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
Turkey's Temple of Apollo may decode gray mysteries of antiquity Recent restoration efforts at the Temple of Apollo in western Turkey seek to answer questions about the history of this ancient structure. Turkey
Which ancient leader is really buried in colossal Tower of Tughrul? Controversy surrounds a 12th-century tomb tower carrying the name of the founder of the Seljuk dynasty, Tughrul Beg. Turkey
What’s behind Zarif’s visit to Beirut? An Iranian diplomat shared with Al-Monitor some behind-the-scenes information regarding the Iranian foreign minister’s visit to Beirut and its implications for Lebanon and the region. Palestine
Bathing in Ankara’s ancient history An ancient Roman site in Ankara was occupied by brothels until recently, and though the brothels have been demolished, the remains still wait to be fully discovered. Turkey
Turks turn to dollar as lira hits low Turkish depositors are abandoning the Turkish lira and clamoring for the US dollar. Turkey
Zarif presses diplomacy on Syria Iran brokers humanitarian cease-fires in Syria; Yair Lapid discusses “dreadful gamble” in US-Israel relations; Turkey’s Stone Age temple may predate Stonehenge and Egyptian pyramids by thousands of years. Oman
Weaving through Turkey's history of kilims Hand-woven kilims are inspired by a rich culture, but are also gaining global popularity among rich, modern-day nomads. Turkey
Ankara slices away at meat prices The Turkish government has intervened in the market to address soaring food prices as the Central Bank stumbles in its fight against inflation. Turkey
PKK vs. Turkey: Violence plagues people of Basak Turkish security forces expand their operations to urban areas in the southeast of the country. Iraq
Who is targeting Iranians in Turkey? A series of attacks on Iranian interests in Turkey raises the question of why the PKK may seek to hit Iran at this point. Iraq
Speculation about Turkish civil war is just that Clashes between Turkish security forces and the PKK are intensifying and becoming more violent. Iraq
Turkey's baby boom sends many children into state care The increasing number of children left to state care in Turkey raises fresh questions over President Recep Tayyip Erdogan’s call on families to have at least three children. Turkey