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
Ankara at crossroads on Syria policy Developments in Syria have confounded the Turkish government’s efforts to depose President Bashar al-Assad and forced a rethink of its policies. Syria
Honor killings haunt Turkey's gay community Two court cases of "gay honor killings" in Turkey reveal a similar pattern of deep-rooted prejudice and social codes that override even the closest family bonds. Turkey
Saudis fear Syria blowback after discovering ISIS cell Fears of jihadist blowback from the Syrian war are starting to be realized after Saudi's discovery of a terrorist cell planning attacks on its soil. Saudi Arabia
Netanyahu stalls on reconciliation with Turkey Israel's premier still does not trust Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan. Israel
Freedom House right about Turkey Turkish journalists should not follow Foreign Minister Ahmet Davutoglu's suggestion to reject the press freedom report. Turkey
Aleppo's rebel fighters disillusioned with war Rebel fighters in Aleppo look to Homs as a potential model for a cease-fire to end the war in the city. Syria
Sinai residents complain of violations by Egypt army Sinai civilians claim they are bearing the brunt of the Egyptian army’s war on terror in the peninsula. Egypt
Turkey’s currency prepares for a fall After years of efforts to keep its currency valuable, Turkey’s government seems to be shifting to a cheaper lira policy in an attempt to boost exports and reduce the country’s gaping current account deficit. Turkey
State Dept. rejects Davutoglu’s denial of media watchdog report While the Freedom House report was expected to cause a stir, the statements by Foreign Minister Ahmet Davutoglu stand out, eliciting a rebuke from the State Department. Turkey
Egyptian women scared to speak out against sexual harassment Sexual harassment leads all crimes against Egyptian women, and experts say it is abetted by toothless laws, lax enforcement and societal acceptance of the phenomenon. Egypt
Does Erdogan really want Gulen in Turkey? Turkish Prime Minster Recep Tayyip Erdogan is calling for Fethullah Gulen's extradition from the United States to Turkey, but he should be careful what he wishes for. Turkey