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
Turkey's Erdogan says he may meet with Taliban leadership The speed of the Afghan insurgents' advances is "really troubling," Erdogan told CNN Turk. Turkey
Erdogan plays with fire to spur economic growth The Turkish president’s insistence on spurring growth despite mounting inflation and the risk of further dollarization is a further invitation to continued economic turmoil. Turkey
Half of adults in Turkey vaccinated as COVID-19 rates surge Turkey passed a milestone Wednesday, announcing half of its adults are fully vaccinated, though COVID-19 rates remain near a three-month high, likely due to the fast-spreading Delta variant. Turkey
Wildfires have burned more than Turkey’s forests The Turkish government’s conduct during the wildfires that engulfed Turkey’s coastline has not only led to devastation of the country’s forests, but also caused loss of the nation’s sense of solidarity in the wake of natural disasters Turkey
Turkey’s ruling 'White Party' turning gray, critics say Recent allegations stand in contrast to the ruling Justice and Development Party's pledges to rid Turkey of systemic corruption. Turkey
Ill-conceived borrowing scheme costs Turkey double The cost of Ankara’s domestic borrowing in hard currency and gold is estimated to have hit nearly 32% per annum amid the slump of the Turkish lira, more than doubling the cost of borrowing in liras. Turkey
Wildfires deliver blow to tourism in Turkey Ankara has announced that all but two wildfires are under control and is busily reassuring tourists it's safe to return. Turkey
Why a Turkish dictator let himself lose an election Turkey's second president Ismet Inonu surprised the world by stepping down in 1950. Could Erdogan do the same after the 2023 elections? Turkey
Turkish prosecutor investigates tweets calling for help with wildfires Ankara claims that Twitter hashtags calling for international aid with the wildfires raging through the country were "organized abroad" with "ideological motivations" in what critics say is a panicked attempt to change the narrative of Turkish helplessness to contain the crisis. Turkey
Erdogan struggles to contain political fallout from Turkey’s wildfires The wildfires scorching Turkey since last week threaten not only an environmental disaster but also a big political fallout for President Recep Tayyip Erdogan. Turkey
Ankara unsettled by role in US program to relocate Afghans Washington unveiled a program Monday for Afghan refugees to seek asylum in the United States via third countries, including Turkey, raising criticism from Ankara officials who fear the move could fuel a new migration crisis. Turkey
Turkish inflation climbs to two-year high, likely delaying interest rate cut Turkey’s annual inflation rose higher than expected in July to 18.95%, just shy of the Central Bank’s key interest rate, reducing prospects for an early interest rate cut this summer. Turkey