List of Balkans articles
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Yeliz Guzel practices her musical instrument, the baglama—a kind of lute, in her one-room apartment in Mersin, Turkey, on Nov. 23, 2020. Singing for Inclusivity in Turkey
Yeliz Guzel’s pride choir brought LGBTQ Turks together—but left her ostracized.
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People gesture and wave former flags of Iran as they protest outside the Antwerp criminal court during the trial of four persons including an Iranian diplomate and Belgian-Iranian couple in Antwerp, on February 4, 2021. Iranians Are Trapped in a Sunni-Shiite Détente
Dissidents seeking refuge in Turkey are getting sacrificed to a newfound friendship between Tehran and Ankara.
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Turkish plain clothed police officers hold a group of protesters during a demonstration in support of Bogazici University students in front of Istanbul's courthouse, on Feb. 11. The High Stakes of Turkey’s University Protests
The Erdogan regime has gotten used to controlling the country’s social institutions, but university students have had enough.
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A demonstrator dressed as Saudi Arabian Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman with blood on his hands Autocrats Increasingly Quashing Dissent Beyond Their Own Borders
Freedom House says transnational repression is on the rise—led by China, Saudi Arabia, and Russia.
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The Turkish drilling vessel Kanuni arrives for mechanical operations at Haydarpasa Port in Istanbul on Oct. 19, 2020. What Erdogan Really Wants in the Eastern Mediterranean
Turkey’s adventures abroad are about more than hydrocarbons. They’re a bold and expensive attempt at geopolitical revisionism.
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U.S. President Donald Trump and Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan Trump’s Inexplicable Crusade to Help Iran Evade Sanctions
The U.S. president never could grasp that shielding Turkey’s Halkbank for Erdogan would make Iranian sanctions evasion easier.
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Joe Biden attends a meeting with President Recep Tayyip Erdogan of Turkey on the sidelines of the nuclear summit in Washington on March 31, 2016. Biden and Erdogan Are Trapped in a Double Fantasy
Why Washington and Ankara don’t get each other at all—and need each other anyway.
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A woman walks in front of electoral posters of the ruling Social Democratic Union of Macedonia party in Skopje, North Macedonia, on July 14, 2020. Flawed Cybersecurity Is a Ticking Time Bomb for the Balkans
Cyberattacks in North Macedonia, Bulgaria, Greece, and Turkey reveal that government defenses are weak—and many NATO members are at risk.
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Supporters and employees of Philippine broadcast network ABS-CBN protest against government attacks on press freedom, in Manila on Feb. 21, 2020. How Press Freedom Came Under Attack in 2020
Citizens hungry for information turned to the media during the pandemic, but governments around the world used the crisis to restrict journalists.
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Members of the Somali military watch as firefighters work to extinguish a blaze after a car bomb exploded in Mogadishu on Jan. 29, 2019. 10 Conflicts to Watch in 2021
The world in 2021 will be haunted by the legacies of 2020: an ongoing pandemic, an economic crisis, Donald Trump’s divisive presidency—and new threats emanating from wars and climate change.
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Sailors standing on the deck of a warship at a parade during the Turkish International Ceremony at Mehmetcik Abidesi Martyrs Memorial near Seddulbahir Turkey on April 24, 2015. Turkey’s Year of Living Dangerously
Turkey took its expansionist vision to new heights in 2020—but with a battered economy, growing opposition, and now U.S. sanctions, it’s not clear how long that can continue.
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U.S. Vice President Joe Biden speaks as prime minister of Turkey Recep Tayyip Erdogan looks on during a luncheon at the State Department in Washington, DC on May 16, 2013 It Is Time to Let Turkey Go
It might be the best way to repair ties in the long run.
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Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan and U.S. President Donald Trump U.S. Set to Finally Sanction Turkey for Buying Russian Arms
Trump has long refused to penalize Ankara for acquiring advanced Russian air defense systems, but Congress is forcing his hand.
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An elderly woman waves to a volunteer during Christian Orthodox Easter celebration in Bucharest, Romania, on April 18. Western Europe Is Losing Its Immigrants
Eastern Europeans are returning home in droves. Here’s what that means for Eastern Europe’s economies—and the European Union.
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Supporters of Ersin Tatar celebrate his win in the presidential election in the northern part of Nicosia, the capital of the self-proclaimed Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus. Biden Faces Troubled Eastern Mediterranean Waters
Greeks and Greek Cypriots are hoping for stronger U.S. support in their disputes with Turkey. But that may not be the president-elect’s greatest priority.