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’s economic crisis takes toll on wealth holders Hit by the Turkish lira’s slump against the dollar, economic contraction and decline in real estate prices, Turkey’s richest have watched their wealth erode. Turkey
Why Turkish government turned a blind eye to draining, excavation of Ice Age lake Turkish authorities allowed an excavation and draining of the 12,000-year-old Fathomless Lake in pursuit of a rumor that there was Roman treasure on the lake bottom. The lake was drained, revealing no treasure. Turkey
Desperate times bring out Erdogan in camouflage President Recep Tayyip Erdogan’s biggest promise was to minimize the role of the military in politics. Did he keep his promise? Turkey
Smuggling crackdown highlights resilience of northeast Syria’s oil trade Despite a joint Kurdish-US crackdown against oil smugglers from northeast Syria toward government-controlled territories, trade continues. Syria
How Iran's protests could impact foreign policy Critical comments from France and Germany about the Iranian protests could further accelerate the dismantling of the Iran nuclear deal. Israel
Istanbul mayor looks overseas as state banks deny him funds Ekrem Imamoglu, Istanbul’s new opposition mayor, says government-controlled banks are refusing to finance the city’s stalled infrastructure projects after the ruling party lost control of Turkey’s largest city. Turkey
IS designates Turkey as its next base The Islamic State has selected Turkey as its next base to reorganize, recruit and plan. Iraq
Jewish museums in Istanbul focus on upside of integration Jews have been living in Turkey for many centuries, and both the Sephardim from Spain and then Ashkenazim from Eastern Europe boast their own museums. Turkey
Ottoman 'city of princes' ready-made for the Instagram age Referred to as the "city of princes" for once being a training ground for future sultans, Amasya is attracting tourists with its rich history, museums and natural beauty. Turkey
Turkey’s HDP will not cede political ground Despite pressure from both the government and its own base, Turkey’s main pro-Kurdish party has decided against withdrawing from the parliament and local administrations in protest over its treatment. Turkey
Copycat murder-suicides distress Turkey Three separate Turkish families committed suicide by taking cyanide in the first two weeks of November, and despite the government's denials, economic hardship seemed to play a key role in all three cases that shook the country. Turkey
Archaeology's Trojan War: The artist who took on Schliemann Osman Hamdi, a 19th-century Ottoman painter whose works sold at record prices earlier this year, also saved artifacts from being smuggled out of Turkey by foreign archaeologists. Turkey