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
Saudi crown prince balances Turkey visit with stops in Greece and Cyprus Mohammed bin Salman’s plan to visit Turkey as part of a regional tour shows that the kingdom has no intention to upset Greece and Cyprus while mending fences with Turkey. Turkey
Could Turkey-Israel rapprochement lead to gas agreement? The Cyprus conflict stands as a major stumbling block before potential plans to carry Israeli gas to Europe via Turkey. Turkey
Erdogan announces military operations in Syria's Manbij, Tal Rifaat The Turkish president said operations in northern Syria will expand "step by step" and that Ankara will keep an eye on “who supports these legitimate steps" and "who hinders them.” Turkey
Blinken says US fighter jet sales to Turkey 'separate' from NATO demands NATO chief Jens Stoltenberg said he will meet with Turkish, Swedish and Finnish officials to discuss Ankara's demands. Turkey
Traffickers use refugees to smuggle drugs from Iran to Turkey There are growing claims and indications that refugees illegally crossing the Iranian-Turkish border, the route of an exodus from Afghanistan to the West, are forced to smuggle drugs by their traffickers. Turkey
Turkish women’s groups rally behind anti-femicide platform In Turkey, women’s groups and the political opposition are demonstrating in support of the We Will Stop Femicides Platform as it fights for its survival. Turkey
The stumbling blocks facing Turkey’s new operation plan in Syria Kobani, Manbij and Tel Rifaat stand out as the main targets in a prospective new Turkish operation in northern Syria, but Erdogan might narrow his objectives to avoid tensions with the United States. Turkey
Analysis Biden didn’t go to Turkey, and things aren’t okay with Erdogan The Turkish president announces plans for another invasion of Syria, while digging in on rejecting admitting Sweden and Finland to NATO. By Week in Review
Culture Istanbul art exhibit celebrates Turkey’s groundbreaking female artists “I-You-They: A Century of Artist Women,” at Istanbul’s Mesher gallery, explores early artists who have largely been neglected in the canon, inviting today’s artists to re-examine their roots. Turkey
Turkish women's rights activists decry racism in their name Dozens of Turkey’s grassroots women rights groups issued a statement against racism and anti-immigrant sentiment, only to face angry reaction from many parts of the political spectrum. Turkey
US, Kurdish officials call Turkish threats of military operation in Syria 'serious' Ankara's threats come amid a spat with NATO allies over Finland and Sweden’s request to join the Western alliance. Turkey
AKP municipalities tone down the volume on Kurd-Pop in Turkey Cultural events, from Kurdish-language concerts to performances of daring female stars in mini dresses, become the targets of a proxy war between the nationalist-conservatives and liberals. Turkey