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
Turkey targets voters with government benefits Turkey's ruling AKP government has long made a habit of spending big money on social assistance to inspire loyalty and collect votes. Turkey
Ankara averts pre-election crisis over tomb in Syria Turkey’s evacuation of the Tomb of Suleiman Shah in Syria was meant to remove the risk of an Islamic State attack that would have cost the government dearly in upcoming general elections. Turkey
Turkish military mission becomes media circus Turkey's ruling Justice and Development Party framed its cross-border mission to evacuate the Tomb of Suleiman Shah as a victory for the nation, but political opposition and social media commenters saw much to mock about the operation. Syria
Turkey’s 'Rocker Imam' inspires Turks Turkey’s "Rocker Imam" Ahmet Muhsin Tuzer, who combines Sufi lyrics with guitar solos, signals the niche in Turkish society for a more modern and cosmopolitan feeling of Islam. Turkey
Turkish army enters Syria to evacuate tomb The Turkish army successfully evacuated its soldiers from the Tomb of Suleiman Shah in Syria in coordination with Kurdish forces on the ground. Syria
Should US back UN plan for cease-fire in Aleppo? UN Syria envoy says that "assurances will not be enough" to end fighting; Turkey’s border a "strategic problem" in anti-Islamic State campaign. Syria
Turkey's perilous security package The Turkish government’s internal security package threatens both the Kurdish settlement process and social peace. Turkey
Turkey’s jailed university students Hundreds of Turkish university students have landed behind bars on such dubious grounds as making press statements, demanding free transport and health care, celebrating Women’s Day and even reading Marx. Turkey
Have AKP's policies caused rise in violence against women? Although Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan showed solidarity with the victim’s family, the Justice and Development Party insists on useless populist policies on women’s issues. Turkey
In Turkey, divisive politics leads to more violence Turkey's political scene is already extremely polarized; as an abundance of individual incidents of violence indicate, it is fast becoming a political powder keg. Turkey
Is Twitter giving in to Turkish censorship? Turkish cyber rights activists warn Twitter of legal action for acting as auxiliary to Ankara’s censorship machine. Turkey
Syrian army's advances near border rattle Ankara If the Syrian regime army captures Aleppo, the Turkish border will come under heavy pressure. Syria