POLICY BRIEF | Turkey’s incursion into northeast Syria: Why does it matter to the EU? Ebubekir ISIK 14/10/2019 Publications, Turkey The European Union (EU) and its member states have expressed their concerns over Turkey’s ongoing incursion into northeast Syria. With the military operation named Peace Spring, Turkey declared that it ai... Be More Curious...
Turkey and the European Union: Towards the post-candidacy era Cengiz Aktar 14/03/2019 Turkey It is safe to say that in the history of European Union’s enlargement, opening in 1973 with the accession of Britain, Denmark and Ireland, the first spectacular failure is the candidacy of the Republic of... Be More Curious...
Are Counter Terrorism Measures Really Effective? Yvonnemarie Antonoglou 21/10/2018 The Opinion Looking back on the past 15 years, there is little doubt that the 9/11 attacks profoundly altered the landscape of international security. Over the last decade and a half, there has been a tremendous multiplication of counter terrorism measures, laws, ... Be More Curious...
Fighting Online Terrorist Speech Vocal Europe 20/09/2018 Inside Europe William Echikson, a former senior policy manager at Google, is head of the Digital Forum at the Centre for European Policy Studies. David Ibsen is Executive Director for the Counter Extremism Project (CE... Be More Curious...
Iran after the Trump-Putin summit in Helsinki Heshmat Alavi 19/07/2018 Iran The Middle East situation on the ground is significantly different in comparison to a short while ago. There were times when Iran sought to become the leading hegemon in the region. With Tehran’s ho... Be More Curious...
Should Silence Over Iran Continue? Rahim Hamid 15/03/2018 Beyond Europe, Iran While Western journalists and politicians see themselves as fit to provide ‘expert’ commentary on Iran and the wider Middle East, the real ‘Iran experts’ – the Iranian people there, more particularly the ethnic minorities who are doubly oppressed under t... Be More Curious...
Is terrorism really rational? Yvonnemarie Antonoglou 12/03/2018 Inside Europe The study of terrorism has always been a complex, challenging and multifarious task. Though Terrorism Studies were largely part of a niche epistemic community –at least for the first part of the 20th centur... Be More Curious...
From Lord Byron to Abdelhamid Abaaoud – A Historical Contextualization of Foreign Fighters Yoeri Maertens 07/03/2018 Society After the exodus of European youth to Syria and Iraq, the problem of how to deal with these so-called foreign fighters surfaced. Why did they leave to fight? Which ranks did they join? And how should we dea... Be More Curious...
Colors of Islamic Iran Georgi E. Asatryan 21/02/2018 The Opinion Thirty-nine years ago, the Islamic Republic of Iran appeared on the political map of the world. And what is modern Iran? Will the President of the United States Donald Tump start war with Tehran? And why, despite all the difficulties, Russia and Iran still... Be More Curious...
Why the collision between Israel and Iran could lead to a new war front in the Middle East Peter De Roover 12/02/2018 Beyond Europe, Iran, Israel Early February I took part in a parliamentary mission to Israel. Not even a week later, Israel and Iran clashed for the first time at the Syrian border, which we visited only a couple of days before. Our mi... Be More Curious...
Police Crackdowns on ISIS and the Consequences for Refugees from the Caucasus and Central Asia in Turkey Vocal Europe 17/01/2018 Beyond Europe, Turkey OOver the past two years, numerous innocent people of the Caucasus and Central Asia in Turkey have been targeted within the police operations against ISIS, and the operations and following deportations coincide... Be More Curious...
Monday Talk with Seth Frantzman on the Current Affairs in the Middle East and Israel Marie Shuqha 20/11/2017 Monday Talks The Middle East has never been a simple place. Yet nowadays, this region is especially turbulent — with waves rocking several countries, so big that their effects are being felt worldwide, including Europe. It’s not like this uneasiness is concentrated only... Be More Curious...
Monday Talk with Peter De Roover on the Recent Developments in Iraqi Kurdistan and in the Region Ebubekir ISIK 23/10/2017 Monday Talks The Middle East has never been a simple place. Yet nowadays, this region is especially turbulent -- with waves rocking several countries, so big that their effects are being felt worldwide, including Eu... Be More Curious...
The New Regime in Turkey Vocal Europe 19/07/2017 Beyond Europe, Turkey The current type of regime in Turkey is democracy on the paper, but autocracy in reality and application. Autocracy is a term describing the regime type, but not the ruler. Therefore, it is not an adequate term... Be More Curious...
