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
Breaking | Last Updated: November 5, 2026, 3:56 pm 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
Cyprus port deal gives Russian navy alternative to Tartus An agreement allowing the Russian navy access to ports in Cyprus sends a message to the EU and gives Moscow an alternative to its facility at Tartus, Syria. Syria
Starbucks becomes flashpoint between Turks, Armenians Armenian-American activists are scoring major points against an angry and misinformed Turkish public. Turkey
US persuaded Turkey to include Israel in NATO drills Leaked emails between the Obama administration and Turkish senior officials reflect US efforts at reconciling Israel and Turkey — when the latter objected to Israel's participation at a NATO sea drill. Israel
Turkey is becoming more secular, not less In a new book, Volkan Erit argues that despite an increasingly Islamist government, Turkish society is actually becoming less strident in its religious tastes. Turkey
Turkey has 'other priorities' than battling Islamic State US Director of National Intelligence James Clapper does not expect Turkey to become "more engaged" in the anti-Islamic State coalition; are al-Qaeda and the Islamic State, or Assad and Hezbollah, a greater threat to Israel?; Israeli prime minister expects to "cash in" on Iran nuclear deal on March 17; Al-Monitor launches a series focused on women in the Middle East. Israel
From 'zero problems' to zero trade Ankara’s support of the Islamist-controlled National General Congress instead of the government in Tobruk has had dire consequences for Turkish business interests in Libya. Turkey
Turkey's Kurds stand with ultranationalists after campus murder The murder of an ultranationalist college student reveals how Turkey's peace process with the Kurds and the growing Islamization of politics has impacted Turkish nationalists. Turkey
Turkish military wages war on social media Turkey's military is still struggling to come to terms with the rules of Twitter, Facebook and other social media sites. Turkey
Turkey’s 'strategic depth' in Syria The controversy around Turkish military intrusion into Syria to remove the alleged sanctuary of Suleiman Shah continues. Syria
Why doesn't Turkey speak up on Iran nuclear issue? While so many are focused on the Iran nuclear talks, Turks have remained surprisingly quiet on a major issue unfolding just next door. Turkey
No justice for Turkish women who kill in self-defense Turkish courts rarely offer leniency to women who have killed their husbands in self-defense, mostly because the women are too ashamed to recount tales of their abuse. Turkey
Questions remain over Turkey's training of Syrian opposition Many argue that Ankara’s prime motive in signing the accord is to improve strained ties with Washington. Syria