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
Iran’s tourism industry struggles to meet growing demand While Iranian officials have stated they plan to grow Iran's tourism industry, challenges such as investment, visa requirements and cultural issues must be addressed. Turkey
Syrian government introduces Kurdish in universities The Syrian regime has offered another carrot to the Kurdish minority: the Kurdish language as a university course. Syria
Istanbul's skyline betrayed A generation that professes to worship the Ottomans betrayed Istanbul by destroying its silhouette with high-rises. Turkey
Burns to Al-Monitor: 'No illusions' about nuclear diplomacy with Iran In an exclusive interview, Deputy Secretary of State William Burns discusses leading the US back channel to Iran, the upcoming Geneva II conference on Syria, the role of secret diplomacy and 32 years in the US foreign service. Saudi Arabia
Syrian Kurds aim to benefit from Islamist infighting Syrian Kurdish forces navigate the fighting between the Free Syrian Army and the Islamic State of Iraq and al-Sham to gain ground in northern Syria. Syria
Turkey's Christians fear possible hate campaign An aggressive campaign against Christmas and New Year’s festivities in Turkey last month, including the circumcision of Santa Claus, has sparked fears that deadly attacks on Christians may begin anew. Turkey
Chechnya's silent diplomacy in the Middle East Russia is working to turn domestic challenges into opportunity. Turkey
Gul calls for reset of Turkey’s Syria policy Turkish President Abdullah Gul's call for a "recalibration" of the Syria policy is a thinly veiled rebuke to Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan and Foreign Minister Ahmet Davutoglu. Turkey
Israel should reach out to separatist Syrian Kurds Israel should consider the Kurdish achievement of establishing an autonomous region in Syria and reach out to those groups which fight extremist Islamic powers in the country. Israel
Rule of law casualty of AKP-Gulen conflict Measures by the AKP government to expunge the Gulen movement’s strength in the judiciary are endangering Turkey’s qualifications as a state of law and order. Turkey
Elif Shafak: 'Turkey is a country of collective amnesia' In an exclusive interview with Al-Monitor, acclaimed novelist Elif Shafak discusses her new book, literature, politics and identity in Turkey. Turkey
Erdogan takes on the Internet The Turkish government is drafting legislation to restrict public access to certain websites. Turkey