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Turkey

Turkey

May 4, 2026

Ankara 6:48 am

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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.

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

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

The Turkish energy minister said the country's oil and natural gas pipeline operator, BOTAS, has started the engineering work for the pipeline.

Latest News

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

Turkey’s Baykar tests K2 swarm kamikaze drones for first time: What to know

CORLU, TURKEY- MARCH 2: A B model of Bayraktar AKINCI TİHA (Assault Unmanned Aerial Vehicle) in the sky on March 2, 2022 in Corlu, Turkey. (Photo by Baykar Press Office/dia images via Getty Images)

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

Burak Kara/Getty Images

Weary of restrictions, maskless Turks risk fourth wave as variants take hold

Nearly 18 months of coronavirus and a growing vaccination campaign has left many in Turkey careless about the risks of new variants of COVID-19.

Sheikh Tahnoun bin Zayed al-Nahyan and Erdogan

How far might Turkey, UAE reach in fence-mending bid?

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan's reception of the UAE national security adviser has raised the prospect of a reset in acrimonious bilateral ties.

People come out from a metro station at Laleli in Istanbul, on March 22, 2021

Turkey’s external debt drops $25 billion at a stroke

The jury is still out on Turkey’s downward revision of short-term external debt, but similar revisions that improved GDP figures in the past have cast doubt on the credibility of Ankara’s economic data.

British and Canadian soldiers stand guard near a canal in the late hours of Aug. 22, 2021, as Afghans wait outside the foreign military-controlled part of the airport in Kabul

Turkey begins pulling troops from Kabul airport as US deadline looms

Ankara's proposal to keep troops at Kabul airport appears dead in the water, at least for now.

Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu gives a joint press conference with his Jordanian counterpart at the foreign ministry headquarters in Amman on August 17, 2021.

Russian rebuke of Turkey for Crimea support highlights Ankara's delicate balancing act

Turkey's support for Crimea also highlights the growing value of Ukraine and Crimea for Ankara.

A member of the Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK) carries an automatic rifle on a road in the Qandil Mountains, the PKK headquarters in northern Iraq, on June 22, 2018.

Turkey strikes PKK targets in Iraq's Kurdistan region

Turkey has bombed suspected hideouts of the outlawed Kurdistan Workers Party in Iraqi Kurdistan, reportedly destroying ammunition depots, caves and other hideouts.

A woman walks past a tourist shop promoting PCR tests during a three week nationwide coronavirus lockdown on May 5, 2021 in Istanbul, Turkey.

Turkey's plans to mandate PCR tests for education, entertainment spark backlash

Voices from both conservatives and liberals rise as the Turkish government slaps obligatory PCR tests on teachers and school staff to allay fears of a new wave of COVID-19 as schools resume in-person education.

DELIL SOULEIMAN/AFP via Getty Images

Turkish airstrike kills members of US-backed Kurdish force in Syria

A Turkish airstrike has killed four members of a US-backed Syrian Kurdish force.

Ethiopian refugees in Sudan

Turkey offers to mediate disputes between Sudan, Ethiopia

Erdogan also said he stands behind a peaceful resolution to the violence in Tigray.

In this photo illustration, social media apps are seen on a mobile phone on July 29, 2020, in Istanbul, Turkey.

Turkey’s plans for new social media restrictions threaten five years in prison for spreading fake news

The latest crackdown on online speech could see users jailed for posting fake news that critics say could criminalize dissent.

A Turkish military truck patrols next to a Turkish flag hoisted at the border with Syria on Aug. 14, 2019, in Akcakale, in Sanliurfa, southeastern Turkey.

Turkey’s Sinjar strikes carry stern messages to Tehran, Baghdad

As the United States braces to withdraw its combat forces from Iraq, the country’s Kurdistan Region is emerging as the scene of a mounting struggle for control between Turkey and Iran.

Firat News

Turkish airstrikes claim Yazidi lives in Iraq’s Sinjar

Turkish airstrikes hit makeshift hospital in the predominantly Yazidi Sinjar region of Iraq on Tuesday.