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
EU offers Turkey assistance as wildfires continue to rage The government faced calls to step down after it emerged that the country did not have any usable fire-fighting planes in its inventory. Turkey
Will Erdogan’s Afghan gambit pay off in Washington? The general impression is that Ankara’s commitment to protect Kabul airport is only aimed at winning favor with Washington. Turkey
Secular Turks mock government’s appropriation of care-free lifestyles in Istanbul promo video The negative responses highlight what secular members of Turkish society perceive as the government’s interference in their lifestyle choices. Turkey
License holder of coup-linked app faces 15-year jail term in Turkey An American citizen of Turkish origin reportedly turned himself in to Turkish authorities and faces a 15-year jail sentence for his role in founding the ByLock phone app, which state officials claim was used by supporters of a failed coup in 2016. Turkey
Amid Afghan influx, Turkey’s refugee policy gets tested with fire Turkey has done a rather good job meeting the immediate and mid-term needs of Syrian refugees, but it is now at a crossroads on whether to have a long-term integration policy, experts say. Turkey
Controversial cleric’s ‘modesty call’ to Turkish volleyball team bounces back at him Following a victory by the Turkish women's volleyball team over China at the Tokyo Olympics, the all-too-familiar debate on women’s decency and clothes raised its head when a cleric urged the players to observe modesty in dress and behavior. Turkey
Turkish officials condemn Tunisian 'coup' but keep it measured While AKP officials have denounced the Tunisian president's sacking of the prime minister and suspension of parliament as a "coup," Ankara’s language was markedly less incendiary than when Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi overthrew the country’s popularly elected president in 2013. Turkey
Turkey records highest daily virus toll since mid-May Turkey on Friday recorded 11,094 new cases and 60 deaths from COVID-19. Turkey
Search underway after migrant boat sinks off Turkish coast Eight migrants are still missing after their boat bound for Italy sunk southwest of the Turkish town of Kas. Turkey
Afghan refugee influx stokes tensions in Turkey Fresh refugee influx from Afghanistan to Turkey has stoked political and social tensions in the country where the refugee crisis is becoming more politicized. Turkey
Turkey plans further clampdown on independent media Recep Tayyip Erdogan's AKP says it won't allow "fifth column" activity from independent media organizations. Turkey
Has Erdogan started a journey of no return in Cyprus? Unless he is playing a game of brinkmanship to force the Greek Cypriots into a settlement, Erdogan’s tough moves in the Cyprus conflict are raising the specter of Turkey’s eventual annexation of Northern Cyprus. Turkey