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Turkey

Turkey

May 16, 2026

Ankara 3:39 pm

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Mazloum Kobane, commander-in-chief of the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF), speaks during the pan-Kurdish "Unity and Consensus" conference in Qamishli in northeastern Syria on April 26, 2025.

Interview

Syrian Kurdish commander Kobane says Turkey visit ‘in the making,’ Ocalan meeting possible

The SDF commander-in-chief reflected on a fragile integration deal with Damascus, growing Kurdish backlash and ongoing talks with Turkey as questions mount over Rojava’s political future.

Mazloum Kobane

Mazloum Kobane

SDF commander in chief

Turkey’s President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, right, and Armenia’s Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan shake hands before a meeting at Prague Castle in Prague, Czech Republic, Thursday, Oct. 6, 2022.

Turkey, Armenia to launch direct trade in normalization push: What to know

The move removes a decades-old reexport mechanism routed largely through Georgia as Ankara and Yerevan step up normalization efforts.

Latest News

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

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.

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

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.

Analysis

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

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)

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 Tayyip Erdogan arrives for a news conference with President Hassan Rouhani of Iran and Vladimir Putin of Russia following their meeting in Tehran, Iran September 7, 2018. Kirill Kudryavtsev/Pool via REUTERS - RC1DC2377000

Turkey's Erdogan gets no love from Russia on Idlib

Disagreements between the presidents of Russia, Iran and Turkey were evident at a televised meeting today as they struggled to negotiate a solution on Syria.

Syria’s al-Bab opens first Turkish-backed DMV

Turkey has backed the establishment of a department of motor vehicles in al-Bab in the Euphrates Shield area, where all vehicles will be registered and inspected to ensure road safety.

This picture taken on September 6, 2018 shows smoke plumes rising from Syrian government forces' bombardment on the town of Al-Tamanah on the southern edges of the rebel-held Idlib province. - Government and allied forces have been massing around the northwestern province of Idlib, where aid groups fear what could be the last major battle of Syria's seven-year war would also be the deadliest. (Photo by OMAR HAJ KADOUR / AFP) (Photo credit should read OMAR HAJ KADOUR/AFP/Getty Images)

Russia, Turkey size up challenges and opportunities in Idlib

In the run-up to the presidential summit in Tehran, Russia and Turkey continue to weigh their options for Idlib.

Police guard the government headquarters in Chisinau April 8, 2009. Moldova's Communist rulers arrested 193 opposition protesters early on Wednesday and riot police regained control of the presidential offices and parliament, ransacked in anti-government riots. REUTERS/Gleb Garanich (MOLDOVA CONFLICT POLITICS ELECTIONS) - GM1E5481HG202

Turkey snatches 'Gulenist' teachers in Moldova

Today's reported abduction and deportation of at least six Turkish nationals in Moldova comes as Ankara's latest move against suspected Gulenists in countries where there is weak rule of law.

Presidents Hassan Rouhani of Iran, Tayyip Erdogan of Turkey and Vladimir Putin of Russia pose before their meeting in Ankara, Turkey April 4, 2018. Tolga Bozoglu/Pool via Reuters TPX IMAGES OF THE DAY - RC1C3F373790

Tehran summit to end Syrian war, says Iran media

The summit taking place in Iran between Russia, Turkey and Iran on Friday can lead to the end of the Syrian civil war.

Iraqi Shi'ite cleric Moqtada al-Sadr meets with ambassadors of Turkey, Jordan, Saudi Arabia, Syria and Kuwait, in Najaf, Iraq May 18, 2018. REUTERS/Alaa al-Marjani - RC17691D78D0

Turkey pins hopes on cleric Sadr to form Iraqi government

As Turkey waits to see which Iraqi political coalition comes up with the parliamentary majority necessary to install a new government, Ankara is rooting for the bloc of cleric Muqtada al-Sadr, which it sees as most likely to minimize US and Iranian influence in the country.

Erdogan's popularity plunges with lira

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan’s approval rating has reportedly tanked in line with the country's economy.

Surging inflation tightens circle around Turkish economy

Having hit 18% in August, Turkey’s inflation is expected to continue rising in the coming months, coupled with the prospect of stagnation.

Turkey funds job training for Syrian youth

The Turkish government and the local council in Marea, a town in the northern countryside of Aleppo, have opened a training center to help young people find work.

Turkish forces are seen in a convoy on a main highway between Damascus and Aleppo, near the town of Saraqib in Syria's northern Idlib province, on August 29, 2018. - Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said in a press conference today that there is "full political understanding" between Russia and Turkey, who support opposing sides of the Syrian civil war but are currently in intense negotiations to ensure Idlib does not become a breaking point in their alliance. (Photo by OMAR HAJ KADOUR / AFP) (

Turkey’s options limited as world awaits Idlib operation

The international community sounds ever more frantic begging the Syrian regime to stop its deadly advance on Idlib, the rebel-held province that will likely produce millions more refugees as it is retaken by the government's forces.

Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu and his German counterpart Heiko Maas commemorate the 25th anniversary of an arson attack killing two Turkish women and three girls by right-wing extremists in Solingen, Germany, May 29, 2018. REUTERS/Wolfgang Rattay - RC1C23FA1490

Turkey and Germany huddle over looming Idlib operation

German Foreign Minister Heiko Maas’s visit to Ankara will, above all, serve as a platform for the two countries to discuss major military action expected in the last Syrian rebel stronghold of Idlib.

(FromL) Turkish Justice Minister Abdulhamit Gul, Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu, Treasury and Finance Minister Berat Albayrak and Turkish Interior Minister Suleyman Soylu give a press conference after a "Reform Action Group" meeting held by the Presidency of the European Union at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Ankara on August 29, 2018. (Photo by ADEM ALTAN / AFP) (Photo credit should read ADEM ALTAN/AFP/Getty Images)

Doubts surround Turkey’s efforts to revive its EU membership bid

A Western diplomat says Ankara is unlikely to enact democratic reforms that would ease President Erdogan’s grip on power.