Why Turkey’s Security Policy is Destined to Fail Vocal Europe 21/04/2017 Beyond Europe, Turkey by Zakir Gul One ton of explosives were placed under the security building in Turkey recently, and almost none of the media covered it. Other sources claim that the amount of explosives was 2.5 tons. Whatever the true amount may be, this is a tragicomedy fo... Be More Curious...
Interview on Islamic State Networks in Turkey with Foundation for Defence of Democracies Vocal Europe 13/04/2017 Beyond Europe, Turkey Islamic State Networks in Turkey - a report published recently by Merve Tahiroglu and Jonathan Schanzer of Foundation for Defence of Democracies (FDD) based in Washington D.C. The report reveals not only the Is... Be More Curious...
Israel’s ambivalent relations with Turkey’s Kurds Vocal Europe 03/03/2017 Beyond Europe, Israel, Turkey by Benjamin Kweskin Unlike the warm, if not ambiguous and (mostly) indirect relationship between Israel and the Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG) in northern Iraq, relations between Israeli and Kurdish act... Be More Curious...
The Iranian Regime and Evolution of ISIS Heshmat Alavi 16/02/2017 Beyond Europe, Iran Support for international terrorism received a major boost the moment the mullahs hijacked Iran’s 1979 revolution. After a very short-lived period of a so-called open political atmosphere, their thugs organized in the Revolutionary Guards (IRGC) and paramilita... Be More Curious...
Turkey’s Self-Destruction of Its Own Security Mahmut Cengiz 02/02/2017 Turkey Turkey is grappling with a series of massive deadly terrorist attacks that are not random or coincidental. The government’s wrong and illegal investment in and bad strategy regarding salafi-jihadist terrorist g... Be More Curious...
What lies behind Istanbul airport terror attack Vocal Europe 30/06/2016 Turkey by M. Behzad Fatmi In the latest in a series of terrorist attacks in Turkey since last year, Istanbul's Ataturk International Airport - Europe's third busiest - was hit by three suicide bombers. According to... Be More Curious...
We Must Prepare for a 30-Year War in the Middle East Vocal Europe 30/12/2015 The Opinion by Paul Rogers Twelve years ago, George W Bush gave his “Mission Accomplished” speech from the flight deck of the USS Abraham Lincoln aircraft carrier, confident that the Saddam Hussein regime had been consigned to the dustbin of history, the Taliban regime... Be More Curious...
Iraq’s Iranian sovereignty Vocal Europe 19/12/2015 Iran, The Opinion DISCLAIMER: all opinions in this column reflect view of the autor(s), not of Vocal Europe by Iyad Al-Dalimi The ruling elite in Baghdad has suddenly realised that they are ruling a country called Iraq and ... Be More Curious...
Merkel’s First War: Why Germany wants (not) to fight now ISIS Vocal Europe 16/12/2015 Inside Europe, The Opinion by O. Krumme Garcia A bit more than two weeks ago, the German Parliament has approved, by a big majority, to deploy army troops and fighter jets for reconnaissance flights to Syria, to fight alongside French... Be More Curious...
Russia: in search of geopolitical glory Vocal Europe 04/12/2015 Russia by Sijbren de Jong, Karlijn Jans, Willem Oosterveld With its recent intervention in Syria, many claim that Russia scored yet another geopolitical coup. With the war in Ukraine stalling and Crimea firmly in Russian hands, President Vladimir Putin surprised fri... Be More Curious...
The EU-Turkey Refugee Deal: Security over values? Robert Heslop 01/12/2015 Inside Europe, Turkey by Robert Heslop The EU has signed a historic deal with Turkey. In exchange for 3 billion Euros of financial aid, visa free travel for Turkish citizens in the EU and the presumption of EU accession talks, Turk... Be More Curious...
When an Accident Leads to a Catastrophe – The Imminent Flashpoint Danger in Syria Vocal Europe 28/11/2015 Russia, Turkey by O. Krumme-Garcia The nightmares of the first Cold War are back, the threat is rising, and so is the spiral of provocation. After the Turkish Air Force has shot down a Russian SU-24 fighter jet at the Turkis... Be More Curious...
Nato Should Not Risk a Wrong Turn Over Turkey—and Ukraine Vocal Europe 26/11/2015 Russia, The Opinion, Turkey by François Godement It appears that, within 24 hours, two events have taken place that are a direct challenge to Russia. One is the sabotage of Ukraine’s energy link with Crimea. Although this act might not be considered the direct responsibility of the Ukra... Be More Curious...
