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
How Turkish energy giant's plans to light up Iran could boost Rouhani The Belgium-based Turkish energy firm Unit International’s announcement that it will build seven natural gas-powered electricity production plants worth $4.2 billion in Iran could bring major benefits for the two countries. Turkey
Foreign investment in Turkey is rising, but not the type it needs In the past five years, 24,000 new foreign companies have set up shop in Turkey, but due to a lack of confidence they have avoided industrial production. Turkey
Why Turkey is striking out on the diplomatic field Despite some diplomatic gestures by President Recep Tayyip Erdogan and his new prime minister, it appears Turkey's isolation and desperation in foreign policy will continue. Egypt
Turkish students up in arms over Islamization of education Students in Turkey’s leading high schools have rebelled against government efforts at an Islamist makeover of the education system. Turkey
Ramadan no longer a month of peace, serenity in Turkey Hate speech and aggression against those who do not observe the fast during Ramadan in Turkey spike as the government and state authorities look the other way. Turkey
Meet TEMA, Turkey’s fastest growing civic group In a country where civic organizations are met with suspicion, Turkey’s environmentalist group TEMA has reached a membership of 600,000 people. Turkey
Erdogan expected to put anti-Gulen movement in high gear The Turkish government has officially declared the Gulen movement a terrorist organization, paving the way for even speedier seizures of Gulen-affiliated universities. Turkey
How are Turkey and Russia getting along these days? As Moscow and Ankara work to shore up their relations, it's clear the foundation wasn't all that solid to begin with. Turkey
Activists seek to rein in horse mistreatment on unique Turkish island Mounting criticism over mistreatment of horses could end the carriage trade on Buyukada, a picturesque island near Istanbul that remains off limits to motor vehicles. Turkey
Near Damascus, watch out for missiles, shelling and speeding tickets In a visit to Damascus, Al-Monitor spoke with Syrian officials about the latest developments happening in Syria. Syria
Is Erdogan's university diploma forged? Allegations regarding the authenticity of Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan's diploma, and therefore his position, are gaining substance. Turkey
The battle for Hagia Sophia in Istanbul escalates The Turkish conservative movement’s demand to turn the Hagia Sophia Museum into a mosque is gaining strength. Turkey