Newsletter: Daily Briefing Kremlin confirms S-400 talks with Turkey Lebanon’s PM to meet Erdogan in Turkey; Pakistan, Qatar seek to revive US-Iran talks after renewed strikes; and more. By Ezgi Akin In Ankara, reporting on diplomacy, EU-Turkey ties, NATO
Lebanese PM Salam in Turkey as Erdogan seeks wider regional role Lebanese Prime Minister Nawaf Salam’s visit to Turkey comes after Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan recently warned that Israeli attacks against Lebanon and Syria threaten Turkey’s security. Lebanon
In first, Russia confirms S-400 talks with Turkey amid transfer reports to acquire F-35 On Friday, the Kremlin spokesperson provided the first confirmation that Turkey and Russia have held discussions about Ankara's efforts to resolve the S-400 issue with Washington. Turkey
Turkey brokers intra-Somalia talks as federal rifts test Ankara’s influence Somalia’s semi-autonomous Puntland and Jubaland states reportedly declined to join the talks, as Ankara is ramping up efforts to shore up support for Somalia’s federal institutions. Turkey
Newsletter: Daily Briefing Iran hits Gulf, warns Hormuz will reopen on its terms By Ezgi Akin In Ankara, reporting on diplomacy, EU-Turkey ties, NATO
Feature Armenia's Pashinyan keeps Iran close while wooing Trump, Turkey and Azerbaijan By Amberin Zaman Reporting on geopolitics, minorities, human rights, culture
Erdogan urges Maduro to 'stand tall' Turkey’s president remains a strong defender of Venezuela’s embattled leader, calling Nicolas Maduro a democratically elected leader who must be respected. Turkey
Putin, Erdogan agree on Idlib but maneuver on Kurds While Moscow and Ankara agreed to reinforce cooperation on Idlib to fight Hayat Tahrir al-Sham, Putin's proposal on the "buffer zone" in Syria's northeast sent Erdogan home thinking, at least until the next round of Astana talks Syria
Erdogan-Putin Syria meeting commences in Moscow Talks between Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan and Russia's Vladimir Putin appeared to start out on a warm note today and are likely centering on the future of Idlib as well as US plans to create a safe zone in Kurdish-dominated northeastern Syria. Syria
First Russian female running for mayor of Turkish city Russian-born Anastasia Petrova Cetinkaya is running for mayor of Turkey's southern resort city of Alanya in a bid to better serve residents and strengthen the two countries' bilateral relations. Turkey
Turkey seeks life sentence against US Consulate employee A Turkish national and liaison officer for the DEA at the US Consulate in Istanbul has been indicted for espionage. Turkey
Ankara set to boost naval posture with major exercise Turkey may be planning an ambitious air-naval military drill that would span three seas. Palestine
Turkey names 'water czar' to ease disputes with Iraq In an ambitious bid to tackle water-sharing tensions with Iraq, a special envoy appointed by the Turkish president plans to travel soon to Baghdad to present a road map of cooperation. Iraq
Is new energy league an alliance against Ankara? A Cairo-based partnership among Egypt, Israel, Cyprus, Greece, Italy, Jordan and the Palestinian Authority is ready to explore energy sources in the eastern Mediterranean — whether Turkey likes it or not. Palestine
Egypt’s oldest Arabic calligraphy school struggles to survive Many institutes of calligraphy simply closed their doors when the Egyptian government stopped subsidizing them, but one school persists. Egypt
Erdogan seeks lifeline from Putin in Syria The Turkish president will discuss Syria with his Russian counterpart in Moscow this coming week, as Qatar's Sheikh Tamim takes spotlight in Beirut. Saudi Arabia
Erdogan's newfound love for cannabis For decades, the Turkish government took pride in burning cannabis fields in its battle against PKK terror. Now, a boasting Erdogan leads Islamists in celebrating industrial hemp cultivation as a method of resistance to the West. Turkey