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
Archive Upfront from Mar 26, 2020 Turkey appears to want more than Syria’s oil Like Moscow and Washington, Ankara seems to be coveting the oilfields of Deir ez-Zor in Syrian Kurdistan, which Kurds fear would give Turkey an opening to take over the entire Rojava area. Syria
Sex offenders may walk as lawmakers mull releasing one in three Turkish prisoners Turkish women's rights groups have denounced a bill that would reduce sentences for sex offenders and other convicts to stem the spread of the novel coronavirus in prisons. Turkey
Coronavirus restrictions leave over 1,000 Algerians stranded in Istanbul’s airport Algeria has closed its borders, leaving over 1,000 Algerians stranded at an Istanbul airport. Turkey
Turkey charges 20 Saudis in Khashoggi murder Turkey will hold a trial in absentia for the 20 suspects it says participated in the murder of journalist Jamal Khashoggi. Saudi Arabia
Turkey and COVID-19: Is another Italy in the making? Experts warn that Turkey may soon face a calamity similar to what befell Italy and Spain if the government fails to take stronger measures to fight the coronavirus. Turkey
SDF calls for humanitarian truce in Syria amid coronavirus crisis Following the lead of UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres, the Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces call for a cease-fire in order for all warring parties to combat COVID-19 instead. Syria
Trans-Atlantic official slams US for forcing Turkish broadcaster to register as foreign agent The Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe's media freedom representative said TRT's registration under a Nazi-era anti-propaganda law had a “restrictive & negative impact on media freedom.” Turkey
Turkey tightens restrictions to curb coronavirus outbreak As the death toll from COVID-19 reached 37 and cases spread across the country, Turkey pledged to accelerate diagnostic and treatment methods, while introducing new measures to keep people at home, though it has stopped short of a full lockdown. Turkey
Turkey says it’s using ‘special’ coronavirus drug sent from China Turkey has so far recorded 37 fatalities connected to coronavirus, but the country's health minister says patients are being administered a "special drug" from China. Turkey
Does Turkey have the will to take on jihadis in Idlib? Turkey and Russia will continue to be at odds in Syria's Idlib due to radical groups like Hayat Tahrir al-Sham. Syria
Intel: What was Russia’s defense minister doing in Syria? Russian Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu just paid a visit to Damascus for talks with Syrian President Bashar al-Assad. Syria
Kurdish-led northeast under lockdown as Syria announces first coronavirus case The Kurdish-led autonomous administration declares a two-week curfew in an effort to keep the coronavirus out of northeast Syria; Turkey cuts off water supply to Hasakah. Syria