From Cold War to Regional Reconciliation: The New Pragmatism in the Middle East

By Albadr Alshateri /

The new pragmatism in the Middle East is leading to a regional reconciliation process that, though some critics doubt it, is showing signs that it can sustain itself in the near future.

A History of Whistleblowers and Document Leaks

By Jamie Ruchser / Summer 2022

The dissemination of classified and sometimes sensitive information to the public often sparks debate about freedom of information—for example, what information should be shared and what should be withheld? The rapid rise of the internet in the early twenty-first century has provided the public with access to documents leaked through whistleblowing. This timeline aims to identify key whistleblowers and document leaks in recent history.

The Changing Middle East Regional Order

By Paul Salem / Winter 2022

A history of the Arab state system starting from the second half of the twentieth century to the present

Managing Crises, the Least-Bad Option

By Joost Hiltermann / Winter 2022

Conflict management in the MENA region has little chance of succeeding as conflicts increasingly intersect and tensions driven by larger, regional triggers become even more unpredictable

Saving a Water-Stressed Middle East

By Neda Zawahri / Fall 2021

Inefficient water management exacerbates water insecurity in the MENA region, already the area most vulnerable to the catastrophic impact of the climate crisis. Building adaptive capacity is critical to ensure national and individual water security.

Erdogan’s Endgame with Egypt

By Salim Çevik / August 6, 2021

Rapprochement with Egypt is a necessary first step for Turkey to break out of its self-induced isolation, but it will require concessions that Erdogan may not be willing to make.

State, Media, and Political Messaging in Contemporary Turkey

By Özge Özdüzen / Spring 2021

The AKP’s political messaging tactics have undergone significant change over time, but remain an important strategic tool for the party.

Why the Phrase “Arab Spring” Should be Retired

By Sean David Hobbs / Winter 2021

It’s time to stop using a Western-based concept ten years on from the events that began the Arab Uprisings.

Will the U.S. Evolve its Foreign Policy from Past Mistakes?

By Sean David Hobbs / Fall 2020

Former U.S. Ambassador and American University in Cairo President Francis Ricciardone evaluates how the United States has dealt with global crises in the 21st century.

Political Narratives in the Middle East and North Africa: Conceptions of Order and Perceptions of Instability

By Helen Rizzo / Fall 2020

The volume edited by Wolfgang Mühlberger and Toni Alaranta highlights the importance of political narratives in making sense of the complexities of the MENA countries.

The Disrupting Stabilizer

By Samuel Ramani / Summer 2020

How Russia’s military, diplomatic, and economic roles in the Mediterranean have developed in recent years

Syria’s Prospects for Reconstruction Are Bleak

By Alexander Decina and Katherine Nazemi /

Hindered by an array of domestic and international obstacles and competing regime priorities, the Syrian government’s efforts to attract regional capital for investment and reconstruction will be insufficient.

Gas Finds for the People?

By Jason Beckett / Summer 2020

Public international law—tied as it is to existent western-centric neo-colonial structures—will likely block the natural gas finds in the Eastern Mediterranean from benefiting regional states.

The Prospects for Conflict or Cooperation

By Ellen Laipson and Henri J. Barkey / Summer 2020

Will the Eastern Mediterranean natural gas discoveries lead to regional transformation?

Turkey’s Energy Geopolitics

By Meliha Benli Altunışık / Summer 2020

Turkey is at one end of competing geostrategic visions in the Eastern Mediterranean, but are there avenues for reconciliation with countries at the opposite pole?

Re-Engineering Regional Security

By Sydney Wise / Summer 2020

In the last half-century, Egypt has had to negotiate its way through the Arab–Israeli peace process, regional nuclear proliferation, and domestic political transition. What has it taught us?

Erdoğan Fails the Coronavirus Test

By Gönül Tol /

The president’s concentration of executive power has left Turkey vulnerable to decisions based more on saving the economy—and thus his own skin—than on stopping the COVID-19 pandemic.

A Surplus of Deficits

By Amr Adly / Spring 2020

From a political economy perspective, there are four key forces working against the peace and prosperity of Middle Eastern and North African states. To defeat them, robust institutions are essential.

New Players Challenge America’s Cultural Dominance

By Sydney Wise /

The United States has been the world’s cultural giant since the twentieth century—but is its supremacy and soft power being challenged by Bollywood, Dizi, and K-Pop?

The Middle East Reacts to Trump’s ‘Deal of the Century’

By Sydney Wise / January 30, 2020

Hours after U.S. President Donald Trump unveiled his plan for Israeli-Palestinian peace, the reactions of key regional figures ranged from hopeful to enraged.

The Empire He Did Not Want

By Ross Kimm /

Erdoğan wanted to build a “neo-Ottoman” empire but missed out on what is strategically most important—real influence in the Middle East

A Regional Order Contested

By Karim Haggag / Spring 2019

Extreme instability has prompted a fundamental reconfiguration of the contemporary Middle East; as the old order crumbles, a new one has yet to emerge

Erdoğan’s Failure on the Nile

By Soner Cagaptay / Spring 2019

How Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan went from being a regional Islamist leader in the Arab Spring to being the Middle East’s odd man out

Turkey’s Pan-Islamist Foreign Policy

By Birol Baskan / Spring 2019

Understanding Turkey’s diplomatic moves post-2011 by looking back to the Ottoman conception of ittihad-i Islam

Kurdistan: A State or a State of Mind?

