Newsletter: Turkey Erdogan’s new rival The week’s biggest bombshell came from Ozgur Ozel, the ousted opposition CHP leader, who said he will probably form a new party. By Amberin Zaman Reporting on geopolitics, minorities, human rights, culture
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
Newsletter: Daily Briefing Why Iran, US are drifting back to conflict By Ezgi Akin In Ankara, reporting on diplomacy, EU-Turkey ties, NATO
FSA sends troops for Turkey's planned Syria operation Free Syrian Army factions have already started to send fighters to the Syrian-Turkish border in support of Turkey's expected operation against Syrian Kurdish forces there. Syria
Syrian writer gives voice to victims of war Betul Abras, who has fled from the Syrian war herself in 2013, has been helping other victims of war to heal for the last five and a half years. Syria
How does Turkey's threatened Syria invasion play elsewhere? As Turkey prepares for a possible offensive against Kurdish militias in Syria, Moscow is watching for any mistakes that multiple players, including the Unites States and the United Arab Emirates, might make in their efforts to deter the operation. Syria
Sinjar road reconnects estranged Yazidis and Kurds with Baghdad The opening of a strategic road in Iraq's Kurdistan Region — closed since the Kurds' ill-fated independence referendum in September 2017 — could be a prelude to a reset in ties between Erbil and Baghdad. Iraq
Flynn business partner, client charged as secret foreign agents for Turkey A US court indicted two associates of President Donald Trump’s first national security adviser amid an investigation into Ankara's secret campaign to obtain the extradition of cleric Fetullah Gulen. Turkey
Turkey's defense industry still striving for self-sufficiency Turkey has made significant strides in developing its defense industry during the past four years, but it is still being held back by its dependence on other countries' goods and technologies. Qatar
Erdogan says Trump responded 'positively' to Turkey’s threats on Syria According to Ankara, the US president expressed support both for its stance against US-allied Kurdish militants in Syria and its efforts to extradite Fethullah Gulen as its chief suspect in the 2016 Turkish coup attempt. Syria
Why was Turkey's intel chief in Washington? Turkish intel chief Hakan Fidan's visit to the United States generated an uproar from the Turkish opposition. Why did Erdogan encourage this public bashing of Fidan? Turkey
What brings the end of tulip era in Turkey's tourism campaign? Turkey has used a tulip logo in its national branding for nearly two decades, but it signaled that a new symbol may be needed next year. Turkey
Will Turkey's horrible human rights record extend to 2019? Turkey is closing out 2018 without taking a breather from its oppressive tactics for stifling dissent. Turkey
Saudi ambassador again departs US amid Khashoggi controversy Ambassador Khalid bin Salman, who has faced scrutiny over his public handling of the Jamal Khashoggi affair, has left Washington for the second time since the journalist’s killing. Saudi Arabia
What will 2019 have in store for dysfunctional GCC? The Gulf Cooperation has essentially been split in, with Qatar, Kuwait and Oman resisting the actions of Saudi Arabia's Mohammed bin Salman and the UAE's Mohammed bin Zayed. Legacy: Gulf