Politics

Solutions to the Syrian conflict

Diplomacy rather than deadlock

Only diplomatic negotiations can bring about an end to the bloodshed in Syria. These talks must take place now without preconditions and involve both the Assad regime and the authoritarian Russian leadership. A contribution to the debate from Niklas Kossow and Ilyas Saliba
By Niklas Kossow & Ilyas Saliba
Russia′s air strikes in Syria

Courting the aggressor

Putin′s involvement in Syria means an extension of the conflict. Prompting tens of thousands to flee, his air strikes are clearing a path for Assad′s death squads. Any hope of creating effective safe zones is now gone. By Bernard-Henri Levy
By Bernard-Henri Lévy
Israeli-Palestinian conflict

Third intifada looming

Violence between Israelis and Palestinians is once again on the rise. Without renewed efforts to establish a two-state solution, no lasting peace will be forthcoming. An analysis from Jerusalem by Ingrid Ross
By Ingrid Ross
The Ankara bombing

Presaging the end of the Turkish Republic?

What we have witnessed in the last two years, culminating in the horrible scenes of 10 October in Ankara, is the end of the Turkish Republic as we know it. A commentary by Umut Ozkirimli
By Umut Ozkirimli
Interview with Rafik Schami

"Escape is a life-saver"

In conversation with Ruth Renee Reif, the renowned writer Rafik Schami gives his views on the European refugee crisis and has sharp criticism for the West's political dealings with the Assad regime in Syria
By Ruth Renée Reif
The Maghreb

Why does the Algerian regime fear Rachad?

In light of propaganda against the movement, media censorship, book banning and bogus Interpol arrest warrants against its founders, the regime clearly sees Rachad as a threat. But why? By Lakhdar Ghettas
By Lakhdar Ghettas
Afghanistan: the Taliban′s Kunduz offensive

"There's nothing left to keep me here"

The security situation in Afghanistan continues to escalate. After bitter fighting in Kunduz, the mood is also tense in Kabul. Meanwhile thousands of Afghans are leaving the country every day. Impressions from Kabul by Emran Feroz
By Emran Feroz
Turkey's general election

Abdullah Gul′s choice

With Turkey facing its second general election this year on 1 November, is Abdullah Gul, the country′s former president, going to provide Turkish politics with the counterweight to Recep Tayyip Erdogan it so urgently needs? A commentary by Nina L. Khruscheva
By Nina L. Khruscheva
Volker Perthes: "The end of the Middle East, as we know it"

The end of Sykes-Picot?

Almost a century ago, France and Britain carved up large swathes of the Middle East between them. Now the order imposed by the Sykes-Picot Agreement in 1916 appears to be disintegrating. In his new essay, Volker Perthes outlines the reasons for this development and suggests potential scenarios for the region. A review by Anne Allmeling
By Anne Allmeling
The global risks of an imploding Middle East

A region in flames

Among today′s geopolitical risks, none is greater than the long arc of instability stretching from the Maghreb to the Afghanistan-Pakistan border. With the Arab Spring an increasingly distant memory, the instability along this arc is deepening. An analysis by Nouriel Roubini
By Nouriel Roubini
Hungary and Islam

Defending Christendom

Although Hungary is just a transit nation for many refugees on their way to Western Europe, the country's government – led by right-wing nationalist Prime Minister Viktor Orban – has been conducting a campaign of xenophobia for months. Background by Stefan Buchen
By Stefan Buchen
After the Taliban attack on Kunduz

Lacking political vision

The blood-letting goes on in Afghanistan, and as usual, it is the civilians who are suffering most. Forced to shoulder the political burden, coalition troops in the country were unable to create the right conditions for peace. Commentary by Sandra Petersmann in Kabul
By Sandra Petersmann