Newsletter: City Pulse Istanbul Nisantasi beyond the shop windows Also this week: Hopdaddy burgers, Ara Guler’s photographs and Istanbul’s apartment stories. By Nazlan Ertan In Izmir and Istanbul, reporting on culture
Costa Rica's Grynspan extends lead in UNSG poll as Nusseibeh places fourth The Costa Rican candidate received 12 encourage votes in Thursday's UN Security Council straw poll. United Arab Emirates
Turkey’s parliament ratifies Mecca pact in boost to Saudi Arabia Turkey will now decide the scope of military support for Saudi Arabia amid ongoing Iran-backed Houthi attacks on the kingdom. Turkey
Can Erdogan’s Baku visit fix Turkey-Azerbaijan rift? A dispute over religious dress in schools has exposed deeper tensions between the two allies, with energy, arms sales, Israel and financial interests adding to the strain. Turkey
Interview Kurdish umbrella group says US pressure won't solve Turkey’s Kurdish problem — but Ocalan can Remzi Karta, a top civilian leader of the umbrella Kurdish group that includes the Kurdistan Workers Party, said in an interview with Al-Monitor that if released, imprisoned leader Abdullah Ocalan could still solve the Kurdish problem in a week. Remzi Kartal Co-Chair of the Kurdistan People’s Congress
Iraqi Kurdish officials say PKK militants killed in chopper crash near Turkey border No one has yet claimed any connection to a helicopter that crashed in the Iraqi Kurdistan Region Wednesday night, killing seven people. Turkey
Turkey-Syria summit postponed at last minute as Russia nudges rivals to reconcile The two countries' deputy foreign ministers plus those of Russia and Iran had been due to meet to discuss further rapprochement efforts. Turkey
Finland's leader to visit Turkey as Erdogan greenlights NATO bid But the Turkish president has remained resolute in denying Sweden's entry to the alliance, dimming the hopes for Sweden and Finland’s joint accession. Turkey
Criticism of disaster response rises as floods hit Turkey’s quake-ravaged southeast At least 14 people have died in flooding in earthquake-ravaged Adiyaman and Sanliurfa provinces, leading to renewed criticism of the government’s emergency response. Turkey
Turkey floods kill at least 14 in earthquake-hit zones At least 14 people have died in flash floods that struck Turkey's earthquake zone, where hundreds of thousands of people are sheltering in tents. Turkey
Will Turkey's multibillion-dollar earthquake fund help reelect Erdogan? Turkey's president has pledged to rebuild the earthquake-hit regions within a year, hoping that the ambitious plan will help him win over disenchanted disaster victims. Turkey
Kurdish umbrella group under Ocalan says Erdogan will never offer real peace to Turkey's Kurds In Al-Monitor's interview with Zubeyir Aydar, a top civilian leader of the umbrella Kurdish group that includes the Kurdistan Workers Party, his message was clear: The incumbent president was never sincere about peace with Turkey’s Kurds and never will be. Turkey
Turkey releases grieving father to Greece in post-disaster diplomacy Turkey-Greece ties are continuing to mend with a diplomatic gestures and mutual kindnesses in the wake of their recent disasters. Turkey
Culture Turkey's Hatay kanafeh delicacy granted EU special status Turkey’s earthquake-hit multicultural Hatay province receives recognition for its renowned Mesopotamian dessert. Turkey
Saudi Arabia, Qatar, Egypt rank among world’s top 10 arms importers: SIPRI Middle East countries made up more than a fourth of the top 40 global arms importers from 2018 to 2022, according to a new report. Legacy: Gulf
Turkey’s opposing camps seek to broaden base ahead of May elections The rapprochement between Erdogan’s People’s Alliance and the Kurdish Islamist Huda-Par, seen as the successor of Hezbollah, annoys nationalists, while the move toward arch-conservative New Welfare alarms women. Turkey