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Turkey

Turkey

October 16, 2026

Ankara 1:59 pm

9°C

Mihrac Ural, who was also known as Ali Kayali, was arrested

Explainer

Syria arrests Mihrac Ural, ex-Assad militia head also wanted by Turkey

The Turkey-born militia chief and a longtime ally of the Assad-regime, was sought by Ankara over the deadly Reyhanli bombings and by Damascus over his alleged role in massacres on the Mediterranean coast.

Abandoned cars piled up among debris and standing water following extremely heavy rainfall, Istanbul, Turkey, Oct. 15, 2026.

Turkey: Flash floods kill 3, paralyze Istanbul after record downpour

Heavy rains stranded hundreds, blocking major roads and disrupting air and public transportation, flooding buildings and forcing school closures across Istanbul province.

Azerbaijan President Ilham Aliyev (L) and Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan attend the inaugural meeting of the European Political Community (EPC) at Prague Castle on Oct. 6, 2022 in Prague, Czech Republic.

Explainer

Why Israel, Armenia don't benefit from hijab spat between Turkey, Azerbaijan

Israel and Armenia have reasons to worry about the escalating dispute between Turkey and Azerbaijan, despite their own tensions with Ankara and Baku.

Serhan Asker, General Program Coordinator at Halk TV, makes a statement outside the Ankara branch of Turkey's most-watched news channel, Halk TV.

Live Updates

Turkey seizes opposition Halk TV as crackdown widens: What to know

Halk TV is a pro-opposition broadcaster and one of Turkey’s most-watched news channels.

Latest News

Iran mum as Azerbaijan’s school hijab ban, Israel ties test alliance with Turkey

A shop owner assists one of his customers at Malta bazaar in the Fatih district in Istanbul, on Dec. 6, 2024.

Explainer

PKK pulls out of Metina in northern Iraq amid Turkey peace process

Kurdistan Workers Party (PKK) fighters arrive in the northern Iraqi city of Dohuk on May 14, 2013, after leaving Turkey as part of a peace drive with Ankara.

Analysis

Pragmatic politics: Why Turkey avoids blaming Russia for Black Sea attacks

A cargo ship at the Port of Trabzon, Turkey

Barin Kayaoglu

By Barin Kayaoglu

In Ankara, reporting on geopolitics and national security

Rubio signals US push to ease Greece-Turkey cable tensions

US Secretary of State Marco Rubio (R) meets with Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis (L) during a visit on Oct. 7, 2026, in Athens, Greece.

Samuel Wendel

Senior Analyst, Middle East Business & Tech

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

Iraq's new first lady and Iraqi-Kurdish politician and writer Shanaz Ibrahim Ahmed receives a bouquet of flowers during her husband's inauguration and handover ceremony as the new Iraqi president at al-Salam Palace in the capital Baghdad on Oct. 17, 2022.

Iraq’s first lady blasts Turkey’s assault against PKK in Kurdistan Region

The first lady's own family history and the upcoming parliamentary elections are likely behind her decision to speak up now.

US President Donald Trump (L) and Turkey's President Recep Tayyip Erdogan (R).

Turkey’s Erdogan praises Trump’s 'bravery' in call with former president

The Turkish president became one of the few world leaders to speak with the former US leader following the assassination attempt.

Stray dogs lie on the grass in front of the Blue Mosque in Istanbul on August 23, 2022.

Turkey’s animal rights advocates fear mass culling as lawmakers debate stray dog bill

Animal rights activists claim that the bill could lead to mass culling of the country’s some four million stray dogs.

The protest movement leader Archbishop Bagrat Galstanyan participates during the rally demanding the Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan's resignation over land transfer to neighboring Azerbaijan, outside the government building in central Yerevan on May 30, 2024.

Interview

Archbishop seeking Armenian PM’s ouster over concessions to Turkey, Azerbaijan down but not out

In an exclusive interview with Al-Monitor, Bagrat Galstanyan blasted Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan for capitulating to Azerbaijan and claims the premier was lying to the Armenian people as to his true plans.

Bagrat Galstanyan

Bagrat Galstanyan

Armenian Archbishop

Euro 2024

Turkey's Erdogan joins fans in panning EURO 2024 referee

The Turkish president’s remarks criticizing the referee of the Euro 24 quarterfinal between Turkey and the Netherlands came amid lingering anger at UEFA.

President Joe Biden and NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg greet Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan on stage before a group photo during the 2024 NATO summit on July 10, 2024, in Washington, DC.

Turkey committed to NATO but skeptical of alliance's future under incoming chief

Turkey used the recent NATO summit in Washington to reiterate its role as a committed member of the alliance but also underlined its expectations of the upcoming NATO chief.

Syrians attend the burial of a man killed during clashes with Turkish troops, in Afrin in northern Syria on July 2, 2024.

Syrians in Turkey change attire, avoid cars after mob attacks

Mob attacks on Syrians in Turkey are forcing Syrians to make themselves invisible.

A composite image of Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erodgan (L) and Syrian President Bashar al-Assad.

Iraq aims to host first meeting between Turkey's Erdogan, Syria's Assad

Baghdad is throwing its hat into the ring in hopes of brokering a historic restoration of ties between Turkey and the Bashar al-Assad regime in Damascus, as Syria's neighbors hope to return refugees back to the war-wracked country.

YASIN AKGUL/AFP via Getty Images

Turkey has lost export competitiveness, won't meet annual goal: Official

Turkish Exporters Assembly Chairman Mustafa Gultepe said that Turkish exports would likely be between $264-267 billion for 2024.

This combination of file photographs created on July 7, 2024, shows Turkey's President Recep Tayyip Erdogan (L) in Ankara on May 29, 2023, and Syria's President Bashar al-Assad in Damascus on July 16, 2023.

Analysis

As Erdogan woos Assad, is Turkey-Syria reconciliation rhetoric or reality?

While the Turkish president has signaled he’s open to mending fences with his Syrian counterpart, the path to reconciliation is full of pitfalls.

Amberin Zaman

By Amberin Zaman

Reporting on geopolitics, minorities, human rights, culture

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan and US President Joe Biden take part in a working session on Artificial Intelligence (AI), Energy, Africa-Mediterranean at the Borgo Egnazia resort during the G7 Summit in Savelletri near Bari, Italy, on June 14, 2024.

Turkey’s Erdogan arrives in US for NATO summit: Defense sales, PKK ties in focus

The Turkish president said cooperation against terrorism and removing defense sale obstacles against his country will top his agenda during his trip.

A BYD Ocean-M electric car is displayed at the Beijing Auto Show in Beijing on April 25, 2024.

China's BYD, world's biggest EV maker, invests $1B in Turkish plant

In a post on the social media platform X on Monday, Turkey’s Vice President Cevdet Yilmaz confirmed that BYD is expected to begin production of vehicles in the new factory at the end of 2026 and that the facility will provide around 5,000 direct jobs.