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
Opposition head displaces Ankara, Istanbul mayors as Erdogan's next election rival Republican People’s Party head Kemal Kilicdaroglu has entered the running for the Turkish opposition’s presidential candidate. Turkey
Turkish Central Bank revises inflation outlook The bank significantly raised its inflation projections, citing the effects of the war in Ukraine, but inflation was high before the war. Turkey
Turkey may 'lock' borders with Syria and Iraq to deal with Kurdish militants There is speculation about a secret deal between Ankara and Baghdad eyeing a contiguous, 30-kilometer-deep buffer from Syria to Iraq. Turkey
As Armenia pushes for reconciliation, Turkey plays hard to get Armenia's prime minister is willing to establish ties with Turkey without any preconditions, but many in the Armenian diaspora find accepting Ankara’s continued denial of the 1915 genocide unthinkable. Turkey
Saudi Arabia, Turkey react to Elon Musk's Twitter takeover Musk’s purchase of the social media giant is being heavily discussed in Saudi Arabia and Turkey, where the billionaire has a complicated history with both governments. Saudi Arabia
Turkey’s Kavala conviction earns sharp rebuke from US The State Department expressed concern over Turkey's "continued judicial harassment" after a court in Istanbul sentenced philanthropist Osman Kavala to life in prison. Turkey
Turkish court jails philanthropist Osman Kavala for life in widely condemned trial After more than four years behind bars, Osman Kavala was sentenced in a case that rights groups and the opposition call a travesty of justice. Turkey
US becomes Turkey's second biggest gas supplier, but for how long? Turkey's second biggest gas supplier over the past winter was the United States, but Ankara may have to turn back to its neighbors to ensure it has sufficient supplies. Turkey
Ankara’s interest liabilities balloon to dizzying heights The ratio of the Turkish government’s interest liabilities to its principal domestic debt has hit a staggering 117%, up from 60% last year. Turkey
Turkey steps up attacks on Syria’s Kurds amid Iraq operation Ankara is using the cover of Ukraine’s war to weaken the Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK) and associated groups in the region. Syria
Will Erdogan sustain balance between West, Russia as Ukraine war drags on? If the West and NATO remain united during the long war in Ukraine, Turkey’s policy of straddling between Kyiv and Moscow would be unsustainable. Turkey
Russian invasion of Ukraine slams Turkey’s transportation industry Traffic at the Turkish border crossings have come to a grinding halt after trucks en route to Russia, Belarus and Central Asia diverted routes to Turkey and Georgia following Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. Turkey