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
Iranian eulogist in trouble for saying Imam Hussein used to swear A eulogist stirred strong reactions and possible legal consequences after a televised interview in which he described how Imam Hussein, the grandson of the Prophet Muhammad, used to swear. Iran
How Gulenists played the Kurd card to gain academic influence Dicle University's reputation as an academic hub for the Gulenist movement made it one of the Turkish government's first targets after the abortive July 15 coup. Turkey
Turkey’s 'devout generation' project means lost jobs, schools for many The Justice and Development Party continues its purge of secular teachers from schools, further tacking toward the Islamization of Turkish public education and leaving thousands of teachers without jobs. Turkey
Why Israeli occupation of the West Bank is reversible New data shows that the settlements in the West Bank are not an irreversible situation, and that most of the population growth in settlements is due to births — not immigration of Israelis into the settlements. Palestine
Rouhani’s opponents take aim at concerts The continuing controversies surrounding the holding of concerts in Iran appear to have less to do with Islam and more to do with the country’s upcoming presidential vote. Iran
Sudan FM 'confident' Ethiopia dam won’t harm Egypt In a wide-ranging interview, Sudan's foreign minister defends his country's actions on Darfur and said dialogue to further ease US economic sanctions on Sudan continues. Egypt
Where has Turkey's foreign direct investment gone? In the first half of this year, foreign direct investments in Turkey plummeted 54% compared to the same period last year. Turkey
Turkey’s Islamists can’t get enough of Lindsay Lohan US celebrity Lindsay Lohan has become an unlikely promoter of Turkey. Syria
Is Turkey ditching Saudi Arabia for Iran? The recent string of high-level meetings between Iranian and Turkish officials suggests that the two regional powerhouses may be moving closer on Syria. Saudi Arabia
How realistic is Turkey’s pledge for free factories? Its budget already gaping, the Turkish government plans to spend even more under an ambitious project to revive the economy in the conflict-hit, mainly Kurdish southeast. Turkey
What’s behind Sadrists’ return to Iraq’s Shiite National Alliance? After boycotting the alliance for months, the Sadrist movement says it has returned, conditionally, to prepare a united front for the upcoming elections. Iraq
Just how neutral is Oman in Yemen war? Oman has claimed neutrality in the war in Yemen, but Saudi and coalition forces say the sultanate is smuggling weapons through its border with Yemen to Iran-backed Houthis. Oman
