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
Iraqi Kurds step into Ankara-Baghdad row Iraq has called on the UN Security Council to adopt a resolution calling for the immediate withdrawal of Turkish troops from its soil. Iraq
Is Russia pulling Turkey away from the West? Western powers must balance Russian overtures to Turkey by reaching out to Ankara on its key concerns and being cautious with their criticism. Turkey
Turkey-Iraq squabbles threaten Mosul campaign The dispute between Turkey and Iraq over the presence of Turkish troops near Mosul is threatening to derail the impending offensive to free the city from the Islamic State. Iraq
Turkish military faces new front as Health Ministry usurps medical system Turkey has transplanted its military medical system into civilian life in the Health Ministry. Turkey
Turks cry economic warfare as Moody's lowers credit rating Turkey's freshly downgraded credit rating is fueling paranoia, though economists point out that Turkey's economic decline was well established before the coup attempt. Turkey
Istanbul says farewell to favorite feline with new statue The global carefree cat meme, Tombili, is honored by a bronze statue as a result of an internet petition by locals after his death in his quiet Istanbul neighborhood. Turkey
AKP fingers obscure professor for coup mastermind Many Turks agree that reviled cleric Fethullah Gulen at least inspired the botched July coup, but as the net tightens on his followers, the authorities' focus on a little-known academic seems a bit of a reach. Turkey
Even SpongeBob can’t escape Turkey’s post-coup crackdown Turkey has shut down the country's first and only Kurdish-language channel for kids, dealing a blow to efforts to keep the children connected to their culture. Turkey
Turks love their language, but also fight over it Turks proudly celebrate their language, but they have always fought over it. Turkey
What's behind Ankara’s 'deafening silence' on Aleppo? Reconciliation with Russia is preventing Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan from blasting away at Syrian President Bashar al-Assad as he once did. Syria
Will state of emergency become the new normal for Turkey? Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan appears to be contemplating extending the state of emergency in Turkey beyond 12 months. Turkey
Turkey-US ties could fray further as Pentagon mulls arming YPG Already rocky relations between Turkey and the United States are likely to worsen if the White House approves an expected Pentagon request to provide more weapons to the People's Protection Units. Syria