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Turkey

Latest news and updates on the country which straddles both Europe and Asia.

Capital

Ankara

Head of State

President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan

Head of Government

President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan

US Secretary of Treasury Scott Bessent poses for a family photograph of G7 finance ministers and central bank governors ahead of a meeting on Tuesday. Photo: AFP

United States

US imposes fresh sanctions on Iranian exchange house, 19 ships from shadow fleet

The Treasury’s move came after Iran ‌said its latest peace proposal to the US involved ending hostilities on all fronts.

3 hours ago

Yuan

China joins global sell-off of US Treasuries in March as Iran war prompts panic

19 May 2026 - 9:19AM

US, Israel war on Iran

Is China’s new mediation body gaining steam as Western brokers’ influence wanes?

16 May 2026 - 8:00PMvideocam

Ukraine war

36 nations approve tribunal creation to prosecute Russia over Ukraine

The move came on the same day the WHO said Ukraine’s mental health crisis is growing, with ‘work to do until the end of the century’.

15 May 2026 - 9:44PMvideocam

A neighbour hugs a crying woman at the site of a fatal Russian missile attack on a residential building in Kyiv, Ukraine, on Thursday. Photo: AP

Editor's Letter

This week in PostMag: the summer travel edition offers holiday tips for all tastes

Discover dreamy summer getaways – from Hainan’s luxury escapes to Thailand’s creative Songkhla – plus sustainable stays, genre-blending concerts and Chinese state banquet secrets.

18 May 2026 - 9:51AM

Trip Inspiration

Rediscovering Turkey’s northeast: a journey from Trabzon to Erzurum

After 50 years, a writer returns to Turkey’s far-flung northeast and discovers what has changed – and what hasn’t.

11 May 2026 - 4:46PM

War and conflict

Letters | History shows the high cost and low yield of war as conflict resolution

Readers discuss the imperative of dialogue to end the Iran war, the growth and diversity of Chinese products and Hong Kong’s efforts to deter smoking.

7 May 2026 - 11:30AM

An Iranian walks next to an anti-US mural in a street in Tehran, Iran, on May 4. Photo: EPA

Disease

Passengers on virus-hit cruise ship sway between fear and boredom

As the MV Hondius sails towards Spain, passengers describe a bizarre daily existence of high-end luxury and strict isolation.

7 May 2026 - 5:17PMvideocam

Middle East

‘Structural shift’: new routes for Middle East freight to bypass Hormuz

Saudi Arabia, Turkey and the UAE lead a push for a new trade architecture with multiple nodes linking the Indian Ocean to the Mediterranean Sea.

3 May 2026 - 10:30AM

Israel-Gaza war

Israel intercepts Gaza aid flotilla in international waters off Greece, detaining dozens

Organisers accuse Israel of ‘abduction’ after boats are seized nearly 1,000km from the Palestinian enclave.

1 May 2026 - 9:35AM

Flotilla crew during an interception by Israeli forces. Photo: Global Sumud Flotilla via Reuters

United States

Austrian citizen admits plot to kill at Taylor Swift concert in Vienna

The 21-year-old and two other men also planned attacks in Saudi Arabia, Turkey and the United Arab Emirates.

28 Apr 2026 - 6:52PMvideocam

Defendant Beran A hides his face while being escorted out of court in Austria. He is standing trial for plotting to carry out an attack on one of superstar singer Taylor Swift’s 2024 Vienna concerts. Photo: AP

Malaysia

At Malaysia’s arms bazaar, drone dealers chase Southeast Asian market share

‘Drone warfare is the future,’ say arms dealers in Kuala Lumpur – and the region’s militaries are buying in.

26 Apr 2026 - 1:46PMvideocam

US, Israel war on Iran

Pakistan, Turkey, Saudi Arabia, Egypt: the Middle East’s new power brokers?

‘Fear of US abandonment’ is helping forge a new Middle East – but don’t expect an Islamic Nato just yet.

25 Apr 2026 - 1:30PM

US-China relations

Letters | China’s interest doesn’t lie in US failures

Readers discuss Chinese thinking on global stability, Turkey’s school shootings, and talk of regime change.

24 Apr 2026 - 11:30AM

A man walks past a Chinese newspaper featuring a photo of Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez and Chinese President Xi Jinping in Beijing on April 15. Photo: EPA

Social media

Turkey passes bill to restrict social media access for under-15s

It comes a week after a 14-year-old boy killed nine students and a teacher at a middle school in southern Turkey, in a gun attack.

23 Apr 2026 - 4:59PM

Police officers in uniform and plainclothes police secure the site after a deadly school shooting, in the southeastern province of Kahramanmaras, Turkey, on April 15, 2026. Photo: via Reuters

Ramadan

Turkey jails 8 over deadly 2024 cable car accident

The 2024 Antalya disaster left a passenger dead and 174 others stranded for almost a day.

