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 Syrian Kurdish commander wants peace with Turkey, but will 'fully' resist attack In an interview with Al-Monitor, Syrian Democratic Forces head Mazlum Kobane said he expects a Turkish attack in February, and warned Ankara should not punish Syria’s Kurds over its own failure to resolve its own domestic issues. Mazlum Kobane SDF commander in chief
Syrian refugees in Turkey watch uneasily as Erdogan warms to Assad Syrians in Turkey are wary of losing refuge as the Turkish President eyes dialogue with Assad Turkey
Fledgling Turkish-Syrian dialogue faces bumpy road ahead Ankara and Damascus need to moderate their positions to avoid a collision in their quest for normalization. Turkey
Iran's top diplomat to visit Turkey amid Erdogan-Assad thaw The foreign ministers of the two nations will hold talks next week amid ongoing Ankara-Damascus rapprochement. Turkey
Middle East military rankings: Turkey highest, Lebanon lowest per global index Turkey stands out as the most powerful country in terms of its military capacities in its region while Lebanon is the weakest, a global military strength index finds. Turkey
Istanbul mayor charged with corruption as Turkish opposition weighs Erdogan challenger The latest move against Ekrem Imamoglu comes as Turkey’s opposition weighs which candidate would stand the best chance against Erdogan. Turkey
Ukraine and Turkey defense chiefs speak amid prisoner-swap reports The Turkish and Ukrainian defense chiefs have discussed the situation in Ukraine amid ongoing humanitarian talks between Russian and Ukrainian representatives in Turkey. Turkey
Ukrainian, Russian commissioners to meet in Turkey Ukrainian and Russian representatives will meet in Turkey this week for talks on humanitarian issues including a potential prisoner swap. Turkey
Will Kurds’ choice to field own candidate benefit Erdogan or Turkey’s opposition? Turkey’s major pro-Kurdish opposition party has announced it will field its own candidate in a move sure to have a profound impact on the presidential race, but in which direction? Turkey
Turkey’s defense exports reach record levels in 2022, Erdogan says Turkey’s president is touting the country's defense exports, which have reached a record high. Turkey
Analysis Will Erdogan and Assad soon meet to bury the hatchet? Erdogan’s opportunism, Putin’s weakness, Iran’s distraction, Israel’s vigilance all complicate Syrian endgame. By Week in Review
Fury in Turkey as convicted wife killer murders third victim The story of a two-time wife killer who killed a third woman after his conditional release from prison speaks volumes about why femicide remains rampant in Turkey. Turkey