-fire phase of the Blue Homeland 2026 tactical military exercises in the eastern Mediterranean Sea, in Antalya on April 9, 2026.

Turkey to begin surveys for planned northern Cyprus gas pipeline

The planned 63-mile link is intended to supply gas for electricity generation but has drawn condemnation from the Republic of Cyprus amid rising rivalries in the eastern Mediterranean.

Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi speaks during a joint press conference with his Iraqi counterpart following a meeting in Baghdad on June 28, 2026.

Iran's Araghchi reveals Turkey's role in thwarting Kurdish offensive

The account offers Tehran's first public confirmation of reports that Ankara intervened to stop armed Iranian Kurdish groups from entering the conflict.

Latest News

Analysis

As Turkey eyes US naval revival, here is why big warship deals are unlikely

Recep Tayyip Erdogan, president of Turkey, greets Donald Trump, president of United States, during a welcome ceremony of allied heads of state and government, on July 8, 2026, in Ankara, Turkey.

Barin Kayaoglu

By Barin Kayaoglu

In Ankara, reporting on geopolitics and national security

Trump taps Russia-born investor to oversee $200M+ fund backing Armenia-Azerbaijan corridor

DAVOS, SWITZERLAND - JANUARY 22: U.S. President Donald Trump (C) sits in between Prime Minister of Armenia Nikol Pashinyan (L) and Azerbaijan President Ilham Aliyev during a signing ceremony for the “Board of Peace” at the World Economic Forum (WEF) on January 22, 2026 in Davos, Switzerland. The US-backed “Board of Peace” is intended to administer the fragile ceasefire in the Gaza Strip after the war between Israel and Hamas. The final makeup of the board has not been confirmed. (Photo by Chip Somodevilla/G

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

A police officer stands guard as the members of police special forces (background) patrol at Ataturk airport in Istanbul, Turkey, June 30, 2016. REUTERS/Murad Sezer - RTX2J19T

What Turkey fails to understand about IS

Conspiracy theories keep Turkey’s new ruling class in a bubble of self-delusion, blinding them to the bitter and complex realities that Turkey faces.

Turkish artist Mehmet Aksoy is seen behind a model of his sculpture during a news conference in Istanbul January 12, 2011. The fate of a giant peace monument symbolising reconciliation between Turks and Armenians has caused a row in Turkey after Prime Minister Tayyip Erdogan branded it "monstrous" and called for its demolition. The unfinished monument by renowned Turkish sculptor Aksoy consists of two concrete figures more than 30 metres high who face each other on an hill in the northeastern city of Kars.

Turkey's artists face growing government pressure

Freedom of expression in the arts and entertainment have been under mounting government pressure to toe the AKP's conservative line or face sanctions.

Turkey's Prime Minister Binali Yildirim addresses the media in Ankara, Turkey, June 27, 2016. REUTERS/Umit Bektas - RTX2IFQI

Following reconciliation with Israel, will Turkey revive ties with Cairo next?

While Turkish Prime Minister Binali Yildirim expressed the desire for his country and Egypt to become closer politically and economically, Egyptian officials have reservations in this regard.

President of Turkey Recep Tayyip Erdogan (C) chairs the meeting of 65th Cabinet of Turkey at Presidential Complex, in Ankara on May 25, 2016. / AFP / KAYHAN OZER (Photo credit should read KAYHAN OZER/AFP/Getty Images)

Is Turkey's radical foreign policy shift sustainable?

The Turkish president's willingness to put practicality ahead of pettiness in international relations might be driven solely by his survival instincts, but it is desperately needed.

Turkey's pro-government media mired in CIA conspiracy theories

Odd logic and pro-government leanings lead some Turkish media outlets to embrace theories of IS intrigue.

A Turkish farmer works on his field near the Mursitpinar border crossing on the Turkish-Syrian border in the southeastern town of Suruc in Sanliurfa province November 18, 2014. REUTERS/Osman Orsal (TURKEY - Tags: AGRICULTURE SOCIETY) - RTR4ELK1

Turkey eyes African farmlands as own farmers go broke

Turkey plans to lease farmlands in African countries as thousands of its own farmers have gone out of business amid decreased government support and an aggressive construction drive swallowing arable lands.

How Turkey’s televangelists gain money, mockery

Religious leaders who allegedly receive astronomical sums for preaching Islam raise questions about the basics of faith and social practices in Turkey.

A Denizbank employee walks past by logos of Russia's Sberbank (L) and Turkey's Denizbank at Denizbank headquarters in Istanbul, Turkey March 2, 2016. REUTERS/Murad Sezer ADCO - RTS8YUX

Will Turkey’s plan to bring in billions succeed?

Scrambling to lure funds from abroad, the Turkish government has outlined unprecedented incentives for those who put money in Turkey, including Panama-style advantages and Turkish citizenship.

A man and a boy walk a long a street after they attending Friday prayers at Hacibayram district of Ankara November 21, 2014. Picture taken November 21, 2014. REUTERS/Umit Bektas (TURKEY - Tags: SOCIETY) - RTR4GIZA

Ankara’s IS militants return home

In one of the Islamic State’s main recruitment grounds in Turkey, about half of the recruits have returned home, but experts warn that the organization’s appeal is far from over.

Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan chats with passengers at the international departure terminal during his visit to Ataturk airport in Istanbul, Turkey, July 2, 2016. REUTERS/Seda Sezer - RTX2JEBA

Erdogan’s latest wake-up call on Islamic State

The Obama administration weighs deeper coordination with Moscow against Jabhat al-Nusra; Erdogan’s slow turnaround on Syria policy; Hamas seeks to resume ties with Iran.

Containers are unloaded from the Panama-flagged Lady Leyla, a Turkish ship carrying humanitarian aid to Gaza, at the Ashdod port, in southern Israel July 3, 2016. REUTERS/Amir Cohen - RTX2JHIS

Could Turkish-Israeli reconciliation eventually end Gaza siege?

The reconciliation agreement between Israel and Turkey has been modestly welcomed in the Gaza Strip, as Palestinians hope it will lead the way to the end of the blockade.

Airport employees attend a ceremony for their friends, who were killed in Tuesday's attack at the airport, at the international departure terminal of Ataturk airport in Istanbul, Turkey, June 30, 2016. REUTERS/Murad Sezer - RTX2J1PM

Welcome to the most vulnerable country to terrorism

As long as the Turkish government does not attach priority to the fight against IS, Turkey will remain the most vulnerable country in the world.