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
Congress wants answers from Turkey on shutdown of US aid pipeline to Syria Senate Democrats are warning Ankara not to take out its anger over US aid to Kurds on Mercy Corps. Syria
Why dust storms still suffocate Iran’s Khuzestan province The administration of President Hassan Rouhani has declared that it has made great strides in combating dust storms and pollution in Iran’s southwestern province of Khuzestan, but the region appears to still be in the grip of recurring environmental crises. Iraq
Turkey deports Dutch cows While 40 Dutch cows have been expelled by Turkey and are on their way to the Netherlands, Turkish hackers attacked the Twitter accounts of international organizations and celebrities. Turkey
Erdogan slams Dutch over Srebrenica as diplomatic row intensifies The diplomatic crisis between Turkey and the Netherlands shows no signs of letting up, with Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan threatening the Netherlands with sanctions and reporting it to the European Court of Human Rights. Turkey
Whose ears burn most when Russia, Israel meet? Moscow has been hosting an array of dignitaries recently, leaving observers to speculate on the possible topics of conversation. Israel
The limits to Ankara’s reliance on Moscow Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan’s Moscow visit last week enabled Ankara to show Europe it has alternatives, but thorns continue to exist in the side of Turkish-Russian ties. Turkey
How conflict with the West empowers Erdogan How did the West so firmly become the main enemy for Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan and his supporters? Turkey
Why Iran-Turkey tension won’t spiral out of control Despite the increasing verbal confrontations between Iran and Turkey, tension between the neighbors is unlikely to spiral out of control. Turkey
Will Turks in Europe bear brunt of Erdogan's outbursts? While the Netherlands is Turkey's latest target of tough rhetoric, the millions of ethnic Turks in Europe could face a future that is uncertain and more difficult than it already is for them right now. Turkey
How 'complete' is normalization between Russia, Turkey? Russia and Turkey recently agreed to cooperate in several significant areas, but there's still some question about how far their friendship extends. Turkey
Henna-adorned hands give voice to Turkish referendum opponents A female politician with an ultranationalist background rocks the social and political scene on International Women’s Day using a simple flag designed on her palm with henna. Turkey
What does double-digit inflation mean for Turkey? The accelerating pace of Turkey’s inflation threatens significant erosion in most forms of income on which the country’s population lives. Turkey