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February 27, 2023
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Elif Selin Calik
While the world is dealing with the first anniversary of the deadly war in Ukraine, the solidarity shown towards Turkish society after its devastating earthquake is one of the...
Published in:
Article,
Asia & Americas,
Azerbaijan,
EU,
Europe & Russia,
Finland,
Greece,
International Organisations,
Middle East,
NATO,
Opinion,
Sweden,
Syria,
Turkey,
Ukraine,
UN
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January 5, 2023
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Elif Selin Calik
In 2022, the biggest energy issue in the Middle East was Organisation of the Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC) oil cut as the world economy entered into a period of...
Published in:
Article,
Asia & Americas,
China,
Coronavirus,
Europe & Russia,
International Organisations,
Iraq,
Middle East,
OPEC,
Opinion,
Russia,
Saudi Arabia,
Ukraine,
US
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December 29, 2022
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Elif Selin Calik
"This century will be, to a large extent, about energy. Energy security is a theme where NATO is in the process of defining its added value. Protection of critical...
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December 24, 2022
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Elif Selin Calik
The year 2022 saw the energy topic return intensely to the attention of media, political leaders and public opinion after Russia's invasion of Ukraine in February. Russia's war has...
Published in:
Article,
Asia & Americas,
EU,
Europe & Russia,
Germany,
International Organisations,
Middle East,
OPEC,
Opinion,
Russia,
Saudi Arabia,
Ukraine,
US
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November 25, 2022
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Elif Selin Calik
For three decades, world leaders at the UN Climate Change Conference (COP) have pledged to cut greenhouse gas emissions and greener energy sources. This year, COP27 finished with an...
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November 2, 2022
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Elif Selin Calik
This week, the International Energy Agency's World Energy Outlook 2022 was published, highlighting the UN Climate change Conference (COP27) and energy transition in the age of the Ukraine war....
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October 17, 2022
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Elif Selin Calik
To produce energy takes ages, but setting up new diplomatic ties, changes day by day. Even 24 hours are too many to follow all these changes in the 21st...
Published in:
Article,
Asia & Americas,
EU,
Europe & Russia,
International Organisations,
Middle East,
Opinion,
Russia,
Saudi Arabia,
Turkey,
Ukraine,
US
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September 30, 2022
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Elif Selin Calik
For the first time in its long history, NATO's unity is under threat as a result of the rift between two of its members; Turkiye and Greece and their...
Published in:
Article,
Asia & Americas,
EU,
Europe & Russia,
Greece,
International Organisations,
NATO,
Opinion,
Russia,
Turkey,
Ukraine,
UN,
US
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September 13, 2022
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Elif Selin Calik
The United Kingdom's Queen Elizabeth II died last Thursday, aged 96. The flowers for her funeral will apparently be shipped from Turkiye. This is not as unusual as it...
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August 30, 2022
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Elif Selin Calik
After NATO countries, African countries are also knocking at the door of Turkiye for collaboration with the defence industry. With Turkiye's Bayraktar TB2 Drone, Turkiye has been experiencing high...
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August 12, 2022
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Elif Selin Calik
At least 12 million people have fled their homes since Russia's invasion of Ukraine, the UN has confirmed. More than five million are refugees in neighbouring countries, while seven...
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August 4, 2022
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Elif Selin Calik
As I highlight in my newly published book "The Renaissance of Smart Energy", the Middle East region is more than the Syrian war or visits to Dubai for super-posh...
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July 22, 2022
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Elif Selin Calik
Europe is grappling with an unprecedented energy crisis. And its options are few and far between. However, Africa has emerged as, perhaps, the most viable alternative source of energy....
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Despite the many political crises that plague the Middle East, the region still has the capacity to become energy independent. The East Mediterranean Gas Forum formed by Cyprus, Egypt,...
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June 14, 2022
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Elif Selin Calik
Reacting to the ongoing tension within NATO after Sweden and Finland applied to join the alliance, Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg has said that it is important to note that...
Published in:
Article,
Asia & Americas,
Europe & Russia,
Finland,
International Organisations,
Middle East,
NATO,
Opinion,
Russia,
Sweden,
Syria,
Turkey,
Ukraine,
US
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The main takeaway from this year's Davos conference was best expressed by the US Vermont independent senator and former presidential candidate, Bernie Sanders when he said; "The oligarchs party...
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In Turkey, the release of the short film, "Silent Invasion", which was commissioned by the Head of one of the opposition parties, the Victory Party, Umit Ozdag, circulated widely...
