Newsletter: Daily Briefing Iran says no final decision yet on deal Tehran says a deal is not yet finalized as Washington drops a major case against Turkey and Riyadh restores trade ties with Lebanon. By Ezgi Akin In Ankara, reporting on diplomacy, EU-Turkey ties, NATO
Explainer Turkey slams France-Cyprus military pact as East Med rivalries deepen Ankara says a defense deal between France and the Republic of Cyprus risks upsetting the island’s delicate balance, as defense ties among Cyprus, Greece, Israel and France deepen. Turkey
Analysis As Trump admin drops Halkbank case, S-400 last big hurdle in US-Turkey ties The move eases a key source of friction with Turkey ahead of a NATO summit in Ankara. By Amberin Zaman Reporting on geopolitics, minorities, human rights, culture
Newsletter: Daily Briefing Iran says US strikes render April ceasefire ‘meaningless’ Fresh US strikes and Iranian retaliation deepen regional tensions, while Washington tightens sanctions, France pushes for a larger role in Lebanon, and more. By Ezgi Akin In Ankara, reporting on diplomacy, EU-Turkey ties, NATO
Newsletter: Business & Tech Gulf investors eye payday ahead of SpaceX IPO By Jack Dutton In Bristol, reporting on regional business, climate change, AI, tech
Newsletter: Daily Briefing Trump says Iran will 'pay the price’ for dragging out talks By Ezgi Akin In Ankara, reporting on diplomacy, EU-Turkey ties, NATO
Internal disagreements could lead to al-Qaeda split Recent disagreements between al-Qaeda leader Ayman al-Zawahri and ISIS leader Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi could lead to major splits within the organization. Iraq
Islamic militia expels criminal gangs from Aleppo The al-Qaeda-affiliated Islamic State of Iraq and al-Shams has won the praise of Aleppans after expelling criminal gangs that have looted and ravaged the city. Syria
What happened to Turkey’s Islamized Armenians? A conference on Armenians, Islamized during the genocide years, is an encouraging sign that Turks are facing up to a painful chapter of their history. Turkey
Syrian opposition split over peace conference The National Coalition of Syrian Opposition and Revolutionary Forces is meeting in Istanbul to consider participating in the Geneva II peace conference. Syria
Interior minister links coed housing with terrorism Turkish Interior Minister Muammer Guler argues that his government is concerned about coed accommodations not due to its sexual aspects, but because terrorist organizations abuse these relationships. Turkey
Erdogan's unwelcome intervention in college life The Turkish prime minister’s legislative attempts to interfere in the private lives of citizens reveal a mindset that places his will above the law. Turkey
US official on Syria: 'half the population is suffering' US Assistant Secretary of State for Population, Refugees and Migration Anne Richard discusses the Syrian humanitarian crisis with Al-Monitor. Jordan
Turkish hijab activist calls on state to keep out of private life In an interview, Merve Kavakci-Islam, who was elected to Turkey’s parliament in 1999 but was unable to serve because of wearing a headscarf, said that Turkey is moving toward a “more citizen-friendly, Muslim-friendly, woman-friendly secularism.” Turkey
Syrian Kurdish leader: Turkey may end proxy war In an interview, Saleh Muslim, co-chairman of the Democratic Union Party (PYD), says that Turkey is ceasing its proxy war against the PYD by ending its support for jihadist groups in Syria. Syria
Turkey's stalled constitution In the post-Gezi Park protests era, Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan is being pressured to give up on writing a new constitution, at least until the March elections are over. Turkey
Liberman slams South Africa as 'anti-Israel' The harsh remarks emanating from Turkey and South Africa indicate that it's OK to criticize Israel while strengthening ties with Iran. Israel
Does Washington have a policy toward Syria’s Kurds? The view from Washington about US policy toward Syria may be more confusing than it looks from Turkey. Iraq