Newsletter: City Pulse Istanbul Yoko Ono comes to Istanbul Also this week: Contemporary art, Pink Martini and Balat mysteries By Nazlan Ertan In Izmir and Istanbul, reporting on culture
Trump taps Russia-born investor to oversee $200M+ fund backing Armenia-Azerbaijan corridor The appointment of Chicago-based investor Konstantin Sokolov to oversee a $200 million fund marks a new phase for Washington's proposed trade and transportation route linking Azerbaijan, Armenia and Turkey. United States
Newsletter: Daily Briefing Iran declares 'existential war' as US strikes reach near Tehran By Ezgi Akin In Ankara, reporting on diplomacy, EU-Turkey ties, NATO
Turkish opposition leader Ozgur Ozel could launch new party by August Ozgur Ozel’s remarks on a potential new party came as the legal crackdown on the main opposition widened further this week with the arrest and suspension of the mayor of Cankaya, one of the party’s most secure and symbolically important strongholds in the heart of Ankara. Turkey
Newsletter: Daily Briefing Why Iran, US are drifting back to conflict By Ezgi Akin In Ankara, reporting on diplomacy, EU-Turkey ties, NATO
Analysis From S-400s to SAMP/T: Turkey’s defense pivot gathers pace after NATO summit By Barin Kayaoglu In Ankara, reporting on geopolitics and national security
US denies willingness to talk over S-400 concerns with Turkey A Pentagon spokesman told Al-Monitor that its concerns with Ankara’s purchase of the Russian missile defense system “cannot be mitigated.” Turkey
How Russia defends its Syrian air base from attacks Russia has been using attacks on its air base in Khmeimim as a leverage in talks with Turkey over Idlib, but has also taken some practical steps to counter the assaults. Syria
Turkey to end draft — for those who can pay A proposed bill to change Turkey's conscription practices has stirred fierce debate and warnings from military experts. Turkey
Voters’ economic confidence dips ahead of key Istanbul vote Turkey’s consumer confidence index, which also reflects voter confidence, has plunged to a record low ahead of a critical rerun of the mayoral election in Istanbul next month. Turkey
EU slams Turkey on human rights in annual report In a progress report on would-be EU member Turkey, the European Union slammed the country's human rights record as an endless stream of damning accounts emerges. Turkey
Who are the heroes, hustlers and innovators of Kurdish wedding music? In marathon-like Kurdish weddings that can last for days, local wedding singers steer their audiences between folk songs, national anthems and even techno music. Syria
Ankara backs some Turkmens in Iraqi politics, shuns others By ostracizing Turkmen politicians who supported the 2017 independence referendum in Iraqi Kurdistan, Turkey could be shooting itself in the foot. Iraq
Polls show opposition candidate ahead as Istanbul rerun nears Ekrem Imamoglu, who won the election as Istanbul mayor in March before he was forced to step down, has expanded his support ahead of the doover election on June 23. Turkey
Syrians head home from Turkey for holiday The Bab al-Salama border crossing in Aleppo’s countryside opened for Syrian refugees coming from Turkey to spend Eid al-Fitr at home with their families. Syria
Can Russia, France work together to settle Idlib? Moscow, Paris and Berlin have recently intensified talks over Syria's Idlib, but so far there's been more disagreement and defeated expectations than consent and progress. Jordan
Garbage collectors of Ankara discover sound of music in trash Members of The Tin Band, made up of municipality trash collectors, use recycled instruments they find in bins to give public concerts. Turkey