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Turkey

Turkey

July 16, 2026

Ankara 2:06 am

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Ozgu Ozel

Turkish opposition leader Ozgur Ozel could launch new party by August

Ozgur Ozel’s remarks on a potential new party came as the legal crackdown on the main opposition widened further this week with the arrest and suspension of the mayor of Cankaya,one of the party’s most secure and symbolically important strongholds in the heart of Ankara.

Visitors stand inside Hagia Sophia Grand Mosque in Istanbul on April 14, 2025.

Russian couple faces deportation from Turkey after Bible reading at Hagia Sophia

The couple were detained after reading from the Bible inside the Istanbul landmark, which remains one of Christianity’s most important historic sites despite its conversion into a mosque.

Turkish Defense Minister Yasar Guler and his Egyptian counterpart, Lt. Gen. Ashraf Salem Zaher, met at the Turkey’s Defense Ministry in Ankara, July 13, 2026.

Turkey, Egypt expand military ties with cooperation frameworks: What to know

Increasing defense cooperation between Ankara and Cairo comes as Turkey seeks to offset the expanding Greek-Cypriot-Israeli alignment in the Eastern Mediterranean.

Latest News

Analysis

From S-400s to SAMP/T: Turkey’s defense pivot gathers pace after NATO summit

Britain's Prime Minister Keir Starmer (L) and Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan pose after signing a defense partnership agreement on the sidelines of the NATO summit in Ankara, Turkey, Wednesday, July 8, 2026.

Barin Kayaoglu

By Barin Kayaoglu

In Ankara, reporting on geopolitics and national security

Lebanese PM Salam in Turkey as Erdogan seeks wider regional role

Lebanon's Prime Minister Nawaf Salam speaks during a joint declaration press event with French President following their meeting at the Elysee Presidential Palace in Paris on April 21, 2026.

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

Former Turkish prime minster Ahmet Davutoglu speaks during a news conference to announce formally the establishment of his Future Party in Ankara, Turkey, December 13, 2019. REUTERS/ Alp Eren Kaya - RC29UD947Q4I

Turkish state seizes foundation linked to Erdogan political rival

State authorities have taken over a second institution linked to former Turkish Prime Minister Ahmet Davutoglu, who resigned last year from President Recep Tayyip Erdogan’s ruling party to form his own.

Israel-Greece-Cyprus take on Turkey in the Mediterranean

Trilateral cooperation among Israel, Greece and Cyprus to build a natural gas subsea pipeline is setting the stage for more tensions with Turkey in the Eastern Mediterranean.

United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres and Germany's Chancellor Angela Merkel leave a news conference after the Libya summit in Berlin, Germany, January 19, 2020. Michael Kappeler/Pool via Reuters - RC27JE9LBDB3

Turkey gains clout in Libya negotiations following Berlin conference

Though observers expect few on-the-ground changes in the Libyan conflict after the Berlin conference, Turkish leaders have secured a seat at the negotiating table moving forward.

Why risky Istanbul airport gets preferential treatment

Turkish authorities are scrambling to prop up Istanbul’s new airport as the costly facility faces various strains that might result in major burdens on public finances.

Russian paper gives Erdogan poor marks at Libya peace conference

President Recep Tayyip Erdogan did not get what he wanted at the Libya peace conference in Berlin, but how much of a setback was that for Turkey?

Archaeology clashes with development in Turkey's ancient city of Sagalassos

Excavated since 1990 by Belgian and Turkish archaeologists, Sagalassos offers not only a visit through majestic Roman monuments but also a glimpse on how people lived, worked, worshipped and died in the past.

Russian President Vladimir†Putin†and Russia's acting Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov attend the Libya summit in Berlin, Germany, January 19, 2020. REUTERS/Hannibal Hanschke/Pool - RC27JE9VYMOG

Russia’s 'leading from behind' strategy on Libya

Russia’s Libya policy is less about Libya and more about Europe, hence Moscow’s preference to let the Europeans take the public lead on the conflict.

Egyptian President Abdul Fattah al-Sisi (L) and Algerian president Abdelmadjid Tebboune talk before posing for a family picture during a Peace summit on Libya at the Chancellery in Berlin, on January 19, 2020. - World leaders gather in Berlin on January 19, 2020 to make a fresh push for peace in Libya, in a desperate bid to stop the conflict-wracked nation from turning into a "second Syria". Chancellor Angela Merkel will be joined by the presidents of Russia, Turkey and France and other world leaders for ta

Algeria strives to regain prominence as world powers debate Libya's future

Despite Algeria's best efforts, nine years of conflict in neighboring Libya have essentially brought an international proxy war to Algiers' doorstep.

United Arab Emirates

Iraqi Christians pray during a mass on Christmas Day at St. George Chaldean Church in Baghdad, Iraq December 25, 2019. REUTERS/Khalid al Mousily - RC292E9455EU

Iraqi minorities concerned about possible US troop withdrawal

Iraqi minorities are afraid that rising tensions between Iran and the United States might end the US troop presence in the country.

$BERLIN, GERMANY - JANUARY 19, 2020: Turkeys President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, Frances President Emmanuel Macron, Germanys Chancellor Angela Merkel, UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres (L-R front), and US Secretary General Mike Pompeo (3rd L back) pose for a group photograph during a photo session at an international summit on Libya; the summit is to discuss efforts to achieve peace and reconciliation between Libya's government and General Haftar. Mikhail Metzel/TASS (Photo by Mikhail Metzel\TASS via Getty I$

Turkey’s Libya strategy: cure has become worse than disease

The only positive outcome of Turkey’s "tension strategy" on Libya has been paving the way for the Berlin Libya conference on Jan. 14.

A general view of Nizip refugee camp, near the Turkish-Syrian border in Gaziantep province, Turkey, November 30, 2016. REUTERS/Umit Bektas - RC137324E500

What stops return of Syrians in Turkey to area held by Turkish forces?

What stops Syrians in Turkey from returning to the liberated Ras al-Ain?

From Russia with love: Turkish and Syrian spymasters meet in Moscow

The Moscow meeting between the Turkish and Syrian intelligence chiefs could suggest that a normalization process has finally kicked off between Ankara and Damascus.