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Turkey

Turkey

May 13, 2026

Ankara 1:11 pm

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The helicopter of Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan lands on Abdulhamid Han drill ship, the fourth built by Turkey, in Mersin on Aug. 9, 2022, before being sent for gas exploration to an undisputed area in the Mediterranean Sea, south of Gazipasa.

New Turkey maritime draft bill fuels EastMed tensions with Greece, Cyprus

Turkey’s draft maritime bill seeks to formalize Ankara’s claims in the Aegean, Eastern Mediterranean and Black seas, raising tensions with Greece and Cyprus over contested maritime boundaries and offshore energy rights.

Turkish Red Crescent's cars and trucks cross the Turkish border as they leave the Syrian city of Tel Abyad on Oct. 19, 2019, in Akcakale, Turkey.

Turkey's border reopening unlocks new sphere of influence in Syria

Turkey reopened the Akcakale-Tell Abyad crossing on Monday, ending an 11-year closure along the Syria border.

ISTANBUL, TURKEY - MAY 06: A man poses for a photograph in front of the newly unveiled, Turkish made intercontinental ballistic missile Yildirimhan at the SAHA International Defence and Aerospace Expo on May 06, 2026 in Istanbul, Turkey. The International Defence and Aerospace Exhibition, showcased Turkish and foreign companies new products and technology. The expo was dominated by UAV products as modern warfare increasingly shifts to drone and unmanned technologies. (Photo by Chris McGrath/Getty Images)

Analysis

From drones to deterrence: Turkey's ICBM missile signals bigger ambitions

Turkey’s planned test of a 6,000-kilometer missile could boost Ankara’s defense industry prestige, strengthen its deterrence messaging and feed a powerful domestic narrative of technological self-reliance, but it also raises questions about cost, timing and NATO protection.

Barin Kayaoglu

By Barin Kayaoglu

In Ankara, reporting on geopolitics and national security

Latest News

Culture

How ‘dog mom’ vacuum cleaner ad sparked culture war in Turkey

MURAT KOCABAS/Middle East Images/AFP via Getty Images

Turkey, Japan launch defense industry partnership with eye on drones

People look at a drone on display at the Baykar exhibit at the SAHA International Defence and Aerospace Expo on May 06, 2026 in Istanbul, Turkey.

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

Police use a water cannon to disperse demonstrators during a protest against the replacement of Kurdish mayors with state officials in three cities, in Diyarbakir, Turkey, August 20, 2019. REUTERS/Sertac Kayar - RC13B9CF81F0

Turkey attacks Kurdish protesters as world shrugs

Police brutality has reared its head as demonstrations continue in Diyarbakir over the replacement of three Kurdish mayors in Turkey’s Kurdish-majority southeast by state appointees.

IDLIB, SYRIA - AUGUST 19: Turkish military convoy is seen on August 19, 2019 in Syria's northern province of Idlib. Syrian regime launches airstrikes on Maarat Al-Numan town as a convoy of Turkish military vehicles passes through the town. An airstrike killed three civilians and injured 12 others during a transfer to Turkeys observation point in Syrias Idlib.
(Photo by Izzettin Idilbi/Anadolu Agency via Getty Images)

Turkey questions why Russia didn't prevent Idlib attack

The Syrian airstrike this week against a Turkish military convoy in Idlib has prompted speculation that Russia and Syria are cooperating at Turkey's expense.

A convoy of Turkish military vehicles is pictured near the town of Maar Hitat in northern Syria's Idlib province on August 19, 2019. - A Turkish military convoy crossed into northwest Syria today, heading towards a key town where regime forces are waging fierce battles with jihadists and rebels. (Photo by Omar HAJ KADOUR / AFP) (Photo credit should read OMAR HAJ KADOUR/AFP/Getty Images)

Turkey vexed with Russia after Syria strikes convoy

Following Syrian airstrikes on a Turkish convoy, Russia appears to be keeping calm and staying the course, but developments on the ground are spinning quickly.

Political earthquake in Turkey: A regime running amok?

