In The News

Yaroslav Trofimov August 12, 2016
The Syrian city of Aleppo is divided and in ruins. Russia and Iran support the regime of Bashar al-Assad while the United States targets the Islamic State and maintains that conflict will continue as long as the dictator remains in power. Protests against the regime in 2011 turned to rebellion, drawing both moderate Syrians and sectarian fighters. Rebel groups, like al Qaeda affiliate Nusra Front...
Olesya Astakhova and Andrew Osborn August 10, 2016
Russian-Turkish relations hit a low point in November after Turkey shot down a Russian warplane that had strayed into its territory from Syria. Both countries are experiencing deteriorating ties with the West, and presidents Vladimir Putin and Tayyip Erdogan, the latter who survived a failed military coup, have met to explore restoration of economic relations. “The meeting paves the way for a...
Humeyra Pamuk and Ercan Gurses July 20, 2016
The Turkish government is said to be blaming a self-exiled religious leader for a July 15 coup attempt and targeting his supporters in the military, judiciary and education systems. Fethullah Gulen lives in Pennsylvania and denies having a role in the coup attempt. “A former ally-turned critic of Erdogan, he suggested the president staged it as an excuse for a crackdown after a steady...
Marc Grossman July 19, 2016
A harsh response after a failed attempted coup in a divided Turkey leaves many allies and neighbors questioning if the government can commit to pluralism, easing political divisions while battling extremism. Turkish security requires commitment in the fight against ISIS, with no accommodation, and domestic policies that promote tolerance and the rule of law, explains Marc Grossman, a vice...
Mohammed Ayoob July 19, 2016
Turkey is strategically essential for Europe, the United States and NATO, but doubts have emerged about the nation’s policies during the past year with repression of opposition groups. The organizers of the failed coup may have miscalculated on how much support they might receive from marginalized groups in a divided Turkey. “Politicians of all hues, including the secularists, the...
Orhan Coskun and Gulsen Solaker July 17, 2016
Turkey crushed a military coup attempt that has left more than 250 civilians and military personnel dead and more than 6,000 detained. Criticism has dogged the Turkish president in recent years for limiting democratic rights. “A successful overthrow of Erdogan, who has ruled the country of about 80 million people since 2003, would have marked one of the biggest shifts in the Middle East in years...
Riham Alkousaa and Maximilian Popp July 7, 2016
A sizable number of Europeans have protested immigration in general and specifically the arrival of thousands of refugees from Syria, Iraq and other conflict zones. Concerns run high about security, competition for jobs and a changing culture, and some countries have erected barriers in response. Smugglers that once delivered refugees to Europe are guiding weary and frustrated refugees back to...