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
Turkey grapples with manufacturing downturn, weak demand amid pandemic As demand and manufacturing output dip during the novel coronavirus crisis in Turkey, analysts warn inflation may rise in the coming months. Turkey
Is Turkish defense industry’s ‘success story’ turning sour? Growing investment in technology development is a promising sign for Turkey’s defense industry, but a series of structural problems that remain unresolved could damage the sector’s prospects. Turkey
Turkey’s gay community fights homophobia alongside COVID-19 Prosecutors have launched a probe into the bar associations that condemned the head of the state-run religious affairs directorate, for claiming homosexuals are spreading the pandemic. Turkey
Is Egypt trying to provoke Turkey in eastern Mediterranean? Although Egypt has stopped liquefying and exporting liquefied natural gas due to the global collapse of prices as a result of the coronavirus pandemic, it is still expanding its gas production in the eastern Mediterranean. Egypt
Turkey’s politicians spar over masks, bread in coronavirus response President Recep Tayyip Erdogan insists his government should spearhead the fight against the pandemic and has stymied relief efforts in opposition-held cities, forcing local officials to come up with creative ways to deliver aid. Turkey
Netflix yanks 'Designated Survivor' episode in Turkey over portrayal of fictional president A Turkish regulator has ordered Netflix to remove an episode of "Designated Survivor" that paints an unflattering portrayal of a fictional Turkish president. Turkey
Intel: US doubles down on Turkey S-400 sanctions threats The Donald Trump administration has doubled down on threats to sanction Turkey should it activate the Russian S-400 missile defense system. Turkey
Erdogan's cold war with Saudi Arabia and UAE Turkey's patience with Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates is running low, sources tell Al-Monitor. Saudi Arabia
Low projections dim Ankara's high hopes for tourism recovery Turkey plans to begin reopening domestic travel in late May, but prospects remain gloomy for its crucial tourism sector, which relies largely on foreign visitors. Turkey
Extremist Syrian rebel group tests Turkey's limits in Idlib Jihadi forces resisting the reopening of the key M4 highway in Idlib are squeezed between Turkey’s amity and military might, but Turkey itself is not without dilemmas. Syria
Intel: US Syria envoy says Turkey must put pressure on Idlib militants Turkey should keep up the pressure on the hard-line Islamist group in control of Syria’s embattled Idlib province, the US special envoy for Syria said today. Syria
Turkey says virus outbreak at peak as government weighs easing restrictions The country’s health minister credits new therapies and contact tracing for a recent decline in new cases, but warns it is still too soon to loosen restrictions on mobility to mitigate the outbreak. Turkey