Politics

Civil society since the Arab Spring

Europe must support the agents of change

Civil society organisations in West Asia and North Africa face widespread repression. But instead of supporting activists on the ground, European policymakers continue to prop up autocratic regimes.
By Ilyas Saliba
Erdoğan rival Ekrem İmamoğlu

Detained but defiant

Days before he was set to secure his official presidential candidacy, Ekrem İmamoğlu was arrested on corruption and terrorism charges. A relative unknown until he won Istanbul's mayoralty in 2019, how did he become Erdoğan's greatest rival?
By Ayşe Karabat
Syria after Assad

A future built on citizenship and freedom

Syria's new leadership has not made a clear enough commitment to civil liberties. An inclusive understanding of citizenship, rooted in the history of Arab national movements, is needed to ensure that the goals of the 2011 uprising are not lost from view.
By Samir Aita
Öcalan and the PKK

From terrorist to peacemaker

On Saturday, the PKK declared a ceasefire in response to jailed leader Abdullah Öcalan's call to disarm. The collapse of the last Turkey-PKK ceasefire in 2015 triggered an eruption of violence. Will Öcalan succeed in ending the 47-year-old conflict this time?
By Leyla Egeli
Turkey and post-Assad Syria

Bound together by fate, history and migration

Turkey’s close ties to the new Syrian regime have reignited fierce debates at home. In Syria, Turkey sees a reflection of its own deep divisions—Islamist vs. secular, Alawite vs. Sunni, Turkish vs. Kurdish.
By Ayşe Karabat
German elections 2025

Debates on the Middle East, migration and antisemitism

Germany heads to the polls on 23 February. Where do the main parties stand on migration, Israel and Gaza, antisemitism and the future of Syria?
By Leon Holly
Palestinian political scientist Khalil Shikaki

"The ceasefire is unsustainable without a vision for peace"

Khalil Shikaki has been conducting polls in Palestine since 1993. He argues that Palestinians need a unified interim leadership to pave the way for elections, and warns against Trump's destabilising plans for the region.
By Inge Günther
Kurdish activist Siamend Hajo

"We need to make use of Syria's transitional phase"

As an advocate of a democratic, decentralised constitution, Siamend Hajo has been involved in the UN's Syria peace process for many years. Since Assad's fall, he has criticised the UN for kowtowing to the new rulers.
By Pauline Ertel
The National Front

Egypt needs reform, not a new party

As elections approach in Egypt, a group of prominent political figures, intellectuals and business people have launched a new party. Who will it represent and can it revive a weakened political system?
By Ahmed Abdrabou
US Middle East policy

Is there a Trump-Netanyahu consensus?

Trump's new administration could give Israel even greater freedom to pursue its territorial and political ambitions in Palestine, Syria and Lebanon, while the future of the ceasefire in Gaza hangs precariously in the balance.
By H. A. Hellyer
Democracy and secularism in Syria’s revolution

United, not homogenous

In Syria, secularism is a fiercely contested topic. Assad supporters are using the term to discredit the revolution, while their opponents seek to redefine it. Yet this debate must not overshadow the revolution's central demand: democratic participation.
By Leila Al-Shami
Israel in new Merkel memoir "Freedom"

Merkel's reason of state

When Angela Merkel used the word "Staatsräson" in a 2008 speech to the Israeli Knesset, she may not have expected the enduring intensity of the debate it would ignite. In the new memoir "Freedom", the former chancellor reveals her idealised view of Israel, and her reluctance to acknowledge Palestinian perspectives.
By James Jackson