The COVID-19 outbreak has shaken the health and the wealth of every nation on earth, and the Middle East is no exception. The pandemic is spreading like wildfire in terms of the number of infected, economic losses and death tolls. Two month after the first case of infection was made public in the region, the number of confirmed cases, in ...
The outbreak which began at the end of 2019 in Central China (in the Hubei province) has now spread to more than 160 countries and was recognized as a pandemic by the World Health Organization on March 11, 2020. In the Middle East, Iran became the epicenter of this new virus and started a chain reaction spreading COVID-19 to most ...
The International Monetary Fund recently warned that the fortunes of the Gulf countries might disappear within 15 years given the decline in global demand for oil and low prices. This warning, mentioned in a study by the International Corporation on “the future of oil and financial sustainability” is a shock that could drive these countries to accelerate their reforms and ...
Europe: Sinn Féin’s victory in Ireland Parliamentary elections were held in Ireland on February 8. For the first time in the history of the country, the left nationalist Sinn Féin party received the largest number of votes – 24.5%. Fine Gael and Fianna Fáil, the two parties which had long replaced one another in power, both fell behind. The results ...
Europe Brexit: the new dawn On January 31, 2019, Great Britain officially left the EU. Earlier, the relevant law was passed by parliament and signed by Queen Elizabeth. A transitional period will last throughout the year, after which London will finally break its last ties with the European Union. London will reestablish its foreign policy after leaving the EU within ...
The new year has begun with natural disasters, epidemics, continuous street riots and ever-deepening international conflicts. It seems like everyday we hear new depressing news from somewhere in the world. We hear about the forest fires in Australia in the morning, an epidemic in China at noon and head to bed worried about the rumors of a new US attack ...
The main cause of the dramatic shifts in the Eastern Mediterranean and Middle East Interview with Assoc. Prof. Volkan Özdemir, Director of ATA Platform (www.ataplatform.org) Tectonic changes in the international system have been taking place across the Middle East and this intense period of transition is showing no signs of slowing down. Thanks to shifts in economic wealth from the Atlantic to ...
What further developments will we see in the Middle East in the wake of the assassination of Qassem Soleimani? How will Iran respond, and how should Turkey relate to the killing? “The US plan has two phases: 1. To provoke Iran and Sunni Arab countries against each other… 2. To force clashes between Arab countries, especially Egypt and Turkey, through ...
Europe: a populist surge In 2019, the rise of populism in Europe continued apace. France’s Yellow Vest protesters returned to the streets throughout the year, turning from a fight against increased gasoline prices to a mass movement against the neoliberal policies of President Emmanuel Macron. The protests also inspired people abroad, expanding into other countries’ throughout Europe (Germany, Belgium, the ...
Vladimir Putin made his way to Saudi Arabia twelve years after his first trip to Saudi Arabia. In recent years, Russia has been able to improve its economy by not only utilizing energy exports, but also gradually increasing its power resources, demanding a greater role in regional and global equations. Foreign Minister Adel al-Jabir says in the shadow of Saudi ...