Middle East

By Moritz Pieper | (The Conversation) | – – As news of the attempted military coup in Turkey unfolded, I was in Pennsylvania. Travelling in the US, I had coincidentally found myself in the home state of Islamic preacher Fethullah Gülen, who Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan has singled out as the mastermind of the […]

Egypt

Arab nationalist press Reacts to Erdogan’s Crackdown with cries of “Dictator!”

Juan Cole

By Juan Cole | (Informed Comment) | – – Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan’s firing of some 50,000 people, including educators, bureaucrats, police and military personnel, in the wake of the failed July 15 coup against him, provoked sharp criticism in Egypt, Jordan and other Arab countries that have an adversarial attitude toward the Religious Right […]

Free Syrian Army

US to ‘Reconsider’ Backing for Syrian Rebels After Boy Beheaded

contributors

TeleSur | – – The killers claim to be fighters om a rebel group that has received both financial and arms support from the United States and allies. A disturbing video circulating online shows an alleged group of U.S.-backed Syrian rebels beheading a Palestinian boy who they accused of being a fighter loyal to President […]

Authoritarianism

WikiLeaks Release 300K Emails Related to Turkey’s ruling Party

contributors

TeleSur | – – The group leaked the documents despite being under a major cyber attack for more than 24 hours by suspected allies of the Turkish government. WikiLeaks released its first batch of leaked emails from Turkey’s ruling Justice and Development Party, or AKP, Tuesday. Founded by President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, the whistleblowing group […]

Israel/ Palestine

Israeli opposition leader warns of ‘uprising of hatred’ in Israel

contributors

Ma’an News Agency | – – BETHLEHEM (Ma’an) — Israeli opposition leader Isaac Herzog warned of what he called “growing hatred and racism” in Israel encouraged by right-wing politicians, adding that it could pave the way for further deadly violence, Hebrew-language news site NRG reported on Monday. “We are on the verge of an uprising […]

Iraq

Defeating ISIL in Iraq will Take Sunni-Shiite Reconciliation, not Just Tanks

Neil Thompson

London (Informed Comment) – As Iraqi, Kurdish and Syrian forces squeeze its territory in the Arab world and Turkey hunts down the group’s support networks and sympathisers inside its territory, it can seem like the days of Islamic State (IS) are finally numbered after a two year reign of terror in the region. However it […]

military

The Turkish Coup — Real or Imagined?

contributors

Erdağ Göknar | (Duke Today) | – – Durham, NC – As if it were having a Cold War flashback, Turkey experienced a surprise coup attempt by a faction of the Turkish army Friday night. Though it evoked the Turkish coups of 1960, 1971 and 1980 quite realistically, and perhaps gave Turks of the political […]

Featured

Long Knives in Ankara: Victorious Erdogan begins Purge of Judiciary, Army

Juan Cole

By Juan Cole | (Informed Comment) – – President Tayyip Erdogan is taking advantage of the failed coup against him to purge the judiciary and security forces of anyone who is lukewarm toward or actively critical of him. These steps are, of course, the opposite of the ones Erdogan should be taking– he should be […]