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Turkey
Erdogan's search for partners in the Middle East
Ankara is seeking to improve its relations with several states in the Middle East – such as the United Arab Emirates, Egypt and Israel. There are several reasons for this. Meanwhile, those being approached are not averse to the idea. By Kersten Knipp
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Migrants and the EU
Is Europe ready for a post-COVID migration wave?
Unauthorised immigration to Europe went down at the peak of the pandemic. As EU countries re-open, migrant flows are back up. What does it mean for the EU – and for migrants? By Sonya Angelica Diehn
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Berlin's Human Rights Film Festival
The Moria Film School – "...and here we are"
German actress Katja Riemann has made a short yet impressive documentary about a special project in Moria. In her directorial debut, she shows how young refugees learn the basics of filmmaking. The film, part of the Human Rights Film Festival Berlin programme, can be streamed until 3 October. Rene Wildangel reports for Qantara.de
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Erdogan in Cyprus
No movement in the mediation deadlock
On his recent visit to Cyprus, Turkish President Erdogan continued to bang his two-state drum, insisting that this is now the only viable option for the divided island. By announcing the next phase of a plan to partially reopen the coastal resort of Varosha for Turkish Cypriot settlement, he is once again pushing his own agenda. By Ronald Meinardus in Istanbul
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Film review: Marianna Kakaounaki’s "Invisible"
Turkish refugees in Greece – out of sight, out of mind
Turkish refugees are for the most part invisible in Greece. In her film debut, the Greek journalist and filmmaker Marianna Kakaounaki portrays the fate of Turkish followers of the preacher Fethullah Gulen forced to flee their country after the coup attempt against Erdogan in 2016. Rene Wildangel caught a screening at the Thessaloniki Documentary Festival
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Conflict between Ankara and Athens
Has Erdogan's foreign policy hit rock bottom?
The change in U.S. president is also having an impact on the conflict between Turkey and Greece. Since the USA has started to play the Greek card, the strategic situation in the Eastern Mediterranean has shifted to Turkey's disadvantage. Ronald Meinardus reports from Istanbul
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Ankara’s Maghreb moment
Advancing Turkey's economic, energy, and military aims
Recep Tayyip Erdogan, disappointed by the European Union’s reluctance to integrate Turkey into its ranks, has re-directed his country’s diplomacy toward the Maghreb and Africa to expand Turkey’s sway in the Mediterranean, writes Dalia Ghanem
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Turkey seeks its role in the Middle East
President Recep Tayyip Erdogan's foreign policy rethink
Turkey is largely isolated in the Middle East. Partners are few and far between. Its closest ally, Qatar, has just made peace with its neighbours. Together with the change of power in the USA, this is forcing Ankara to rethink. Background by Kersten Knipp
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Gas resources in the Eastern Mediterranean
Detente between Greece and Turkey?
Ever since natural gas deposits were discovered in the eastern Mediterranean, Greece and Turkey have been mired in a fierce dispute over their exploitation. Now both sides are making a new attempt to resolve the conflict diplomatically. However, deep-seated enmity and age-old stereotypes make political rapprochement difficult, reports Ronald Meinardus from Istanbul
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Turkey expert Gunter Seufert
"Turkey is aware of how dependent it is on the EU"
Sanctions against Ankara are being considered at the EU summit. The number of those in favour has risen. It remains unclear how Germany will behave. But would such measures have any impact on Turkey?
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Turkish views on Erdogan's feud with Macron
"Religion is the President's last resort"
Relations between Ankara and Paris have reached a new low, with presidential communications contributing to the escalation. To describe recent bilateral exchanges as undiplomatic would be the height of diplomacy. By Ronald Meinardus
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Treading the Turkish tightrope
The European Union risks empowering Erdogan at its peril
Fraught with disagreement, relations between the EU and Turkey under Erdogan have rarely been easy. Bearing in mind recent developments, the Union needs to present a clear and united front in its dealings with Ankara. By Marc Pierini