Foreign Policy Blogs

Middle East & North Africa

Turkish Foreign Policy After the Military Coup

Turkish Foreign Policy After the Military Coup

Immediate speculation following the coup attempt says that Turkey is likely to move further away from the West. But Ankara has deep ties with Europe and is an important member of NATO.

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English vs Hebrew: How the IDF Shares Information on Home Demolitions

English vs Hebrew: How the IDF Shares Information on Home Demolitions

Messages sent in Hebrew and English are usually similar, but there are sometimes differences. In the case of the latest home demolition, the message was only in Hebrew.

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Did Gül Really Mean What He Said?

Did Gül Really Mean What He Said?

In an interview, the former Turkish President said, “What happened [the coup attempt] was a crime that will ultimately fail because Turkey is not an African country and is not located in Latin America.”

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Future Russian Leaders Might Regret Putin’s ‘fresh start’ With Erdogan

Future Russian Leaders Might Regret Putin’s ‘fresh start’ With Erdogan

The Kremlin keeps accusing the West of meddling in Russian politics but embraces Turkey that openly claims large swaths of its territory.

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Saudi Prince Voices Support for Toppling Iranian Regime

Saudi Prince Voices Support for Toppling Iranian Regime

The speech delivered by Saudi Arabia’s Prince Turki bin Faisal al-Saud at the Iran Freedom Rally drew attention, and raised more than a few eyebrows.

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Democracy in the Middle East: A Snapshot from ICANN

Democracy in the Middle East: A Snapshot from ICANN

Democracy in the Middle East is a passionate, controversial, and evolving issue. But it is on grand display among members of an ICANN working group.

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Iran’s Rally in Paris: Popular in the West and Ignored in Iran

Iran’s Rally in Paris: Popular in the West and Ignored in Iran

The rally has done more damage to the constructive elements of the Iranian society by linking them to the Western forces and Saudis.

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Humility as a Foundation for Country ‘Visions’

Humility as a Foundation for Country ‘Visions’

Decision makers in the Middle East love coming up with visions. They spend large sums of money on long-term strategic plans, with little regard for results.

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Can the Iran Freedom Rally be the Regime’s “Tipping Point”?

Can the Iran Freedom Rally be the Regime’s “Tipping Point”?

Thousands of Iranian opposition members and international supporters gathered in Paris in July for the National Council of Resistance of Iran conference.

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Iran Freedom Rally Shows The Face Of An Alternate Iran

Iran Freedom Rally Shows The Face Of An Alternate Iran

Iranian dissidents gathered in Paris to show their support for democratic change and their opposition to Western deal-making with the country’s leadership.

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The Wider Implications of ISIS’ Istanbul Bombing

The Wider Implications of ISIS’ Istanbul Bombing

The recent attack on the Istanbul Ataturk airport by ISIS will only exacerbate Turkey’s serious tourism and economic woes.

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Netanyahu has joined Snapchat

Netanyahu has joined Snapchat

Prime Minister Bibi Netanyahu, having mastered traditional media outlets, is quickly proving he is also quite adept at social media.

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One Year On: Iran and the World

One Year On: Iran and the World

One year after the nuclear deal, how has the lifting of sanctions affected regional security after Iran’s return to the international scene?

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The Rojava Model

The Rojava Model

Inflicting a series of defeats on ISIS, Kurds have emerged from obscurity to become a major force in the Syrian conflict.

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Russia is Pushing Israel and Egypt Closer to Each Other

Russia is Pushing Israel and Egypt Closer to Each Other

Russia’s new status as a pivotal nation in the Middle East’s security environment is pushing Israel and Egypt to rekindle their relations.

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