Politics

War in Ukraine

Stress test for the Arab world

It’s unusual for the troubled Middle East to be looking at a war in Europe. And in that unfamiliar situation, Arab nations are jostling to adopt a position on the issue – as was evidenced by the show of spectacular shilly-shallying by the wealthy United Arab Emirates in recent days. Karim El-Gawhary reports from Cairo
By Karim El-Gawhary
Arms to Ukraine

How useful are Turkish-made drones fighting in Ukraine?

Propaganda videos boasting of the successes of the Turkish-made Bayraktar TB2 drones in the Ukraine war are popular on social media. Elmas Topcu asks what role these drones are really playing in the conflict
By Elmas Topcu
Aegean tensions on the rise

Erdogan's "charm offensive" doesn't include Greece

It seems yesterday's words are water under the bridge. Turkish foreign policy is currently undergoing a profound re-orientation: declared enemies are to become partners, opponents allies. But not when it comes to Greece. By Ronald Meinardus
By Ronald Meinardus
War in Ukraine

Iran's conflict of interests

On the one hand, the Islamic rulers of Iran are sitting around the same table with the West to solve the nuclear conflict. On the other, their political ally Russia is at war with a European country – in direct contravention of United Nations articles. By Nasrin Bassiri
By Nasrin Bassiri
Ukraine conflict

Turkey and Israel eye co-operation in Central Asia

As Russia advances across the Ukraine, the geopolitical cards are being reshuffled in the Middle East. On the agenda is closer economic and security cooperation between Israel and the Turkic countries. James M. Dorsey reports
By James M. Dorsey
Muslims, Hindus & Sikhs

India's anti-BJP groundswell

In November 2021, the Modi government assured India's protesting farmers that it would withdraw three pieces of controversial agricultural legislation. Upcoming state election results, due in February and March in protest strongholds Uttar Pradesh and Punjab, have rarely been so eagerly awaited. By Dominik Muller
By Dominik Müller
Geneva Initiative's Gadi Baltiansky

The two-state solution – what future?

A two-state solution to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict has practically disappeared from the international agenda. Israel’s unity government has decided against negotiations and Palestinian politics are stuck in deep stagnation. Yet some are working tirelessly to change that. Noam Yatsiv talks to Gadi Baltiansky of the Geneva Initiative
By Noam Yatsiv
Amnesty's Israel report

The power of words

Apartheid! Anti-Semitism! Why the row about definitions is shifting the focus away from the issue at hand. Commentary by Daniel Marwecki on the debate about Amnesty International's Israel report
By Daniel Marwecki
Kurdish autonomy in northeast Syria

Between Assad and Erdogan

The Kurdish Autonomous Administration of North and East Syria controls a third of Syria, but is not recognised by anyone. Attacks by Turkey, a threatened takeover by the Assad regime, dealing with tens of thousands of IS supporters and international isolation complicate people's daily lives. Kristin Helberg reports for Qantara.de from Qamishli
By Kristin Helberg
Turkey-Armenia relations

Normalisation after 31 years of tension?

Turkish-Armenian rapprochement kicked off in Moscow in January, after a break of 13 years. This time, focusing on relatively easy fixes such as trade and transportation, both countries are emphasising a lack of pre-conditions. Turkey is nevertheless reluctant to let third countries, such as Russia, to play a role in the process. By Leyla Egeli
By Leyla Egeli
Assad's rehabilitation

At the expense of the Syrian people

A number of Arab League member states have announced in recent weeks that they intend resuming relations with the Syrian regime. A potential invitation to the Arab League summit in Algeria in March was even on the table, but the conference has since been postponed. By Bente Scheller
By Bente Scheller
UAE foreign policy rethink

Is dialogue replacing proxy politics?

The UAE is revisiting its foreign policy goals with the aim of boosting its global trade partnerships and ensuring its security and political stability, by replacing robust military intervention and proxy politics with dialogue and diplomacy. By Mohammad Barhouma
By Mohammad Barhouma