Analysis Will Democrats block Trump’s push to deliver Turkey F-35s, lift sanctions? Democratic control of Congress complicates Turkey’s push for F-35s and sanctions relief, but Ankara remains hopeful Trump can still broker a deal. By Barin Kayaoglu In Ankara, reporting on geopolitics and national security
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
University graduates swell Turkey’s army of jobless More than a fourth of Turkey’s 4.7 million unemployed are graduates of higher education — an alarming trend that reflects not only the country’s economic downturn, but its faltering university system. Turkey
Turkish election board disqualifies pro-Kurdish mayors in southeast While Turkey awaits an official decision in the Istanbul mayor's race, electoral authorities void HDP victories in Diyarbakir and elsewhere in the southeast. Turkey
US to ask Syrian Kurds to let Turkish forces through the door The United States is requesting numerous concessions from its Kurdish allies in Syria, but the Kurds are pushing back. Syria
Turkey's Erdogan loses ally with Bashir's ouster in Sudan The overthrow of Sudanese dictator Omar al-Bashir after 30 years in power should be making other autocrats such as Turkey's Recep Tayyip Erdogan nervous. Egypt
Turkish folk costumes reflect roots from the Balkans, Central Asia The folk costumes of Anatolia show great variety, but most have two things in common: they consist of layers and they open at the front. Turkey
Intel: What ouster of Sudan’s Bashir means for Mideast leaders The ouster of Sudanese strongman Omar al-Bashir by the country’s military yesterday following months of unrest has received a mixed reception in the Arab world. Syria
Turkey exerts its own leverage in F-35 jet standoff with US The latest meeting between Russian and Turkish leaders in Moscow indicates Ankara is poised to escalate tensions by rebuffing US threats over F-35 jets. Turkey
Putin exploits crisis in US-Turkish relations The Russian president has suggested more defense cooperation with Turkey and says Turkey's president may be willing to coordinate with Syria's Bashar al-Assad. Syria
Congress adds new irritant in US-Turkey relations with pro-Cyprus push Members of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee want to lift the arms sale ban on the disputed island. Turkey
How the Kurdish factor had a boomerang effect in Erdogan's election defeat Turkey’s main pro-Kurdish party played a key role in Erdogan’s defeats in big cities in the local polls, managing to get its voters to back mayoral candidates from the main opposition bloc while sitting out the races. Turkey
Police raid homes in Istanbul as AKP demands new vote As the Justice and Development Party calls for an election rerun in Istanbul, police have been raiding dozens of homes in one of the city's districts on the hunt for more than 20,000 voters the ruling party claims the main opposition falsely registered or unlawfully removed from the lists. Turkey
Some elderly Turks face silent, slow killers: Abuse and neglect By 2050, 20% of Turkey's population will be over the age of 65, but social taboos prevent people from publicly addressing elder abuse and the specific needs of the elderly. Turkey