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April 26, 2022
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Elif Selin Calik
After nine Turkish activists were killed by Israeli commandos who boarded Turkey's humanitarian ship the MV Mavi Marmara in 2010 in international waters (a tenth activist died of his...
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April 11, 2022
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Elif Selin Calik
The ongoing war in Ukraine has prompted the UK to set up a new energy security plan for energy independence from Russia. Last week, the Johnson Government announced an...
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March 30, 2022
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Elif Selin Calik
Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelenskyy made a surprise video appearance at Qatar's Doha Forum last Saturday, stressing the need for the energy-rich nation and others to shift their production from...
-
March 11, 2022
|
Elif Selin Calik
On 5 March 1992, Aida woke up to bombing and shooting as the Serbian army opened fire from the iconic Holiday Inn Hotel and killed two women protesting on...
-
February 26, 2022
|
Elif Selin Calik
Did Germany's "unofficial" Russia policy help prepare the ground for Russia's invasion of Ukraine? Putting aside the Nord Stream 2 agreement between Germany and Russia, there were other important...
-
February 14, 2022
|
Elif Selin Calik
While Europe has been witnessing the severe consequences of its refugee crisis for more than a decade, anti-migrant politicians have been fuelling tensions with their hate-filled rhetoric. Life for...
-
February 5, 2022
|
Elif Selin Calik
Any war scenario between Ukraine and Russia would undoubtedly imperil European energy security. Existing energy supplies in the region are still not enough, filling only 38 per cent of...
-
January 29, 2022
|
Elif Selin Calik
Turkey's military-industrial partners are on the verge of war. The war scenario between Russia and Ukraine is testing Turkey's balancing policy, especially in the defence industry. Both countries are...
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January 7, 2022
|
Elif Selin Calik
When assessing Turkey's military involvement over the past few years – including in Syria, Libya and the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict – one thing must be highlighted: the significant capabilities of...
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December 25, 2021
|
Elif Selin Calik
The last quarter of 2021 has witnessed Egypt striking a deal with Lebanon to export natural gas to the country in the first quarter of 2022. The first time...
Published in:
Africa,
Article,
Asia & Americas,
Egypt,
Europe & Russia,
Greece,
Israel,
Lebanon,
Libya,
Middle East,
Opinion,
US
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December 18, 2021
|
Elif Selin Calik
India's government has this week decided to close Srinagar's Grand Mosque in Indian-administered Kashmir. This act is the latest of a two-year campaign of repression by the Indian authorities...
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December 11, 2021
|
Elif Selin Calik
Rohingya refugees and victims are suing Facebook for $150 billion. They allege that Facebook played a key role in the brutal crackdown against Muslims in Myanmar by promoting anti-Rohingya...
-
December 3, 2021
|
Elif Selin Calik
After gas shortages in the UK have led to soaring high prices, Qatar eyes an opportunity to strengthen ties with the UK in terms of gas supply. It is...
-
November 26, 2021
|
Elif Selin Calik
The current currency crisis in Turkey has led many citizens to demonstrate against the AK Party government over the past couple of days. Before analysing the crisis, it is...
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October 29, 2021
|
Elif Selin Calik
Ten months after the Biden administration took office and Turkey has begun to reset its relations with key US allies in the Middle East. They include Israel, Egypt and...
Published in:
Article,
Asia & Americas,
Europe & Russia,
International Organisations,
Middle East,
NATO,
Opinion,
Russia,
Syria,
Turkey,
US
![Search and rescue works continue after 5.6 magnitude earthquake hits Malatya [Selami Küçükoğlu / Anadolu Agency]](https://i0.wp.com/www.middleeastmonitor.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/02/img1-1-36.jpg?resize=500%2C333&quality=85&strip=all&zoom=1&ssl=1)
While the world is dealing with the first anniversary of the deadly war in Ukraine, the solidarity shown towards Turkish society after its devastating earthquake is one of the...
In 2022, the biggest energy issue in the Middle East was Organisation of the Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC) oil cut as the world economy entered into a period of...
