Politics
Topics
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Turkish-Syrian relations
A menacing rapprochement
Any reconciliation between Turkey and Syria’s Assad regime would have disastrous consequences for many Syrians, explains Syria expert Kristin Helberg
By Kristin Helberg -
Ebrahim Raisi
Iran's 'death committee' president
Iran's president Ebrahim Raisi is overseeing an unyielding crackdown. The current situation grimly echoes his role in a purge of political prisoners in 1988
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China, the Arabs’ preferred partner?
Mr. Xi goes to Riyadh
Chinese President Xi Jinping's visit to Saudi Arabia in December 2022 may have rattled Washington, but it simply highlighted the Arabs’ desire to diversify their foreign relations in the face of a changing world. Analysis by Abdullah Baabood
By Abdullah Baabood -
Turkey-Syria-Russia relations
Is Erdogan planning a deal with Assad?
There are signs of an imminent normalisation of relations between Turkey and Syria. This would allow Erdogan to score political points domestically before the upcoming elections in Turkey. It would also be opportune for Putin. By Ronald Meinardus
By Ronald Meinardus -
Al-Hol camp in Syria
Bring extremists' children out — but leave mothers?
As Syrian camps housing families of Islamic State fighters get more dangerous, there are calls to bring children out, even if the mothers don't want to go. The idea of separating families is a controversial one. By Cathrin Schaer
By Cathrin Schaer -
Turkey
A 100-year-old democracy with ups and downs
Turkey will mark the centenary of the proclamation of the Turkish republic in October. But 2023 will be an important year in another respect too: Turks will go to the polls in June to elect their next president – an election that could usher in a new era in its history. By Burak Ünveren
By Burak Ünveren -
Port of Berbera, Somaliland
The development of a trade hub in the Horn of Africa
Dubai-based DP World is expanding its operations in Somaliland as part of a plan to turn the breakaway region into a major trade hub. Though Somaliland has relinquished commercial power, it may gain political weight. By Jonas Gerding
By Jonas Gerding -
The Netherlands apologises for slavery
A dark period in Dutch history and its modern legacy
The government in the Netherlands, one of the last European nations to abolish slavery, has made an historic apology. But some feel that there is still a long way to go. By Ella Joyner
By Ella Joyner -
Qatar
How Qatar turns its cash into foreign policy power
For years, Qatar has pursued a "soft" foreign policy that helped make international friends and influence the powerful. It includes spending billions on everything from fashion, art and sport, to charities and industry. By Cathrin Schaer
By Cathrin Schaer -
Turkey
AKP under scrutiny for ties to ultraconservative Islamic community
The ultraconservative Ismail Aga community has close links to Turkey's ruling AKP. Some are now questioning the community's influence after news reports of the forced marriage of a six-year-old girl within the group. By Burak Ünveren
By Burak Ünveren -
Parliamentary election in Tunisia
Tunisia's undemocratic drift
Tunisians go to the polls to elect a new parliament on Saturday, 17 December. The election is likely to result in a dummy parliament, sealing its undemocratic credentials. This is the latest episode in a turbulent chapter for the north African country where the Arab Spring began. Can the autocratic drift be reversed? By Amine Ghali
By Amine Ghali -
Arab world on tenterhooks
World Cup semi-final – "We are all Moroccans"
Morocco has taken the 2022 World Cup by storm, with the northwest Africans reaching the semi-finals for the first time in their soccer history. As the knockout match approaches, Birgit Svensson's public viewing report from Baghdad throws a different light on Morocco's recent victories in Qatar
By Birgit Svensson
Most read articles
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Jan Dost on writing in Arabic and Kurdish
"Like being caught between two magnets"
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Sex tourism in Egypt
A bride for the summer
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Syria's missing detainees
"We did not expect so few had survived"
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Stefan Weidner on pre-Islamic poetry
"Poetry in its true fullness"
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TV series "Muawiya"
Historical Ramadan drama fuels controversy
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Sectarian massacre on Syrian coast
"I am the sole survivor of my family"