Analysis Why Turkey is drawing the line at defense in its support for Saudi Arabia Houthi attacks on Saudi Arabia are forcing Mecca pact signatories to quickly operationalize their agreement, but are unlikely to draw Turkey into direct action against the Iran-backed group. By Ezgi Akin In Ankara, reporting on diplomacy, EU-Turkey ties, NATO
Analysis Can Turkey’s Bashiqa withdrawal pave the way for deeper Iraq ties? Ankara hopes the planned handover of its Bashiqa base will deepen security cooperation with Baghdad and unlock broader economic ties, but implementation hinges on restoring Iraqi state authority in Sinjar, where previous efforts to remove armed groups have stalled. By Barin Kayaoglu In Ankara, reporting on geopolitics and national security
Newsletter: Turkey Turkey’s UNGA scorecard Erdogan’s New York trip yielded a breakthrough with Iraq but little movement on ties with Washington. By Ezgi Akin In Ankara, reporting on diplomacy, EU-Turkey ties, NATO
Newsletter: City Pulse Istanbul Galerist turns 25 with a ‘Labour of Love’ Also this week: Italian garden dining, Anatolian carpets and Europe’s unfinished frontiers By Nazlan Ertan In Izmir and Istanbul, reporting on culture
Newsletter: Daily Briefing Xi, Trump set to talk Iran By Ezgi Akin In Ankara, reporting on diplomacy, EU-Turkey ties, NATO
Newsletter: Business & Tech Washington’s Iran airline squeeze By Jack Dutton In Bristol, reporting on regional business, climate change, AI, tech
Gulenists likely losers in Turkish power struggle Standing strong against corruption accusations, the AKP appears poised to rule Turkey for another decade as the Gulenists are likely to lose their political clout soon and the opposition remains weak. Turkey
The beginnings of an Israel-Iran reset? Israel may be reassessing the Iranian threat, as Iran shows its reach in Palestinian politics. Palestine
Pressure grows for Gul to be more assertive There are some who see Abdullah Gul as a better bet than Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan for the presidency and the future of the Justice and Development Party. Turkey
Relations among Syrian Kurdish parties hit new low The Kurdistan National Council (KNC) and the Democratic Union Party (PYD) are in dispute over power-sharing arrangements. Syria
Iran opens new chapter in relations with Russia While Moscow and Tehran have historically been neither friend nor foe, and challenges remain, shared interests on Syria, counterterrorism, security and energy could move Iran and Russia increasingly toward more comprehensive strategic cooperation. Turkey
Syrian Kurds courting Turkmens Security and the future role of Syrian Turkmens depend on alliance with Kurds. Syria
Hamas unfazed by Fatah outreach to Iran Syria is still a sticky issue between Hamas and both Fatah and Iran. Palestine
Journalists become the story in Egypt International and social media coverage may have resulted in improved prison conditions for detained journalists. Qatar
Iran, Israel and the politics of gesture Iranian and Israeli officials are listening to each other at international conferences. Israel
Satirical Turkish site on trial for insulting religion Turkish prosecutors are busily pursuing “insults” to Islam, while hate speech against Jews and Christians goes largely unnoticed. Turkey
Israeli security officials recognize change in Iran Although Israel is keeping its military option on the table, Israeli defense officials privately acknowledge that Iran is undergoing a "historic" change. Israel
Turkey-Israel ties may be linked to gas pipeline Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan is inching toward normalization of Turkey-Israel relations. Israel