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
Turkey faces serious odds in Manbij and Idlib Despite many rounds of talks with Washington and Moscow, Ankara has still made little headway regarding its plans for northern Syria. Syria
Despite AKP hype, foreign trade scores should worry Turks Turkey’s exports increased and its imports decreased last year, but government critics see little reason to celebrate, pointing out the gloomy dynamics underlying the shifts in foreign trade. Turkey
Rep. Gabbard and Syrian Kurdish leader make for odd State of the Union pair The 2020 presidential contender will be joined by a leader of the US-backed Syrian Kurds for President Trump’s big speech. Syria
Erdogan: Turkey to expel Kurds from Manbij if no one else does Erdogan vows that Kurdish militia members will be removed from Manbij, one way or another; Greek prime minister visits Ankara; jailed CHP legislator ends hunger strike, but Kurdish woman continues hers despite being released. Syria
Oil smugglers can count on corruption in Iraq More than a year after Mosul was liberated from the Islamic State, oil smuggling continues in the area. Iraq
Top Russian security officials tour Egypt, Gulf to discuss Syria, Libya Over the space of a week, top officials in the Russian security apparatus toured Saudia Arabia, the United Arab Emirates and Egypt with some intriguing proposals on Syria and Libya. Saudi Arabia
Erdogan equates PKK, pro-Kurdish opposition to court nationalist voters As municipal elections near, the Turkish president is ramping up his rhetoric against his pro-Kurdish opposition, equating Turkey's third largest party with groups Ankara considers terrorists. Turkey
Turkey’s ailing agriculture faces even bleaker future Turkey's leaders are accusing grocers of price gouging amid soaring food prices, but refuse to acknowledge the cause of the problem: the country’s shrinking agricultural supply. Turkey
Numbers of Turkish universities soar, but quality falls Quality in education hasn't kept pace with the phenomenal increase in enrollment and facilities in Turkey's university system. Turkey
Ankara imam offers Turkey’s only English sermons Turkish imam Mehmet Akif Koc has been giving sermons in English for the past five years. Turkey