Here is today’s Turkey news in English, Saturday 14 November 2026. The law approving the Mecca joint defence pact with Pakistan and Saudi Arabia took effect, Özgür Özel was elected chairman at YENİ Parti’s first congress, and a lodos storm brought warnings to Istanbul and 10 other provinces.
Politics and diplomacy
Mecca defence pact: The approval law for the Türkiye–Pakistan–Saudi Arabia agreement was published in the Official Gazette.
YENİ Parti congress: Özgür Özel was elected chairman with 1,154 votes; the CHP was not invited.
Erdoğan meets Bolivia’s president: Erdoğan received Rodrigo Paz at Dolmabahçe after a Türkiye–Bolivia business round table.
Türkiye
Lodos storm in Istanbul: A yellow warning covered 11 provinces, BUDO cancelled sailings and the governorate logged 198 storm reports.
Malatya helicopter crash: A military ceremony was held in Ankara for the four soldiers killed.
Arslan Kulaksız case: A suspect in the 2015 killing of the gendarmerie major was caught in Tatvan.
Military zones at sea: A new regulation allows naval prohibited zones to be marked with navigation aids.
Sadiq Khan in Istanbul: London’s mayor met business leaders at İTO and visited Galatasaray.
Economy
Just transition plan: A 2027–2029 strategy to prepare workers for the green and digital shift took effect.
World
Gaza hospital strike: Türkiye and 17 countries condemned an Israeli strike on the Nasser Medical Complex.
Egypt and Greece: A Greek MP said Egypt wants Türkiye at the table in maritime talks.
Trump, Xi and Putin: The three leaders are to meet at the APEC summit in Shenzhen.
US ground stop, New Orleans tanker collision and Peoria bomb evacuation: A busy day of US news.
Sports
Türkiye v France preview: The national team is in Bordeaux for Sunday’s Nations League game.
EuroLeague: Anadolu Efes beat Virtus Bologna and Beşiktaş won at ASVEL.
New guides
Hospital stays and companions: How the refakatçi system works in state hospitals.
Pet microchips and PETVET: Registration rules, fines, passports and travel.
Schooling for expat children: State, private and international schools, and enrolment.
Tomorrow from 07:00 we will follow Sunday’s news and the Türkiye–France match, with new guides on pool maintenance, finding a locksmith and paying electricity bills.
Sources
Photo: Nikodem Nijaki / CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons
