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
How Turkey contained Super Cup crisis with Saudi Arabia A soccer debacle in Riyadh last week over Mustafa Kemal Ataturk, the founder of secular Turkey, has become a public debate over the trajectory of secularism in Turkey. Turkey
UK, Turkish trade ministers meet in Turkey, announce joint railway deal The two countries have an existing trade deal that covers goods but not services, digital trade or data. Turkey
Ethiopia-Somaliland deal receives wide condemnations, including from Egypt, Turkey Several countries in the region condemned a recent deal giving Ethiopia access to Somaliland’s coast. Somalia
Ahead of Blinken's trip, Turkey's patience is wearing thin on F-16s sale Ahead of the US top diplomat’s visit, Ankara has signaled that its patience over its bid to purchase new F-16 fighter jets from the United States is wearing thin. Turkey
Erdogan rivals call Turkey 'banana republic' as high court rulings ignored Turkish officials’ dismissal of courts has also resulted in the threat of targeted sanctions against them by the Council of Europe. Turkey
Turkey’s year-end inflation soars to almost 65% Newly announced minimum wage hikes and upcoming pay raises for public servants, workers and pensioners bode a resurgence of price spikes across the board. Turkey
Turkey’s exports to Saudi Arabia, UAE and Russia shoot up in 2023: Erdogan The Turkish president also said the country’s total export revenues reached an all-time high. Turkey
Turkey to block UK minesweeper ships intended for Ukraine Turkey appears determined to strictly adhere to a treaty under which Ankara also closed off its straits to Russian warships. Turkey
Turkey detains 33 people accused of spying for Israel’s Mossad Authorities are still searching for an additional 13 people suspected of links to the Israeli spy agency as tensions between Turkey and Israel have been rising amid the Israel-Hamas war. Turkey
Analysis Can Turkey's Erdogan godfather Palestinian Hamas-Fatah reconciliation? Uniting the Palestinians is a complicated task that will prove a challenge to the Turkish president's influence. By Fehim Tastekin In Paris, reporting on Turkish politics
What canceling of 'Crimson Buds' TV series says about Turkey's religious split Turkey’s television series and films, once heralded as Turkey’s top exports and a symbol of its soft power abroad, have become a political battlefield at home throughout 2023. Turkey
Turkey’s Super Cup in Saudi Arabia canceled over reported Ataturk row The competing Turkish teams refused to take the pitch after Saudi authorities banned posters and banners of Mustafa Kemal Ataturk, founder of secularist modern Turkey. Turkey