France
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Charlie Hebdo trial in Paris
Will justice bring relief?
It's been over five years since the attacks on French satirical magazine Charlie Hebdo and the Jewish supermarket Hypercacher in Paris. The long-awaited trial might bring relatives and friends some sense of normality. Lisa Louis reports from Paris
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The West and the Middle East
Casting a long shadow – Napoleon's intervention in Egypt
Napoleon Bonaparte’s 1798 invasion of Egypt represented the first modern attempt to incorporate an Islamic society into the European fold. Although the expedition was a military fiasco, it left a lasting legacy in the region. By Alexander Mikaberidze
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Non-fiction: Dina Nayeri’s "The Ungrateful Refugee"
Refugees don’t have to be grateful; they have no debt to repay
Refugees are expected to show gratitude and humility towards the country that has taken them in. In her new book, "The Ungrateful Refugee", Dina Nayeri sets out why this is a wholly misguided assumption. By Gerrit Wustmann
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Interview with political scientist Hugo Micheron
"The attack on Charlie Hebdo was a belated wake-up call"
Political scientist Hugo Micheron on the origins of Islamist terrorism in France, his conversations with jihadists – and on the trial now beginning against the perpetrators of the 2015 attacks. Interview by Nadia Pantel
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Escalation or mediation in the Eastern Med?
Turkey and Greece at loggerheads over maritime sovereignty
Will German attempts at mediation avert the Eastern Mediterranean crisis? Greece has accused Turkey of conducting illegal explorations for shale gas close to the Greek islands. Yet Ankara maintains that the waters are part of the Turkish continental shelf. Ronald Meinardus reports from Istanbul
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Interview with Middle East analyst Stephan Roll
"Egypt's leadership feels markedly threatened by Turkey"
The dispute about maritime territories between Turkey and Greece is heating up. Egypt's involvement has added a new dimension to the conflict, says Middle East analyst Stephan Roll. Interview by Panagiotis Kouparanis
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Islam in the Netherlands
Burka ban and face mask laws frustrate Dutch Muslims
One year after the burka ban in the Netherlands, Muslim women are reporting increased discrimination and violence. Adding to the frustration, face masks against coronavirus have become mandatory on Dutch public transport. By Ingrid Gercama and Sanne Derks
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Fifth anniversary of the JCPOA
Saving the Iran nuclear deal
Five years after the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action was concluded, it is on life support, following the US's reinstatement of sanctions and Iran's return to enrichment activities. Before two decades of diplomacy are squandered, all parties involved must step back from the precipice, says Josep Borrell, High Representative of the European Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy
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Remembering Mohammed Dib
The grand seigneur of French-language Algerian literature
21 July marks the centenary of the birth of Mohammed Dib, one of the founding fathers of French-language Algerian literature. Born in 1920 in Tlemcen, Algeria's national writer spent the greater part of his life in exile. He passed away on 2 May 2003 in the Parisian suburb of La Celle-Saint-Cloud. By Regina Keil-Sagawe
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Libyan civil war
Turkey versus France – a game of one-upmanship in Libya?
Relations between France and Turkey reached an historic low in June after Turkish ships allegedly targeted a French warship in the Mediterranean, resulting in France suspending its role in Operation Sea Guardian while accusing Turkey of violating an arms embargo against Libya. By Stasa Salacanin
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Libya's double tragedy
How domestic conflict and misguided intervention have destabilised Libya
Libya's plight resembles that of other war-torn countries in the Greater Middle East: internal conflict has spiralled out of control because of misguided foreign intervention. With Turkey and Egypt now locking horns in the country, Libya's agony is even less likely to be resolved at the ongoing UN talks in Geneva, writes Amin Saikal
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Mask diplomacy and power politics
Erdogan's foreign policy in the shadow of coronavirus
In the age of corona, Ankara's regional power strategy is twofold: on the one hand, Turkey is engaged in a charm offensive to revamp its political image, which has suffered lately in certain quarters. On the other, President Erdogan is pursuing a tough policy of interests backed up by military force. By Ronald Meinardus