In The News

After decades of waiting – in addition to last-minute delays – Turkey may finally see a beginning to formal talks concerning EU membership. European diplomats had been unable to agree on a negotiating framework, because Austria's government has insisted that Turkey be given an alternative "privileged partnership" rather than full membership. Though Austria was forced to back down...

The annual ministerial meetings of the EU and the Gulf Cooperation Council have, in recent years, been mostly oriented towards addressing pressing security and trade concerns. Over recent years, the dialogue between the two regions has mostly dealt with Iran’s nuclear program, human rights issues in the Gulf, the training of Iraqi security officials and expanding economic ties. But, according to...

The ascent of King Abdullah to the Saudi throne represents a great opportunity for domestic political reform, writes Fahad Nazer. As an absolute monarchy with almost no accountability to its citizens, the Saudi government will prove increasingly vulnerable to the demands of internal reformers – as well as growing global criticism over the radical Islam preached by its Wahhabist clerics. Any...