Protests in Turkey
For the first time in the history of Turkey, an increasingly confident civil society is peacefully calling for more freedom and, so far, the military has not got involved. This is a completely new experience for Turkey, writes Cemal Karakas More »
Hassan Rouhani is Iran's New President
Iran's future president was the only candidate to promise change for the better. Although he is not an opponent of the system, his election nevertheless heralds a new chapter in the history of the Islamic Republic. Commentary by Rudolph Chimelli More »
Europe's Syria Policy
The Syrian conflict has shown that the UN's "responsibility to protect" concept and the EU's common foreign and security policy are no more than wishful thinking, writes Andreas Zumach More »
Protests in Turkey
Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan refuses to be cowed by recent demonstrations. He is planning huge rallies in Istanbul and Ankara this weekend as a show of strength and determination. He has also warned that his patience has run out. By Ayhan Simsek More »
Protests in Turkey
What began as a protest against plans to build a kitschy shopping centre on the site of a small park in the heart of Istanbul has escalated into a conflict of values. By Ian Buruma More »
Protests against Construction Projects in Istanbul
The unrest in Istanbul is not only an expression of resistance to a misguided urban development policy, it is also a protest against a government that seems to be determined to construct monuments to itself. By Marian Brehmer More »
Interview with Bahman Nirumand
Many consider the Pasdaran, Iran's Revolutionary Guards, to be the real centre of power in Iran. In this interview with Shahram Ahadi, Bahman Nirumand talks about how the role of the Pasdaran in the Islamic Republic has changed in recent years and its possible influence on the presidential election More »
Iran before the Elections
Four years after the Green Movement protests in Iran and right before presidential elections there, repression against political prisoners and their families is increasing. Maryam Mirza and Marcus Michaelsen report More »
Verdict against NGO Representatives in Egypt
In Egypt, employees of a number of foreign NGOs have been sentenced to jail terms in absentia, among them representatives of the German Konrad Adenauer Foundation. The shameful process throws a spotlight on decades of state control and the legal insecurity of NGOs operating in the Nile region. A commentary by Karim El-Gawhary More »
Michael Lüders on the Sanctions on Iran
For years, the nuclear dispute between the West and Iran has been at a deadlock. In this interview with Thomas Latschan, Middle East expert Michael Lüders says that the West's main objective is not in fact to find a solution to the problem, but to stop Iran from being a power factor in the region More »
The anger of the Tunisians and the Egyptians towards the autocratic regimes in their countries has triggered an unprecedented revolt in several states in the Arab world. Our dossier provides an insight into the factors that led to the unrest and an overview of current developments more »
After the attacks of 9/11 Kofi Annan said that mankind has entered the new millenium through a "gate of fire". But how have relations between 'Islam' and 'the West' changed since Al Qaida attacked the US ten years ago? In this dossier, Qantara.de takes a look. More...
