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
'Naming' and 'Shaming' In Turkish Politics Naming and shaming policies that have intensified after the Gezi Park protests hurt Turkey’s democratization. Turkey
Press Freedom in the New Turkey The complexity of the Turkish media scene cannot be understood without knowing its background. Turkey
Can Egypt Win the WarFor Public Opinion? While Western media persist in calling the Egyptian crisis a military coup, there are ways that Egypt can restore its public image in the world's eyes. Egypt
Arab Spring Brings Renaissance In Turkish Art Some of the Middle Eastern artists who fled their countries have found themselves perplexed during and after the Gezi Park protests in Turkey. Turkey
Erdogan Veers Away From 'Reformed Moderate Islam' Turkey's prime minister returns to his ideological roots with his emotional support of the Egyptian Muslim Brotherhood. Turkey
Erdogan Shows His Softer Side Some Turks question why Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan cries over the death of an Egyptian protester but not a Turkish one. Egypt
Turkey's Foreign Policy: Slip-Up or Success? While Turkey boasts foreign policy successes in the Middle East, these measures could be more accurately described as blunders. Egypt
Turkey's Rising Middle Class Drives Demand for Islamic Fashion A new, wealthy and religiously conservative middle class has emerged with an expensive taste for style and fashion. Turkey
Egyptian Twitter Post Pushes Turkey's Buttons A Twitter message that suggested the interim government in Cairo might recognize the Armenian genocide exposed a raw nerve in Turkey. Egypt
Is Hypernationalism The New Islamism? Islamism in the Middle East may have met a match in the hypernationalism taking hold in Egypt and Syria. Egypt
Erdogan’s Blaming of Israel Might be Funny If It Weren’t So Sad Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan accused Israel of being behind the Egyptian military coup only to be met with strong criticism from Egypt, Israel and the United States. Egypt
Turkish-Israeli Military Ties Damaged by Ergenekon Trial The Ergenekon trial has made it clear to the decision-makers in Jerusalem that the Turkish army will no longer be able to serve as a bridge between the two countries. Israel