Ataturk
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Turkey post-referendum
Reconciliation – not a chance!
The referendum campaign has polarised Turkey in a way rarely seen, but instead of seeking balance and reconciliation, Erdogan immediately announced further referenda on the death penalty and EU accession talks. A risky tactic, argues Ulrich von Schwerin
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″Haymatloz″ – a film documentary
How Ataturk rescued the Jews
Highlighting a chapter of German-Turkish history that has largely been forgotten, Eren Onsoz′ ″Haymatloz″ tells the stories of five German Jewish academics who emigrated to Turkey in the 1930s, to be welcomed with open arms. By Heike Mund
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Talking Turkey
″What happens on the Bosphorus affects us all″
The West′s attitude toward Turkey matters. For an outcome that reflects democratic values and is favourable to Western and Turkish interests alike, Western diplomats need to escalate their engagement with Turkey. Essay by Sweden′s former foreign minister, Carl Bildt
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Turkey's democratic future
Hanging by a thread
The thwarted coup of 15 July is being celebrated by the AKP as well as large sections of Turkish civil society as a victory for democracy. But the state of emergency and the mass arrests spotlight the authoritarian political tide in Turkey. Ceyda Nurtsch reports from Istanbul
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Putsch aftermath in Turkey
Autocracy or military dictatorship?
What we can learn from the Turkish and Egyptian examples and why both Erdogan's model and that of al-Sisi are doomed to fail. An analysis by Karim El-Gawhary in Cairo
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Sykes-Picot and the role of Gertrude Bell
Midwife of the Middle East
The order of nation states in the Middle East has been disintegrating since Islamic State fighters overran the Syrian border in 2014 – a border that dates back to 1916 and a secret agreement between the diplomats Sir Mark Sykes and Francois Georges-Picot. Yet one woman also played a key role: the British national Gertrude Bell. Birgit Svensson visited her grave in Baghdad
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100 years of Sykes-Picot
"A tapestry of plans and promises"
One hundred years ago, the Middle East was divvied up between the French and the British. The historian Maurus Reinkowski talks about the long-term effects of the colonialist powers' splitting up of the spoils. Interview by Andreas Noll
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Mother-tongue instruction in multi-ethnic Iran
Linguistic diversity as opportunity
Iran is a state of many ethnicities where over a dozen languages are spoken, including, among others, Persian, Baluchi, Luri, Arabic, and Turkish. Unfortunately, the country’s education policy does not take account of this linguistic diversity. By Manutschehr Amirpur
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Parliamentary election in Turkey
An absolute majority hangs in the balance
Turkey goes to the polls on 7 June. Its ruling Justice and Development Party (AKP) is seeking an unprecedented fourth successive general election victory on a platform of wanting to turn Turkey into a presidential system. The AKP has an outstanding electoral track record, but with an ailing economy, without its charismatic leader and faced with a revamped opposition, could this be the end of its absolute majority? By Dorian Jones in Istanbul
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The AKP's version of Turkish history
Contrasting interpretations of Gallipoli
Joseph Croitoru reports on how leaders in Ankara are putting an Islamist spin on centenary commemorations of the Gallipoli Campaign and how they seem to hope that these events will detract attention from another centenary occurring this week: that of the Armenian genocide
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The Nazi glorification of Ataturk
Ankara's shining star
The historian Stefan Ihrig's new book reveals the fascination that Kemal Ataturk, the founder of modern Turkey, held for Hitler and the National Socialists. Ihrig's book has caused a stir in the Turkish press. By Joseph Croitoru
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Historical roots of the current Middle East crisis
The end of an artificial construct
After the First World War, many people hoped for a lasting order that would bring peace. The mandate system, which was supervised by the international community, was supposed to bring a new form of "benevolent" imperialism to the Middle East. However, the region is still dominated by the problems that were created at that time – more so today than ever before. By Jakob Krais