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Turkey

Turkey

May 12, 2026

Ankara 4:35 am

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Turkish Red Crescent's cars and trucks cross the Turkish border as they leave the Syrian city of Tel Abyad on Oct. 19, 2019, in Akcakale, Turkey.

Turkey's border reopening unlocks new sphere of influence in Syria

Turkey reopened the Akcakale-Tell Abyad crossing on Monday, ending an 11-year closure along the Syria border.

ISTANBUL, TURKEY - MAY 06: A man poses for a photograph in front of the newly unveiled, Turkish made intercontinental ballistic missile Yildirimhan at the SAHA International Defence and Aerospace Expo on May 06, 2026 in Istanbul, Turkey. The International Defence and Aerospace Exhibition, showcased Turkish and foreign companies new products and technology. The expo was dominated by UAV products as modern warfare increasingly shifts to drone and unmanned technologies. (Photo by Chris McGrath/Getty Images)

Analysis

From drones to deterrence: Turkey's ICBM missile signals bigger ambitions

Turkey’s planned test of a 6,000-kilometer missile could boost Ankara’s defense industry prestige, strengthen its deterrence messaging and feed a powerful domestic narrative of technological self-reliance, but it also raises questions about cost, timing and NATO protection.

Barin Kayaoglu

By Barin Kayaoglu

In Ankara, reporting on geopolitics and national security

MURAT KOCABAS/Middle East Images/AFP via Getty Images

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.

Latest News

Turkey, Japan launch defense industry partnership with eye on drones

People look at a drone on display at the Baykar exhibit at the SAHA International Defence and Aerospace Expo on May 06, 2026 in Istanbul, Turkey.

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

Foreign Ministers, Sergei Lavrov (C) of Russia, Mevlut Cavusoglu (L) of Turkey and Mohammad Javad Zarif of Iran, attend the international meeting on Syria in Astana, Kazakhstan March 16, 2018. REUTERS/Mukhtar Kholdorbekov - UP1EE3G0MWO1V

Iran moves to facilitate Turkey-Syria understanding ahead of Astana summit

The Iranian foreign minister’s recent trips to Damascus and Ankara suggest that Tehran is stepping up its efforts to facilitate and accelerate the political process to end the Syrian crisis.

Turkey's new Kurdish mayors denounce greed of predecessors

As Turkey's newly elected mayors take office, imagery of the outgoing administrations' waste and opulence is fueling an uproar about the ruling party's excesses.

Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu (C) and Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif (2L) give a press conference in Ankara, Turkey, on April 17, 2019. (Photo by Adem ALTAN / AFP) (Photo credit should read ADEM ALTAN/AFP/Getty Images)

Iran sets up trade vehicle with Turkey as Saudi, UAE send flood aid

Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif said relations with Turkey are the best they’ve been in decades, while Rouhani struck a conciliatory tone amid Saudi and Emirati flood aid.

Poor services ignite protests in Suran and al-Bab

Poor basic services in some parts of Aleppo countryside have ignited protests in which people are demanding that local councils resign.

Newly elected Mayor of Istanbul Ekrem Imamoglu of the main opposition Republican People's Party (CHP) addresses his supporters after taking the office in Istanbul, Turkey, April 17, 2019. REUTERS/Huseyin Aldemir - RC125A53B110

Istanbul's new mayor pleads for unity as AKP seethes

Istanbul’s belatedly acknowledged Mayor Ekrem Imamoglu gave an all-embracing victory speech today as the ruling party's quest for an election redo continues.

Russia's President Vladimir Putin (R, front) and his Turkish counterpart Tayyip Erdogan (L, front) attend a session of the Russian-Turkish Cooperation Council in Moscow, Russia April 8, 2019. Sputnik/Alexei Nikolsky/Kremlin via REUTERS ATTENTION EDITORS - THIS IMAGE WAS PROVIDED BY A THIRD PARTY. - RC199AEEEE80

As Turkey drifts away from the US, will Russia give it what it wants?

Both Turkish and Russian analysts believe Putin has been successful in using President Erdogan to drive a wedge between NATO members.

Russian and Turkish delegations, led by Presidents Vladimir Putin and Tayyip Erdogan, attend a meeting at the Kremlin in Moscow, Russia April 8, 2019. Sputnik/Alexei Nikolsky/Kremlin via REUTERS ATTENTION EDITORS - THIS IMAGE WAS PROVIDED BY A THIRD PARTY. - RC16BFAECE20

How Ankara’s anti-West attitude plays into Western hands

The Erdogan government is more determined than ever to purchase the S-400 missile systems from Russia, further eroding Turkey's standing as a Western ally.

Turkish Treasury and Finance Minister Berat Albayrak speaks during a presentation to announce his economic policy in Istanbul, Turkey August 10, 2018. REUTERS/Murad Sezer - RC1982EC7970

Turks look to Trump for way around ‘S-400 or F-35’ ultimatum

With Congress threatening sanctions if Turkey acquires the Russian S-400 and the Pentagon warning that Turkey could lock itself out of the F-35 fighter jet program, the Turkish president’s son-in-law took his case directly to President Donald Trump.

Sudan’s President Omer Al Bashir welcomes Turkey's President Recep Tayyip Erdogan at Khartoum Airport, Sudan December 24, 2017. REUTERS/Mohamed Nureldin Abdallah - RC1EBBF69470

Erdogan claims Sudanese coup actually targeted Turkey

Now that the Sudanese military has ousted the president who ruled there for three decades, it will be interesting to see how the new administration will approach Omar al-Bashir's longtime friend, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan.

A voter casts a ballot at a polling station during the municipal elections in Istanbul, Turkey, March 31, 2019. REUTERS/Huseyin Aldemir - RC1927A46580

Intel: Turkey’s future hinges on electoral commission's decision on Istanbul rerun

Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu shakes hands with his Iranian counterpart Javad Zarif during a news conference in Istanbul, Turkey October 30, 2018. REUTERS/Murad Sezer - RC15CF69EA60

Iran FM holds Damascus meeting en route to Ankara

Iran and Turkey’s foreign ministers will meet in Ankara tomorrow following the Iranian diplomat’s visit with Syrian President Bashar al-Assad, raising speculation that he may be carrying messages from Damascus.

Turkey's President Tayyip Erdogan poses with students during a graduation ceremony in Ankara, Turkey, June 11, 2015. President Erdogan on Thursday urged the country's political parties to work quickly to form a new government, saying egos should be left aside and that history would judge anyone who left Turkey in limbo. In his first public appearance since Sunday's parliamentary election, Erdogan said no political development should be allowed to threaten Turkey's gains. He said he would do his part in find

University graduates swell Turkey’s army of jobless

More than a fourth of Turkey’s 4.7 million unemployed are graduates of higher education — an alarming trend that reflects not only the country’s economic downturn, but its faltering university system.