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
Culture Prehistoric world heritage site Gobekli Tepe survives Turkey earthquakes Though Monday’s earthquakes destroyed several historic sites, some of the iconic historical heritage that is invaluable to science as well as Turkey’s economy has survived. Turkey
Palestinians join earthquake rescue efforts in Syria, Turkey The Palestinian Authority joins more than 60 countries sending rescue teams to Turkey and Syria in response to the earthquake. Palestine
Turkey's politicians play blame game as earthquake death toll hits 20,000 The ruling AKP and its ally MHP approved the bill on declaring a state of emergency for Turkey’s quake zone while opposition parties voted against it, saying the president already has sufficient powers for disaster management. Turkey
The Takeaway: Syria's neglected northwest pleads for earthquake aid Plus, a roundup of Al-Monitor's on-the-ground coverage of the devastating earthquakes in Syria and Turkey. Turkey
Earthquake death toll nears 20,000 as Turkey, Syria seek help Hundreds of thousands more are injured or displaced as rescue workers race against time to free those who are trapped. Turkey
Pentagon readies aircraft carrier to assist Turkey earthquake rescue efforts US European Command has begun pre-positioning supplies at Incirlik Air Base to support Turkey's efforts. Turkey
Sweden blocks Quran-burning protest Turkey came out against Sweden’s NATO bid after a far-right activist burned a Quran outside the Turkish embassy last month. Sweden is now seeking to resume dialogue over the issue. Turkey
Twitter restricted in Turkey in aftermath of earthquake Governmental restrictions on the social media app have been imposed even while rescuers race against time to reach survivors trapped under the rubble. Turkey
Erdogan tours earthquake zone as casualty count rises The Turkish president visited the epicenter of the quake in Kahramanmaras to pledge state aid to victims, but many remain angry at the government's response. Turkey
Earthquake shatters tiny Jewish community in Turkey's Antakya Antakya was once home to a thriving Jewish community, but after this week's earthquakes, the few Jews who still lived there are unlikely to return. Turkey
Earthquake deaths pass 11,000 in Turkey, Syria as anger, desperation mount: Live Updates Desperation is growing in the aftermath of the massive earthquakes that rocked Turkey, Syria and beyond as international rescue efforts pour into the region. Turkey
Rescuers pour into Turkey, but aid slow to arrive in earthquake-hit Syria The disaster response in northern Syria is stymied by supply chain issues, logistical hurdles and diplomatic disputes over accessing the country's rebel-held territory. Turkey