Analysis Will Democrats block Trump’s push to deliver Turkey F-35s, lift sanctions? Democratic control of Congress complicates Turkey’s push for F-35s and sanctions relief, but Ankara remains hopeful Trump can still broker a deal. By Barin Kayaoglu In Ankara, reporting on geopolitics and national security
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 US, Turkey keep up appearances in Syria? Russia weighs escalation in Syria; CENTCOM commander seeks to balance Turkey, Syrian Kurds in campaign against Islamic State; return to Sur. Syria
Can raw meat dish rescue Turkey from export slump? By aggressively marketing raw “meat” ball appetizers to Europe and China, Turkey hopes to find new sources of foreign currency. Turkey
Is this the last nail in coffin of women, minors' rights in Turkey? An AKP-led parliamentary commission releases a draft report on how to protect the sanctity of the family in Turkey by providing controversial suggestions. Turkey
Back home after clashes, Kurds in Turkey's Sur find only debris Some look for their homes, others for the bodies of relatives as Kurdish civilians are finally allowed to return to devastated neighborhoods in Diyarbakir after months of clashes between Kurdish militants and the security forces. Turkey
How Turkey plans to boost home sales to foreigners Preparations are underway to offer work permits in addition to residency to buyers of real estate in Turkey, and citizenship could be next on the table. Turkey
This woman may be biggest opposition to Erdogan Meral Aksener, a rare female heavyweight in Turkish politics, may be the long-awaited leader to thwart Erdogan’s authoritarian ambitions. Turkey
Why an old-fashioned novel is trending among Turkey's youth A romantic Turkish novel first published in 1943 has finally been translated into English this month after becoming a social media sensation, coinciding with the third anniversary of the Gezi Park protests that shook Turkey and its ruling party. Turkey
US, Kurds to clear path toward Raqqa, with or without Turkey Because of Turkey's objections to Kurdish involvement, operational plans against the Islamic State keep changing. Syria
Expect repercussions from deadly Latakia attacks All players in the Syrian war are scrutinizing the recent bloody assaults on Syrian civilians and the range of results that are likely. Syria
Turkey's Islamists, nationalists both silent on Israeli weapons flow to Azerbaijan Turkey’s Islamist and ultra-nationalists are curbing their opposition — at least outwardly — to Israel, which is supplying Azerbaijan with weapons to fight Armenia. Israel
An autopsy of the new Turkish government The new Turkish government under Prime Minister Binali Yildirim includes and excludes some curious names. Turkey
Can Erdogan afford to scuttle the refugee deal with EU? Although Erdogan still says EU cannot order Turkey around, he may well soften his bluster if he gets the presidency he wants. Turkey