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
Turkish court releases detained journalists, issues prison sentences pending appeals In a mixed verdict, three Turkish journalists charged with revealing state secrets were released from jail during a trial Wednesday. Turkey
Egypt, Cyprus focus on natural gas pipeline amid tensions in eastern Mediterranean At a time when tensions are on the rise in the eastern Mediterranean, Egypt and Cyprus are intensifying talks to start building an offshore gas pipeline from the Aphrodite gas field to Cairo in preparation for re-export to Europe. Egypt
Iraqi Kurdistan president carries conciliatory message from Baghdad to Ankara Iraqi Kurdistan President Nechirvan Barzani carried a conciliatory message from Iraqi Prime Minister Mustafa al-Kadhimi to Ankara. Iraq
Russia enters EastMed fray, offers to mediate with Turkey As Turkey bemoans its loneliness in a bitter row with Greece over energy exploration in the Mediterranean Sea, Moscow says it is ready to step in to mediate talks. Turkey
Who is behind wave of killings of tribal sheikhs in east Syria? Syria's eastern province of Deir ez-Zor sees escalating tensions between Arab tribes and the Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces. Syria
Turkey pumps brakes on car imports Driven by some peculiar dynamics, demand for imported cars has grown in Turkey despite the coronavirus pandemic, leading Ankara to hike taxes to suppress a trend that has worsened the country’s currency woes. Turkey
Intel: Russian naval exercises could fuel Greece-Turkey standoff in EastMed A planned Russian drill could worsen an already tense standoff between Greece and Turkey in the energy-rich and disputed eastern Mediterranean Sea. Turkey
Iraqi Kurdistan president leaves Ankara talks with two Yazidi children A senior Iraqi Kurdistan official told Al-Monitor that the talks with Ankara were “really good," and the delegation had brought two Yazidi children back with them on the plane. Iraq
Turkey hit by ‘second peak’ of coronavirus outbreak A jump in COVID-19 cases, led by the capital Ankara, prompts new restrictions on social mobility. Dozens of health care workers have died, former government ministers have contracted the virus and doctors are warning that some cities could face a shortage of beds in intensive care units. Turkey
Why Mediterranean tensions may not benefit Erdogan at home An equitable resolution to the crisis with Greece and France would be great for Turkey, but even that may not help the Turkish president’s approval ratings. Turkey
Turkey courts Hamas despite US pressure Despite US and Israeli criticism of Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan’s meeting with the Hamas leadership, the relationship between Turkey and Hamas remains strong. Palestine
US officials say partial lift of Cyprus arms embargo not related to Turkish-Greek tensions Amid ongoing Turkey-Greece tensions in the eastern Mediterranean, US officials maintained the partial lifting of an arms embargo on Cyprus aims to reduce Russian influence and is not a step against Ankara’s recent maneuvers in the region. Turkey