Democracy & Reform

Bashar al-Assad's June 20 speech at Damascus University was another disappointing attempt to quell three months of antiregime protests sweeping Syria.

For almost two generations, major parts of academe have been alienated from America's exercise of power due to entrenched ideological differences with the federal government. Following President Obama's election, however, signs of a remarkable shift emerged, with more academics serving in policy positions, huddling with top officials behind closed doors

An Interview by Bernard Gwertzman, CFR.org The Obama administration believes that the regime of President Bashar al-Assad of Syria is now in a "downward trajectory" because of the violence against its own people and the failure to undertake reforms, says Andrew J. Tabler, a former journalist in Syria. But the

Washington, Ankara, and others should pay close attention to the Syrian refugees flowing into Turkey given their potential impact on the region.

Islamist parties can moderate their platforms, but only with free elections and the checks of an independent media and strong opposition parties.

On June 10, 2011, Robert Wexler and Soner Cagaptay addressed a Policy Forum at The Washington Institute, moderated by Institute managing director Michael Singh. Mr. Wexler is a former seven-term congressman as well as cofounder and former cochair of the Congressional Caucus on Turkey and Turkish Americans. Dr. Cagaptay is

This Sunday, Turks go to the polls for parliamentary elections that will determine their next government. The ruling Justice and Development Party (AKP) is predicted to win for the third consecutive time since 2002, extending its mandate into 2016 and making it the longest-ruling faction in Turkey's seven-decade history as

Is Hosni Mubarak's trial a necessary step toward democratic reconciliation, or does it raise risks of more anarchy and a violent military crackdown?

The wounding of Yemeni president Ali Saleh during a June 3 attack on his Sana palace compound will likely lead to regime change in his troubled country.