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
Breaking | Last Updated: November 5, 2026, 3:56 pm 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 cuts all trade with Israel as ties fray The Israeli Foreign Minister said Ankara was blocking Turkey’s ports for Israeli imports and exports. Turkey
Turkey seeks to join South Africa as plaintiff against Israel at ICJ The move comes as Ankara seeks to dial up pressure on Israel after March 31 local elections. Turkey
Turkey: Over 200 detained in May Day demonstrations Police used pepper spray and rubber bullets to disperse the crowd. Turkey
In Turkey, Istanbul mayor faces backlash after calling Hamas a ‘terrorist organization’ Turkey's president is notably staying mum over the comments made by Istanbul’s popular mayor. Turkey
Turkey expands ISIS crackdown, detains over 100 in a week Eight more people were detained on Monday in a raid on individuals who were allegedly planning to carry out a bomb attack. Turkey
Turkey eyes ExxonMobil LNG as country reduces dependence on Russian gas The long-term deal being discussed with the American energy giant would give Turkey up to 2.5 million metric tons of LNG a year, Turkey's energy minister said in an interview. Turkey
Blinken, Fidan meet after Turkey postpones Erdogan's White House visit The top US and Turkish diplomats met in the Saudi capital today after President Recep Tayyip Erdogan’s long-sought visit to the White House was postponed Friday. Turkey
As Russia's footprint slumps, can Turkey anchor Armenia, Azerbaijan to West? Russia’s declining footprint in the South Caucasus presents an opportunity for Turkey to anchor Azerbaijan and Armenia to the Western fold. Turkey
Can $20B Iraq Development Road project rival India-Middle East corridor? A new trade route is in the works to connect the Gulf with Europe along the Development Road, starting in Iraq. Iraq
Turkey postpones Erdogan's White House visit Sources familiar with the planning of Erdogan’s program suggested to Al-Monitor that the real issue was the lack of clarity from Washington on the visit. Turkey
Turkey’s Central Bank keeps interest rates at 50% despite rising inflation The decision comes after an unexpected hike of 500 basis points last month that increased rates from 45% to 50% as monetary tightening resumed after a one-month pause. Turkey
Erdogan and Germany's Steinmeier chuckle over doner kebab as ties grow The German president’s visit, marking the centennial of diplomatic ties between Turkey and Germany, came during a challenging time for Ankara-Berlin relations, given the wide gap over the Israel-Hamas war. Turkey