Newsletter: Daily Briefing Hezbollah commanders killed as renewed strikes test Lebanon-Israel talks Israeli strikes in Beirut and southern Lebanon raise new doubts over a fragile ceasefire ahead of expected talks in Washington. By Ezgi Akin In Ankara, reporting on diplomacy, EU-Turkey ties, NATO
Saudi FM in Turkey as Ankara, Riyadh step up coordination amid Iran war Saudi Foreign Minister Prince Faisal bin Farhan’s visit to Ankara comes amid rapidly expanding Turkish-Saudi coordination as the fallout from the Iran war reshapes Gulf security dynamics. Turkey
Newsletter: Daily Briefing US pauses Hormuz escort mission as Trump cites progress on Iran talks A tentative diplomatic opening with Iran emerges as the US sustains its pressure campaign. By Ezgi Akin In Ankara, reporting on diplomacy, EU-Turkey ties, NATO
Turkey, Armenia agree to restore medieval bridge in normalization push Ankara is pursuing normalization with Armenia ahead of June parliamentary elections in a thaw also positioned to advance its broader Middle Corridor ambitions. Turkey
Analysis Iraq’s Zaidi offers economic promise for Turkey but unknowns loom By Barin Kayaoglu In Ankara, reporting on geopolitics and national security
Newsletter: City Pulse Istanbul “Form-Craft-Activism” spotlights the labor behind making By Nazlan Ertan In Izmir and Istanbul, reporting on culture
Russian tourists flock to Turkey as flights resume Russia suspended air traffic with Turkey in April due to a spike in coronavirus cases, but infections have since gone down significantly in Turkey and vaccinations are up. Turkey
Top Turkish court accepts revised indictment to ban pro-Kurdish party Turkey’s Constitutional Court on Monday accepted a case seeking the closure of the nation’s second-largest opposition party, the pro-Kurdish Peoples’ Democratic Party (HDP), after a top prosecutor revised and resubmitted an indictment alleging members collude with terrorists. Turkey
Official data lays bare deepening poverty in Turkey With economic disparities worsening amid the coronavirus pandemic, Turkey’s poverty rate has increased 0.6 points to 21.9% of the population. Turkey
Turkey wild card in US-Russia conflict over Syria aid The US administration might be open to a position shift on the Syrian file to secure the flow of cross-border international aid to Syria, a prospect that may spoil Turkey's calculations in Syria and particularly in Idlib. Turkey
Turkish troops to remain at Kabul airport after NATO withdrawal The US president has committed to granting Turkey's requests for support to maintaining troops at Kabul International. Turkey
Why Erdogan may miss Netanyahu Benjamin Netanyahu’s departure as prime minister of Israel is a loss of sorts for Erdogan when it comes to both domestic and regional politics. Turkey
Erdogan's silent revolution seeks more than pious youth A recent report claims Turkey’s education system has become increasingly Islamist, with curriculum focusing on Islamic concepts at the expense of science and secularism. Yet it remains to be seen how effective this push will be. Turkey
Why Turkey wants to handle security at Kabul airport Ankara’s willingness to deploy a military mission to secure Kabul’s airport raises questions about the risks it is prepared to take, what allies Turkish forces could have on the ground and what the US administration is prepared to offer in return. Turkey
Gunman kills woman volunteering for Turkey’s pro-Kurdish party Peoples' Democratic Party deputy Garo Paylan brushed aside the gunman’s claims that his was a lone wolf attack, citing gun-toting photos of the 27-year-old attacker in Syria posted on social media. Turkey
Erdogan tells Biden Turkey won't change position on S-400s Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan reportedly told his US counterpart that Ankara won't soften its stance on the Russian S-400 missile systems despite sanctions imposed by Washington over the purchase. Turkey
The Takeaway: Pragmatism is the new watchword in US-Turkey relations Plus: A fresh start for Israel; Iran’s hard-line front-runner on the issues; Egypt’s faltering Palestinian mediation; Saudi-Syria talks; Golani’s makeover. Turkey
Critics say Erdogan used pandemic to kill Turkey’s nightlife Many out-of-work veterans of Turkey's once thriving entertainment world suspect the ruling party of using COVID-19 restrictions to enforce a more conservative lifestyle. Turkey