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
Praise for Erdogan's mediation in Ukraine grain deal has its limits The UN-Turkish mediation with Russia and Ukraine may not give the Turkish president the expected diplomatic boost at home. Turkey
Turkey, Iraq, Kurds seek leverage from tourist massacre Ankara continues to deny responsibility for shelling that killed tourists in Iraqi Kurdistan. Turkey
Life as an LGBTQ refugee in Turkey LGBTQ refugees from Middle Eastern countries face multifold hardships in Turkey amid a rise in anti-refugee sentiment and a persisting social stigma against gay and transgender people. Turkey
Abandoned Ankara theme park subject of lawsuits, political controversy The opposition mayor says the Wonderland Eurasia theme park, or Ankapark, cost $801 million as he files criminal complaint. Turkey
US focus of ire as Turkey threatens Syria‘s Kurds Syrian Kurdish leader says Turkish intentions unclear. Turkey
Tourist massacre marks turning point in Turkish-Iraqi ties Iraq’s major political actors have all condemned Turkey over a deadly attack on a tourist site in what many believe signal a major downturn in bilateral ties. Iraq
Russia reassures Egypt on wheat exports after Odessa attack The Russian missile attack on Ukraine’s port of Odessa came just a day after Turkey brokered a deal on safe passage of wheat exports from the war-torn country. Turkey
How realistic are Ankara’s hopes of trading in Turkish liras? While the Turkish lira continues to tumble, Turkey’s currency swaps with China and other countries have failed to live up to their stated objective of boosting trade in local currencies, official data show. Turkey
US commends Turkey, UN for Ukraine-Russia grain deal The US welcomed the grain agreement signed in Istanbul but cautioned the devil is in the details. Turkey
Ukraine, Russia agree to sign deal in Istanbul to end grain crisis US cautiously welcomes potential breakthrough, thanks to Turkish mediation, to allow safe export of Ukrainian grain through the Black Sea. Turkey
Erdogan returns empty-handed from talks with Putin, Raisi Erdogan fails to enlist Russian and Iranian support for a fresh Turkish military operation in Syria, but he remains bent on maintaining the pressure. Turkey
Massacre of nine Iraqi tourists blamed on Turkey sparks protests, diplomatic fallout Turkey's shelling of a tourist resort in Iraqi Kurdistan’s Dahuk region leaves Iraqis mourning and angry. Turkey