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
Pentagon pushes back on claim that US to leave Turkey’s Incirlik base Senator Ron Johnson said the United States is considering basing more forces on Crete as relations with Turkey deteriorate. Turkey
Possible resignation of Libya's PM raises questions over Ankara-Tripoli ties Libyan Prime Minister Fayez al-Sarraj is reportedly planning to resign from his post and take on a caretaker role in the Tripoli government, a move that could complicate prior agreements with Ankara and raises questions over future bilateral ties. Turkey
UN points finger at Turkey over rights abuses in Syria A biannual report by the United Nations Human Rights Council shows Turkish-backed groups inflicting multiple human rights abuses. Turkey
Turkey backs off in EastMed, but for how long? Turkey's step back in the eastern Mediterranean standoff may be a tactic to avoid EU sanctions instead of a genuine effort to de-escalate. Turkey
Tensions between Turkey, Turkish Cypriots escalate The Turkish government and the Turkish Cypriot president have a row in advance of the Oct. 11 presidential election in the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus as tensions have been rising in the eastern Mediterranean; the president has not always been in line with Ankara. Turkey
Egypt rallies Arab League to counter Turkey's regional policies Egypt called on Arab countries to adopt a unified policy to deter the Turkish interference in the Arab region, especially in Libya, Syria and Iraq. Egypt
Can EU sanctions threat cool Turkey’s moves in eastern Mediterranean? EU leaders will gather on Sept. 24 to discuss sanctions on Turkey over its aggressive stance against Greece and Cyprus in the eastern Mediterranean, where despite its hawkish statements, Ankara may be backing down. Turkey
Does France’s failure in Mali spell a victory for Turkey? Although claims regarding Turkish involvement in the Malian coup seem far-fetched, one can still see a conflict of interest between France and Turkey over Mali. Turkey
PKK under pressure in Iraq's Kurdistan Region Turkey is continuing its attacks on the Kurdistan Workers Party as a senior Iraqi Kurdish military official hints the group may be wearing out its welcome. Iraq
How a second Trump term could shift Russia’s stance on Syria Bahrain, UAE peace deals compel Palestinian rethink on strategy. United Arab Emirates
NATO in unprecedented bid at in-house deconfliction between Turkey, Greece NATO has made a timely attempt to defuse tensions between fellow members Turkey and Greece, but the initiative comes with many questions. Turkey
For Syria’s opposition activists, Turkey 'best of the bad' While initially welcoming millions of refugees and supporting opposition activists after the outbreak of the Syrian civil war, the Turkish government has since shifted positions to further its own interests in a manner that dismays many Syrians living in the country. Syria