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
Istanbul's African community squeezed between small jobs, huge discrimination A new photo book highlights the bleak reality of Istanbul's African community in terms of employment and discrimination. Turkey
Istanbul’s opposition candidate urges supporters to retain faith in ballot box Ekrem Imamoglu launched his second election campaign for Istanbul mayor, pledging to cut the wastefulness he discovered during his brief tenure as mayor last month, before electoral officials canceled his victory. Turkey
Turkey squeezed between Russia, US in Syria Turkey, pressed between Russia and the United States, is headed toward a foreign policy crash in addition to an economic one. Syria
Kurdish hunger strikers wait for news from meeting of jailed leader Imprisoned Kurdistan Workers Party leader Abdullah Ocalan has met for a second time with lawyers as a wide Kurdish hunger strike endangers lives. Turkey
Idlib exposes Turkey’s weak hand against Russia Despite the gains Turkey believes it's made through growing its relations with Russia, the two countries' priorities in Syria are anything but aligned. Syria
Turkish airstrikes target PKK rebels in Iraqi Kurdistan Turkey claims its military operations against PKK rebels are more effective than ever thanks to drones. Iraq
Why 'Putin's personal army' chief visited Turkey Viktor Zolotov, the head of Russian National Guard, also known as Vladimir Putin's personal army, paid a surprising visit to Turkey's capital. Turkey
Turkey’s debt-ridden Treasury mulls risky steps to stay afloat Grappling with a growing budget deficit and with little room to maneuver, Ankara has come to consider some unorthodox measures, including the high-risk idea of tapping the central bank’s rainy-day cash. Turkey
Turkey groans under economic pressure from Saudis Once Turkey's biggest foreign buyers of real estate, Saudis are increasingly boycotting the country as the kingdom's chamber of commerce warns citizens away. Saudi Arabia
How viable is Turkey’s bid for military partnership with Iraq? Turkey and Iraq have agreed to work on sealing a military cooperation agreement, and although regional developments dictate the solution of bilateral crises, the volatile relationship between the two neighbors calls for tempered optimism. Iraq
Turkey grapples with big trade deficit with China Amid Washington’s trade war on China, Ankara is also grumbling about a massive trade gap with Beijing, but a number of factors stand in Turkey's way to resolve the deficit. Turkey
Idlib offensive tests strength of Russia-Turkey ties in Syria Russia is tiring of Ankara's balancing act between Washington and Moscow, and Turkey's less-than-successful actions in Syria. Syria