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Turkey

Turkey

August 1, 2026

Ankara 8:36 pm

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A demonstrator carries a CHP flag during a protest in Izmir, Turkey, on May 24, 2026.

Explainer

What’s behind Turkey’s latest wave of arrests against opposition mayors?

The operations come as Ozgur Ozel’s newly formed party gains momentum.

Latest News

Turkey, Pakistan among 14 countries backing Saudi Arabia's anti-Houthi Red Sea alliance

A Saudi navy ship is pictured docked at King Faisal navy base in Jeddah before the departure of a team to Port Sudan to help with the evacuation efforts of people fleeing Sudan, on April 29, 2023.

Turkey ready to participate in post-UNIFIL force in Lebanon, Erdogan tells Aoun

Erdogan and Aoun

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

Turkey's Prime Minister Tayyip Erdogan addresses members of parliament from his ruling AK Party (AKP) during a meeting at the Turkish parliament in Ankara June 25, 2013. Turkish anti-terrorism police detained 20 people in raids in the capital Ankara on Tuesday in connection with weeks of anti-government protests across the country, media reports said. The unrest began at the end of May when police used force against campaigners opposed to plans to redevelop a central Istanbul park. The protest spiralled int

Erdogan’s Egyptian Obsession

Turkey considers restoring deposed Egyptian President Mohammed Morsi and the Muslim Brotherhood to power as an existential quest.

Turkey's Prime Minister Tayyip Erdogan addresses members of parliament from his ruling AK Party (AKP) during a meeting at the Turkish parliament in Ankara June 25, 2013. Turkish anti-terrorism police detained 20 people in raids in the capital Ankara on Tuesday in connection with weeks of anti-government protests across the country, media reports said. The unrest began at the end of May when police used force against campaigners opposed to plans to redevelop a central Istanbul park. The protest spiralled int

Erdogan Plays Politics With Egypt's Coup

The Turkish prime minister’s stance on Egypt is mostly about domestic politics.

A woman holds a poster of Egypt's President Mohamed Mursi during a pro-Islamist demonstration in Istanbul July 1, 2013. Pro-Islamist groups held a demonstration in Istanbul in support of Mursi on Tuesday. Egypt's armed forces handed Islamist President Mohamed Mursi a virtual ultimatum to share power on Monday, giving feuding politicians 48 hours to compromise or have the army impose its own road map for the country. The slogan on the poster reads, "Mursi, you are not alone!" REUTERS/Murad Sezer (TURKEY - Ta

Turkish Islamists Angered By Arab Gulf Stance on Egypt

Turkey’s isolation over Egypt has forced it to rethink its regional policies.

Israel's Deputy Foreign Minister Danny Ayalon (L) meets Turkey's ambassador to Israel Ahmet Oguz Celikkol at the Knesset, the Israeli parliament, in Jerusalem January 11, 2010. Israel issued a strong condemnation of Turkish Prime Minister Tayyip Erdogan on Monday, saying his often fierce public criticism of its policies could undermine relations. Israeli Defence Minister Ehud Barak will pay a one-day visit to Turkey on Sunday, Turkish and Israeli officials said, a trip that could help mend frayed ties betwe

Israeli Challenges in Reconciliation With Turkey

Israel needs pragmatism in dealing with Turkey.

A poster with the pictures of Egypt's President Mohamed Mursi and Turkey's Prime Minister Tayyip Erdogan (R) is attached to a baby stroller during a pro-Islamist demonstration in Istanbul July 1, 2013. Pro-Islamist groups held a demonstration in Istanbul in support of Mursi on Tuesday. Egypt's armed forces handed Islamist President Mohamed Mursi a virtual ultimatum to share power on Monday, giving feuding politicians 48 hours to compromise or have the army impose its own road map for the country. The slogan

Erdogan Is Right on Egypt

It was a coup and a setback for democracy, not a revolution.