"This century will be, to a large extent, about energy. Energy security is a theme where NATO is in the process of defining its added value. Protection of critical...![Signs which read "out of order" is pictured on gasoline pumps at a TotalEnergies gas station in Versailles near Paris, France. [Mustafa Yalcin - Anadolu Agency]](https://i0.wp.com/www.middleeastmonitor.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/10/AA-20221010-29120542-29120541-FRENCH_PETROL_STATIONS_FUEL_SHORTAGES-1.jpg?resize=500%2C333&quality=85&strip=all&zoom=1&ssl=1)
The year 2022 saw the energy topic return intensely to the attention of media, political leaders and public opinion after Russia's invasion of Ukraine in February. Russia's war has...![US President Joe Biden leaves after delivers a speech during the 2022 United Nations Climate Change Conference, more commonly known as COP27, at the Sharm El Sheikh International Convention Centre, in Egypt's Red Sea resort of Sharm El Sheikh, Egypt on November 11, 2022. [ Mohamed Abdel Hamid - Anadolu Agency]](https://i0.wp.com/www.middleeastmonitor.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/11/AA-20221111-29417241-29417240-US_PRESIDENT_JOE_BIDEN_IN_EGYPT-scaled.jpg?resize=500%2C333&quality=85&strip=all&zoom=1&ssl=1)
For three decades, world leaders at the UN Climate Change Conference (COP) have pledged to cut greenhouse gas emissions and greener energy sources. This year, COP27 finished with an...![International Energy Agency's (IEA) Executive Director Fatih Birol on December 20, 2019 in Istanbul, Turkey [Celal Güneş/Anadolu Agency]](https://i0.wp.com/www.middleeastmonitor.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/12/20191220_2_39936346_50520752.jpg?resize=500%2C333&quality=85&strip=all&zoom=1&ssl=1)
This week, the International Energy Agency's World Energy Outlook 2022 was published, highlighting the UN Climate change Conference (COP27) and energy transition in the age of the Ukraine war....![President of Turkey Recep Tayyip Erdogan (L) and President of Russia Vladimir Putin (R) in Moscow, Russia on 5 March 2020 [Sefa Karacan/Anadolu Agency]](https://i0.wp.com/www.middleeastmonitor.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/03/20200305_2_41209989_52809304.jpg?resize=500%2C333&quality=85&strip=all&zoom=1&ssl=1)
To produce energy takes ages, but setting up new diplomatic ties, changes day by day. Even 24 hours are too many to follow all these changes in the 21st...![A photo shows a view of the Greek deployment of armored vehicles on the Aegean islands with non-military status in violation of the international law, recorded by the Turkish Armed Forces drones at Aegean Sea, Unspecified on September 18, 2022. [Turkish National Defense Ministry - Anadolu Agency]](https://i0.wp.com/www.middleeastmonitor.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/09/AA-20220925-28985543-28985542-FOOTAGE_SHOWS_GREECES_UNLAWFUL_DEPLOYMENT_OF_ARMORED_VEHICLES_ON_AEGEAN_ISLANDS.jpg?resize=500%2C333&quality=85&strip=all&zoom=1&ssl=1)
For the first time in its long history, NATO's unity is under threat as a result of the rift between two of its members; Turkiye and Greece and their...![Queen Elizabeth II of Britain writes in the visitor's book at Kabatas school in Istanbul on May 15, 2008 [MUSTAFA OZER/AFP via Getty Images]](https://i0.wp.com/www.middleeastmonitor.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/09/GettyImages-1237735207-e1663078640808.jpg?resize=500%2C333&quality=85&strip=all&zoom=1&ssl=1)
The United Kingdom's Queen Elizabeth II died last Thursday, aged 96. The flowers for her funeral will apparently be shipped from Turkiye. This is not as unusual as it...![7 Bayraktar Akinci unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV), are brought together as a fleet at Flight Training and Test Center in Istanbul, Turkiye on July 05, 2022. [BAYKAR - Anadolu Agency]](https://i0.wp.com/www.middleeastmonitor.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/07/AA-20220709-28379124-28379117-BAYRAKTAR_AKINCI_FLEET_ON_DISPLAY_IN_ISTANBUL.jpg?resize=500%2C333&quality=85&strip=all&zoom=1&ssl=1)
After NATO countries, African countries are also knocking at the door of Turkiye for collaboration with the defence industry. With Turkiye's Bayraktar TB2 Drone, Turkiye has been experiencing high...
