The Political Foundation of the Islamic State’s Success

by Henry Johnson More so than flaws in the Iraqi army or lack of U.S. support or suicide bombers, the Islamic State (ISIS or IS) owes its stunning victories across Iraq to widespread ambivalence toward violence against the state. This… Continue Reading →

Why Turkey’s Election Matters for Syria

by Derek Davison Voters in Turkey went to the polls for parliamentary elections on June 7 and handed the ruling Justice and Development Party (AKP) a decisive defeat. While AKP remains the largest party in the Turkish parliament, the party… Continue Reading →

Multiculturalism Saves Turkey

by John Feffer When I talked with Turkish photographer Attila Durak back in 2007, he was just finishing up a project documenting the country’s many ethnic groups. “Ask any intellectual here, ‘How many ethnic groups are living in Turkey?’ and… Continue Reading →

A Reset in EU-Turkey Relations?

by Eldar Mamedov When the European Parliament delegation visited Turkey last week—chaired by the influential chairman of the EP Foreign Affairs Committee Elmar Brok, a German Christian-Democrat—both the president of the Republic Recep Tayyip Erdogan and Prime Minister Ahmet Davutoglu… Continue Reading →