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
Erdogan Deserves Credit For Democratization Package Give credit where it's due: The Turkish prime minister's democratization package is overwhelmingly positive. Turkey
Russia Curbs Freedom of Press Ahead of Olympics Russia denies entry to Turkish journalist ahead of the 2014 Winter Olympics in Sochi, a city that holds tragic memories of war and deportation for Circassians, who refer to their events as "genocide." Turkey
The Real Beneficiaries Of Erdogan’s Democracy Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan's democratization package has lifted restrictions on devout Sunnis imposed by previous secular governments, pleasing his Islamist constituency. Turkey
The Return of Turkey's Mustaches As Fashion Week approaches in Istanbul, reports of the demise of the mustache proved premature. Turkey
How Yemeni Coffee Reaches American Cups Yemeni farmers preserve a coffee industry that dates back to ancient times to transform beans from the mountains of Haraaz into coffee sold in trendy coffee shops in North America. Yemen
Gaza's Extreme Poor Face Social Stigma Already humiliated for relying on UN food rations, Gaza's extreme poor also find themselves ostracized from other parts of society. Palestine
Turkey's 'Massive' Rights Crimes At Gezi Protests Cited by Amnesty In a detailed study on Turkey's recent urban unrest, the international human rights body Amnesty International reports widespread abuse by authorities. Turkey
The Democratization Package That Missed the Point Ersan Sen, a well-known lawyer, argues that the government’s democratization package missed the point because it did not offer any changes to political parties or the election law put into effect after the 1980 military coup. Turkey
Why Are 700 Greeks Praying In a Turkish Hotel? Despite the Turkish government’s drive to renovate ancient churches, many religious shrines remain off-limits to Turkey’s non-Muslim communities. Turkey
Volatile Hebron Could Derail Talks Riddled with Israeli checkpoints and neglected by the Palestinian Authority, Hebron is a powder keg that could explode at any moment. Palestine
Mysterious Reform Package Disappoints Turks The Turkish prime minister’s reform package has gotten mixed reactions. Turkey
Turkey’s Choice of Chinese Missiles Poses Problem for West Washington is upset by Prime Minister Erdogan’s decision to enter into negotiations to purchase an air-defense system from a Chinese state company under sanctions by the United States. Turkey