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
Russia, Turkey plugging away at Syria's northeast, Idlib Amid complications with Turkey, Russia claims it stays the course in Syria. Syria
Russia faces dilemmas in northeastern Syria While it has added some fortifications, Moscow is challenged with new political and military uncertainty over Syria's northeast. Syria
Amid growing crackdown, pro-Kurdish party calls for new elections in Turkey Facing ongoing pressure, Turkey’s Kurdish-majority HDP has called for early elections after 24 elected mayors have been removed from office. Turkey
Opposition party weighs resigning to protest Turkish crackdown The pro-Kurdish Peoples’ Democratic Party will meet constituents to decide on how to counter a clampdown that has seen it lose control of two dozen city halls. Quitting parliament is among the measures up for debate. Syria
Fatah, Hamas fight over Turkey Both Hamas and Fatah are intensifying contacts with Turkey, in tandem with the preparation for Palestinian elections. Palestine
Turkey remains determined to keep Russian missiles After last week’s meeting between the US and Turkish presidents, some in Washington seem hopeful Turkey won't activate its Russian-made S-400 missile system, but Ankara insists Turkey didn’t buy the $2 billion weapons system to mothball it. Turkey
Turkey's defense industry sees rise of 'the president’s men' Decision-making power in Turkey's defense industry is shifting from the military to businessmen close to President Recep Tayyip Erdogan. Qatar
Trump and Erdogan: A transatlantic love affair Presidents Recep Tayyip Erdogan of Turkey and Donald Trump of the United States get along very well but appear to achieve little for the countries' long-term relationship. Turkey
Turkey’s fight against IS riddled with black holes Ankara may boast about how many Islamic State members it has captured, but its handling of IS suspects on the ground, especially in deportation centers, speaks of a slipshod attitude to the problem. Syria
Egypt conducts joint drills with Greece, Cyprus amid Turkey tensions The naval forces of Egypt, Greece and Cyprus conducted joint military exercises in the Mediterranean amid tensions with Turkey over its drilling activities in the area. Egypt
IS kills priests in Syria as Turkish-backed fighters express IS sympathies Two Armenian Catholic priests are killed by the Islamic State near Hasakah and pro-Turkish Syrian fighters are reported to have hoisted the Islamic State flag in Ras al-Ain. Syria
Did Turkey backstab Syrian opposition's National Army? Turkey's catch-and-release handling of 18 regime fighters captured by the Syrian opposition shocked many opposition forces. Syria