Politics

The end of the "Islamic State"

Entering a new chapter in Syria

The appeal and the peculiarity of Islamic State always lay in its claim that it already existed as such, not that it was a work in progress. But the capture of the last IS bastion on the Euphrates must now represent the final nail in the coffin for the jihadistsʹ state-building project. By Ulrich von Schwerin
By Ulrich von Schwerin
India and Pakistan

Nuclear war – a remote, but real threat

India and Pakistan are currently embroiled in their most serious crisis in several decades. While a nuclear exchange between the two sides is highly unlikely, the possibility nevertheless remains, says Michael Kugelman
By Michael Kugelman
Returning IS fighters

Expatriation hardly an option

How should Germany deal with IS returnees from Syria? Can Berlin deny them the right to return? And would expatriation even be possible? By Nermin Ismail
By Nermin Ismail
Not-so-splendid isolation

Erdogan's geopolitical nightmare

Turkey’s emergence as a regional power has provoked suspicion, shaking the balance of power in the Middle East and beyond. As a result, relations with many regional players have deteriorated over the last decade. With diplomatic ties to the West currently at an historic low, is Turkey likely to end up out on a limb? By Stasa Salacanin
By Stasa Salacanin
Negotiating peace with the Taliban

Any deal will do

The tension among Kabul's political elite is palpable. Washington has been conducting negotiations for a peace deal with the insurgent Taliban in the Gulf emirate of Qatar for quite some time now, and the government in Kabul feels side-lined. Yet regardless of who is sitting around the negotiating table, almost all players in Afghanistan agree: the need for peace is urgent. By Emran Feroz
By Emran Feroz
Abusing blasphemy legislation

Indonesia's slide towards identity politics

Indonesiaʹs much vaunted Pancasila system appears to be faltering. Recent years have seen a spate of blasphemy convictions, most notably that of Ahok, ex-governor of Jakarta. Amending existing legislation is not, however, on the agenda of electioneering politicians keen to mobilise conservative Muslim voters. By Rafiqa Qurrata Aʹyun
By Rafiqa Qurrata Aʹyun
Social unrest in Tunisia

Taking on the IMF

As the Tunis government’s international creditors tie loans to increasingly drastic austerity measures, social tensions continue to grow in the nation’s marginalised hinterland. By Sofian Philip Naceur
By Sofian Philip Naceur
Turkey's local elections

Playing ping-pong with the Syrians

In the run-up to local elections in Turkey, the government and opposition are trying to instrumentalise the refugee issue for their own ends. Experts warn against a rhetoric of division. Hilal Koylu reports from Ankara
By Hilal Köylü
The geopolitics of the Syrian conflict

Getting Erdogan on board

Recently, while considering the future of war-torn Syria, Russian President Vladimir Putin invoked the Adana agreement signed over two decades ago between Turkey and Syria. How this should be interpreted depends on which side you are on, as Ayse Karabat explains
By Ayşe Karabat
UAE Ambassador Ali Abdulla Al Ahmed on Pope Francis' visit

"Both are religions of God and both are religions of peace"

Pope Francis will travel to the United Arab Emirates on Sunday on his first visit to the Arabian peninsula. The UAE's ambassador to Germany, Ali Abdulla Al Ahmed, tells Christoph Strack why it's so important for the region
By Christoph Strack
Eight years after the Arabellion

The Egyptian opposition's seven deadly sins

On 25 January 2011, millions of Egyptians took to the streets demanding "bread, freedom, social justice". Eight years later, the democratic opposition is divided because it has been unable to offer an alternative to the military state, says political scientist Taqadum Al-Khatib
By Taqadum al-Khatib
Weathering the Saudi blockade

Qatar thrives under pressure

The blockade of Qatar led by Saudi Arabia and other Gulf states in the summer of 2017 was a shock for the small emirate. Meanwhile, however, it seems to have more than recovered: the economy is growing and the leadership is bursting with determination and self-confidence. By Anchal Vohra
By Anchal Vohra