Middle East

Insight: Turkey’s push into Iraq risks deeper conflict

Turkey's advances across the border of Iraqi Kurdistan attract little global attention compared to its incursions into Syria or the battle against Islamic State, but the escalation risks further destabilising a region where foreign powers have intervened with impunity.

Finland to stick with Sweden in NATO bid, hopes for green light by July

Finland is sticking to its plan to join NATO at the same time as Nordic neighbour Sweden, and hopes to do so no later than July, Finnish foreign minister Pekka Haavisto said on Monday (30 January).

Analysis: Israel and Palestinians risk deeper conflict in a distracted world

After bloodshed in Jerusalem and the West Bank and a month since Israel's most right-wing government took office, Israel and the Palestinians risk sliding into a cycle of wider confrontation with pressure on both sides for retaliation, analysts say.

Blinken begins Middle East trip amid spate of violence

US Secretary of State Antony Blinken landed in Egypt on Sunday (29 January) at the start of a three-day visit to the Middle East as violence flares between Israelis and Palestinians, and with Iran and Ukraine high on the agenda.

Israel appears to have been behind drone strike on Iran factory, US official says

Israel appears to have been behind an overnight drone attack on a military factory in Iran, a US official said on Sunday (29 January).

Turkey issues retaliatory travel alert for US, EU

Ankara on Saturday (28 January) issued a travel warning for the United States and Europe in seeming retaliation for similar alerts by Western powers for Turkey.

Turkish Elections: A final referendum on Erdogan’s republic

On 14 May, Turks will decide whether or not to approve – in final terms – Erdoğan’s drive toward an extremely centralised system of government, or, to put it more simply, one-man rule, writes Yavuz Baydar.

Europe’s inertia on migrant returns

Dear readers, Welcome to EU Politics Decoded where Benjamin Fox and Eleonora Vasques will bring you a round-up of the latest political news in Europe and beyond every Thursday. In this edition, we look at how EU leaders are now...

Waiting for Sweden in NATO bid, Finland risks losing patience

Finland's foreign minister said on Tuesday (24 January) a time-out of a few weeks was needed in Finland and Sweden's talks with Turkey on their application to join the NATO military alliance.

Protests in Stockholm, including Koran-burning, draw condemnation from Turkey

Protests in Stockholm on 21 January against Turkey and NATO, including the burning of a copy of the Koran, heightened tensions with Turkey at a time when the Nordic country needs Ankara's backing to gain entry to the military alliance.

Parliament urges EU to list Iran guards as ‘terrorist’

The European Parliament voted on Wednesday (18 January) to urge Brussels to list Iran's Revolutionary Guards, also called Sepah or Pasdaran, as a terror group, amid mounting pressure on Western powers to do so.

Erdogan: Sweden, Finland must extradite up to 130 ‘terrorists’ for NATO bid

Sweden and Finland must deport or extradite up to 130 "terrorists" to Turkey before the Turkish parliament will approve their bids to join NATO, President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan said.

Gunmen shoot dead ‘fearless’ Afghan woman ex-lawmaker

Gunmen shot dead an Afghan former lawmaker and one of her bodyguards in the capital Kabul in a night-time attack at her home, police said on Sunday (15 January).

Top US lawmaker objects to potential F-16 sale to Turkey

The Biden administration has told Congress it is preparing the potential $20 billion sale of F-16 fighter jets to Turkey, sources familiar with the matter said on Friday (13 January), sparking an immediate objection from a senior US lawmaker.

Swedish PM warns against Russian ‘nuclear’ propaganda

Swedish Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson warned his compatriots on Wednesday (11 January) against falling prey to Moscow's propaganda, after Russian media spread the fake news that his country was planning to allow NATO to deploy nuclear weapons on its soil in peacetime.

Erdogan government aims to ban opposition party HDP ahead of polls

Turkey's chief prosecutor made his final case in court Tuesday (10 January) to shut down a Kurdish-backed opposition party before the country heads to the polls later this year.

EU summons Iran ambassador to voice outrage at executions

The EU summoned Iran's ambassador to the bloc on 9 January and told him it was appalled by the executions at the weekend of two Iranians arrested in the course of a violent crackdown on anti-government protesters in the country.

Sweden says Turkey asking too much over NATO application

Sweden is confident that Turkey will approve its application to join the NATO military alliance, but will not meet all the conditions Ankara has set for its support, Sweden's prime minister said on Sunday (8 January).

Russia blames its soldiers’ mobile phone use for deadly missile strike

Russia's defence ministry on Wednesday (4 January) blamed the illegal use of mobile phones by its soldiers for a deadly Ukrainian missile strike that it said killed 89 servicemen, raising the reported death toll significantly.

Israeli far-right minister’s visit to Al Aqsa mosque sparks turmoil

Israel's new far-right national security minister Itamar Ben-Gvir briefly visited Al Aqsa mosque compound in Jerusalem on Tuesday (3 January), a site also revered by Jews, angering the Palestinians and drawing a slew of condemnations.

Ukrainian forces shot down 45 Iranian-made drones fired by Russia

Russian drones targeted infrastructure in Ukraine's capital and surrounding areas on Monday (2 January), damaging energy facilities and causing some power outages, officials said, as Russia extended its bombardment into the second day of 2023.

Syria says Israel strike puts main Damascus airport out of service

The Syrian army said on Monday (2 January) that Israel had carried out a missile strike on Damascus International Airport and put it out of service, the latest in a string of strikes targeting Iran-linked assets.

Turkish court upholds Osman Kavala’s life sentence

A Turkish appellate court on Wednesday (28 December) upheld the conviction of a leading critic of President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan whose jailing has added to tensions in Ankara's uneasy ties with the West.

2023 forecast: Iran’s clerical leaders to grapple with deepening dissent

Nationwide protests sparked by the death in custody of Iranian Kurdish woman Mahsa Amini have ushered Iran into a new era of deepening crisis between the clerical leadership and society at large.