21 Apr 2026 - 12:39PM

US, Israel war on Iran

Beyond Panama and Hormuz: 8 critical waterways under the global microscope

Amid US actions in the two major shipping channels, attention has shifted to the strategic importance and potential risks elsewhere.

21 Apr 2026 - 1:12AMvideocam

Crime

LA woman charged in US with trafficking arms to Sudan for Iran

Shamim Mafi is accused ‘brokering the sale of drones, bombs, bomb fuses and millions of rounds of ammunition’.

20 Apr 2026 - 11:46AM

Los Angeles International Airport, where Iranian national Shamim Mafi was arrested on Saturday. Photo: AP

Food and Drinks

Is this soup being culturally appropriated? Dispute boils between 2 nations

Greece and Turkey are arguing over a traditional soup’s origins as one restaurateur attempts to register it as a dish of Greece with Unesco.

19 Apr 2026 - 5:15PM

US, Israel war on Iran

Exclusive | Iran keen on deal with US but has higher ‘pain tolerance’: think tank chief

Mohamed Amersi, who is close to Iranian negotiators, says regime is prepared for long haul and will not give up its missile programme.

20 Apr 2026 - 4:10AMvideocam

Hong Kong property

Hong Kong real estate gains as Middle East tensions rattle Dubai market

Early signs of capital inflows and tenant movement emerge as Dubai property softens and investors rethink regional bets.

20 Apr 2026 - 2:04PM

Sino Land’s La Mirabelle project sold 595 units over the past three weeks, generating more than HK$5.2 billion. Photo: Jelly Tse

Donald Trump

Russia’s Lavrov says balance of power shifting to emerging economies

At the Antalya Diplomacy Forum in Turkey, Lavrov said the foundations of globalisation powered primarily by the US had ‘come to an end’.

18 Apr 2026 - 11:42PMvideocam

Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov speaks during a session at Antalya Diplomacy Forum in Antalya, Turkey on Saturday. Photo: Reuters

Hong Kong economy

Hong Kong minister urges long-term view, says Middle East investment unaffected

Minister Algernon Yau urges businesses to avoid short-term thinking, says Hong Kong entrepreneurs are discerning in assessing opportunities.

18 Apr 2026 - 8:48PM

US, Israel war on Iran

Turkey’s Erdogan urges Iran, US to use ceasefire to push for lasting peace

At the Antalya Diplomacy Forum in Turkey, Erdogan also stressed the importance of acting with ‘prudent understanding’ to end the Iran war.

17 Apr 2026 - 11:20PM

US, Israel war on Iran

Lebanon becomes key to Iran-US peace talks amid fears of Israel’s ‘hegemony’

Pakistan is the regional go-between to help maintain the 10-day ceasefire in Lebanon and push for a conclusive deal to end the Iran war.

17 Apr 2026 - 9:00PM

Displaced people make their way back to their home on Friday crossing the bridge in Qasmiyeh linking southern Lebanon to the rest of the country as a 10-day ceasefire between Lebanon and Israel went into effect. Photo: Reuters

US, Israel war on Iran

‘Everybody’s suffering’: Kazakhstan seeks UN reforms amid fragile Iran truce

President Tokayev told the Antalya Diplomacy Forum that multilateralism is being undermined as major decisions move outside the UN framework.

17 Apr 2026 - 7:49PMvideocam

Members of the UN Security Council attend a meeting at the UN headquarters on Tuesday. Photo: AP

Crime

Turkey reels as 9 die in second school shooting in as many days

A 14-year-old student armed with five guns opened fire in Kahramanmaras, just one day after a similar attack in Sanliurfa.

16 Apr 2026 - 1:53PM

Pakistan

Pakistan seeks to shield Gulf states as US-Iran talks set to resume

A senior official involved in Islamabad’s diplomacy says it is trying to defuse the crisis ‘in any way we can’.

15 Apr 2026 - 10:50PMvideocam

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Turkey

US imposes fresh sanctions on Iranian exchange house, 19 ships from shadow fleet

The Treasury’s move came after Iran ‌said its latest peace proposal to the US involved ending hostilities on all fronts.

China joins global sell-off of US Treasuries in March as Iran war prompts panic

Is China’s new mediation body gaining steam as Western brokers’ influence wanes?

36 nations approve tribunal creation to prosecute Russia over Ukraine

The move came on the same day the WHO said Ukraine’s mental health crisis is growing, with ‘work to do until the end of the century’.

