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
Turkey’s 'Erdogan Problem' Although Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan declared in September 2012 that he won’t run for parliamentary office again, his decisions on his next step will determine the future of Turkish politics. Turkey
Erdogan Flips on Turkey’s 'Interest Lobby' Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan had blamed the “interest lobby,” or domestic and foreign financial institutions, for the Gezi Park protests, but now he is raising interest rates. Turkey
Erdogan’s Muddled Plan For Yassiada Memorial Erdogan uses a historical tragedy to initiate a profit-oriented project on Yassiada Island, the symbol of the 1960 coup that resulted in the execution of then-premier Adnan Menderes, the man Erdogan idolizes. Turkey
Kurdish Rebel Group in Turkey Re-Focuses on Syria A change in the PKK leadership has prompted debate over Turkey’s Kurdish peace initiative and Syria policies. Turkey
Iraq’s Sex Trade Thrives Given the lax security situation since the 2003 US-led invasion of Iraq, the country’s sex trade has proliferated. Iraq
How Can Turkey Bounce Back In the Middle East? Turkey's AKP government must alter its Islamic-based “exclusionary policies,” stabilize political and economic ties with Iraq and Iran and restore normalcy to its relations with Israel. Turkey
The Islamization of Turkey’s Foreign Ministry With recent legislative changes, AKP will now be able to appoint its cadres as ambassadors and give them senior posts in the Foreign Ministry. Turkey
US Outs Israel on Syria Attack? Blame Edward Snowden Why are the Americans providing the international media with information about alleged covert Israeli operations while the Europeans are ratcheting up the settlement boycott? Israel
Visit to Southeast Turkey Offers Bleak View of Peace with Kurds A visit to villages in southeast Turkey provides a window on the challenges for the Turkish-PKK peace process. Turkey
Turkey, Lonely Man Of the Middle East Turkish foreign policy is in endemic crisis because of the Islamist and sectarian foreign policies of the AKP government. Turkey
Turkey’s Gezi Park Protesters Regroup for Ramadan Gezi Park protesters challenge the “religion card” of Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan by hosting street iftars to break the Ramadan fast. Turkey
Erdogan’s Egyptian Obsession Turkey considers restoring deposed Egyptian President Mohammed Morsi and the Muslim Brotherhood to power as an existential quest. Egypt