Syria
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Turkey-Syria quake
Weak buildings, shallow shock caused deaths
The instability of old buildings was responsible for much of the wreckage in Monday’s earthquake along the Turkey-Syria border. But the earthquake was also abnormally strong for its magnitude. Clare Roth has the details
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France24 earthquake report
In Syria’s rebel zones, volunteers dig mass graves
As rescue workers continued to search for survivors of the earthquake that happened on 6 February, residents of Syria’s northwestern opposition-controlled territories were forced to start digging mass graves to bury victims
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Hope for earthquake survivors fades
Over a week since the earthquake that devastated towns and cities along both sides of the Syrian-Turkish border, the death toll now exceeds 41,000. As rescue efforts move into the recovery phase, questions are inevitably being asked
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Turkish-Syrian relations
A menacing rapprochement
Any reconciliation between Turkey and Syria’s Assad regime would have disastrous consequences for many Syrians, explains Syria expert Kristin Helberg
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Turkey-Syria-Russia relations
Is Erdogan planning a deal with Assad?
There are signs of an imminent normalisation of relations between Turkey and Syria. This would allow Erdogan to score political points domestically before the upcoming elections in Turkey. It would also be opportune for Putin. By Ronald Meinardus
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Al-Hol camp in Syria
Bring extremists' children out — but leave mothers?
As Syrian camps housing families of Islamic State fighters get more dangerous, there are calls to bring children out, even if the mothers don't want to go. The idea of separating families is a controversial one. By Cathrin Schaer
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Middle East and North Africa
The next Arab Spring will come
Where are the measures to deal with the looming challenges facing the Arab world? In this commentary, Marwan Muasher warns that the region is in grave danger of falling behind when it comes to human development
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Best of Qantara.de 2022
Our readers' favourite articles this year
At the end of every year, the team at Qantara.de gives you a run-down of the ten most-read articles on the site over the past 12 months. Here is a quick overview of the stories that attracted the most attention in 2022. Happy New Year to all our readers!
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Refugee work in Germany
Jews and Muslims united in their support for refugees
Social engagement is often motivated by religious factors. A new book explores the background to these community efforts and appraises how effective they are in helping to integrate new arrivals to Germany
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Syrian conflict's impact on international law
The future cost of normalising Assad
Recent efforts to rehabilitate Assad are setting a damaging precedent for accountability, just as the international community is expressing the need to hold Russia to account for similar human rights violations in Ukraine. By Burcu Ozcelik
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Arab world on tenterhooks
World Cup semi-final – "We are all Moroccans"
Morocco has taken the 2022 World Cup by storm, with the northwest Africans reaching the semi-finals for the first time in their soccer history. As the knockout match approaches, Birgit Svensson's public viewing report from Baghdad throws a different light on Morocco's recent victories in Qatar
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Iran protests 2022
Tehran fatally oblivious to social change
The Islamic Republic has been unable to quell the civil unrest that erupted three months ago, after Mahsa Amini died after being detained for violating hijab rules. Now the protesters have broadened their demands. Commentary by Djavad Salehi-Isfahani