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
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
Is the Saudi, Lebanese relationship gone for good? In retaliation for Hezbollah’s support of the Houthis in Yemen, Saudi Arabia has launched a campaign designed to pressure Lebanon. Saudi Arabia
Who is TAK and why did it attack Ankara? This story seeks to shed light on the secretive Kurdistan Freedom Falcons, or TAK, which claimed responsibility for the deadly Feb. 17 bombing in Ankara. Turkey
How Syria's earliest refugees are about to become Turkish citizens Turkey's earliest Syrian refugees will soon complete their five-year waiting period for Turkish citizenship, and political players are calculating those Syrians' significant eventual power. Syria
Turkey's culture of snitching In just one example of a deep-rooted Turkish culture of snitching, a marriage comes to an end when a husband tells his wife she can offend him, but not his president, and reports her to the authorities. Turkey
Is Turkey 'on the hook' regarding Syria cease-fire? US-Russia agreement on Syria is a possible breakthrough in peace efforts; Erdogan calls US alliance with Syrian Kurds a “Great Lie.” Syria
After Syria intervention flop, what’s next for Erdogan? Ankara’s latest statements show it has dropped the idea of sending regular troops to Syria, yet it is poised for new ventures to avoid a total exclusion from the Syrian equation. Syria
Aleppo residents displaced in their own country The regime forces’ offensives and Russian airstrikes forced 200,000 to flee the northern Aleppo countryside, while civil society organizations seem unable to meet their needs. Syria
Russia keeps Turkish trucks parked Russia by not renewing the Road Transport Accord that expired Feb. 1 delivered a significant blow to Turkish exports. Legacy: Gulf
Turks kick around Erdogan conspiracy When the pro-government media discovers a political conspiracy in a soccer game, it is not time to be amused, but to be worried. Turkey
Will Putin’s economic attacks bring Erdogan down? The economic warfare declared by Russia damages the Turkish economy beyond expectations. Syria
Identification of Ankara bomber muddled by faulty communication Debate over the identity of the February suicide bomber in Ankara reveals flaws in authorities' communication. Syria
Is 'Iran-phobia' spreading in Turkey? The former leader of Turkey's main opposition party raises hackles with what his critics say is sectarian rhetoric. Syria