Politics

Book review: "Taksim is everywhere"

"This was a social uprising, not simply some demonstration"

Deniz Yuecel, a journalist for the German daily newspaper "taz", interviewed 96 different protesters for his first book, "Taksim ist Ueberall" (Taksim is Everywhere), which was recently published in Germany instead of in Turkey. In view of the fact that the writer Erol Oezkoray was taken to court for allegedly insulting Prime Minister Erdogan in his book on the Gezi phenomenon, this is perhaps a good thing. Luise Sammann introduces the book and its author
By Luise Sammann
Book review: "The Wisdom of Syria's Waiting Game"

How to stay in power against the odds

In her book "The Wisdom of Syria's Waiting Game", Bente Scheller analyses Syrian foreign policy since the Assad dynasty came to power in 1970. She believes that the special relationship between domestic and foreign policy is key to understanding Syria's power apparatus. By Martina Sabra
By Martina Sabra
Eleven years of Erdogan

Hard times for the "champion" of political Islam

As everything points to a clear victory for the AKP in Turkey's local elections, Turkish political scientist Cengiz Aktar takes stock of 11 years of Erdogan's rule. He says that Turkey's political and economic problems are home made and are caused by the fact that the AKP has been in power for too long and Erdogan's growing inability to enter into political co-operation. Nevertheless, he cautions against celebrating the downfall of political Islam
By Cengiz Aktar
The Crimean crisis

The Near East: scene of a new Cold War?

The Crimean crisis could mark the beginning of a new confrontation between East and West. Not only is there already talk of a second Cold War, there are already signs of it in the Near East. A commentary by Nora Müller
By Nora Müller
Mass death sentences against the Muslim Brotherhood in Egypt

Egypt's future at risk

Earlier this week, an Egyptian court sentenced over 500 Muslim Brotherhood supporters to death in a case that lasted less than two days. According to Loay Mudhoon, this ruling is the work of a politicised judiciary and could destroy any chance of national reconciliation
By Loay Mudhoon
Local elections in Turkey

An erosion of Erdogan's legitimacy

Turkey is holding nationwide local elections on 30 March. The prime minister, mired in growing corruption allegations, has turned the polls into a referendum on his rule. With such high stakes, the vote is widely seen as one of the most important in the country's history. Dorian Jones has more from Istanbul
By Dorian Jones
Interview with Afghanistan expert Thomas Ruttig

"The violence threshold is low"

Having already served two terms, Afghan President Hamid Karzai cannot run for president in the election in early April. The end of his twelve years in office marks the end of an era for the country. Ulrich von Schwerin spoke to Thomas Ruttig of the "Afghanistan Analysts Network" about the political situation in Afghanistan after over a decade of Karzai
By Ulrich von Schwerin
Hezbollah in Lebanon

How Hezbollah is paralysing Lebanese politics

There are few countries in the world where domestic affairs are as affected by regional calamities as Lebanon. With Hezbollah still fighting across the border in Syria and the country's two biggest political alliances at loggerheads about the situation, the government in Beirut is in deadlock. By Ben Knight
By Ben Knight
Victims of the Tunisian Revolution

The slow and painful search for the truth

Three years have passed since Tunisians took to the streets in protest against their ruler, Ben Ali. The country is now slowly moving towards democracy, but the victims of those early revolutionary days are still waiting for justice. Hopes that the truth will come to light and that relatives will discover who killed and injured their loved ones during the unrest are diminishing by the day. By Sarah Mersch
By Sarah Mersch
Corruption scandal in Turkey

"The evaporation of the Turkish state as we know it"

A series of alleged telephone recordings between the Turkish prime minister and members of his family has escalated an ongoing political crisis to unprecedented levels, with many now fearing for the state of the country's democracy. By Dorian Jones in Istanbul
By Dorian Jones
Crimean Tatars in Ukraine

Deep-seated fears

The Crimean Tatars, numbering some 250,000, are the third largest demographic group in Crimea. They fear that their rights will be sharply curtailed should the referendum on 16 March turn out in Russia's favour. Fear of Putin and his supporters is equally palpable amongst the millions of Crimean Tatars living in Turkish exile. By Luise Sammann
By Luise Sammann
Interview with Stefan Meister

"The Syria crisis is legitimising Putin"

Russia's backing of Bashar al-Assad and his regime is a geopolitical game, says Stefan Meister, expert in Russian foreign and security policy. Above all, however, Vladimir Putin is benefitting domestically from his Syria policy. The confrontation with the West is making him a key figure in world politics. Interview by Jannis Hagmann
By Jannis Hagmann