Newsletter: City Pulse Istanbul Yoko Ono comes to Istanbul Also this week: Contemporary art, Pink Martini and Balat mysteries By Nazlan Ertan In Izmir and Istanbul, reporting on culture
Trump taps Russia-born investor to oversee $200M+ fund backing Armenia-Azerbaijan corridor The appointment of Chicago-based investor Konstantin Sokolov to oversee a $200 million fund marks a new phase for Washington's proposed trade and transportation route linking Azerbaijan, Armenia and Turkey. United States
Newsletter: Daily Briefing Iran declares 'existential war' as US strikes reach near Tehran By Ezgi Akin In Ankara, reporting on diplomacy, EU-Turkey ties, NATO
Turkish opposition leader Ozgur Ozel could launch new party by August Ozgur Ozel’s remarks on a potential new party came as the legal crackdown on the main opposition widened further this week with the arrest and suspension of the mayor of Cankaya, one of the party’s most secure and symbolically important strongholds in the heart of Ankara. Turkey
Newsletter: Daily Briefing Why Iran, US are drifting back to conflict By Ezgi Akin In Ankara, reporting on diplomacy, EU-Turkey ties, NATO
Analysis From S-400s to SAMP/T: Turkey’s defense pivot gathers pace after NATO summit By Barin Kayaoglu In Ankara, reporting on geopolitics and national security
Jihadists of Idlib splitting under Turkish pressure As Russia pressures Turkey to impose law and order in Syria at Idlib, Turkey in turn is pressuring radical factions there, which is escalating the conflict among jihadists. Syria
Khashoggi fiancee grieves slain journalist, demands justice in new book Turkish researcher Hatice Cengiz has released a memoir of her relationship with the murdered Saudi journalist and says she hopes it will keep up public pressure to punish those responsible for his death. Saudi Arabia
Turkey frustrated over Western inaction in Khashoggi murder case Ankara’s push for an international investigation into the murder of Jamal Khashoggi is also widening the gap between Arab regimes and Turkey. Saudi Arabia
Turkish town gets a splash of color with local black rose Turkey's southeastern town of Halfeti claims to be the home of a rare black rose grown only on the riverbeds of the Euphrates River. Turkey
Routed FSA faction likely to accept Turkish aid, demands After being ousted from the western Aleppo countryside, the Nour al-din al-Zenki Movement seems to have no choice but to accept Turkey's offer of aid — and meet its conditions. Syria
Turkish ruling party sets up mobile food stalls to lure votes Turks are lining up in the thousands to buy subsidized vegetables at mobile stalls in Istanbul and Ankara as the ruling party attempts to fight soaring food prices ahead of elections. Turkey
Erdogan asks paramilitaries to 'safeguard' local elections As state propaganda frames Turkey's upcoming municipal elections as a matter of the president's survival, the government is welcoming paramilitary groups that declare allegiance to the state. Turkey
First municipal real estate department opens in northern Syria The Azaz local council in Aleppo’s northern countryside opened a real estate department with Turkish support. Syria
Ankara, Moscow demand 'decisive measures' in Syria ahead of Sochi summit Turkey's defense minister hosted his Russian counterpart for a preparatory meeting for next week's summit on Syria in a show of the deepening friendship and security ties between the Black Sea powers. Syria
Russia is 'clear eyed' about its Mideast policy Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Sergey Vershinin discusses the results of his latest tour around the Middle East and Russia’s vision for key regional issues, including Israeli-Iranian frictions, Idlib and the buffer zone in Syria. Iraq
European court offers little solace to victims of Turkish state violence The European Court of Human Rights has ruled the first of many cases filed on behalf of the 130 people killed in state-sponsored violence in Cizre inadmissible because the plaintiffs had not taken their case to Turkey’s Constitutional Court. Turkey
As Greek PM visits Turkey, Erdogan calls for peacefully resolving disputes Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan and Greek Prime Minister Alexis Tsipras signaled warming ties during the latter's visit to Turkey. Turkey