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
Culture Experts warn Istanbul's iconic Hagia Sophia at risk as ancient gate damaged The Hagia Sophia's damaged 1,400-year-old imperial gate could be the first of many disasters in the world heritage site due to neglect. Turkey
Turkey’s top appeals court upholds jail term for prominent opposition figure Canan Kaftancioglu, head of the CHP’s Istanbul branch, sentenced to nearly five years and barred from politics for insulting Erdogan and the Turkish government. Turkey
Turkish educational foundation says accounts frozen on bogus charges The Nesin Foundation, which built Turkey’s famous Mathematics Village, says its accounts were blocked on unfair charges after it conflicted with a neighboring Islamist foundation. Turkey
Syrian Kurdish unity talks crumble as Turkey escalates anti-PKK campaign The breakdown between sides serves Turkey’s agenda of keeping its Kurdish foes divided and weak. Syria
International wing of Yazidi force in Sinjar says it's 'not fighting Turkey' After three Western deserters claimed that the YBS forces were fighting Turkey and Iraq, the commander of the international brigade denied the allegations. Iraq
Turkey, Kazakhstan sign joint production accord for drones Turkey and Kazakhstan agree on an enhanced strategic partnership during Kazakh President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev’s first-ever state visit to Turkey . Turkey
Turkey’s potential xenophobia goes beyond Syrian refugees Growing popular resentment of refugees and migrants is on course to become the second hot-button election topic in Turkey after the economic crisis, but the government is not in a position to force the return of Syrians, the main component of the problem. Turkey
Difference over Syrian refugee policy behind unseemly feud between Turkish politicians The founder of a small right-wing party challenges the interior minister in row over repatriations — but is it an attempt to gain support as Turks grow weary of refugees? Turkey
Silenced Turkish singers decry continued music ban Turkish government persistence on not removing the live music ban draws outcry from the entertainment and music industry. Turkey
Erdogan’s plan for return of Syrian refugees unlikely to succeed Erdogan’s new plan to encourage the voluntary return of Syrian refugees promises little success as long as fighting, militia violations and insecurity continue in Syria. Turkey
Istanbul mayor’s PR fiasco bruises presidential ambitions Istanbul's popular opposition mayor hit a pothole on his informal presidential campaign trail when a photograph sparked outrage and he responded, some detractors say, like an aspiring Recep Tayyip Erdogan. Turkey
Can Ankara-Riyadh rapprochement help improve Turkey-Egypt ties? Although Ankara has secured several diplomatic strides by normalizing its relations with Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates, rapprochement with Egypt still seems a challenging prospect. Turkey