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
Erdogan treads carefully on Soleimani killing Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan was cautious in his first comments on the US killing of Iran’s Qasem Soleimani, criticizing the move but being careful not to align Ankara with Tehran. Turkey
Istanbul's Arter ‘pushing boundaries' of Turkey's art scene Turkey’s newest contemporary art museum promises an ambitious program for 2020 and pledges to remain a haven for artistic expression. Turkey
Economics or politics: What's driving Turkey’s electric car project? The limited scope of Turkey’s electric car project points to political motives by a government under strain rather than economic goals to help transition the automotive industry. Turkey
Intel: Why Ankara is maintaining cautious silence on Soleimani killing Officials in Ankara were awake and concerned in the early morning hours of Jan. 3, after a US strike near Baghdad's airport killed top Iranian commander Qasem Soleimani. Yet 18 hours after the strike, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan is still silent. Turkey
Cairo seeks support to keep Turkish troops out of Libya Egypt is trying to diplomatically mobilize the international community to reject Turkey's expected military intervention in northwest Libya. Egypt
Turkish parliament approves troop deployment to Libya The Turkish parliament approved a one-year mandate to deploy troops in support of the Tripoli government against an ongoing offensive led by eastern Libya commander Khalifa Hifter. Turkey
Will Russia, Turkey launch 'Syria scenario' for Libya? Despite their disagreements, Moscow and Ankara have good reasons to cooperate on Libya. Syria
Turkish offensive in northeast Syria uproots farmers, families Farmers in northeast Syria are concerned about making ends meet — or even having a place to live — after the Turkish offensive led to the looting of their lands and destruction of their crops. Syria
Istanbul’s mayor faces off with Erdogan over 'crazy' canal Ekrem Imamoglu, who wrested control of Turkey’s largest city from the ruling party in a contentious election this year, calls plans to build a waterway between Istanbul’s two seas a "disaster." Turkey
With Turkey preoccupied with Libya, Idlib slips through Ankara’s fingers While Turkey prepares to send troops to Libya, Russia's uncompromising attitude on Idlib signals that Ankara will not get what it wants in Syria. Syria
Could Turkey’s military capacity match Erdogan’s ambitions in Libya? Turkish military strategists have been working on a small, non-combat mission in Libya limited to train-and-equip purposes, yet recent developments suggest that Ankara could scale up the deployment plan amid lingering questions on whether the Turkish army is capable of delivering what Erdogan has promised his allies. Turkey
Why pastrami’s eastern version still rekindles rivalry The traditional taste of a spicy cured beef, pastirma, one of the most powerful cold cuts in the world, finds its place in new recipes. Egypt