Analysis From drones to deterrence: Turkey's ICBM missile signals bigger ambitions Turkey’s planned test of a 6,000-kilometer missile could boost Ankara’s defense industry prestige, strengthen its deterrence messaging and feed a powerful domestic narrative of technological self-reliance, but it also raises questions about cost, timing and NATO protection. By Barin Kayaoglu In Ankara, reporting on geopolitics and national security
Culture How ‘dog mom’ vacuum cleaner ad sparked culture war in Turkey A Mother’s Day advertisement featuring a “dog mom” triggered a backlash from conservative media, government officials and regulators, turning a soft consumer campaign into a flashpoint over motherhood, declining birth rates, stray dogs and even antisemitism. Turkey
Newsletter: Turkey Turkey navigates Gulf rivalries while Kurdish peace efforts resurface Turkey hosts a flurry of regional diplomacy while fresh debate over Abdullah Ocalan’s future exposes new tensions in the Kurdish peace process. By Ezgi Akin In Ankara, reporting on diplomacy, EU-Turkey ties, NATO
Newsletter: City Pulse Istanbul EU spotlights digital art in Ankara Also this week: A new chef’s table, ceramics and institutional debuts By Nazlan Ertan In Izmir and Istanbul, reporting on culture
Newsletter: Daily Briefing Hezbollah commanders killed as renewed strikes test Lebanon-Israel talks By Ezgi Akin In Ankara, reporting on diplomacy, EU-Turkey ties, NATO
Newsletter: Daily Briefing US pauses Hormuz escort mission as Trump cites progress on Iran talks By Ezgi Akin In Ankara, reporting on diplomacy, EU-Turkey ties, NATO
Lebanon fights back against terrorists Despite the ongoing terrorist attacks in Lebanon, the country’s authorities have made significant arrests in their war against terror. Lebanon
The Syria disconnect in US terrorism policy The US national intelligence director, James Clapper, foresees a rise in "political uncertainty and violence" in the Middle East in 2014. Syria
Turkey, Iran seek workaround on Syria Ankara and Tehran are attempting to normalize a relationship put off track by Syria. Turkey
Al-Qaeda now frontline threat to Israel With gains in Syria, Lebanon and Egypt, al-Qaeda and its affiliates threaten Israel more than ever. Iraq
Syrian foreign minister calls for national unity government In an exclusive interview with Al-Monitor, Walid Moallem, Syria's minister of foreign affairs and expatriates, said that the Syrian National Coalition's rejection of a resolution condemning terrorism was "unfortunate and strange." Syria
Are UN Security Council anti-al-Qaeda terror statutes properly enforced? The UN Security Council has established a regime for a travel ban, asset freeze and arms embargo against the al-Qaeda network since 1999, but new circumstances bring about serious doubts if such a regime is still functioning. Yemen
Israel faces crisis of growing poverty Israel's new national committee on poverty has been asked to propose a comprehensive solution to the alarming increase in Israeli families living below the poverty line, most of them working poor. Israel
Checkpoint hardship for sick Gazans seeking care in Israel Some sick patients in the Gaza Strip have reported that Israeli security officers offered to exchange travel permits for information. Palestine
Gaza youth dream of jobs in Qatar Amid increasing unemployment rates in the Gaza Strip, youth have warmly welcomed an agreement between the Palestinian and Qatari governments to employ 20,000 additional Palestinians in Qatar. Qatar
Why is Turkish writer Sevan Nisanyan in jail? The outspoken Armenian writer is the only Turkish citizen jailed for "construction infractions." Turkey
The future of political Islam: lessons from Turkey, Egypt Islamist parties can either hold on to their rigid ideological base trying to mold their societies to fit within their singular vision, or accept their role as an influential force in a democratic pluralistic regime, within which the rule of law must guarantee the protection of rights for everyone, including Islamists. Egypt