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Turkey

Turkey

May 12, 2026

Ankara 3:34 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

Members of Kurdish People's Protection Units (YPG) walk after capturing a military base that belonged to the Islamist rebels near Ras al-Ain, in the province of Hasakah, November 6, 2013. Redur Xelil, spokesman for the armed wing of the Syrian Kurdish Democratic Union Party (PYD), said Kurdish militias had seized the city of Ras al-Ain and all its surrounding villages. Syrian Kurdish fighters have captured more territory from Islamist rebels in northeastern Syria, a Kurdish militant group said on Monday, ti

Syrian Kurdish party calls on Turkey, KRG to end embargo

The Syrian Kurdish Democratic Union Party (PYD) is calling on Ankara and Erbil to open border crossings to allow trade and safe passage.

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Jailed cartoons of Turkey

Creative cartoonists in Turkey employ different forms of graphic protest to deftly criticize Erdogan and his policies.

Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif (2nd R) hugs French Foreign Minister Laurent Fabius after a ceremony at the United Nations in Geneva November 24, 2013. Iran and six world powers reached a breakthrough agreement early on Sunday to curb Tehran's nuclear programme in exchange for limited sanctions relief, in a first step towards resolving a dangerous decade-old standoff. REUTERS/Denis Balibouse (SWITZERLAND - Tags: POLITICS ENERGY TPX IMAGES OF THE DAY) - RTX15QNB

The deal with Iran, and what comes next

The agreement with Iran opens up new possibilities for both the United States and Russia in the Middle East.

Turkey's Prime Minister Tayyip Erdogan, Kurdish poet and singer Sivan Perwer (L), who had fled Turkey in the 1970s, and Turkish singer Ibrahim Tatlises (R) greet people during a ceremony in Diyarbakir November 16, 2013. The president of Iraqi Kurdistan called on Turkey's Kurds to back a flagging peace process with Ankara on Saturday, making his first visit to southeastern Turkey in two decades in a show of support for Prime Minister Tayyip Erdogan. Masoud Barzani's trip to Diyarbakir, the main city in Turk

Halfhearted welcome for the 'Voice of Kurdistan'

Iconic Kurdish singer Sivan Perwer returns to Turkey after 37 years in exile, but is not warmly embraced by the people who grew up with his music.

Supporters of Egypt's deposed Islamist President Mohamed Mursi and the Muslim Brotherhood wave Egyptian flags during a rally in protest against the recent violence in Egypt, outside of the Eminonu New mosque in Istanbul August 17, 2013. REUTERS/Murad Sezer (TURKEY - Tags: POLITICS CIVIL UNREST) - RTX12P9I

Egypt declares Turkish ambassador persona non grata

The break in Egypt-Turkey ties is another sign of the failed policies of Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan.

Turkish Foreign Minister Ahmet Davutoglu (C) listens to his advisor (L) as he walks in for a press briefing with Bahrain Foreign Minister Sheikh Khalid bin Ahmed al-Khalifa in Manama, November 24, 2013. REUTERS/Hamad I Mohammed (BAHRAIN - Tags: POLITICS) - RTX15R41

The Davutoglu charm offensive

Despite some new messages from Turkish Foreign Minister Ahmet Davutoglu, a "reset" of Turkey’s foreign policy seems a stretch.

New party linked to Barzani makes play for Turkey’s Kurds

KDP-Bakur, a group linked to Iraqi Kurdistan Regional Government President Massoud Barzani, has caused a stir with plans to become a formal party in Turkey.

Supporters and opponents of ousted president Mohamed Mursi clash at Nasr City district in Cairo November 22, 2013. Mursi's supporters have staged frequent protests across Egypt, many of them after Friday prayers, since the army deposed him on July 3 in response to mass protests against his rule, and arrested most of the top leaders of his Muslim Brotherhood. REUTERS/Mohamed Abd El Ghany (EGYPT - Tags: POLITICS CIVIL UNREST) - RTX15OZM

Break in Turkey-Egypt relations deepens regional divide

International mediation may be the next steps to rebuild trust among the countries of the region.

Turkish Prime Minister Tayyip Erdogan waves to students after his speech at Cairo University, on the first day of his two-day trip to Egypt, November 17, 2012. Erdogan, an outspoken of critic of Israel, praised Egypt's Islamist president, Mohamed Mursi, on Saturday for recalling his ambassador from Tel Aviv in response to Israeli attacks on Gaza. REUTERS/Asmaa Waguih (EGYPT - Tags: POLITICS CIVIL UNREST EDUCATION) - RTR3AJEO

The lost promise of Turkey-Egypt relations

Though Turkish-Egyptian relations have sunk to new lows with the reciprocal removal of ambassadors, ties between the two countries once promised economic and strategic development.

A pro-Kurdish demonstrator displays his tattoo as she attends a rally marking the 20th anniversary of the introduction of a ban of the Kurdistan Workers Party (PKK) in Berlin November 16, 2013. REUTERS/Tobias Schwarz (GERMANY - Tags: POLITICS CIVIL UNREST) - RTX15G0V

Kurdish militia aims to connect Kurdish enclaves in Syria

Syria's central Kurdish militia attempts to garner enough support in northern Syrian to create a contiguous Kurdish zone.

U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry and Turkish Foreign Minister Ahmet Davutoglu (L) arrive to speak to reporters at the State Department in Washington November 18, 2013.
REUTERS/Kevin Lamarque (UNITED STATES - Tags: POLITICS) - RTX15J4C

Turkey resets ties with US

Turkish Foreign Minister Ahmet Davutoglu boldly characterizes the relationship with Washington as "the backbone of Turkey’s foreign policy."

A rocket launcher is positioned at a military base on the Turkish-Syrian border town of Reyhanli, in Hatay province, southern Turkey September 5, 2013. REUTERS/Umit Bektas (TURKEY - Tags: POLITICS MILITARY) - RTX1388W

Turkey's Syria dilemma

The deepening crisis in Syria should make Turkey consider how it will deal with near permanent chaos in its borders.