Middle East/North Africa
Syria: A convergence of interests for Russia and Iran
Russia’s recent use of an Iranian airbase to launch airstrikes into Syria is the most recent evidence of the strengthening of ties between Russia and Iran.
Axis of friendship reignited: Erdogan and Putin’s détente
Turkish Prime Minister Recep Erdogan’s new understanding with Russia’s President Vladimir Putin will lead to political and economic possibilities.
Turkey’s everlasting divisions
Throughout the history of the Republic of Turkey, state policies have created irreconcilable divisions based on ideological and ethnic lines. These policies have pervaded all spheres of the Turkish society and economy and the aftermath of the recent coup embodies of this divisive politics.
Future Generator: An auspicious August for Iran
Iran will continue to get positive media coverage in the short term, indicating an improving political environment. These four reasons explain why.
Putin and Erdogan’s meeting signals revived economic ties
Decreased hostilities between Putin and Erdogan signals greater financial opportunity for investors.
Jordan-EU trade deal may benefit economy and refugee crisis
The recent trade deal between Jordan and the EU is a bold proposal to attract foreign capital and employ Syrian refugees.
Under the Radar: Egypt’s media crackdown threatens 4G launch
Egypt’s 4G launch is threatened as Cairo’s media crackdown sees greater smartphone use to access dissenting voices, putting telcos in the government’s cross hairs.
From storm to calm: How Lebanon became a shelter in the Levant
Lebanon maintains its stability as parties benefit from the current situation and protect the status quo. A guest post by Martin Krastrup, Co-founder and Head of Programmes for Atlas Assistance.
3 reasons why an OPEC production cap is still unlikely
Despite a recent announcement that OPEC will meet in September, a number of factors mean that any deal to cap production is still extremely unlikely.
Security challenges in the Turkish-Syrian borderlands
The recent spate of ISIS-inspired terror attacks in Turkey and subsequent attempted coup, combined with foreign fighters’ incessant attempts to enter ISIS’s shrinking territory have kept Turkey’s border with Syria,
