Politics

Turkey

20 years of Recep Tayyip Erdogan and the AKP

On 3 November 2002, Erdogan's newly founded AKP, Justice and Development Party, came to power in Turkey. It has ruled the country ever since, becoming more authoritarian with each victory. By Elmas Topcu
By Elmas Topcu
Asef Bayat on the Iran protests

"A movement to reclaim life"

For seven weeks, Iran has been rocked by protests not seen since the Islamic Republic’s inception. This interview with sociologist Asef Bayat, originally conducted in Persian, examines how this latest wave of unrest differs and asks what has changed in Iranian society
UN climate summit in Egypt

Abdul Fattah al-Sisi's greenwashing fail

COP27 in Sharm el-Sheikh is turning into a PR disaster for Egypt’s military regime. Instead of praise for the host, the news is full of solidarity for imprisoned activist Alaa Abdel Fattah and criticism of the event’s grotesque surveillance measures. By Sofian Philip Naceur
By Sofian Philip Naceur
Iran

GIGA: Iran’s uprisings: A feminist foreign policy approach

The current uprisings in Iran following the death in police custody of Mahsa Jhina Amini, a young Kurdish woman, carry strong implications for states that have adopted a “feminist foreign policy” (FFP).
Khan attack aftermath

Pakistan in turmoil

The attempt on the life of Pakistan's former prime minister Imran Khan marks a turning point in the country’s politics. Having come to power in 2018 with the help of the military, Khan is now increasingly distancing himself from his former patrons. Analysis by Mohammad Luqman
By Mohammad Luqman
Egypt and climate change

COP27 – the things that can't be said

Civil society oppression, "disappointing" climate targets, drought, floods – these are the issues making waves for the Egyptian hosts at this year's international climate conference. By Tim Schauenberg
By Tim Schauenberg
Egypt's real estate frenzy

An "iron curtain" between rich and poor

Egypt’s military regime is tirelessly modernising roads, public transport and industry across the country and erecting a luxurious administrative capital for the upper class. But the construction boom is primarily financed on credit – Cairo is racing headlong into a debt crisis. By Sofian Philip Naceur
By Sofian Philip Naceur
America’s partisan war

Benghazi 9/11 casts a long shadow

Cries of "Benghazi!" still resonate across the USA ten years after a deadly terrorist attack in Libya killed the U.S. ambassador and three other Americans. Ethan Chorin re-tells Benghazi as a watershed moment, one that has helped create today's America: polarised, fearful and dangerously unstable. Sherif Dhaimish read the book
By Sherif Dhaimish
Russia and the Iranian drones

Israel's Ukraine dilemma?

Following Russian attacks on the Ukrainian capital Kyiv using Iranian drones, Ukraine once again asked Israel for military help. Israel, however, is seeking to maintain relations with both Ukraine and Russia. By Tania Kraemer
By Tania Krämer
General election in Israel

Will Bibi make a comeback?

On 1 November, elections are set to take place in Israel for the fifth time in four years. If Arab minority voters decide to stay home out of frustration at their divided parties, they could help Netanyahu secure a comeback. Inge Gunther reports from Jerusalem
By Inge Günther
Arab-Israeli voter apathy

Israel's fifth general election – what’s the point?

In the Arab-Israeli town of Rahat, a few trampled political party flyers on the pavement are the only sign that the country is about to go to the polls. While the campaign ahead of Israel's fifth election in four years has been somewhat lacklustre nationwide, the apathy is especially acute among the Arab minority
Iran protests 2022

Shirin Ebadi: "Iran will be democratic one day"

Despite the protests, Iranian Nobel Peace Prize laureate Shirin Ebadi is optimistic about the future of her country. For young Iranians, such a future necessitates the downfall of the Islamic Republic. By Elizabeth Grenier
By Elizabeth Grenier