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Turkey

Turkey

August 2, 2026

Ankara 11:46 am

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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

People practice yoga in Gezi Park at Taksim Square in Istanbul June 7, 2013. Istanbul's Gezi Park, yoga practitioners stretch and students read in a makeshift library - a statement of their intent to stay on after a week of protests. At night demonstrators taunt riot police from beyond barricades on the streets around Taksim Square. Those in its Gezi Park hold sit-down protests and discuss Turkey's future. REUTERS/Osman Orsal (TURKEY - Tags: CIVIL UNREST POLITICS SOCIETY) - RTX10FAH

Turkey’s Twilight Zone

Prime Minister Erdogan has taken Turkey to a dangerous crossroads.

Protesters shout anti-government slogans during a demonstration at Taksim Square in Istanbul 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/Osman Orsal (TURKEY - Tags: CIVIL UNREST POLITICS) - RTX10E50

Erdogan Not Yielding to Protesters

Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan is determined to go ahead with his plan of building the Ottoman Artillery Barracks at Taksim Square.

A Turkish secret service agent walks past an image of Turkish Prime Minister Tayyip Erdogan before his arrival at Istanbul's Ataturk airport June 6, 2013. Erdogan told thousands of cheering supporters on Friday his authority came from the ballot box and urged them not to be drawn into violence, in a show of ruling party strength after a week of fierce anti-government protests. Addressing crowds at Istanbul airport from an open-top bus after returning from a trip to North Africa, Erdogan called on his ruling

Will Erdogan Choose to Fight?

Signals from Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan raise concerns that he will be hardening his stand.

Turkish Prime Minister Tayyip Erdogan gestures during the Ministry for European Union Affairs' EU-Istanbul Conference in Istanbul 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. REUTERS/Osman Orsal (TURKEY - Tags: CIVIL UNREST POLITICS TPX IMAGES OF THE DAY) - RTX10F6W

Is Turkey Heading Toward Civil War?

The risk of deepening social unrest hovers over Turkey as the prime minister refuses to acknowledge the grievances of demonstrators.

Turkey's President Abdullah Gul smiles during a visit to the Swedish parliament in Stockholm March 11, 2013, in this picture provided by Scanpix. REUTERS/Henrik Montgomery/Scanpix (SWEDEN - Tags: POLITICS)

ATTENTION EDITORS - THIS IMAGE HAS BEEN SUPPLIED BY A THIRD PARTY. IT IS DISTRIBUTED, EXACTLY AS RECEIVED BY REUTERS, AS A SERVICE TO CLIENTS. SWEDEN OUT. NO COMMERCIAL OR EDITORIAL SALES IN SWEDEN. NO COMMERCIAL SALES - RTR3EUKN

Abdullah Gul Steps Up During Turkish Crisis

Turkey’s president may emerge as the new face of the ruling AKP.

Turkish soldiers salute during a ceremony marking the 85th anniversary of Victory Day at the mausoleum of Mustafa Kemal Ataturk, founder of modern Turkey, in Ankara August 30, 2007. Turkey's military, stern upholders of secularism, failed to keep former Islamist Abdullah Gul from winning the presidency, but it is likely to try to make life difficult for him and the ruling AK Party. Almost no one expects a military coup, given the strong support for the Islamist-rooted AK Party in general elections in July,

Turkish Military Faces Morale Crisis

The Turkish military needs reform to boost morale.

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.