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Turkey

Turkey

June 18, 2026

Ankara 6:28 am

19°C

A Turkish police officers patrols at the scene of a motor-bike bomb explosion, next to a police station on Oct. 6, 2016, in Istanbul.

Turkey captures alleged ISIS-K media chief near Afghanistan-Pakistan border

The capture comes as Turkish authorities intensify raids against Islamic State networks following recent attacks and alleged plots.

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

Latest News

Feature

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

Yasin AKGUL / AFP via Getty Images

Ezgi Akin

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

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.

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 Foreign Minister Ahmet Davutoglu and his Iranian counterpart Ali Akbar Salehi (L) attend a news conference in Ankara January 19, 2012. Iran's foreign minister warned Arab neighbours on Thursday not to put themselves in a "dangerous position" by aligning themselves too closely with the United States in the escalating dispute over Tehran's nuclear activity. Iran has threatened to close the Strait of Hormuz, used for a third of the world's seaborne oil trade, if pending Western moves to ban Iranian cr

Turkey-Iran Ties Strained By Iraq, Syria

Tehran and Ankara are struggling to keep up appearances as differences over Iraq and Syria begin to take a toll on their bilateral relationship, writes Semih Idiz.

A Turkish Airlines Boeing 737 is seen through a window of another passenger plane at the airport in the Mediterranean coastal city of Antalya August 9, 2007. Turkish Airlines staff have been balloted this week on whether to strike for more pay at the height of the tourist season. REUTERS/Fatih Saribas (TURKEY) - RTR1SN2P

Turkey's Creeping Alcohol Ban Reaches New Heights

Turkey’s ruling Justice and Development Party’s campaign to ban alcohol has now reached Turkish Airlines, writes Kadri Gursel.

A general view of Khurmala oilfield in Arbil, 310 km (190 miles) north of Baghdad July 18, 2009. Iraq's largely autonomous Kurdistan region opened a new oil refinery on Saturday, with a projected capacity of 40,000 barrels per day (bpd), the director of the group that built the refinery said. REUTERS/Azad Lashkari (IRAQ BUSINESS ENERGY) - RTR25SW8

Turkey Contributes To Iraqi Fragmentation

Turkey’s relationship with the Kurdistan Regional Government may be undermining its long-term economic and energy interests in Iraq, writes Necdet Pamir.

The Leiv Eiriksson, an oil drilling platform, is escorted by tugboats as it enters the Bosphorus in Istanbul December 31, 2009. The deep-water platform, one of the world's largest drilling rigs, passed through the Bosphorus Strait as it entered the Black Sea where Turkey and Brazil will carry out joint oil explorations. In April, state-owned petroleum companies, Turkey's TPAO and Brazil's Petrobras, signed an agreement to search for oil in the Black Sea. REUTERS/Murad Sezer (TURKEY - Tags: ENERGY TRANSPORT

Turkey Launches Ship to SupportOffshore Energy Exploration

Turkey commits resources, including dedicated naval vessels, to preserve and protect its rights in its exclusive economic zone in the Eastern Mediterranean, writes Tulin Daloglu.

Former deputy Chief of the General Staff General Ergin Saygun (L) is escorted by police officers at a courthouse in Istanbul February 25, 2010. Turkey's political and military leaders meet on Thursday as a storm gathers over a coup plot investigation against the armed forces which is threatening stability and investor confidence in the EU-candidate country. The most senior detainees, retired Air Force Commander Ibrahim Firtina and ex-navy chief Ozden Ornek, are brought to the court for questioning on Thursd

Erdogan Visit Highlights Poor Health Care in Turkish Prisons

Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan’s visit to a hospital to see an army officer implicated in a coup attempt has drawn attention to the poor health care in Turkish prisons, writes Sibel Utku Bila.

Turkish Foreign Minister Ahmet Davutoglu attends a foreign ministers meeting ahead of the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) summit in Cairo February 4, 2013. The OIC summit will be held from February 6-7. REUTERS/Mohamed Abd El Ghany (EGYPT - Tags: POLITICS) - RTR3DCET

Turkey's Syria Predicament

Cengiz Candar writes that Turkey cannot escape the consequences of the civil war in Syria.

Turkey's Prime Minister Tayyip Erdogan (first row, C) attends a meeting with members of his ruling AK Party at his party headquarters in Ankara September 28, 2011. REUTERS/Umit Bektas (TURKEY - Tags: POLITICS TPX IMAGES OF THE DAY) - RTR2RXTQ

Turkey Needs Policies, Not Politics,In Dealing With the PKK

Tulin Daloglu argues that Turkey is ready for a settlement that will end PKK violence, but political posturing by the government does not help.

TURKISH PRIME MINISTER ERDOGAN APPLAUDS HIS ITALIAN COUNTERPART
BERLUSCONI GREETING NEWLY WED COUPLE IN ISTANBUL. - RTR1HX8

St. Valentine Woos Turkish Islamists

The new family-minded "Lovers Day," modeled on Valentine's Day, confirms that Turkey is not divided between cultures of the West and Islam but a breeding ground for mixtures of the two, writes Mustafa Akyol.

Turkey's EU Minister Egemen Bagis (L) and Sweden's Foreign Minister Carl Bildt hold a joint news conference at the Ministry for Foreign Affairs in Stockholm in this picture provided by Scanpix January 16, 2013. REUTERS/Claudio Bresciani/Scanpix (SWEDEN - Tags: POLITICS)

ATTENTION EDITORS - THIS IMAGE WAS PROVIDED BY A THIRD PARTY. FOR EDITORIAL USE ONLY. NOT FOR SALE FOR MARKETING OR ADVERTISING CAMPAIGNS. SWEDEN OUT. NO COMMERCIAL OR EDITORIAL SALES IN SWEDEN. THIS PICTURE IS DISTRIBUTED EXACTLY AS RE

France-Turkey Relations Back On Track

The announcement that France has lifted some roadblocks to Turkey’s membership in the European Union signals that relations between the two countries are on a more positive track, writes Semih Idiz.

Turkey Committed, Frustrated With EU Process

Tulin Daloglu writes that Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan could facilitate EU membership for Turkey by restraining from inflammatory rhetoric.

New Turkish Airlines Uniform: Eye of the Beholder

A proposal for new flight attendant uniforms on Turkish Airlines strikes some as too conservative, writes Tulin Daloglu.

Turkey's Prime Minister Tayyip Erdogan addresses members of parliament from his ruling AK Party during a meeting at the Turkish parliament in Ankara April 19, 2010. REUTERS/Umit Bektas (TURKEY - Tags: POLITICS) - RTR2D060

Erdogan Seeks Kurdish AlliesFor New Turkish Constitution

Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan is seeking allies to support a new Turkish constitution, writes Kadri Gursel.