Politics

Turkey's Syria offensive

Burying the Kurdish autonomy project

When the Kurds of Syria came under Turkish fire less than ten days ago, the Kurdish Autonomous Administration of North and East Syria was left with no choice but to call on Assad for help. Thus ends a political project that many hailed as a model for the future order of Syria. But, as Ulrich von Schwerin points out, it was a project built on very shaky foundations
By Ulrich von Schwerin
Interview with Ali Ertan Toprak

"I am stunned by Europe's weak and inactive stance against Erdogan"

Ankara has begun its Syrian offensive. The Kurdish region is threatening to sink into chaos. The aim of the operation is to expel the Kurds, says Ali Ertan Toprak, chairman of Germany’s Kurdish community, in an interview with Daniel Derya Bellut
By Daniel Derya Bellut
Polling in the Maghreb

Presidential run-off in Tunisia, but will anyone vote?

Tunisia’s parliamentary elections on 6 October – the penultimate poll before Sunday’s presidential run-off – delivered a very fragmented result without a clear majority. Whoever emerges as victor will face a tough task, fighting widespread voter fatigue and disillusionment with the political establishment. By Alessandra Bajec
By Alessandra Bajec
Protesting for reform and an end to corruption

Iraq's youth reject the dire status quo

More than a hundred dead and thousands injured: this is the brutal tally thus far of the current unrest in Iraq. Neither the country's political landscape, nor the ubiquitous confessional take on Iraqi politics offer much in the way of explanation. By Karim El-Gawhary
By Karim El-Gawhary
Protests in Egypt

Sisi, the survivor?

The protests in Egypt against Sisi’s regime have revealed not only his decline in popularity, but also the fragile nature of the military regime. The latter launched a hysterical campaign of arrests, turning the streets and main squares into military barracks in order to prevent mass anti-Sisi demonstrations. Analysis by the Egyptian researcher Taqadum al-Khatib
By Taqadum al-Khatib
India's Muslims under Narendra Modi

Gandhi bows out

150 years after the birth of the Indian freedom fighter, the Hindu nationalist government in Delhi has distanced itself from Gandhi's legacy of peace more than any other preceding administration. This is highlighted by the continuing systematic marginalisation of Muslims in India. By Dominik Muller
By Dominik Müller
A year to the day

The infamous murder of Jamal Khashoggi

Key Saudi figures in the Jamal Khashoggi murder investigation have so far escaped trial for his death. But while UN efforts to deliver justice have stalled, difficult questions about the killing still won't go away. By Tom Allinson
By Tom Allinson
Sisi's rivals or the Muslim Brotherhood

Who is behind Egypt's protests?

Egyptian President Abdul Fattah al-Sisi has suggested Islamists are behind rare recent anti-government protests. But is that just a deflection from the underlying factors fuelling unrest in the country?
By Tom Allinson
Between religion, oil dependence and reforms

Saudi Arabia under Mohammed bin Salman

An expert on Saudi Arabia and the Middle East, Guido Steinberg explains that the drone attacks on Saudi oil facilities last week were partly a manifestation of complex religious and historical forces. By Sabine Peschel
By Sabine Peschel
Protests in Egypt

Sisi's social media nightmare

Despite ongoing repression, hundreds of people took to the streets in Egypt at the weekend to demand the resignation of President Abdul Fattah al-Sisi. The protests were triggered by a hitherto largely unknown building contractor and his revelations about the Egyptian army. By Karim El-Gawhary
By Karim El-Gawhary
EU refugee deal

Erdogan wants rid of the Syrian refugees

President Erdogan has threatened to ditch the EU refugee deal. After election losses and faced with escalating conflict in Idlib, the attitude towards the growing number of Syrian refugees has become increasingly harsh. Daniel Heinrich has the details
By Daniel Heinrich
Houthi attacks on Saudi oil facilities

Hitting Saudi Arabia where it hurts

After the drone attacks on two oil plants in Saudi Arabia, U.S. President Trump warned that the USA was ready with a "loaded" weapon to react to the attacks. But against whom is his warning directed? By Karim El-Gawhary
By Karim El-Gawhary