At least 12 million people have fled their homes since Russia's invasion of Ukraine, the UN has confirmed. More than five million are refugees in neighbouring countries, while seven...![A picture taken on February 25, 2018, shows solar panels [JAAFAR ASHTIYEH/AFP via Getty Images]](https://i0.wp.com/www.middleeastmonitor.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/06/GettyImages-924051728.jpg?resize=500%2C333&quality=85&strip=all&zoom=1&ssl=1)
As I highlight in my newly published book "The Renaissance of Smart Energy", the Middle East region is more than the Syrian war or visits to Dubai for super-posh...![A view from a Shell gas station in Moscow, Russia on March 08, 2022. [Pavel Pavlov - Anadolu Agency]](https://i0.wp.com/www.middleeastmonitor.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/03/20220308_2_52517504_74451380.jpg?resize=500%2C333&quality=85&strip=all&zoom=1&ssl=1)
Europe is grappling with an unprecedented energy crisis. And its options are few and far between. However, Africa has emerged as, perhaps, the most viable alternative source of energy....![A view from a Shell gas station in Moscow, Russia on 8 March 2022 [Pavel Pavlov/Anadolu Agency]](https://i0.wp.com/www.middleeastmonitor.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/03/20220308_2_52517504_74451369.jpg?resize=500%2C333&quality=85&strip=all&zoom=1&ssl=1)
Despite the many political crises that plague the Middle East, the region still has the capacity to become energy independent. The East Mediterranean Gas Forum formed by Cyprus, Egypt,...![Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu (R) and NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg (L) hold a joint press conference after their meeting at the Foreign Ministry building in Ankara, Turkey on October 05, 2020. [Fatih Aktaş - Anadolu Agency]](https://i0.wp.com/www.middleeastmonitor.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/10/20201005_2_44680701_58652584.jpg?resize=500%2C333&quality=85&strip=all&zoom=1&ssl=1)
Reacting to the ongoing tension within NATO after Sweden and Finland applied to join the alliance, Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg has said that it is important to note that...![German Chancellor Olaf Scholz (R) stands next to Founder and executive chairman of the World Economic Forum Klaus Schwab at the World Economic Forum (WEF) annual meeting in Davos on May 26, 2022 [FABRICE COFFRINI/AFP via Getty Images]](https://i0.wp.com/www.middleeastmonitor.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/05/GettyImages-1240912578-scaled-e1653664660150.jpg?resize=500%2C333&quality=85&strip=all&zoom=1&ssl=1)
The main takeaway from this year's Davos conference was best expressed by the US Vermont independent senator and former presidential candidate, Bernie Sanders when he said; "The oligarchs party...![Syrians outside their makeshift tents in Turkey on 18 January 2021 [Metin Aktaş/Anadolu Agency]](https://i0.wp.com/www.middleeastmonitor.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/01/Nassima-20210129_2_46609867_62030723.jpg?resize=500%2C333&quality=85&strip=all&zoom=1&ssl=1)
In Turkey, the release of the short film, "Silent Invasion", which was commissioned by the Head of one of the opposition parties, the Victory Party, Umit Ozdag, circulated widely...![Palestinians lift placards during a rally demanding international support for Palestinians against Israel similarly to that shown for Ukrainians against Russia on March 7, 2022 [SAID KHATIB/AFP via Getty Images]](https://i0.wp.com/www.middleeastmonitor.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/04/GettyImages-1239001535-scaled-e1650708802919.jpg?resize=500%2C333&quality=85&strip=all&zoom=1&ssl=1)
After nine Turkish activists were killed by Israeli commandos who boarded Turkey's humanitarian ship the MV Mavi Marmara in 2010 in international waters (a tenth activist died of his...![UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson (L) is welcomed by Mohammed bin Salman, Crown Prince of Saudi Arabia, in Riyadh on 16 March 2022 [Stefan Rousseau - Pool/Getty Images]](https://i0.wp.com/www.middleeastmonitor.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/04/Boris-Johnson-saudi-.jpg?resize=500%2C333&quality=85&strip=all&zoom=1&ssl=1)
The ongoing war in Ukraine has prompted the UK to set up a new energy security plan for energy independence from Russia. Last week, the Johnson Government announced an...![A view from a Shell gas station in Moscow, Russia on 8 March 2022 [Pavel Pavlov/Anadolu Agency]](https://i0.wp.com/www.middleeastmonitor.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/03/20220308_2_52517504_74451375.jpg?resize=500%2C333&quality=85&strip=all&zoom=1&ssl=1)
Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelenskyy made a surprise video appearance at Qatar's Doha Forum last Saturday, stressing the need for the energy-rich nation and others to shift their production from...![Passengers depart the railway station after disembarking trains from the east on March 11, 2022 in Lviv, Ukraine [Dan Kitwood/Getty Images]](https://i0.wp.com/www.middleeastmonitor.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/03/GettyImages-1384228489-scaled-e1647008373730.jpg?resize=500%2C333&quality=85&strip=all&zoom=1&ssl=1)
On 5 March 1992, Aida woke up to bombing and shooting as the Serbian army opened fire from the iconic Holiday Inn Hotel and killed two women protesting on...![Firefighters seen outside a damaged apartment building in Kyiv which was hit by shelling during Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, on February 26, 2022 [Aytaç Ünal / Anadolu Agency]](https://i0.wp.com/www.middleeastmonitor.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/02/20220226_2_52346582_74067183-scaled-e1645879274887.jpg?resize=500%2C333&quality=85&strip=all&zoom=1&ssl=1)
Did Germany's "unofficial" Russia policy help prepare the ground for Russia's invasion of Ukraine? Putting aside the Nord Stream 2 agreement between Germany and Russia, there were other important...
