In The News

Political Prisoners in Turkey: Al-Monitor

Diego Cupolo June 21, 2019
Since a 2016 coup attempt, the Erdogan regime in Turkey has been sensitive about any opposition, viewing valid criticism as a challenge to its policies and control. “Sixteen people are facing life imprisonment without parole for allegedly organizing and financing the 2013 Istanbul Gezi Park protests,” reports Diego Cupolo for Al-Monitor. “A 657-page indictment issued on Feb. 20 charged the...

Taking on Tehran: Project Syndicate

Richard N. Haass June 18, 2019
Iran has been public enemy number one for the Trump administration, with the United States withdrawing from the nuclear deal brokered by former President Barack Obama and imposing harsh sanctions. Iran’s oil exports and the economy as a whole is experiencing a harsh slowdown. Other nations abide by US policy, but the Iranian regime may outlast the US pressure due to its inimitable institutional...

Chinese Money in Arab World Projects: Economist

June 4, 2019
This decade has witnessed a strengthening of economic ties between a number of Middle Eastern countries and China. While previously the Middle East was seen primarily as a petrol station, explains the Economist, with nearly half of China’s oil supplied by Arab countries and Iran, there was little direct foreign investment. The Economist reports that since 2010, Chinese investment has skyrocketed...

European Allies Reject US-Iran Escalation: Al Jazeera

May 14, 2019
The United States and Iran are escalating tensions in a region already wracked with conflict, repression, economic struggle and millions of displaced people. Inspectors report that Iran is in compliance with an international nuclear deal, but the United States withdrew from the agreement and re-imposed sanctions. Most recently, the United States sent a aircraft bomber group to the region. Iran...

Istanbul Rerun and Turkey’s Future: Foreign Policy

Can Selçuki May 13, 2019
Turkey’s Supreme Election Council ruled that Istanbul will hold another mayoral election, invalidating a previous win for Ekrem Imamoğlu, the opposition candidate from the Republican People’s Party, or CHP. That outcome was a setback for AKP, the ruling party. Can Selçuki argues in Foreign Policy that the council’s decision places Turkish democratic elections in peril. Selçuki writes that Turkey...

Iran-US Tensions: Financial Times

Andrew England and Najmeh Bozorgmehr May 9, 2019
Iran and the United States test each other. The US president withdrew from the 2015 accord to limit Iran’s nuclear weapons development, increased sanctions and most recently dispatched a aircraft carrier group to the region after suggesting that Iranian militias in Syria and Iraq threaten US troops. Iran’s president suggested that the country could step back from the accord, too. International...

The US, Iran Inch Toward War: Syndication Bureau

Dnyanesh Kamat May 6, 2019
Donald Trump rejected expensive foreign wars during the US presidential campaign, yet a target seems to be on Iran. The US walked away from the international deal to limit Iran’s nuclear weapons program, ended waivers for nations that import Iranian oil, designated Iran’s Revolutionary Guard Corps a terrorist organizaiton and strives to push Iran’s exports to zero. The United States has made no...