Stories from Quick Reads and Middle East & North Africa
Will President Erdoğan really stop running in Turkey's elections?
Months after the general elections, with the local elections just weeks away, President Erdoğan's remark about not running again ring hollow.
Palestinian writer Randa Jarrar dragged out of PEN America event for protesting
Palestinian American author Randa Jarrar was forcibly removed for disrupting ceasefire opponent Mayim Bialik by reading the names of Palestinian writers killed by Israeli forces in Gaza.
British journalist Myriam Francois hits back on Houthi bombings and Red Sea conflict
British journalist, filmmaker, and writer Myriam Francois strongly challenges the "insane" suggestion that bombing the Houthis in Yemen should have occurred earlier for economic reasons, in her interview on Sky News.
In Turkey, even the head of the Central Bank cannot afford the skyrocketing rents
The high inflation, declining purchasing power, and other factors continue to make it difficult for average income earners to find suitable housing.
In Turkey, another festival is cancelled as censorship runs rampant
In recent years, countless cultural events and concerts have been canceled in Turkey due to the ruling government's censorship and increasingly conservative views.
Winning a million Lira won't get you far in today's Turkey, but its worth celebrating anyway
The amount may have meant a lot in 2011 when the show first premiered on Turkish television, but in 2023, the amount isn't likely to go too far.
These women are fighting back on the continued destruction of Turkey's Akbelen forest
Some 300 organizations have rallied behind the residents' call to stop any mining activities and deforestation in the area in a statement issued on July 28.
Celebrating feminist joy: The power of a collaboratively built playlist
"Whether you need a little dose of queer feminist fire or seek a soundtrack for your own resistance, this playlist stands ready to uplift and speak truth to power."
The new normal after Turkey's earthquake: A TV host and comedian gives his take
The show, relies on daily issues and so it was not at all surprising the new episode that aired on Saturday was all about earthquake.
Women in Turkey march to mark International Women's Day, despite state pressure
Meanwhile, opposition parties promised this was the last women's march under heavy police presence and bans.
Former imam recites children's folk song in Kahramanmaras, Turkey
In an attempt to soothe the children but also the adults affected by the earthquake, Ömer Faruk Amca, decided to recite an old Turkish folk song from a mosque.
In Turkey telecommunications watchdog blocks access to popular website Ekşi Sözlük
On February 7, another popular social media platform, Twitter was briefly blocked by the authorities on similar grounds.
After Turkey's earthquake, a fireman adopts the cat he rescued from the rubble
The fire brigade from Mardin saved five people from under the rubble in Gaziantep. On the way back to Mardin, the team had a plus one, a cat named Wreck.
As another two earthquakes hit Turkey, anger continues to grow
Turks took it to Twitter calling on the state to send more tents while also questioning where the money that was raised since the last quake two weeks ago went
Four-legged rescue workers do not go unnoticed in Turkey's search and rescue operations
Many of the search and rescue mission teams on the ground have relied on their canine assistants, who have been working tirelessly throughout the past week.
Turkey rocked by a series of devastating earthquakes
The aerial footage from the locations hit the hardest show destroyed residential buildings, hospitals, municipalities, and many other buildings, including Gaziantep Castle, which was more than 2000 years old.
Turkish mayor is likened to Game of Throne's Khaleesi, shaking social media
Rather than the mayor's visit, it was the town's acting Mayor Melek Mızrak Subaşı whose name has been trending on Twitter.
Azerbaijan evacuates its embassy staff after deadly attack in Tehran
A gunman stormed the Azerbaijani embassy in Tehran, Iran's capital city. This is the latest attack on the country's diplomatic missions abroad.
A viral video of a dog abused at a shelter reveals a polarized Turkey
Animal rights activists say this was not an isolated case, which sparked public outcry over the poor state of shelters and the mistreatment of animals.
Anti-war Russians find a new home in Turkey
It is not entirely clear how many Russians have arrived thus far to Turkey since Russia's unprovoked invasion of Ukraine.
Tensions between Azerbaijan and Iran peak again
Azerbaijan and Iran have been saber-rattling and exchanging hostile rhetoric in weeks of heightened tensions.