Tag: Middle East

In this episode of Fenikspod’s Atlantic Series, Dr. Mehmet Yegin spoke with Dr. Amin Tarzi, Director of Middle East Studies at Marine Corps University, about the protests in Iran, their demographics, rationale, likelihood of success, and impact on the ongoing nuclear negotiations.

Having tasted democracy, Tunisians now want their political regime to deliver economically: The failure to do so explains why the county has been losing the legitimacy of democratic transition and why its democratization experience is now half-collapsed.

Israeli violence against Palestinians has increased in frequency and intensity over the last year. In Fenikspod’s most recent episode, Dana El Kurd from the University of Richmond talks about the Palestinian issue and Palestinian activism within the context of recent developments. She also discusses how to address the issue and how Israeli-Arab rapprochement might affect Palestinians.

Russia’s response to Western sanctions threatens to permanently derail negotiations on Iran’s nuclear program. But as Iran considers how to proceed, it should recognize its potential to become a major energy player should an agreement be finalized.

Considering current regional dynamics and the high-level nature of the interaction, Israeli President Isaac Herzog’s visit to Turkey has greater potential to “normalize” Turkey-Israel relations than previous attempts, which ultimately ended in new crises.

After years of crisis, President Erdogan has decided to repair Turkey’s relations with Israel and Egypt, but it won’t be easy. Louis Fishman, an expert on Turkey and the Middle East, explains why on FeniksPod’s Middle East Series.

In her recent interview with FeniksPod, former Deputy Foreign Minister of Afghanistan Naheed Esar points outs that Afghan women were the first to take to the streets against Taliban rule. She notes that women’s resistance will continue, making it more difficult for the Taliban to provide stability despite its ability to maintain security in the country.

Throughout the U.S. war in Afghanistan, Iran has maintained extensive influence in its eastern neighbor. It played both sides of the conflict, supporting the now-deposed government in Kabul while also developing ties with the Taliban. With the Taliban’s takeover of the country in the wake of the withdrawal of U.S. and NATO forces, Tehran will engage pragmatically with the militant group to safeguard and further its national security strategy.

Currently, an unprecedented drought in Turkey poses risks to cities, agricultural activities, and energy security, and aggravates forest fires. The government must implement a climate change-centered drought strategy in coordination with all water actors, both domestic and international.

FeniksPolitik organized its first in-house event on the future of NATO and the challenges it faces in confronting a changing Middle East, the US pivot to Asia, increasing presence of Russia and China in the region and intra-alliance tensions tied to a Turkey in democratic decline.