This week in PostMag: the summer travel edition offers holiday tips for all tastes

Discover dreamy summer getaways – from Hainan’s luxury escapes to Thailand’s creative Songkhla – plus sustainable stays, genre-blending concerts and Chinese state banquet secrets.

Rediscovering Turkey’s northeast: a journey from Trabzon to Erzurum

After 50 years, a writer returns to Turkey’s far-flung northeast and discovers what has changed – and what hasn’t.

.css-19im5qg{color:#c79a00;}Letters | History shows the high cost and low yield of war as conflict resolution

Readers discuss the imperative of dialogue to end the Iran war, the growth and diversity of Chinese products and Hong Kong’s efforts to deter smoking.

Passengers on virus-hit cruise ship sway between fear and boredom

As the MV Hondius sails towards Spain, passengers describe a bizarre daily existence of high-end luxury and strict isolation.

‘Structural shift’: new routes for Middle East freight to bypass Hormuz

Saudi Arabia, Turkey and the UAE lead a push for a new trade architecture with multiple nodes linking the Indian Ocean to the Mediterranean Sea.

Israel intercepts Gaza aid flotilla in international waters off Greece, detaining dozens

Organisers accuse Israel of ‘abduction’ after boats are seized nearly 1,000km from the Palestinian enclave.

Austrian citizen admits plot to kill at Taylor Swift concert in Vienna

The 21-year-old and two other men also planned attacks in Saudi Arabia, Turkey and the United Arab Emirates.

At Malaysia’s arms bazaar, drone dealers chase Southeast Asian market share

‘Drone warfare is the future,’ say arms dealers in Kuala Lumpur – and the region’s militaries are buying in.

Pakistan, Turkey, Saudi Arabia, Egypt: the Middle East’s new power brokers?

‘Fear of US abandonment’ is helping forge a new Middle East – but don’t expect an Islamic Nato just yet.

Letters | China’s interest doesn’t lie in US failures

Readers discuss Chinese thinking on global stability, Turkey’s school shootings, and talk of regime change.

Turkey passes bill to restrict social media access for under-15s

It comes a week after a 14-year-old boy killed nine students and a teacher at a middle school in southern Turkey, in a gun attack.

Turkey jails 8 over deadly 2024 cable car accident

The 2024 Antalya disaster left a passenger dead and 174 others stranded for almost a day.

Beyond Panama and Hormuz: 8 critical waterways under the global microscope

Amid US actions in the two major shipping channels, attention has shifted to the strategic importance and potential risks elsewhere.

LA woman charged in US with trafficking arms to Sudan for Iran

Shamim Mafi is accused ‘brokering the sale of drones, bombs, bomb fuses and millions of rounds of ammunition’.

Is this soup being culturally appropriated? Dispute boils between 2 nations

Greece and Turkey are arguing over a traditional soup’s origins as one restaurateur attempts to register it as a dish of Greece with Unesco.

Exclusive | Iran keen on deal with US but has higher ‘pain tolerance’: think tank chief

Mohamed Amersi, who is close to Iranian negotiators, says regime is prepared for long haul and will not give up its missile programme.

Hong Kong real estate gains as Middle East tensions rattle Dubai market

Early signs of capital inflows and tenant movement emerge as Dubai property softens and investors rethink regional bets.

Russia’s Lavrov says balance of power shifting to emerging economies

At the Antalya Diplomacy Forum in Turkey, Lavrov said the foundations of globalisation powered primarily by the US had ‘come to an end’.

Hong Kong minister urges long-term view, says Middle East investment unaffected

Minister Algernon Yau urges businesses to avoid short-term thinking, says Hong Kong entrepreneurs are discerning in assessing opportunities.

Turkey’s Erdogan urges Iran, US to use ceasefire to push for lasting peace

At the Antalya Diplomacy Forum in Turkey, Erdogan also stressed the importance of acting with ‘prudent understanding’ to end the Iran war.

Lebanon becomes key to Iran-US peace talks amid fears of Israel’s ‘hegemony’

Pakistan is the regional go-between to help maintain the 10-day ceasefire in Lebanon and push for a conclusive deal to end the Iran war.

‘Everybody’s suffering’: Kazakhstan seeks UN reforms amid fragile Iran truce

President Tokayev told the Antalya Diplomacy Forum that multilateralism is being undermined as major decisions move outside the UN framework.

Turkey reels as 9 die in second school shooting in as many days

A 14-year-old student armed with five guns opened fire in Kahramanmaras, just one day after a similar attack in Sanliurfa.

Pakistan seeks to shield Gulf states as US-Iran talks set to resume

A senior official involved in Islamabad’s diplomacy says it is trying to defuse the crisis ‘in any way we can’.

Letters | History shows the high cost and low yield of war as conflict resolution