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Turkey

Turkey

June 17, 2026

Ankara 5:23 am

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Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan meets with Orthodox Patriarch of Bartholomew at the presidential complex, Ankara, Turkey, June 16, 2026.

Culture

Turkey’s Erdogan meets Orthodox patriarch amid push for reopening Halki Seminary

The meeting comes ahead of US President Trump’s expected attendance at next month's NATO leaders’ summit in Turkey, after Trump personally urged his Turkish counterpart to reopen the Halki Seminary.

Turkey's Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan attends the NATO Foreign Ministers' meeting in Helsingborg, Sweden, on May 22, 2026.

Turkey’s Fidan heads to Moscow as S-400 sanctions issue returns to fore

The visit comes weeks before Turkey hosts NATO leaders, on the sidelines of which Ankara hopes to reach a deal with Washington over CAATSA sanctions over its purchase of Russian S-400s.

President Recep Tayyip Erdogan received Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu at the Turkish House in New York on Sept. 19, 2023.

Analysis

Erdogan-Netanyahu war of words signals deeper rivalry for regional influence

The latest Erdogan-Netanyahu clash underscored how Turkey-Israel tensions have grown beyond the Palestinian issue and into a wider regional rivalry spanning Syria, Lebanon, Iran and the eastern Mediterranean.

Barin Kayaoglu

By Barin Kayaoglu

In Ankara, reporting on geopolitics and national security

Yasin AKGUL / AFP via Getty Images

Feature

Turkey’s World Cup return clouded by politics, dawn kickoffs

Turkey finally has the World Cup moment it waited 24 years for, but much of the country will either be asleep for it or arguing over efforts to claim it.

Ezgi Akin

In Ankara, reporting on diplomacy, EU-Turkey ties, NATO

Latest News

Explainer

Turkey slams France-Cyprus military pact as East Med rivalries deepen

Cyprus' President Nikos Christodoulides (2nd L) and his French counterpart Emmanuel Macron (C) review the honor guard at the Presidential Palace in Nicosia on April 23, 2026, ahead of a meeting on the sidelines of a European summit.

Analysis

As Trump admin drops Halkbank case, S-400 last big hurdle in US-Turkey ties

Russian S-400 anti-aircraft missile launching system is displayed at the exposition field in Kubinka Patriot Park outside Moscow on Aug. 22, 2017 during the first day of the International Military-Technical Forum Army-2017.

Amberin Zaman

By Amberin Zaman

Reporting on geopolitics, minorities, human rights, culture

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 (2nd L) waves to supporters after arriving at Istanbul's Ataturk airport early June 7, 2013. Erdogan called on Turks on Friday to distance themselves from lawless protests and said accusations of the excessive use of police force during days of unrest were being investigated. Addressing thousands of supporters at Istanbul airport after returning from a trip to North Africa, Erdogan said the protesters had looted shops and damaged businesses and urged his supporters not

Erdogan Returns to Crowds, Crisis in Turkey

Istanbul is on the threshold of a dangerous confrontation.

Qusair: Exclusive Eyewitness Account

Qusair is a city in rubble.

Anti-government protesters gather in Istanbul's Taksim square June 6, 2013. Turkish Prime Minister Tayyip Erdogan denounced those behind a week of violent demonstrations on Thursday, causing a sell-off on the Turkish stock exchange from investors worried that his defiant rhetoric will further enflame public wrath. REUTERS/Yannis Behrakis (TURKEY - Tags: CIVIL UNREST POLITICS) - RTX10E8V

Old Turkey? New Turkey?Meet the 'Newest Turkey'

The May 31 social explosion has revealed a sparkling new combative, libertarian youth undergoing politicization based on freedoms.

Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan (L) speaks next to his Tunisian counterpart Ali Larayedh during a news conference in Tunis June 6, 2013. REUTERS/Zoubeir Souissi (TUNISIA - Tags: POLITICS) - RTX10DY9

Moroccan King Declines to Meet With Erdogan

As protests continue across Turkey, Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan went on a North Africa tour to strengthen economic ties.

