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 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
Who threatens Rumi’s heritage? The decision by the Konya Provincial Culture Directorate to remove a 1,000-year-old pool from the Mevlana Museum's garden is an assault on Rumi’s heritage. Turkey
Turkey’s LGBT community draws hope from Harvey Milk Turks who identify with the LGBT community face discrimination in every aspect of their lives and have no legal protection at all, but increasing awareness from the public and support mainly from the opposition parties brings hope. Turkey
Rise of Islamic Front a disaster for Syria The ascendance of the Islamic Front threatens a political transition in Syria; Lebanon paralyzed by Syria conflict; Farea al-Muslimi named FP Leading Global Thinker. Saudi Arabia
US, Turkey to rethink Syria policies For starters, the United States and Turkey need to change their approaches to the Syrian Kurdish Democratic Union Party. Saudi Arabia
Syria war brings al-Qaeda threat to Iraqi Kurdistan The Kurdistan Regional Government of Iraq seeks to prevent the spillover of the war inside its borders. Iraq
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