He used to perform at weddings and, above all, at matinees reserved for women. He is the high-profile victim of a new wave of repression against homosexuality stretching from Ankara to Istanbul, as far as Izmir and other major urban centres

The law on demobilisation and amnesty for Kurdish fighters, passed by the Turkish Parliament, marks a historic step forward after decades of conflict. However, this security-driven peace does not yet amount to the recognition of the civil and political rights of the Kurdish minority and serves, above all, to help the president secure re-election for a fourth term

The agreement commits the three countries to collective defence, bringing together NATO’s second-largest army. There is no doubt that the pact aims to counter Iran’s influence, but from Jerusalem’s perspective it is nonetheless an unfavourable development