Monday Talk with Dave Sinardet on Belgium’s Terror Problem Vocal Europe 23/11/2015 Monday Talks Vocal Europe: Why has such a terror attack happened in Paris second time after Charlie Hebdo? Dave Sinardet: In this case the attacks were organised by French-Belgian cells. It is now Brussels that is under ... Be More Curious...
France triggers EU ‘mutual defence clause’ – but what is it? Vocal Europe 19/11/2015 Inside Europe by Vincenzo Scarpetta Following last week’s terrorist attacks in Paris, France has decided to invoke Article 42(7) of the EU Treaty – establishing that EU countries must provide “aid and assistance” to a fel... Be More Curious...
Russia and Syrian Chess Brad Cabana 08/11/2015 Russia by Brad Cabana It has been just over a month since Russia took the military initiative in Syria. Along with fifty plus combat aircraft and helicopter gunships, Russian naval ships Moskva, Ladny, Pytlivy and Smetlivy have been stationed just off the Syrian coa... Be More Curious...
Terrorism and the Crisis of Sunni Islam Vocal Europe 04/11/2015 Beyond Europe, Inside Europe, Society by Soumaya Ghannoushi Sunni Islam is in turmoil. Over the last two decades, it has been in the grip of ferment and fragmentation unprecedented in its long history. After the wave of radicalisation that had sw... Be More Curious...
Assadland, a Russian Protectorate Vocal Europe 15/10/2015 Russia by Marc Pierini Only a few weeks ago, the al-Assad regime seemed in danger of losing the swath of land from Latakia to Damascus to the assaults of the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL), Jabat al-Nusr... Be More Curious...
Russians are finally in Syria; a game-changing move? Brad Cabana 01/10/2015 Russia by Brad Cabana January, 2011, the Syrian civil war began. Not as an armed conflict, but rather as small protests that grew into large protests against the national government. Nearly five years later the country has been torn to pieces, its people displaced... Be More Curious...
Is Lebanon going to fall? Vocal Europe 16/09/2015 Beyond Europe By Isabelle Panasi The Lebanese are in the streets. These people, facing very hard times, claim social and economical changes. However, what they really want is the resignation of the government, where the p... Be More Curious...
Unless ISIL is gone, migration to Europe won’t stop Vocal Europe 08/09/2015 Beyond Europe photo source: ibtimes by Christos Mouzeviris A few days ago, a drowned child’s picture on the coast of Turkey, became the tragic poster of the ongoing Syrian refugee crisis. The three year old Aylan Kurdi’... Be More Curious...
Takes Two to Tango: Putin and Assad’s Dangerous Alliance Vocal Europe 07/09/2015 Russia by Erielle Delzer Following Russia’s rotation into the monthly presidency position at the United Nations Security Council (UNSC) on September 1st, where Russia’s main stated goal is to counter international terrorism, President Vladimir Putin has announced th... Be More Curious...
Iraq: slow agony of the Christians Vocal Europe 20/08/2015 Society photo source: wp by Isabelle Panasi The Christians of the Middle East are currently on the front page of our newspapers. It seems the Westerner press has just discovered them… and feels sorry fo... Be More Curious...
Israel: Threats and Opportunities in Syria Vocal Europe 03/08/2015 Israel DISCLAIMER: all opinions in this column reflect view of the autor(s), not of Vocal Europe by Thomas Baron The idea that President Assad will step down from power and a secular, peaceful, and democratic coal... Be More Curious...
Where are the Syrians? Vocal Europe 02/06/2015 Society (Photo taken from time.com) by Isabelle Panasi It has already been four years that Syria has gone to war. In March 2011, the rebellion’s movement started. A large number of citizens asked the departure of Bashar Al Assad, the change of the regime and the... Be More Curious...
ISIS: Iran’s Trojan Horse? Vocal Europe 01/05/2015 Iran DISCLAIMER: all opinions in this column reflect view of the autor(s), not of Vocal Europe by M. Behzad Fatmi / @BehzadFatmi Islamic State to Iran is what Al Qaeda has been to America. The analogy might no... Be More Curious...
Why do Jihadists love Belgium? Vocal Europe 29/04/2015 Society (Photo taken from hate-speech.org) by Isabelle Panasi This 11 million-inhabitant-European country trembled under the weight of the terrorist threat. The facts proceeded in Verviers, on January 1... Be More Curious...
