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
Why Erdogan keeps winning Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan has managed to fuse Turkey’s center-right and Islamist-right into one major bloc accepting his explanation of recent political scandals to be conspiracies against his rule. Turkey
The forgotten Palestinian prisoners The Palestinian prisoner cause is suffering from a lack of public interest, poor local media coverage and no political support. Palestine
The Saudi-Turkey cold war for Sunni hegemony Saudi Arabia views Turkey's mix of democracy and Islam as a threat to its own regional role. Saudi Arabia
Erdogan plays Egypt card in 'ballot box' victory The municipal elections may have been a victory for Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan and the Justice and Development Party (AKP), but not necessarily a victory for Turkish democracy. Turkey
Erdogan: political enemies will 'pay the price' Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan, who saw the polls as a means of vindicating himself from corruption accusations, appears to be declaring war on the Gulen movement. Turkey
Syrian Kurds blame Iran, Turkey for ISIS attacks Syria's main Kurdish force, the Democratic Union Party, says that the ISIS battle with Syrian Kurdish groups is benefiting the Syrian government. Iraq
Why Turkey’s elections may not matter Today’s election may have less of an effect in Turkey than many think, as electoral upsets have been relatively rare and their consequences limited. Turkey
Turkey a 'political war zone' on eve of elections Turkey's leaders look to Syria as a distraction from the latest domestic political crisis; the US Congress considers new sanctions on Hezbollah; Al-Monitor expands coverage of Russia and the Middle East. Syria
Is Turkish-Israeli reconciliation back on track? The shifting regional picture may be forcing Israel and Turkey to rebuild ties, but only after Turkey’s elections on March 30. Israel
Foreign journalists accuse Hamas of SMS threats Hamas officials deny they had anything to do with the messages allegedly sent by the party's military wing, the Izz ad-Din al-Qassam Brigades. Palestine
Gaza patients suffer as Egypt keeps Rafah crossing closed A sick Gaza toddler died in his parents' arms while waiting for the Rafah crossing to open to get specialized medical treatment abroad. Palestine
Jenin and Nablus refugee camps: enclaves of fear The dire economic situation, coupled with disappointment in the Palestinian Authority, have turned West Bank refugee camps into enclaves of violence, led by armed youths from various organizations. Palestine