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
Gulenist crisis sets off intra-Islamic debate in Turkey The failed coup attempt has not only set a new tone for Turkish politics, but also triggered wide soul-searching and finger-pointing within Islamist circles. Turkey
Turkish women in police force allowed to wear headscarves As critics continue to accuse the ruling Justice and Development Party of changing the nature of Turkey’s secular state, government supporters celebrate further relaxations of the earlier headscarf bans as more religious freedom. Turkey
What's next for Turkey's journalists following post-coup crackdown? The matter of suppressing the freedom of press in Turkey is getting very serious. Turkey
What Turkey stands to lose in its hunt for Syrian Kurds Turkey may face an unexpected backlash within its borders from its goal of undermining the gains of the Kurds in Syria by launching an operation in Jarablus. Syria
Is Turkey falling into its own Syrian trap? Kurds may be avoiding combat with Turkey, Syria's reaction could be restrained and the Islamic State might have withdrawn without a fight, but Ankara could still get stuck in a quagmire. Syria
How both Israel and Turkey exploit Gaza's suffering With the reconciliation agreement now signed between Israel and Turkey, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has practically forgotten his demands to lift the Israeli blockade on the Gaza Strip. Palestine
Truce brings quiet, but not stability, to Turkey-Syria border Despite the current truce, the border between Turkey and northern Syria is still riddled with unrest. Syria
15 years of Turkey's AKP: Is it a success story? Turkey's Justice and Development Party has had economic and political successes, but the current state of affairs could threaten that legacy. Turkey
How this Turkish museum is bringing life to a remote backwater A unique cultural center has sprung up on a remote hilltop in eastern Turkey, bringing life to a region hit by poverty and migration. Turkey
Why is Turkey wasting its time arresting peace advocates? The arrest of renowned author Asli Erdogan on terrorism charges generates questions about Turkey's arbitrary use of emergency law. Turkey
Did US drag Turkey into 'Syrian quagmire'? The Turkish government remains defiant in the face of warnings from the US, but there are those who believe Ankara was forced into the Syrian quagmire by Washington. Syria
What comes next for Turkey after Jarablus victory? Turkey’s strategic goals and field preparations signal that it plans to stay in northern Syria for quite some time. Syria