On February 21, Turkish editors pivoted from domestic judicial reshuffles to a high-stakes regional standoff involving the Trump administration and Iran. Morning coverage was dominated by U.S. Ambassador Huckabee’s statements regarding Israeli territorial claims reaching the Euphrates, which nationalist outlets framed as a direct provocation. This tension was exacerbated by President Trump’s mid-afternoon announcement of a 15% global tariff hike and reports of potential limited strikes on Iranian soil. In response to these external pressures, the editorial focus shifted by evening to a display of indigenous military capability. Headlines widely publicized the Bayraktar Akıncı TİHA’s successful high-altitude intercept of an aerial target using the domestic EREN munition, a milestone emphasized as a signal of regional self-reliance. Domestically, editors prioritized the arrest of a woman who impersonated a prosecutor on an Istanbul bus and a cultural victory at the Berlinale, where İlker Çatak’ın and Emin Alper received top honors.