After Jordan, Emirates also furious with Netanyahu Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu not only managed to get into a diplomatic row with Jordan, he also succeeded in angering the Emiratis. Israel
Iran operating new advanced centrifuges, nuclear watchdog finds According to an International Atomic Energy Agency report, Iran is now using IR-4 centrifuges to enrich uranium in violation of the nuclear accord. Iran
Lawsuit filed to close pro-Kurdish party after lawmaker stripped of parliamentary seat Omer Faruk Gergerlioglu, a pro-Kurdish Peoples' Democratic Party deputy known to focus on human rights abuses, was stripped of his parliament seat and a lawsuit was filed to close the party March 17. Turkey
Netanyahu courts Arab voters as 'Abu Yair' Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has adopted a new strategy for the Arab public: cynically rebranding himself as "Abu Yair." Israel
Iraqi Politics Must Shake Legacy of Dictatorship Although it has been 10 years since Saddam Hussein was ousted by US forces, Iraqi politics remain mired in the legacy of dictatorship. Iraq
Iranian Patients Still Suffer From Sanctions on Medicine Despite the United States easing the ban on medicine, Iranian patients with serious illnesses continue to suffer from sanctions as well as government mismanagement. Iran
Turkey’s Missed Opportunities Turkish Prime Minister Erdogan might wish to retract some of his foreign policy decisions. Turkey
Turkey's Egypt Question Turkey's role in the Middle East will turn on how it handles the crisis in Egypt. Egypt
Signs of Seriousness In Israel-Palestine Peace Talks Despite the pessimism of pundits, there are indications that US Secretary of State John Kerry might not be wasting his time. Palestine
Protest Aftermath Stokes Anti-Government Anger in Turkey A judicial clampdown on demonstrators and lenient treatment of deadly police conduct hardens anti-government sentiment in the wake of Turkey’s protests. Turkey
Erdogan’s Egypt Policy In Disarray Egyptian Ambassador to Ankara Abderahman Salaheldin asks whether Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan has a principled approach to the Egyptian revolutions of 2011 and 2013. Turkey
Islamists Extend Olive Branch To Turkish Atheists Despite the bitter confrontation between Turkey’s Islamists and secularists, there is a welcome sign of the country’s potential for synthesizng Islam and liberal democracy. Turkey
Egypt, Tunisia, Gaza Still Waiting for Democracy Developments in Egypt, Tunisia, Gaza and Ramallah show that elections alone do not make a democracy, just as US President Obama had warned in his 2009 Cairo speech. Palestine
Erdogan’s Sinking International Prestige The more Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan lashes out at “international conspirators” as the cause of his troubles, the more his international reputation suffers. Turkey
Egypt’s Crowd Democracy The Egyptian army's chief is playing the populist card by asking Egyptians to turn out in massive demonstrations. Egypt
Hamas Warns Abu Mazen On Peace Talks With Israel The rift is widening between Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas and Hamas after the announcement that talks with Israel may resume. Palestine
