Culture How ‘dog mom’ vacuum cleaner ad sparked culture war in Turkey A Mother’s Day advertisement featuring a “dog mom” triggered a backlash from conservative media, government officials and regulators, turning a soft consumer campaign into a flashpoint over motherhood, declining birth rates, stray dogs and even antisemitism. Turkey
Newsletter: Turkey Turkey navigates Gulf rivalries while Kurdish peace efforts resurface Turkey hosts a flurry of regional diplomacy while fresh debate over Abdullah Ocalan’s future exposes new tensions in the Kurdish peace process. By Ezgi Akin In Ankara, reporting on diplomacy, EU-Turkey ties, NATO
Newsletter: City Pulse Istanbul EU spotlights digital art in Ankara Also this week: A new chef’s table, ceramics and institutional debuts By Nazlan Ertan In Izmir and Istanbul, reporting on culture
Turkey, Japan launch defense industry partnership with eye on drones The initiative could eventually lead to joint UAV development and production as Japan looks to expand drone capabilities amid regional tensions. Turkey
Newsletter: Daily Briefing Hezbollah commanders killed as renewed strikes test Lebanon-Israel talks By Ezgi Akin In Ankara, reporting on diplomacy, EU-Turkey ties, NATO
Newsletter: Daily Briefing US pauses Hormuz escort mission as Trump cites progress on Iran talks By Ezgi Akin In Ankara, reporting on diplomacy, EU-Turkey ties, NATO
How an ultra-secularist gained clout in Turkey's Islamist government Dogu Perincek, said to be a pillar of Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan's recent anti-West policies, has had a long history of controversial alliances and ideologies. Turkey
Popularity of Turkey's ancient temple worries archaeologists Gobekli Tepe, the oldest known place of worship in the world, has been a site of controversy as the Turkish government monetizes the mysterious archaeological treasure. Turkey
Libya is only small part of Turkey’s ambitious Africa overture Although Turkey’s moves in Libya capture a lot of headlines these days, Ankara has been busy on other fronts in Africa. Egypt
Syrian crisis dictates peace between Damascus and Ankara The Russian side is said to be developing two strategies to thwart Turkey’s possible objections to cultural autonomy for Syrian Kurds. Syria
Trump administration adjusts policies to new realities in Syria and Iraq Syrian Kurdish leader Mazlum Kobane has suggested in an interview new confidence-building measures with Turkey. Meanwhile, Donald Trump and Barham Salih have managed expectations in their meeting in Davos, Switzerland. Iraq
Egypt-Turkey tensions continue to rise in wake of newsroom raid In a move that risks further threatening the already strained relations between Cairo and Ankara, Egyptian security forces raided the news office of the Turkish Anadolu Agency in Cairo and arrested several workers there, accusing them of being affiliated with the Muslim Brotherhood. Egypt
Egyptian army flexes muscle near border with Libya The latest military maneuvers held in Egypt come in light of Turkey’s decision to deploy troops to support Libya’s UN-backed government against the offensive led by Egyptian-backed military strongman Khalifa Hifter. Egypt
Thousands flee Russian, Syrian bombs for Turkish border Turkey fears another humanitarian disaster on its doorstep in Syria as Russia and Syria bomb civilian targets in their push to retake the country’s last rebel stronghold. Syria
Interview SDF commander says Kurds ready for dialogue if Ankara is sincere In an exclusive interview with Al-Monitor in northeast Syria, Gen. Mazlum Kobane speaks on a range of issues including prospects for reviving dialogue with Turkey, US President Donald Trump's decision to withdraw US troops from Syria and the impact of Iranian Gen. Qasem Soleimani's killing in Iraq. Mazlum Kobane SDF commander in chief
Erdogan's Libya strategy: Jump first, think later By openly taking sides in Libya, Turkey could end up undermining the clout it believes it has gained in that country. Syria
Turkish state seizes foundation linked to Erdogan political rival State authorities have taken over a second institution linked to former Turkish Prime Minister Ahmet Davutoglu, who resigned last year from President Recep Tayyip Erdogan’s ruling party to form his own. Turkey
Israel-Greece-Cyprus take on Turkey in the Mediterranean Trilateral cooperation among Israel, Greece and Cyprus to build a natural gas subsea pipeline is setting the stage for more tensions with Turkey in the Eastern Mediterranean. Egypt