Egypt sentences activist Sanaa Seif to 18 months in prison Seif, who had been in pretrial detention since June, was convicted Wednesday of spreading false news and misusing social media. Egypt
Ukraine rejects Iran's final report on downed passenger plane The Iranian government said last year's shooting down of Ukraine International Airlines Flight 752 was the result of a human error. Iran
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
UN says Libya arms embargo 'totally ineffective' A United Nations panel of experts accused several member states, including Turkey and Russia, of fueling the Libyan conflict. Libya
Turkey's Sectarian War With Iran Over Syria and Iraq Semih Idiz examines the evolution of the sectarian conflict between Turkey and Iran over Iraq and Syria. Syria
Arab States Must Forge a New Social Contract Nassif Hitti anticipates a "disordered order" in the region in 2013 and calls for a new social contract in Arab states. Lebanon
Netanyahu’s Democracy Excludes Israel’s Arab Citizens Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu excludes Israel’s Arab citizens from the benefits of democracy, writes Antoine Shulhut. Palestine
Turkey Considers New 'Peace Process’ With PKK Mustafa Akyol analyzes the prospects for a new peace process using imprisoned PKK leader Abdullah Ocalan, an approach that failed two years ago. Turkey
More Uncertainty on Turkey’s Eastern Flank in 2013 Turkey can expect more problems in dealing with both Iraq and Syria in 2013, writes Semih Idiz. Syria
Iran-Turkey Rivalry Worsens Over Patriot Deployment Kadri Gursel writes that Iran's fury at NATO's deployment of Patriot missiles to Turkey is also related to Anakara and Tehran's competing interests in Syria. Turkey
Does Turkey Benefit From Cold War With Israel? Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan believes that Turkey may benefit from a cold war with Israel, writes Kadri Gursel. Turkey
'The Gatekeepers' Unmasks Israeli Security Apparatus In the documentary "The Gatekeepers," six former heads of the Shin Bet reveal who is in charge of keeping Israel's security gates, giving viewers a rude awakening, writes Shlomi Eldar. Israel
Turkey Claims Iran Providing Logistical Support for PKK Relations between Iran and Turkey are likely to deteriorate in 2013, including over the PKK and the Patriot missile deployment, writes Cengiz Çandar. Turkey
NATO Patriot Missiles Show Turkey's Military Weakness Kadri Gursel writes that Turkey's request for NATO Patriot missiles reveals its lack of capacity and few other options to handle regional threats. Syria
Israelis or Palestinians? Where's the Missing Partner? Akiva Eldar writes about perceptions that the Government of Israel may prefer delaing with Hamas rather than Fatah. Palestine
Should Europe Classify Hezbollah As a Terrorist Group? Nasser Chararah examines the possible consequences if Europe classifies Hezbollah as a terrorist organization. Lebanon
