Newsletter: Daily Briefing Iran war shadows Turkey’s COP31 summit World leaders began arriving in Antalya on Wednesday to take part in the COP31 climate conference, which Turkey is hosting for the first time. By Gabrielle Debinski In New York City, reporting on the Middle East
Turkey’s banking watchdog chief submits resignation amid fund scandal Turkey’s government is facing growing criticism over regulators’ failure to prevent a fund scandal involving more than $20 billion. Turkey
Explainer Iran war pushes up coal use, complicating Turkey’s COP31 pledge Turkey is asking world leaders at COP31 to back a global push to use more electricity, even as the Iran war has driven up natural gas prices and pushed some power producers back to coal. Turkey
Newsletter: FutureVerse Does Middle East have Nvidia problem? Nvidia shares tumbled this week as the company launched an independent investigation, sparking fallout that could reach all the way to the Middle East. By Samuel Wendel In Washington, DC, reporting on regional business and tech
Analysis Will Democrats block Trump’s push to deliver Turkey F-35s, lift sanctions? By Barin Kayaoglu In Ankara, reporting on geopolitics and national security
Newsletter: City Pulse Istanbul Nisantasi beyond the shop windows By Nazlan Ertan In Izmir and Istanbul, reporting on culture
Qatar resets its Syria policy Doha tilts away from regime change in Syria and opens up a channel to Hezbollah. Qatar
Latest chapter in battle over Istanbul’s Hagia Sophia The ancient aspiration of Turkish Islamism to transform Hagia Sophia from a museum to a mosque is back on the agenda. Turkey
Turkey, Saudi ties less than meet the eye Despite a shared interest in supporting opposition groups against Syrian President Bashar al-Assad, Riyadh and Ankara are unlikely to become allies. Saudi Arabia
Turkey, China cooperation on ballistic missiles not new Turkish defense industry insiders are dismayed with US pressure on Turkey for it reaching a deal with China, as this is not the first time they have cooperated. Turkey
Lebanon’s Tripoli microcosm for Syria conflict While Lebanon has struggled to remain neutral and uninvolved in Syria’s conflict, Tripoli has come to mirror the volatile dynamics of its larger neighbor. Lebanon
Turkey extends hand, but no apology, to Armenia Turkey is making a fresh move to normalize ties with Armenia as the clock ticks down to the 100th anniversary of the Armenian genocide in 2015. Turkey
Demand for women-only buses in Istanbul Demands for women-only buses indicate a deeper debate about Islamization of Turkish public space. Turkey
Turkey and EU attempt to re-energize ties Despite their half-century of hot-and-cold relations, Ankara and the European Union are trying to mend fences for Turkey's EU membership bid. Turkey
Syrian FSA fades in shadow of Saudi-backed opposition front This week, the United States and the United Kingdom suspended nonlethal aid to the Syrian opposition, fearing equipment could fall into the wrong hands. Saudi Arabia
Hezbollah escalates rhetoric against Riyadh While Hezbollah and Saudi Arabia have been at odds for months over their opposing positions in the Syrian war, Hezbollah has recently escalated its rhetoric, directly accusing Riyadh of waging open warfare against the party. Saudi Arabia
Kurdish peace process is on knife edge — again Kurdistan Workers Party (PKK) members kidnapped four Turkish soldiers on Sunday only to release them early Monday; this has caused people to question the progress of talks with PKK leader Abdullah Ocalan. Iraq
Omani rejection of GCC union adds insult to injury for Saudi Arabia The Omani stance may force the kingdom to pause in its regional policies. Saudi Arabia