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Turkey

Turkey

May 4, 2026

Ankara 7:55 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

passengers departing Kabul airport

Turkey's Erdogan says he may meet with Taliban leadership

The speed of the Afghan insurgents' advances is "really troubling," Erdogan told CNN Turk.

exchange agency in Istanbul

Erdogan plays with fire to spur economic growth

The Turkish president’s insistence on spurring growth despite mounting inflation and the risk of further dollarization is a further invitation to continued economic turmoil.

ADEM ALTAN/AFP via Getty Images

Half of adults in Turkey vaccinated as COVID-19 rates surge

Turkey passed a milestone Wednesday, announcing half of its adults are fully vaccinated, though COVID-19 rates remain near a three-month high, likely due to the fast-spreading Delta variant.

Firefighters battle a large wildfire near the village of Ikizce, in Mugla province, Turkey, Aug. 6, 2021.

Wildfires have burned more than Turkey’s forests

The Turkish government’s conduct during the wildfires that engulfed Turkey’s coastline has not only led to devastation of the country’s forests, but also caused loss of the nation’s sense of solidarity in the wake of natural disasters

A photograph taken on May 26, 2021, in Istanbul shows Sedat Peker speaking on his YouTube channel.

Turkey’s ruling 'White Party' turning gray, critics say

Recent allegations stand in contrast to the ruling Justice and Development Party's pledges to rid Turkey of systemic corruption.

A man counts Turkish Lira at a currency exchange office on July 29, 2020, in Istanbul, Turkey.

Ill-conceived borrowing scheme costs Turkey double

The cost of Ankara’s domestic borrowing in hard currency and gold is estimated to have hit nearly 32% per annum amid the slump of the Turkish lira, more than doubling the cost of borrowing in liras.

ILYAS AKENGIN/AFP via Getty Images

Wildfires deliver blow to tourism in Turkey

Ankara has announced that all but two wildfires are under control and is busily reassuring tourists it's safe to return.

İsmet İnönü at the congress of the CHP, in late 1930s.

Why a Turkish dictator let himself lose an election

Turkey's second president Ismet Inonu surprised the world by stepping down in 1950. Could Erdogan do the same after the 2023 elections?

Chris McGrath/Getty Images

Turkish prosecutor investigates tweets calling for help with wildfires

Ankara claims that Twitter hashtags calling for international aid with the wildfires raging through the country were "organized abroad" with "ideological motivations" in what critics say is a panicked attempt to change the narrative of Turkish helplessness to contain the crisis.

Man injured by fire near Manavgat

Erdogan struggles to contain political fallout from Turkey’s wildfires

The wildfires scorching Turkey since last week threaten not only an environmental disaster but also a big political fallout for President Recep Tayyip Erdogan.

US Secretary of State Antony Blinken speaks about refugee programs for Afghans who aided the United States, during a briefing at the State Department on Aug. 2, 2021, in Washington, DC.

Ankara unsettled by role in US program to relocate Afghans

Washington unveiled a program Monday for Afghan refugees to seek asylum in the United States via third countries, including Turkey, raising criticism from Ankara officials who fear the move could fuel a new migration crisis.

Chris McGrath/Getty Images

Turkish inflation climbs to two-year high, likely delaying interest rate cut

Turkey’s annual inflation rose higher than expected in July to 18.95%, just shy of the Central Bank’s key interest rate, reducing prospects for an early interest rate cut this summer.