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
Why Some Turks Miss Military Coups A Turkish opposition politician made headlines by suggesting that a military coup might be the best way to defeat the ruling Justice and Development Party, writes Mustafa Akyol. Turkey
What Does Sierra Murder Say About Turkey? Tulin Daloglu takes a look at Turkish society's responses to the recent murder of American Sarai Sierra. Turkey
Erdogan on Brussels-Shanghai Pendulum Cengiz Çandar writes that it is fine for Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan to pursue membership in the Shanghai Cooperation Organization, but not at the expense of EU membership. Turkey
Turkey Steps Up Criticism of Israel Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan reacted fiercely to Israel’s attack on a Syrian military convoy, accusing Israel of conducting “state terror," writes Tulin Daloglu. Turkey
Kirkuk Shines Spotlight On Turkey’s Iraq Policy The recent terrorist bombings in Kirkuk have highlighted Turkey’s interest in protecting the Turkmen community there, while its strong relations with the Kurdistan Regional Government strain its ties with Baghdad, writes Ilnur Cevik. Turkey
Does Turkey Seek to EndBloodshed or Oust Assad? Semih Idiz writes that in his offer to talk with the Syrian government, Mouaz al-Khatib, head of the National Coalition of Syrian Revolutionary and Opposition Forces, has presented Ankara with a choice that has ethical and moral implications. Turkey
Dear Minister Davutoglu, Please Don't Stir Up War Shlomi Eldar writes a personal letter to Turkish Foreign Minister Ahmet Davutoğlu, who recently wondered publicly why Assad didn’t respond to the attack on Syria attributed to Israel. Israel
Turkey’s Shiites Fear Sectarian Realignment Susanne Gusten examines concerns within Turkey’s Shiite community about Ankara’s sectarian regional alliances. Turkey
Declining Turkish Birth Rates Alarm Erdogan The Turkish government is putting forward new family-planning initiatives in the context of a declining birth rate and Prime Minister Recep Tayyep Erdogan's opposition to abortion, writes Sibel Utku Bila. Turkey
Suicide Bombing Connected To Turkish Policies on Syria, Iran To the extent Turkey is active in Middle Eastern politics, especially in Syria, and is a party to confrontation with Iran, all the "terror exports" of the Middle East will be heading to the Turkish market, writes Cengiz Candar. Turkey
Erdogan’s Constitutional Crisis Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan’s initiative to change Turkey’s constitution to support a presidential, rather than parliamentary, system, is encountering some opposition, writes Tulin Daloglu. Turkey
Turkey Cannot Defend Record On Press Freedom Kadri Gursel writes that by criminalizing any press article that seems sympathetic to the Kurdistan Worker’s Party (PKK), the Turkish government worsens its image as a leading violator of press freedom. Turkey