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Turkey

Turkey

May 2, 2026

Ankara 12:27 pm

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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.

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.

In first, Libya’s rival armies to join drill in Turkey: What to know

The move follows the first joint exercise inside Libya amid renewed international efforts to unify the country.

Latest News

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

European Union (L) and Turkish flags fly outside a hotel in Istanbul, Turkey May 4, 2016. REUTERS/Murad Sezer/File Photo - RTX2EIB4

Ax hangs over Turkey's EU bid as AKP pushes to revive death penalty

Turkey's president and now prime minister are speaking ever more boldly about reviving the death penalty despite the repercussions for the country's EU bid in what looks like a move to intimidate critics and also solidify the support of Turkish nationalists.

Protesters tear up a picture of Turkey's President Tayyip Erdogan in Basra, Iraq October 14, 2016. REUTERS/Essam Al-Sudani - RTSS82L

Can Iran pull Turkey, Iraq away from brink of war?

Despite its tensions with Turkey, Tehran is well-positioned to bring Ankara and Baghdad closer amid their escalating war of words — but could Iran be successful in this endeavor?

Supporters of Cumhuriyet newspaper, an opposition secularist daily, hold Monday's copies during a protest in front of its headquarters in Istanbul, Turkey, October 31, 2016. REUTERS/Murad Sezer - RTX2R5SW

Turkey detains editor, staff of leading opposition paper

Opposition newspaper Cumhuriyet was raided this morning and several senior staff members were arrested as part of what the government called a "terrorism probe" into some of its shareholders.

Traditionally dressed Kurdish women flash victory signs during a rally of some 30,000 Turkish Kurds pro PKK leader (Kurdistan Workers' Party) Abdullah Ocalan and and against Turkish President and AKP party leader Recep Tayyip Erdogan in Cologne, Germany September 3, 2016. REUTERS/Wolfgang Rattay TPX IMAGES OF THE DAY - RTX2NZJL

How Turkey’s AKP undid its legacy on 'Kurdish question'

President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has ended up reverting back to the "Old Turkey" concepts that he had criticized for years.

A banner depicting Turkey's President Tayyip Erdogan is seen during the Extraordinary Congress of the ruling AK Party (AKP) to choose the new leader of the party, in Ankara, Turkey May 22, 2016. REUTERS/Umit Bektas - RTSFD8J

Deciphering Ankara's Middle East policy

A mix of traditional Turkish fears and the Justice and Development Party's political ambitions has come to shape Turkey’s regional policies, especially in Syria and Iraq.

A U.S. fighter, who is fighting alongside with Syria Democratic Forces (SDF), carries his national flag as he stands with SDF fighters in northern province of Raqqa, Syria May 27, 2016. REUTERS/Rodi Said - RTX2EIZN

Who will liberate Raqqa?

The United States says a military operation to isolate the Islamic State stronghold of Raqqa needs to get underway within weeks, but Turkey as well as Washington’s Syrian Arab allies oppose any plan to use Kurdish forces to take the city.

Selahattin Demirtas, co-leader of the pro-Kurdish Peoples' Democratic Party (HDP), talks during a gathering to protest against the arrest of the city's popular two joint mayors for alleged links to terrorism, in the southeastern city of Diyarbakir, Turkey, October 27, 2016. REUTERS/Sertac Kayar - RTX2QPFF

Diyarbakir protests timid as Kurds wary of post-coup crackdown

Furious over the arrest of their co-mayors, the Kurds of Diyarbakir are protesting by the thousands, but the crowds would be larger if the population weren't exhausted by the ongoing conflict with the Turkish government and afraid of being targeted.

Turkey's central bank governor Murat Cetinkaya speaks during a news conference in Istanbul, Turkey, October 27, 2016. REUTERS/Murad Sezer - RTX2QOCR

Risk indicators growing for Turkish economy

Turkey’s growing economic, political and geopolitical risks have caused significant losses in foreign capital inflows, on which the country’s economic growth relies.

Local and foreign visitors, with the Byzantine-era monument of Hagia Sophia in the background, stroll at Sultanahmet square in Istanbul August 23, 2013. The number of foreign visitors arriving in Turkey grew at its slowest pace for eight months in July, as the impact of anti-government protests and the Muslim fasting month of Ramadan took their toll, data showed on Friday. Foreign arrivals rose 0.48 percent year-on-year last month to 4.59 million people, according to the Tourism Ministry figures, the lowest

Is new imam answered prayer or impending doom for Hagia Sophia?

While many Turks applaud the appointment of an imam inside the Hagia Sophia, others worry President Recep Tayyip Erdogan is claiming the national and historical treasure to build his case for an imperial presidency.

Gultan Kisanak, then-co-chair of Turkey's pro-Kurdish Peace and Democracy Party (BDP), speaks during a news conference in Istanbul March 14, 2013. REUTERS/Murad Sezer/File Photo - RTX2QFQS

Fury erupts after mayors detained in Turkey's Kurdish southeast

The Turkish authorities have arrested both co-mayors of Diyarbakir, Gultan Kisanak and Firat Anli, sparking massive protests that the press is having trouble covering after internet access was cut across the city.

A Kurdish Peshmerga fighter with Milan anti tank weapon guards against possible Islamic State suicide bomb attacks during a battle with Islamic State militants at Topzawa village, near Bashiqa, near Mosul, Iraq October 24, 2016. REUTERS/Ahmed Jadallah - RTX2Q845

The many dimensions of Mosul, and what comes next

There's much more at play in Mosul than a campaign for its immediate liberation from the Islamic State.

A waiter carries two cups of Turkish coffee at a coffee shop in Istanbul October 19, 2007. Turks are turning their backs on traditional Turkish coffee as they acquire a taste for the cappuccinos and espressos served at global coffee chain outlets opening up across this economically booming Muslim country. Picture taken October 19, 2007. To match feature TURKEY-COFFEE REUTERS/Osman Orsal (TURKEY) - RTX7D

The brewing battle over coffee in Turkey

Amid an increase in coffee consumption in Turkey, leading international coffee chains have stormed into the local market, luring the young clientele.