Demonstrators hold Kurdish flags and portraits of jailed Kurdistan Workers Party (PKK) leader Abdullah Ocalan during a gathering to celebrate Newroz in the southeastern Turkish city of Diyarbakir March 21, 2013. Jailed Kurdish rebel leader Abdullah Ocalan ordered his fighters on Thursday to cease fire and withdraw from Turkish soil as a step to ending a conflict that has killed 40,000 people, riven the country and battered its economy. Hundreds of thousands of Kurds gathered in the regional centre of Diyarb

Turkish-Kurdish Peace Process Poorly Managed

Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan needs to address the trauma resulting from the fight against PKK terror for over three decades.

An Israeli delegation arrives at the Turkish Foreign Ministry to hold talks on compensation for families of victims killed in a 2010 naval raid on Turkish-led humanitarian-aid convoy to Gaza, in Ankara April 22, 2013. REUTERS/Umit Bektas (TURKEY - Tags: POLITICS) - RTXYVKG

Erdogan Needs Israel to Recast Faltering Mideast Policy

Having lost his allies in Egypt and Syria, Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan’s route to maintaining his role in the Middle East passes through Israel.

A girl holds a poster of Egypt's President Mohamed Mursi during a pro-Islamist demonstration in Istanbul July 1, 2013. Pro-Islamist groups held a demonstration in Istanbul in support of Egypt's President Mohamed Mursi on Tuesday. Egypt's armed forces handed Islamist President Mohamed Mursi a virtual ultimatum to share power on Monday, giving feuding politicians 48 hours to compromise or have the army impose its own road map for the country. The slogan on the poster reads, " We will not let you victimise him

Post-Morsi Egypt: Gulf In, Turkey Out

Turkey held a positive image among many anti-Morsi protesters but is emerging as a loser with its diplomatic campaign to reinstate the deposed Egyptian president.

Azeri Energy Minister Natik Aliev (L) and Turkish Energy Minister Taner Yildiz attend the signing ceremony of The Trans-Anatolian gas pipeline project in Ankara December 26, 2011. The Trans-Anatolian gas pipeline project, which will carry Azeri gas across Turkey to Europe, has a capacity of around 35 billion cubic metres (bcm) and can carry 16-24 bcm annually, officials from Turkey and Azerbaijan said on Monday. Azeri state energy company SOCAR, Turkey's state pipeline company Botas and Turkey's state energ

Russia Winner in Energy Transit Deal With Turkey

Turkey chooses cooperation with Russia on South Stream energy project.

Turkey's Prime Minister Tayyip Erdogan reviews students of the Police Academy upon his arrival to their graduation ceremony in Ankara June 24, 2013. REUTERS/Stringer (TURKEY - Tags: POLITICS CRIME LAW) - RTX10YXL

Turkey’s Israel Problem

The AKP government’s portrayal of Gezi Park protests as a "plot by the Jewish lobby" has negatively affected the normalization process with Israel.

Women cover their faces as they try to avoid tear gas during protests at Kizilay square in central Ankara, June 16, 2013. The unrest, in which police fired teargas and water cannons at stone-throwing protesters night after night in cities including Istanbul and Ankara, left four people dead and about 5,000 injured, according to the Turkish Medical Association. REUTERS/Dado Ruvic (TURKEY - Tags: POLITICS CIVIL UNREST) - RTX10Q1T

Erdogan Plays Headscarf Card

Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan has taken up the cause of his "covered sisters" to deflect attention from his own policies toward both the protesters and women.

Turkey Prime Minister Tayyip Erdogan is pictured after his speech during conference in Ankara, June 18, 2013. Police raided addresses across Turkey on Tuesday and detained dozens of people in an operation linked to three weeks of often violent protests against Erdogan. REUTERS/Dado Ruvic (TURKEY - Tags: POLITICS CIVIL UNREST) - RTX10S0B

Egypt Upheaval Deepens Turkey’s Regional Isolation

Ankara and Riyadh are at loggerheads over Egypt as the “Sunni Axis” collapses.