America Lost the Iraq War. These Cables Show How.
A newly released trove of Iranian intelligence communiqués demonstrates the deeper folly of U.S. adventurism in the Middle East.
Turkey
What Did Turkey Know About Baghdadi’s Hideout?
The U.S. didn't give its NATO ally many advance details on the raid that killed the ISIS leader. There may be a good reason why.
The Syria Withdrawal’s Other Victims
While coverage has focused on the plight of Kurds, more Syrian locals and NGO workers face arrest and torture in the vacuum Trump created.
Why Are U.S. Nuclear Bombs Still in Turkey?
The best time to get atomic weapons out was several years ago. The second best time is now.
The Madman Has No Clothes
Since Nixon, presidential pundits and sycophants have tried to rationalize executive insanity. But no one was prepared for Trump’s Syria madness.
America Is Screwing the Kurds Yet Again
Trump's withdrawal from Syria is consistent with his predecessors' treatment of the ethnic minority as a geopolitical pawn.
The Power Struggles Behind Khashoggi’s Disappearance
Why would the Saudi crown prince want the journalist dead?
Welcome to the New U.S.–Turkish Relationship
The Trump administration is feuding with Erdogan's government over American pastor Andrew Brunson. But behind the particulars of this case, there's also a new geopolitical reality to reckon with.
What a Soccer Scandal Says About Dog-Whistle Politics
The resignation of German soccer star Mesut Özil isn't just about racism in the soccer establishment. It's a case study in how Western countries talk about immigration and identity.
The Coalition to Stop Erdogan
In an election that will give its winner unprecedented powers, Turkey's formerly weak opposition has banded together, using the authoritarian president's own tools against him.
Why Do-Gooders Love Development Statistics
Sure: dictators do, too. But development stats, properly weighted, can be a tool for change.
Understanding Authoritarianism Through Soccer
Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan was once an athlete. Now, he uses sport for his own purposes—even as fans use it to express dissent.
A New Deal for Day Care
Can America change the way it takes care of kids?
“What Difference Is Trump for Us?”
How politics and culture in America look from Istanbul today
India’s Murderous Turn From Democracy
What the killing of journalist Gauri Lankesh tells us about dissent in the Narendra Modi era.
Donald Trump Can Do a Lot With the “Deep State”
Even if the deep state isn't real, the idea of one could do real damage.
Walking Dully Along: A Dispatch From Istanbul
How mundanity reasserts itself after a terrorist attack. And another. And another.
This Is the Photograph of the Year
Burhan Ozbilici's photo of the assassination of Andrey Karlov captures our unraveling moment.
What Turkey’s Coup Sounded Like
An ethnomusicologist on the unusual combination of violence and prayer.