Three elected Kurdish mayors were removed from their posts in a move further endangering what remains of Turkey's democracy.

Tourists ride at a local cruise boat on the Dalyan river to Iztuzu Beach near Dalyan in Mugla province, Turkey August 12, 2019. Picture taken August 12, 2019. REUTERS/Gleb Garanich - RC1E13E68240

Tourism rebounds in Turkey as visitor profile shifts east

Turkey’s tourism sector is recovering from the 2016 downturn as more visitors arrive from Asian and Middle Eastern countries.

DOHA, QATAR - NOVEMBER 15: President of Turkey Recep Tayyip Erdogan poses for a photo with soldiers during his visit at the Qatari-Turkish Armed Forces Land Command base in Doha, Qatar on November 15, 2017. (Photo by Kayhan Ozer/Anadolu Agency/Getty Images)

Turkey’s military base in Qatar to expand with air, naval elements

Turkey and Qatar have agreed to expand the Qatar-Turkey Combined Joint Force Command in Doha with aerial and naval components as stakes grow higher in the Gulf region.

IDLIB, SYRIA - AUGUST 19: Turkish military convoy is seen on August 19, 2019 in Syria's northern province of Idlib. Syrian regime launches airstrikes on Maarat Al-Numan town as a convoy of Turkish military vehicles passes through the town. An airstrike killed three civilians and injured 12 others during a transfer to Turkeys observation point in Syrias Idlib.
(Photo by Izzettin Idilbi/Anadolu Agency via Getty Images)

Intel: Deadly airstrike on Turkish convoy tests Ankara-Moscow ties

Syrian jets hit a Turkish military convoy today in Syria’s Idlib, killing three civilians and injuring 12 others in an attack that likely could not have occurred without Moscow's knowledge.

Veteran Kurdish politician Ahmet Turk addresses "Hayir" ("No") supporters during a rally for the upcoming referendum in Istanbul, Turkey, April 8, 2017. REUTERS/Huseyin Aldemir - RC13FE1C8A10

Turkey ousts three more pro-Kurdish mayors

The mayors of Turkey's Diyarbakir, Mardin and Van have been replaced by state appointees in the latest move against a major pro-Kurdish party.

Turkish police use a water cannon to disperse demonstrators during a protest against the replacement of Kurdish mayors with state officials in three cities, in Diyarbakir, Turkey, August 19, 2019. REUTERS/Sertac Kayar - RC1908CDAB50

Intel: How Turkey's decision to oust three Kurdish mayors will hamper peace prospects

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan and China's President Xi Jinping inspect an honour guard during a welcome ceremony at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing, China, July 2, 2019. Picture taken July 2, 2019. Roman Pilipey/Pool via REUTERS - RC12EB6F5B40

Pentagon sees warning for China in Turkey's F-35 ouster

The Pentagon says the US decision to boot Turkey from the F-35 program for buying a Russian missile system could have implications for nations that invest in Chinese technologies.

A Syrian refugee man walks between tents in Nizip refugee camp, near the Turkish-Syrian border in Gaziantep province, Turkey, November 30, 2016. REUTERS/Umit Bektas - RC1D41DB2700

Turkish activists stand up against refugee deportations

Human rights defenders in Turkey have raised their voices against the forced deportations of thousands of Syrians back to their war-torn country, urging Ankara to grant asylum rights to people fleeing oppression.

SANLIURFA, TURKEY - OCTOBER 13: (TURKEY OUT) Turkish soldiers hold their position on a tank as they watch the town of Kobani from near the Mursitpinar border crossing, on the Turkish-Syrian border in the southeastern town of Suruc in Sanliurfa province October 13, 2014. The strategic border town of Kobani has been beseiged by Islamic State militants since mid-September forcing more than 200,000 people to flee into Turkey. (Photo by Gokhan Sahin/Getty Images)

Turkey, Syrian Kurds remain at odds in safe zone visions

The US-Turkish deal on a safe zone in northern Syria has averted the prospect of Turkey fighting the Kurds, but the parties have stepped into a diplomatic minefield, where the interests and objectives do not match.