Lehigh University / Wilson Center
Henri Barkey is Bernard L. and Bertha F. Cohen Professor in the Department of International Relations at Lehigh University and Director of the Middle East Program at the Woodrow Wilson International Center for Scholars.
Why does Turkey's currency seem to be in freefall? Turkey’s currency, the lira, keeps dropping. There are worries that other emerging economies could be hurt too. Turkey does have internal economic problems, including inflation. But tensions with the U.S. are also a factor. On Friday, President Trump said he would double tariffs on steel and aluminum from Turkey.
Berlin, Ankara and the international political consequences When a lone gunman assassinated Russia's ambassador to Turkey in a shocking public display at an Ankara photo exhibit yesterday, the international consequences were immediate. Hours later a tractor trailer truck mowed down holiday revelers celebrating at a Christmas market in Berlin, killing 12 and wounding scores more. Germany has been preparing for terror attacks like the ones that have struck in Paris and Belgium. While authorities are treating these isolated incidents as the work of terrorists, motives and details are still very unclear. One thing is certain: the perception of escalating violence could have far-reaching effects on Europe's policy on immigration, refugees and the war in Syria.
The uneasy alliance between Turkey and the US Turkey is a NATO partner and a key American ally in the Middle East. At one point President Obama even saw President Erdogan as a role model for Muslim leaders. Not anymore. Washington's been watching nervously as Erdogan has turned increasingly autocratic. Anti-American sentiment in Turkey has snowballed in the wake of last month's failed coup, which many Turks blame on an exiled Muslim cleric living in the US. Vice President Biden was in Ankara yesterday to smooth over strained relations, but can the growing rifts be healed given these two nations' clashing alliances in the fight against ISIS?
Is Turkey the Next Dictatorship? Turkey is both the historic "crossroads of Europe and Asia" and a powerful presence in the Middle East. As recently as 2009, President Obama visited Turkey and praised Tayyip Erdogan for curbing the military and showing that Islam can coexist with democracy. Since then, the Prime Minister has brutalized protesters, banned Twitter and YouTube, and jailed scores of reporters. This weekend, after his party won local elections around the country, he promised criminal action against his opponents and said, "There will be those who have to flee." Will he try to prolong his rule? What's at stake for Syria, Iran, Israel and the European Union? Is it time for the US to start paying attention?
Violence and the Politics of Religion in the Middle East Two years of bloody violence against a brutal dictatorship in Syria have awakened the ancient rivalry between Sunni and Shiite Muslims. It's become a religious battle, pitting neighbors against each other in Syria and across the Middle East, and is accentuating hostilities between nations, including Saudi Arabia and Iran. Terrorist organizations, like Shiite Hezbollah and Sunni al Qaeda, are threatening chaos to advance their competing agendas. Is it partly an unintended consequence of America's occupation of Iraq? Is there anything the US can do to contain it?
White House budget proposal slashes and burns President Trump's first budget request is considered dead on arrival in Congress — a familiar development in Capitol Hill. We hear what it reveals about the priorities of the new administration. What's likely to die… and what might survive?
What is Trump's plan for Middle East peace? On his first foreign tour, President Trump has promised "peace" between Israel and the Palestinians. Are there any details for re-starting talks that have been stalled for the past three years?
Ex-FBI Director Comey tells his side of the story Today, former FBI Director James Comey came close to calling the President who fired him a liar. The White House denied the claim and called it insulting, but Republican Senators did not challenge Comey’s truthfulness. Many questions remain: did the President try to obstruct a federal investigation? Later, we’ll go behind the “velvet rope” for a look at 5-Star health care for the richest Americans.