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 Central Bank suffers big credibility loss The Turkish Central Bank’s obedience to the government, both in terms of monetary policy and interventions in the foreign exchange market, is badly damaging its credibility among foreign investors, the ultimate cost of which will be borne by the crisis-hit economy. Turkey
Russia chides Turkey over Idlib — again Russia's foreign minister has demanded Turkey end tensions in Syria's Idlib, indicating Russia will continue to use Idlib as a pressure point to keep Ankara in line. Syria
Erdogan doesn't let facts interfere with rhetoric The spin Turkey's president puts on his country's most recent incursion into Syria wanders far from reality. Turkey
Can Trump, Erdogan pick up the pieces in Syria? Putin gains from the fallout in US-Turkey ties and the Kurds are still counting on US influence with Ankara. Syria
Turkey’s Operation Peace Spring effectively divides Syria into five sectors The essential division of northeastern Syria into five sectors has created a highly combustible environment where one small spark is enough to start a massive fire. Syria
Turkey-Europe ties brace for fresh rift over stateless IS militants The fate of foreign Islamic State militants captured in Syria is looming as a big headache for Turkey as many of them are now stateless, expelled from the citizenship of European countries. Syria
Seeking to restore relations on Capitol Hill, Erdogan to visit Trump in Washington With US-Turkey ties in disarray, President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has confirmed his Nov. 13 meeting with President Donald Trump in Washington, where he may seek to win over allies in Congress. Syria
Is release of two prominent journalists a sign of normalization? The release of two well-known journalists from prison shouldn’t lead anyone to believe and hope that Turkey is becoming less autocratic. Turkey
Turkish government fears compensation claims for Armenian genocide A resolution passed by the US House of Representatives recognizing the 1915 Armenian genocide has stirred up Turkish concerns of Armenian demands for compensation. Turkey
What messages lie behind Assad’s visit to southern Idlib? Syrian President Bashar al-Assad’s recent visit to the front line in southern Idlib province raised controversy and questions among opposition forces about Assad's goals and what messages he might have been sending — and to whom. Syria
Penalties loom as lawyer for Turkey's Halkbank delays US court proceedings Turkey’s state-owned Halkbank may face financial penalties and further political blowback after once again refusing to recognize criminal charges in a New York court this week. Turkey