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Turkey

Turkey

July 16, 2026

Ankara 5:33 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

Could Turkey’s military capacity match Erdogan’s ambitions in Libya?

Turkish military strategists have been working on a small, non-combat mission in Libya limited to train-and-equip purposes, yet recent developments suggest that Ankara could scale up the deployment plan amid lingering questions on whether the Turkish army is capable of delivering what Erdogan has promised his allies.

Why pastrami’s eastern version still rekindles rivalry

The traditional taste of a spicy cured beef, pastirma, one of the most powerful cold cuts in the world, finds its place in new recipes.

Turkish troops in Syria threatened at Idlib outposts

Turkey could be seriously sidelined by a highly effective operation undertaken recently by Syrian forces.

Libyan Interior Minister Fathi Bashagha speaks during a news conference in Tunis, Tunisia December 26, 2019. REUTERS/Zoubeir Souissi - RC213E9W3MMS

Turkey accepts invitation to deploy troops to Libya, Erdogan says

The Turkish Parliament will vote on sending soldiers to the north African country to support its internationally recognized government, but the deployment could entrench Turkey in Libya’s long-running internal strife as well as intensify regional tensions.

Sarkoun Selio, a 50-year-old Assyrian Christian Syrian and one of the few Assyrians still living there, walks in the ruins of the Assyrian Church of the Virgin Mary, which was previously destroyed by Islamic State (IS) group fighters, in the village of Tal Nasri south of the town of Tal Tamr in Syria's northeastern Hasakah province on November 15, 2019. - The few Assyrian Christians who escaped the Islamic State group invasion in 2015, and did not choose to emigrate, now anxiously watch the advance of Turki

Syrian Christians on front line have sad Christmas, again

Turkey's Operation Peace Spring has made life ever more difficult for Syrian Christians, some of whom decided not to celebrate Christmas.

Cappadocia's fairy chimneys, pristine snow beckons winter tourists

Cappadocia offers intrepid tourists and art lovers alike plenty to do and see during the winter months.

Russian President Vladimir Putin and his Turkish counterpart Recep Tayyip Erdogan visit the MAKS 2019 air show in Zhukovsky, outside Moscow, Russia, August 27, 2019. Sputnik/Aleksey Nikolskyi/Kremlin via REUTERS ATTENTION EDITORS - THIS IMAGE WAS PROVIDED BY A THIRD PARTY. - RC159965E0E0

Intel: How Russia and Turkey are eyeing new deals on Idlib and Libya

A high-level Turkish delegation led by Deputy Foreign Minister Sedat Onal visited Moscow today for talks over key issues that have come to dominate bilateral relations in recent weeks.

Facing new refugee wave from Syria, Ankara sends delegation to Moscow

As a new offensive by the Syrian regime sends 120,000 Idlib residents fleeing toward the Turkish border, President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said his nation "will not carry such a migrant burden on its own."

ISTANBUL, TURKEY - OCTOBER 17: Minister of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation of the United Arab Emirates Abdullah bin Zayed Al Nahyan (L) meets Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan (R) in Istanbul, Turkey on October 17, 2016. (Photo by Turkish Presidency / Yasin Bulbul/Anadolu Agency/Getty Images)

UAE insists it’s not lobbying for sanctions against Turkey after all

Lobbyists for the UAE embassy in Washington have clarified their talking points to Congress.

United Arab Emirates

Members of Libya's internationally recognized government forces carry weapons in Ain Zara, Tripoli, Libya October 14, 2019. Picture taken October 14, 2019. REUTERS/Ismail Zitouny - RC1F8CC25910

Turkey’s Libya gambit raises stakes in eastern Mediterranean

Turkey’s military commitments to Libya’s Tripoli-based government have escalated the conflict in the eastern Mediterranean.

Facing US sanctions, credit-fueled Turkish economy heads toward turbulence

Through measures to free up capital flows, Turkey’s economy weathered the 2018 currency crisis, but analysts remain uncertain the nation’s markets can absorb more shocks as US sanctions loom.

Pacts between Libya, Turkey raise tensions with Egypt

Egypt's criticism of Libya's internationally recognized government is mounting in light of the latter's maritime and security agreements with Turkey.