By Guney Yildiz / Spring 2019

Can the Kurds, the largest ethnicity in the Middle East without their own nation, overcome their internal disunity and find ways to exist as an independent state or as autonomous regions?

Preserving Kurdish Autonomy

By Pinar Tank / February 15, 2019

Divisions among the states vested in Syria are opening possibilities for Syria’s Kurds to secure greater protection for their autonomy.

Turkey’s Gradual Efforts to Professionalize Syrian Allies

By Haid Haid / December 14, 2018

Instead of putting its full strength behind unifying Syrian rebel groups, Ankara is slowly supporting that process without disturbing the status quo.

Patrons of Peace and Conflict

By Nanjala Nyabola / Fall 2018

In Northeast Africa today, Middle Eastern states vie for influence, and African governments accede—with conditions

Russia, Turkey, and the Fate of Idlib

By Ömer Özkizilcik / September 24, 2018

In Idlib, Turkey could deter Russian airstrikes and ensure the region remains out of the Syrian regime’s control by going after extremist groups.

Building Fortress Europe

By Parastou Hassouri / Summer 2018

There is hypocrisy in Europe’s migration policies, which give lip service to human rights, but actually push back those seeking access to better lives.

Erdoğan’s Achilles Heel

By Gönül Tol / Summer 2018

President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan’s policy toward Syrian refugees could become his downfall as anti-refugee sentiment in Turkey grows, especially if the economy weakens.

Loose Ends of a Deal

By Pınar Dost / Summer 2018

Turkey and the European Union signed a “Refugee Deal” to curb migration into Europe. But unfulfilled provisions of the deal are leading to problematic EU–Turkey relations.

Newfound Optimism for Turkey’s Opposition

By Abdullah Aydogan / June 2, 2018

Turkey’s opposition parties have moderated their ideologies and coordinated their strategies to collectively win more votes in the upcoming elections, which could deal a blow to the ruling AKP.

Freedom without Permission

By Holly Oberle / Spring 2018

How can we upturn narratives about the Arab Spring uprisings?

The Turkish Predicament in Syria

By Alaa Elhadidi / March 20, 2018

The geopolitical ripples around Operation Olive Branch raise questions about Ankara’s ability to achieve its goal of preventing the establishment of an autonomous Kurdish entity in northwestern Syria.

Arabs Rising to the Occasion?

By Amre Moussa / March 10, 2018

Former secretary general of the League of Arab States, Amre Moussa, offers eight recommendations for establishing a new regional order that would see Arab countries end instability and regain control of their futures.

The Meaning of Eastern Ghouta and Assad’s “Victory”

By Nabeel Khoury / March 6, 2018

The Assad regime has won the war; it cannot, however, win the peace.

Turkey’s Risky Adventure in Afrin

By Pinar Tank / February 19, 2018

Turkey’s military incursion into Kurdish-controlled northern Syria risks straining diplomatic ties and exposing Turkey to increased terror threats.

Educating Syrian Refugees in Turkey

By Kinana Qaddour / December 28, 2017

Though challenges remain, Turkey is pushing forward with efforts to integrate Syrian students and teachers into its education system.

Turkey’s Turn toward Russia

By Pinar Tank / May 24, 2017

Despite tensions over Syria, Turkey is increasingly turning to Russia to secure its foreign and domestic policy needs.

Turkey’s Authoritarian Legacy

By Halil Karaveli / Spring 2017

It’s tempting to blame the country’s recent slide into repression on President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan’s thirst for personal power. But did the ruling Islamist party ever really abandon the country’s long tradition of state authoritarianism?

Convergent Authoritarianisms in Egypt and Turkey

By Jannis Grimm / May 2, 2017

After Turkey’s constitutional referendum, it is increasingly apparent that its government is exhibiting similar authoritarian tendencies to Egypt since 2013.

Lessons from the Turkish Coup Attempt

By Pinar Tank / August 12, 2016

Turkey’s failed coup attempt suggests the military’s political role has reached a nadir, but politicization of the institution continues.

Making Sense of Turkey’s Failed Coup

By Quinn Mecham / July 19, 2016

However you look at the violence in Turkey, the fallout is to President Erdogan’s advantage.

Kurds as Peacemakers in the Middle East

By David Romano and Mehmet Gurses / January 8, 2016

Supporting Kurdish groups in Syria could empower them to play a role in resolving regional conflicts, not just in Syria but also in Iraq and Turkey.

Turkey’s Kurds Split by AKP Policies

By Gönül Tol / December 10, 2015

President Erdogan’s scare tactics may have pushed the country further towards a conflict neither Kurdish rebels nor the Turkish army can win.

The AKP’s Resilience in Turkey

By Burcu Ozcelik / November 5, 2015

Turkey’s ruling Justice and Development Party successfully convinced a cross-section of voters that it was the only party able to maintain domestic security.

Erdoğan’s Dangerous Game in Turkey

By Quinn Mecham / October 29, 2015

Turkey’s AKP now seems prepared to do almost anything to stay in power. Once hailed as a democratic model for the Middle East, the government has veered towards authoritarianism.

Strategic Thinking

By Scott MacLeod / Winter 2012

Turkish Foreign Minister Ahmet Davutoğlu impresses the world with his grasp of geopolitical theory and zest for putting it into practice. During an in-depth exchange with the Cairo Review, he discusses the direction of the Arab revolts, Turkey’s future in Europe, the “golden age” of U.S.-Turkish relations, and much more.