Politics

Parliamentary and presidential elections in Tunisia

The euphoria has evaporated

In the run-up to parliamentary elections on 26 October, more than five million Tunisians registered to vote, considerably more than in 2011. Nevertheless, observers expected voter turnout to be low. Many Tunisians are frustrated by the fact that their situation has hardly improved in the three years since the overthrow of Zine al-Abidine Ben Ali. By Sarah Mersch in Tunis
By Sarah Mersch
Interview with Tunisian human rights activist Bochra Belhadj Hamida

"Demonised, insulted and threatened"

Bochra Belhadj Hamida is a lawyer and one of the most prominent human and women's rights activists in Tunisia. She is now running for parliament for Nidaa Tounes, a new party that brings together a range of political viewpoints. She discussed the current situation in Tunisia in an interview with Martina Sabra
By Martina Sabra
The genesis of Islamic State

A new chapter in the decline of the Arab world

IS is a child of the late cold war and at the same time the beginning of a total war against the countries of the Arab East. It is the consequence of a collapse of political, moral and social values in the region, writes the Lebanese author Elias Khoury
By Elias Khoury
French reactions to IS terror

"What next? Will we ask Muslims to kneel?"

France's divided society is united in condemning the jihadi barbarism of Islamic State in Iraq and Syria. From Toulouse, Birgit Kaspar sums up the reactions of French politicians and Islamic organisations
By Birgit Kaspar
Iran's foreign policy in Yemen and Iraq

Arab fear of the "extended arm of Iran"

The recent capture of Sanaa by Zaidi fighters was celebrated in the Iranian media as a "victory for the revolutionaries". The Arab press, by contrast, accused Iran of trying to influence events in Yemen after already getting involved in Iraq and Syria. The conflict increasingly threatens to be seen as an exclusively Sunni–Shia power struggle. By Ali Sadrzadeh
By Ali Sadrzadeh
Interview with Turkish politician Sirri Sureyya Onder

The solution to the Kurdish conflict as a yardstick for democracy

Sirri Sureyya Onder of the Peoples' Democratic Party (HDP) is a member of the Turkish parliament and a negotiator in the talks between Abdullah Ocalan, head of the PKK, and the Turkish state. In an interview with Ceyda Nurtsch, he expresses his thoughts on the political future of Turkey under President Erdogan and on the negotiations to solve the Kurdish conflict
By Ceyda Nurtsch
Turkey and the alliance against IS

Of inaction and double standards

In recent days, there have been a lot of reports about the Kurds' determined battle against the terrorist group Islamic State in Kobani, northern Syria. In this context, Turkey has frequently been accused of "inaction". Why? An essay by Cemal Karakas
By Cemal Karakas
Turkey, IS and the Kurdish conflict

"Kobani is now everywhere"

The deputy chairman of the PKK, Cemil Bayik, accuses Turkey of supporting IS and consciously ending the peace process. He views the recent Turkish parliamentary motion authorising the use of force in Syria and Iraq as a preparation for war – albeit a war against the PKK rather than against IS. Difficult weeks now lie ahead for Turkey and the Kurds. By Ekrem Guzeldere in Erbil
By Ekrem Güzeldere
Turkey, IS and the Kurds

Powder keg on the Turkish-Syrian border

More than 200,000 people from Kobani have fled the IS onslaught and sought refuge in Turkey. But as the days pass, anger and frustration at what they see as Turkish inactivity is growing. More and more Kurds, from both Syria and Turkey, are now considering taking up arms not only against IS but also against Turkey should Kobani fall. By Kiran Nazish in Mursitpinar, Turkey
By Kiran Nazish
The international alliance against IS

No clear objective

The American strategy of conducting air strikes in Syria remains dubious and unclear. According to Karim El-Gawhary, air strikes can only be part of a broader military strategy, and the West needs to address the genesis of IS
By Karim El-Gawhary
Military strikes against IS

Fragile alliance

The fight against IS is bringing East and West closer together and uniting the Arabs at the same time. However, it is possible that this alliance will only be of short duration. By Birgit Svensson in Baghdad
By Birgit Svensson
Rebuilding Gaza

The back of the Gazan economy has been broken

What will become of the Gaza Strip? The American academic Sara Roy doubts that there is a future for Gaza and its inhabitants following the recent Israeli offensive. Bettina Marx has the details
By Bettina Marx