People walk past a poster depicting Turkish Prime Minister Tayyip Erdogan that has been pasted by demonstrators at Taksim Square in Istanbul June 5, 2013. Protesters clashed with police across Turkey overnight despite an apology for police violence from the deputy prime minister designed to halt an unprecedented wave of protest against Prime Minister Tayyip Erdogan. Pro-government newspapers signalled a softening of Ankara's line in the absence of Erdogan, who flew off on a state visit to north Africa on Mo

Outside Taksim, Turkey Faces Polarization

Women wearing headscarves report being harassed.

ISTANBUL, TURKEY - JUNE 06: A protestors build a makeshift barricade near Turkish prime minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan office, between Taksim and Besiktas, early morning on June 6, 2013 in Istanbul, Turkey. The protests began initially over the fate of Taksim Gezi Park, one of the last significant green spaces in the center of the city. The heavy-handed viewed response of the police, Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan and his government's increasingly authoritarian agenda has broadened the rage of the cla

No Turkish Spring, But Maybe Erdogan's Solstice

The recent protests may not mark a turning point for Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan, but rather a shift from a steady rise to a gradual decline.

A mask is placed on a pole at Taksim square in Istanbul June 5, 2013. Turkish trade unionists banging drums and trailing banners marched into an Istanbul square on Wednesday, joining unprecedented protests against Prime Minister Tayyip Erdogan over what they see as his authoritarian rule. REUTERS/Murad Sezer (TURKEY - Tags: POLITICS CIVIL UNREST) - RTX10CQD

Ten Reasons Why Erdogan Welcomes the Protests

A lighter look at the demonstrations in Turkey.

The body of Saudi Arabia's Prince Badr bin Abdul Aziz, former deputy commander of the National Guard is lifted during his funeral at Imam Turki bin Abdullah Mosque in Riyadh, April 2, 2013. REUTERS/Faisal Al Nasser (SAUDI ARABIA - Tags: POLITICS MILITARY ROYALS OBITUARY) - RTXY5U5

Saudi Arabia’s Quiet Transition

Although the ascension the next generation of Saudi Arabia's princes is not a sign of reform, it is a major transformation in the kingdom’s leadership.

Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan gives his speech at the National People's Congress (NPC) in Algiers June 4, 2013. REUTERS/Louafi Larbi (ALGERIA - Tags: POLITICS) - RTX10BOS

Erdogan Must Face The Limits of His Power

Erdogan’s policies have resulted in divisions and strains in Turkish society.

Fenerbahce fans light flares during the Turkish Super League derby soccer match against Galatasaray at Sukru Saracoglu stadium in Istanbul May 12, 2013. REUTERS/Osman Orsal (TURKEY - Tags: SPORT SOCCER TPX IMAGES OF THE DAY) - RTXZK2O

Ultras: The Surprise Kids Of Turkey’s Uprising

The hard-core fans of Istanbul’s three archrival football clubs joined hands in the resistance against police at Gezi Park.

TV crews film near a damaged broadcaster's satellite news network truck at Taksim Square in central Istanbul June 3, 2013. Turkish protesters clashed with riot police into the early hours of Monday with some setting fire to offices of the ruling AK Party as the fiercest anti-government demonstrations in years entered their fourth day. Turkey's streets were calm in the morning after a night of noisy protests and violence in major cities. REUTERS/Stoyan Nenov (TURKEY - Tags: POLITICS MEDIA CIVIL UNREST) - RT

Turkish Media on Notice

Turkey’s mainstream broadcast media misses the story.

Anti-government protesters try to extinguish a burning container in Istanbul's Taksim square June 4, 2013. It was not clear why the container was on fire. Pockets of protesters clashed with Turkish riot police overnight and a union federation began a two-day strike on Tuesday as anti-government demonstrations in which two people have died stretched into a fifth day. REUTERS/Yannis Behrakis (TURKEY - Tags: CIVIL UNREST POLITICS) - RTX10B5F

Erdogan's Sin of Hubris

Israel's national security leaders struggle with predicting the future of the region.