Turkey inks $5.1B in climate loans at COP31: What to know Ankara can count 10 loan deals worth $5.1 billion with four multilateral development banks so far at the UN climate summit, Treasury and Finance Minister Mehmet Simsek said Thursday. Turkey
Explainer Bilal Erdogan, floated as father’s possible successor, visits Lebanon: What to know Bilal Erdogan, the son of Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, is in Lebanon for a three-day visit that will include meetings with officials and religious leaders, as well as stops in Sunni-majority cities. Lebanon
Turkey hosts Libya’s Hifter, Erdogan meets Tripoli PM as unity push gains pace Ankara is expanding ties with Libya’s eastern leadership while seeking to protect its agreements with Tripoli under a potential power-sharing arrangement. Turkey
Watchdog urges Turkey to tighten digital asset rules for $144B crypto economy A review of Turkey’s crypto-asset regulations by the Financial Stability Board acknowledged significant progress made by local authorities but called for further measures to address potential risks. Turkey
Newsletter: Daily Briefing Iran war shadows Turkey’s COP31 summit By Gabrielle Debinski In New York City, reporting on the Middle East
Newsletter: FutureVerse Does Middle East have Nvidia problem? By Samuel Wendel In Washington, DC, reporting on regional business and tech
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
Does AKP’s 'silent revolution' silence women? The Turkish Justice and Development Party's “silent revolution” guarantees women’s rights as long as they do not clash with Islamic ideals. Turkey
In Turkey, from headscarf to 'immorality' ban The headscarf, once a symbol of Turkey's struggle for freedom, is now normalized, but other symbols appear in its stead. Turkey
Iraqi Kurdistan more vulnerable to Al-Qaeda attacks The war in Syria, including the spread of radical Islamist terrorists, is spilling over into the Kurdistan Region of Iraq. Iraq