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Turkey

Turkey

May 4, 2026

Ankara 9:53 pm

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Sabah Fidan

Turkey hosts Kuwaiti FM as UAE's OAPEC exit fuels Gulf rift

Kuwait's top diplomat visited Turkey as the Gulf rift deepens following the UAE’s exit from OPEC and its affiliated alliances, forcing Ankara to balance ties between Saudi Arabia and Abu Dhabi.

Zaidi

Analysis

Iraq’s Zaidi offers economic promise for Turkey but unknowns loom

Iraq’s prime minister-designate, Ali al-Zaidi, is expected to sustain growing economic and strategic ties with Turkey thanks to his business-oriented approach, though uncertainty over his political stance could test cooperation on sensitive issues.

Barin Kayaoglu

By Barin Kayaoglu

In Ankara, reporting on geopolitics and national security

Members of the UN Peacekeeping Force in Cyprus (UNFICYP), from the British Army's 1st Battalion Coldstream Guards, No. 2 Company, patrol along the buffer zone separating the internationally recognized Republic of Cyprus and the breakaway Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus in the divided capital Nicosia on Feb. 17, 2026.

Turkey warns France over Cyprus troop deployment: What to know

A potential French deployment to Greek Cyprus comes amid Turkey’s growing concerns of strategic encirclement in the Eastern Mediterranean.

Latest News

Turkey advances gas pipeline plan to northern Cyprus as East Med rivalry grows

This aerial photograph shows Turkey's first floating natural gas production platform, "Osman Gazi," passing through the Bosphorus, in Istanbul, on May 29, 2025.

In first, Libya’s rival armies to join drill in Turkey: What to know

Cadets of the Saiqa Force (Special Forces) of the self-styled Libyan National Army affiliated with eastern strongman Khalifa Hifter take part in a graduation ceremony in tribute to the force's late commander, Wanis Bukhamada, in the eastern city of Benghazi, on Jan. 20, 2022.

Turkey’s military spending jumps to $30B, leads Mideast growth in 2025

Turkey's submarines and fast-attack craft ships participate in the live-fire phase of the Blue Homeland-2026 (Mavi Vatan) tactical military exercises in the eastern Mediterranean Sea, in Antalya on April 9, 2026.

Analysis

Why Saudi Arabia, Egypt are wary of Turkey’s proposed 4-way defense pact with Pakistan

Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan hosted the third meeting of the foreign ministers of Turkey, Egypt, Pakistan and Saudi Arabia on the margins of the 5th Antalya Diplomacy Forum, on April 17, 2026.

Barin Kayaoglu

By Barin Kayaoglu

In Ankara, reporting on geopolitics and national security

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

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan (2nd L) gives an award to Ronesans Holding Member of Board Ferit Seyfi Yagmuroglu (2nd R) during Turkey's 500 Largest Service Exporters Award Ceremony in Istanbul, Turkey, on Dec. 21, 2018.

Turkish-Danish hospital deal might be more than meets the eye

A Turkish company known as a presidential favorite is ceding its lucrative hospital operation business, a move observers believe is driven not only by financial hardship but also apprehension over Erdogan’s political future.

A handout picture taken and released on July 2 , 2020, by the Turkish Presidential Press service shows Turkey's President Recep Tayyip Erdogan (L) meeting Qatari Emir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani in Doha, Qatar.

Reports on Turkey-Qatar military training accords questioned by Erdogan critics

A military education agreement between Turkey and Qatar drew backlash from opposition members in Ankara after local media reporting misrepresented its content, though rumors persist.

HACO BISKIN/Gazete Duvar/AFP via Getty Images

Turkish officials defend journalist's violent arrest at Istanbul Pride march

Eyewitnesses describe photographer Bulent Kilic being shoved to the ground, his hands cuffed behind his back as police placed their feet on his spine and demanded his press card.

Angela Merkel (2ndR), talks to Greece's Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis

EU leaders back funding but warn Erdogan against 'instrumentalizing' Syrian migrants

EU leaders propose further funding to Turkey for Syrian refugees, but, at Greece’s insistence, issue a warning that the bloc “condemns any attempt by third countries to instrumentalize migrants for political purposes.”

BULENT KILIC/AFP via Getty Images

Police suicides surge in Turkey

A cluster of police suicides in Turkey last month highlights a crumbling brotherhood and lack of organizational support.

ANDREW CABALLERO-REYNOLDS/AFP via Getty Images

US-Turkey ties set to remain loveless, transactional

The meeting between the Turkish and American presidents left key issues unresolved, with cooperation in Afghanistan emerging as the only progress to speak of.

Kabul airport security detail

Turkey needs to build support for new Afghan mission

Turkey’s offer to secure Kabul’s airport might turn into a perilous mission unless it reaches some understanding with the Taliban and secures the critical support of regional actors such as Pakistan and Iran.

European Commission vice president Maros Sefcovic gestures during the European Parliament plenary session to prepare the European Council meeting of June 24-25, in Brussels, on June 23, 2021.

Advocates call for greater focus on democratic rights in Turkey ahead of European summit

As European leaders prepare to review EU-Turkey relations in a summit this week, advocates urged greater links between future cooperation and improvements in basic rights and the rule of law in Turkey.

BULENT KILIC/AFP via Getty Images

Russian tourists flock to Turkey as flights resume

Russia suspended air traffic with Turkey in April due to a spike in coronavirus cases, but infections have since gone down significantly in Turkey and vaccinations are up.

A man holds HDP flags as members of the pro-Kurdish Peoples Democratic Party (HDP) take part in a protest against the detention of HDP members, in Istanbul, on Sept. 25, 2020.

Top Turkish court accepts revised indictment to ban pro-Kurdish party

Turkey’s Constitutional Court on Monday accepted a case seeking the closure of the nation’s second-largest opposition party, the pro-Kurdish Peoples’ Democratic Party (HDP), after a top prosecutor revised and resubmitted an indictment alleging members collude with terrorists.

People wearing protective masks shop at a local market, amid the coronavirus pandemic, Ankara, Turkey, Feb. 22, 2021.

Official data lays bare deepening poverty in Turkey

With economic disparities worsening amid the coronavirus pandemic, Turkey’s poverty rate has increased 0.6 points to 21.9% of the population.

OLIVIER MATTHYS/AFP via Getty Images

Turkey wild card in US-Russia conflict over Syria aid

The US administration might be open to a position shift on the Syrian file to secure the flow of cross-border international aid to Syria, a prospect that may spoil Turkey's calculations in Syria and particularly in Idlib.