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Ankara on the defensive

Pro-Kurdish faction in Recep Tayyip Erdogan's crosshairs

The Turkish government is hoping to split the opposition and put off voters by cracking down on pro-Kurdish politicians. But critics say the strategy won't work this time. By Daniel Derya Bellut and Hilal Koylu
Support for Turkey's AKP dwindles

Erdogan’s homegrown rivals

Erdogan has ruled Turkey firmly for the last 18 years, but his party now faces a huge challenge: former party heavyweights who have jumped ship to establish their own new parties. By Ayse Karabat
Death of Grup Yorum singer Helin Bolek

Against the death cult

Activist and musician Helin Bolek, member of the popular group Grup Yorum, died at the beginning of April after nearly nine months on hunger strike. She fell victim both to oppression at the hands of the Turkish state and a hostile cult of martyrdom present on the Turkish and Kurdish left, argues Tayfun Guttstadt
Schools in Turkey

Erdogan's youth, religious but not educated?

The Turkish school system is in crisis: pupil performance is slipping. Critics blame the Erdogan government for the trend, which has recently founded hundreds of Imam Hatip religious schools. Information from Burcu Karakas and Daniel Derya Bellut
Higher education in the Middle East

Low standards, wrong content

Young people in the MENA region today are better educated than their parents' generation. But higher educational attainment does not open doors to better jobs. Many youngsters go from university straight into unemployment. By Nassir Djafari
Higher education under Assad

Students leave Syria to prove their mettle

The impact of the war on under-funded Syrian universities has been manifold. Yet German education authorities remain unperturbed by the current proliferation of forged Syrian certificates. By Joseph Croitoru
Album review: Ayca Miracʹ "Lazjazz"

The magic of the Laz

Drawing on her Laz and Turkish heritage, the German-born singer Ayca Mirac has just released her first album – "Lazjazz" – a fascinating blend of ancient melodies, spellbinding dance rhythms and intimate jazz. Review by Stefan Franzen
Human rights violations in Egypt

Demanding President Sisi free his political prisoners

Ten years after the Tahrir square protests in Cairo, Egypt’s human rights record is disastrous. On the occasion of the anniversary of the 2011 revolution, several international campaigns are calling for the release of imprisoned activists. By Sofian Philip Naceur
Arrest of EIPR human rights activists in Egypt

My friend Gasser Abdel Razek, the "terrorist"

In Egypt, several human rights activists working for the EIPR – Egyptian Initiative for Personal Rights – were arrested recently following a meeting with EU ambassadors. One of them is Gasser Abdel Razek, a long-time friend of Middle East correspondent Karim El-Gawhary. In this highly personal report, El-Gawhary writes about his friend’s detention
Human rights under Sisi

Egypt's open-air prison

Egyptian authorities have arrested thousands in a crackdown on dissent, even its most benign forms. And some former prisoners are finding that they are not really free despite having been released. Ruth Michaelson reports on the case of a female Egyptian activist from Cairo