While Europe has been witnessing the severe consequences of its refugee crisis for more than a decade, anti-migrant politicians have been fuelling tensions with their hate-filled rhetoric. Life for...![A view of the South Pars gas field facilities near the southern Iranian town of Kangan on the shore of the Gulf on January 22, 2014. South Pars, a huge offshore natural gas field shared between Iran and Qatar [BEHROUZ MEHRI / AFP via Getty Images]](https://i0.wp.com/www.middleeastmonitor.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/02/GettyImages-464367789-scaled-e1644059016590.jpg?resize=500%2C333&quality=85&strip=all&zoom=1&ssl=1)
Any war scenario between Ukraine and Russia would undoubtedly imperil European energy security. Existing energy supplies in the region are still not enough, filling only 38 per cent of...![Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan on 17 January 2022 [Erçin Ertürk/Anadolu Agency]](https://i0.wp.com/www.middleeastmonitor.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/01/20220117_2_51761851_72620220.jpg?resize=500%2C333&quality=85&strip=all&zoom=1&ssl=1)
Turkey's military-industrial partners are on the verge of war. The war scenario between Russia and Ukraine is testing Turkey's balancing policy, especially in the defence industry. Both countries are...![The Turkish-made Bayraktar TB2 drone on December 16, 2019 at Gecitkale military airbase [BIROL BEBEK/AFP via Getty Images]](https://i0.wp.com/www.middleeastmonitor.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/05/GettyImages-1189027354-scaled-e1621764403250.jpg?resize=500%2C333&quality=85&strip=all&zoom=1&ssl=1)
When assessing Turkey's military involvement over the past few years – including in Syria, Libya and the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict – one thing must be highlighted: the significant capabilities of...![A view of the platform of the Leviathan natural gas field in the Mediterranean Sea is pictured from the Israeli northern coastal city of Caesarea on 19 December, 2019 [JACK GUEZ/AFP via Getty Images]](https://i0.wp.com/www.middleeastmonitor.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/02/GettyImages-1189630481.jpg?resize=500%2C333&quality=85&strip=all&zoom=1&ssl=1)
The last quarter of 2021 has witnessed Egypt striking a deal with Lebanon to export natural gas to the country in the first quarter of 2022. The first time...
India's government has this week decided to close Srinagar's Grand Mosque in Indian-administered Kashmir. This act is the latest of a two-year campaign of repression by the Indian authorities...![Rohingya refugees hold a demonstration outside United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) office in Jakarta, Indonesia on November 26, 2021 [Eko Siswono Toyudho/Anadolu Agency]](https://i0.wp.com/www.middleeastmonitor.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/11/20211126_2_51057095_71057580.jpg?resize=500%2C333&quality=85&strip=all&zoom=1&ssl=1)
Rohingya refugees and victims are suing Facebook for $150 billion. They allege that Facebook played a key role in the brutal crackdown against Muslims in Myanmar by promoting anti-Rohingya...![Qatar's production of liquefied natural gas and gas-to-liquid, administrated by Qatar Petroleum in Doha, on 6 February 2017 [KARIM JAAFAR/AFP/Getty Images]](https://i0.wp.com/www.middleeastmonitor.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/03/Petroleum-in-Qatar.jpg?resize=500%2C333&quality=85&strip=all&zoom=1&ssl=1)
After gas shortages in the UK have led to soaring high prices, Qatar eyes an opportunity to strengthen ties with the UK in terms of gas supply. It is...![Pedestrians walk at Mahmutpasa district, one of Istanbul's biggest textile shopping centre, near Grand Bazaar in Istanbul on 24 November 2021. [OZAN KOSE/AFP via Getty Images]](https://i0.wp.com/www.middleeastmonitor.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/11/GettyImages-1236766625.jpg?resize=500%2C333&quality=85&strip=all&zoom=1&ssl=1)
The current currency crisis in Turkey has led many citizens to demonstrate against the AK Party government over the past couple of days. Before analysing the crisis, it is...