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
Are attacks on Syrian opposition signal from Moscow to Ankara? As Turkey conducts simultaneous campaigns in different theaters — including assistance to Azerbaijan in the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict — Moscow must be tempted to exploit the turbulence to extract concessions from Ankara. Syria
Erdogan’s economic policies show growing disconnect from working class Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan aims for social justice by distributing the loot to his favorite powerful elites at the expense of hardworking blue- and white-collar professionals. Turkey
How Turkey’s withdrawal from Morek post affects opposition factions in northeast Syria Turkish forces withdrew from their observation post in the city of Morek, raising many questions about the fate of Turkish-backed rebels in the surrounding area. Syria
Turkish academic in Canada caught up in Ankara's anti-Kurdish sweep Cihan Erdal, a Ph.D. candidate at Carleton University and permanent resident in Canada, has been held since late September on alleged terror links. Turkey
The Takeaway: Is Erdogan’s threat to Syrian Kurds linked to US election? Turkish president also calculates risk of escalation in Idlib; a primer on the Idlib ceasefires; plus: four more quick takes on Syria and Iraq. Syria
Erdogan sues Charlie Hebdo over caricature An ongoing Turkey-France spat deepened after French satirical magazine Charlie Hebdo published a caricature of Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, prompting legal action from Ankara. Turkey
Erdogan warns Turkey has 'right to mobilize' again against Kurdish forces The Turkish president's comments come a year after Turkey launched an offensive against Kurdish fighters in northeast Syria. Syria
Turkish court hands US consulate worker 5-year prison sentence Turkish citizen Nazmi Mete Canturk was convicted of "aiding an armed terror group." Turkey
Turkish lira slump continues as foreign tensions simmer The Turkish lira continued record losses Tuesday against major currencies as analysts questioned Central Bank independence and Ankara saw political spats deepen with foreign allies. Turkey
How does Erdogan get away with it all? The United States and European Union’s inertia may allow Turkey to threaten de-escalation efforts in Libya and South Caucasus. Turkey
Nagorno-Karabakh conflict tests Turkey’s hard power without diplomacy Can Ankara’s “coercive diplomacy” in the south Caucasus yield tangible diplomatic benefits in the long run? Turkey
No good news for Turkey from jihadi ranks in Syria Ahrar al-Sham, a prominent armed group that has often collaborated with Turkey in Syria, is hit by infighting that plays into the hands of Hayat Tahrir al-Sham and dampens Turkish plans to remold rebel factions in Idlib. Turkey