Analysis In Libya, maritime dispute could complicate Turkey’s backing of US unity push Turkey and the US increasingly share an interest in stabilizing Libya through a Tripoli-Benghazi power-sharing deal, though their alignment may hinge on the durability of any such deal and Washington's stance on Ankara's disputed 2019 maritime agreement. By Barin Kayaoglu In Ankara, reporting on geopolitics and national security
Newsletter: City Pulse Istanbul Inside Tayfun Erdogmus’ botanical universe Also this week: Izmir flavors, island photography and jazz nights By Nazlan Ertan In Izmir and Istanbul, reporting on culture
Culture Turkish standup comic detained after act calling Erdogan 'dictator' goes viral Comedian Deniz Goktas’ arrest comes as Ankara intensifies prosecutions against opposition figures, journalists, artists and critics ahead of a major NATO summit. Turkey
Turkish jets strike al-Shabab targets in Somalia: What to know A Somali Defense Ministry statement initially said Turkish F-16s carried out strikes on Al-Shabab targets before a later version referred only to “international partners.” Turkey
Newsletter: Daily Briefing Trump says Iran, US to meet in Doha Tuesday By Ezgi Akin In Ankara, reporting on diplomacy, EU-Turkey ties, NATO
Analysis Why Turkey and Egypt are deepening military ties amid regional turmoil By Barin Kayaoglu In Ankara, reporting on geopolitics and national security
Damascus brushes off Ankara's threats as Assad's forces make gains in Aleppo Syrian forces have expelled opposition factions 12 miles from the vicinity of the city of Aleppo, opening the highway between Aleppo and Damascus at a time when Ankara is stepping up its rhetoric and threatening to launch a military attack. Syria
Turkey’s language activists keep Armenian dialect alive in music, literature Cultural activists are struggling to keep Homshetsi, a western Armenian dialect spoken in northern Turkey, alive through music and literature. Turkey
Intel: Why Russia's defense minister met with Libyan strongman Hifter Russian Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu hosted Khalifa Hifter, the commander of the self-styled Libyan National Army (LNA), in Moscow Feb. 19. Turkey
Saudi Arabia steps up role in Libya Saudi Arabia is reported to be providing greater financing to forces associated with Libyan strongman Khalifa Hifter in order to counter Turkey's intervention on the side of Libya's Government of National Accord. Saudi Arabia
Unfazed by lira's decline, Turkey persists with lowering interest rates The lira slumped to its lowest level since May a day after the central bank made its sixth consecutive interest rate cut to boost the economy and geopolitical worries also weigh on the currency. Turkey
Is Russia cozying up to Syria's Kurds amid rift with Turkey? The United States has reportedly cautioned the Kurds not to fight Turkey in any potential escalation in Syria, but Russia appears to have moved closer to the Kurds, as suggested by Kurdish collaboration with the Syrian army in areas along Idlib’s boundaries with Afrin. Syria
Meet the artist haunted by violent moments in Turkey, Lebanon Turkey's veteran artist Hale Tenger tackles coups, destruction and political assassinations in the Middle East, using marriage of poetry and images. Lebanon
Will Manbij fighters heed the call to return home? The Manbij Military Council has called on rebel fighters from Manbij to desert their militias and return to their cities and villages. Syria
What a Russian-Turkish compromise on Idlib may look like Although a new round of Russia-Turkey talks on Idlib failed, there are still ways to settle the conflict. Syria
Intel: What's behind Erdogan's latest threat of imminent attack in Syria Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan told the parliament yesterday that an operation against Syrian government forces in the rebel-held province of Idlib was “a matter of moments” after talks between Turkish officials and their Russian counterparts in Moscow failed to deliver “the desired result.” Syria
Turkish judges postpone verdict in Amnesty International case A Turkish court has postponed its final rulings in the infamous Buyukada trial until April as the defendants use lengthy closing statements to enter every piece of evidence of their innocence into the record. Turkey
Clashes in northern Syria drift from Idlib to Aleppo As the Idlib escalation winds down to a stalemate between Syrian President Bashar al-Assad’s forces and Turkish troops, the clashes are shifting to Aleppo. Syria