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
Erdogan and the Battle For the Memory of Gezi Park Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan's depiction of Taksim Square protesters as looters and marauders is an attempt to spin the facts on the ground into an "official" history of Gezi Park uprising. Turkey
Turkey-Kurdish Peace Process on Hold? Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan’s government says the talks are on track, but the Kurdish side is warning of a break in the process. Iraq
Paranoid Nationalism Changes Hands in Turkey If Turkey's present crisis deepens, the Justice and Development Party may become even more paranoid, angry and authoritarian. Turkey
Iraqi Kurds Join Pro-Erdogan Protests Fearing setbacks in Kurdish-Turkish relations, Iraqi Kurds have taken to the streets in support of Erdogan, whom many regard as being the most tolerant of Turkey’s leaders toward the Kurdish population. Iraq
Syriac Christians, Kurds Boost Cooperation in Syria A shared desire to remain neutral in Syria links the political parties of the Assyrian Christian and Kurdish minorities despite government encouragement of sectarian security branches. Syria
The Return of 'Mujahid' in Turkey Is the return of Erdogan’s "mujahid" identity foreshadowing a further religious turn by the Justice and Development Party? Turkey
Hamas Police Crack Down On Beach Cafe 'Vices' Policemen are regularly intruding into beach cafes in Gaza, targeting a range of "vices" from women smoking argileh to boys and girls walking together on the beach. Palestine
Hezbollah Keen on Hamas Alliance Despite Criticism Hezbollah seeks to repair ties with Hamas which have been strained over Syria. Palestine
Inside Syria's Gulag An exclusive firsthand account from a Syrian who was detained in a state prison in Aleppo. Syria
Turkey's Military and the Protests In Gezi Park The Turkish government is haunted by coup fears in its handling of the massive protests. Turkey
Taksim: Turkey’s Tiananmen? Can Turkey still be a role model of democracy for Arab and Islamic countries? Turkey
Erdogan’s Conspiracy Theories Contain a Paradox Erdogan is confronting the very international forces that have helped him to consolidate his rule and expand Turkey’s reach across the region. Turkey