Kurds
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Turkeyʹs election results
Erdogan and the three-way split
Following a tense run-up to the June 24 election, the Turkish people have once again delivered a fragmented result that reflects the countryʹs deep divisions. The only true winner is the Nationalist Movement Party (MHP), which – despite a relatively small share of the vote – now has critical influence in Parliament. Ayse Karabat reports from Istanbul
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Electioneering in Turkish Kurdistan
Masters of the blame game
With elections imminent, the Turkish government and the Kurdish opposition are emphasising their peaceful intentions, yet the Kurdish conflict remains entrenched. A visit to Diyarbakir and Cizre on the Syrian border reveals the deep-seated antagonism and just how far both sides are from a reconciliation. By Ulrich von Schwerin
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Comparison: India and Turkey
The Modi-Erdogan parallel
While Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi has not achieved the degree of "state capture" that Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has, he is also 11 years behind. The path the two leaders are on, however, is similar enough to invite comparison – and provoke concern. By Shashi Tharoor
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Countdown to the Turkish election
Erdogan beats the nationalist drum
Elected Mayor of Istanbul in 1994, Recep Tayyip Erdogan pledged not blame Turkeyʹs problems on "outside powers, outside forces, or foreigners". Years later, with the weight of the presidency and a struggling currency upon him, that pledge is long gone. By Tom Stevenson
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Turkey's snap election
The calculus of alliances
The upcoming ballot in Turkey on 24 June will be a race between the People's Alliance, formed to keep Erdogan president, versus the Nation Alliance, which aims to beat him or at least win a parliamentary majority. The result, however, depends on a third party, the pro-Kurdish HDP. Ayse Karabat reports from Istanbul
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U.S. politics in Syria
Trump, Syria – and the threat of regional conflagration
The withdrawal of the United States from Syria could spark a region-wide war. There are legitimate concerns that Israel might use the resulting vacuum as a pretext to intensify its attacks on Iran and Hezbollah in Syria. By Fawaz A. Gerges
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Parliamentary elections in Iraq
Shifting towards Iran?
At the forthcoming parliamentary poll in Iraq, the question is who will gain the upper hand – pro-Iranian Shias or pro-western forces? A pre-election analysis by Arnold Hottinger
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The Gulen movement and the failed coup in Turkey
Harmless is not the word
Since the attempted coup in Turkey in July 2016, the accusation that the Gulen movement was behind the failed putsch has met with scepticism in the West. A new book shows, however, that the movement was never just about dialogue and education, but has instead always sought to grasp the reins of state. By Ulrich Schwerin
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James Joyce′ "Ulysses" in Kurdish
Across snotgrean seas
Author and translator Kawa Nemir has just finished translating James Joyce′s masterpiece of Irish literature into the Kurdish language of Kurmanji. His aim? To build bridges between the Kurdish culture and world literature. By Tom Stevenson and Murat Bayram
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Europe's treatment of IS returnees
Eroding the constitutional state
The Europeans and Americans can't agree over what should be done with citizens imprisoned in Syria and Iraq for joining the IS cause. But as Bachir Amroune argues, these individuals should be given the same constitutional rights as anyone else accused of a crime
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Interview with Kristin Helberg on the Syria conflict
Boundless cynicism
In conversation with Diana Hodali, Syria expert Kristin Helberg is critical of the fact that although the Europeans may be ready to take part in a military intervention in the Syrian conflict without a UN mandate if necessary, they insist on a UN mandate when it concerns the protection of civilians
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Public debate in Turkey post-Afrin
"There are plenty of traitors"
Verbal attacks, death threats and hate speech are an increasingly common feature of public discourse in Turkey. And many think that this mix of nationalistic, pseudo-religious and discriminatory rhetoric is being stoked by the government. By Ceyda Nurtsch