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
Gaza youth dream of jobs in Qatar Amid increasing unemployment rates in the Gaza Strip, youth have warmly welcomed an agreement between the Palestinian and Qatari governments to employ 20,000 additional Palestinians in Qatar. Qatar
Why is Turkish writer Sevan Nisanyan in jail? The outspoken Armenian writer is the only Turkish citizen jailed for "construction infractions." Turkey
The future of political Islam: lessons from Turkey, Egypt Islamist parties can either hold on to their rigid ideological base trying to mold their societies to fit within their singular vision, or accept their role as an influential force in a democratic pluralistic regime, within which the rule of law must guarantee the protection of rights for everyone, including Islamists. Egypt
Ruins of Gaza airport tell sad tale Twelve years have passed since Israel destroyed Gaza's international airport, and there's no hope it will be rehabilitated anytime soon. Palestine
Tehran Stock Exchange plunges, baffling investors Why is Iran’s stock exchange falling under President Hassan Rouhani and after the easing of sanctions? Turkey
Erdogan visit to Iran to address Syria, economic ties The visit of Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan to Tehran will offer an opportunity to defuse tensions on Syria while expanding economic relations. Syria
Russia can't lose in oil deal with Iran Russia is seeking to expand trade ties with Iran and is angling to benefit from any lifting of international sanctions on Iran. Turkey
Erdogan accuses TUSIAD chairman of treason Muharrem Yilmaz, chairman of the Turkish Industry and Business Association, had accused the prime minster of imposing tax penalties against political opponents. Turkey
Iranian TV breaks taboo on music performance Although musicians on a TV show on Jan. 19 were only shown for a few seconds, it has created a stir and rekindled debates about Islam and music. Turkey
Egypt warns Qatar about interference Egyptian authorities have been frustrated by official statements from Doha expressing Qatari concern about increasing violence in Egypt, as Cairo considers it interfering in its internal affairs. Qatar
Russia's Kurdish dilemma Russia seeks to place its Kurdish policies in the broader context of a changing Middle East. Iraq
Turkey deals with terrorist blowback on Syria Turkey may be resetting its regional policies in response to popular discontent and the threat from terrorist groups operating in Syria. Syria