Green Room #2 Interview with the Greek Ombudsman on his latest report on alleged pushbacks Published: 24 June 2021 Event recording Neda Noraie-Kia, Head of Migration Policy Europe at Heinrich-Böll-Stiftung Thessaloniki office, talked to the Greek Ombudsman, Mr. Andreas I. Pottakis, about his latest report on alleged pushbacks to Turkey of foreign nationals who had arrived in Greece in search for international protection. He raises serious concerns regarding the level of the protection of human rights in Greece and suggest investigation by the Greek police, but also EU policies in order to improve the transparency of the EU border and coast guard agency’s (FRONTEX). By Neda Noraie-Kia
Friends with(out) benefits? The US-Turkey relationship put to the test at the NATO Summit Published: 18 June 2021 Analysis In the age of Tinder, a so-called friend with benefits is defined not so much by the friendship between the partners, but by the fact that they get all the benefits of a romantic relationship without having to be in one. But the relationship between Ankara and Washington, which has cooled off considerably in recent years, has evolved into a partnership in which both sides regularly and openly express doubt as to whether it even is a partnership and whether there are any benefits to it at all. By Kristian Brakel
Old wine in new bottles? Monitoring the debate on the New EU Pact on Migration and Asylum Published: 16 June 2021 Analysis This article outlines the main features of the New EU Pact on Migration and Asylum, and describes the context in which the proposal has been drafted. Some of the initial critical comments made by different stakeholders will be further highlighted, to draw some preliminary conclusions. By Christopher Hein
Covid-19 vaccine access in the South Caucasus Published: 14 June 2021 Study After the first cases of COVID-19 were detected in Armenia, Azerbaijan, and Georgia last spring, the three countries embarked on very different courses of action to tackle the virus. While Georgia moved to quickly close its borders and initiated a strict lockdown, Armenia and Azerbaijan were slower to respond, though both eventually instituted lockdowns of their own. Over the last year, other events in the region have overshadowed the pandemic to some extent. By Ani Avetisyan , Hamida Giyasbayli and Shota Kincha
In the wake of the Lukashenko regime’s aircraft diversion: “We must draw red lines and defend them consistently” Published: 3 June 2021 Interview Eva van de Rakt, Director of the Heinrich-Böll-Stiftung European Union office in Brussels, was in conversation with MEP Viola von Cramon-Taubadel (Greens/EFA Group) about the Ryanair plane forced by the Lukashenko regime to land in Belarus and the lessons the EU must learn from this. By Eva van de Rakt
What Would The Human Rights Action Plan Do? Published: 14 April 2021 Analysis The Human Rights Action Plan revealed by Turkish Pres. Recep Tayyip Erdoğan makes bold claims of progress in human rights, freedom of expression, freedom the press and judicial independence. Here an analysis of what the action plan promise us By Alican Uludağ
Roadmap to nowhere - How the EU is gambling its last shred of credibility in Turkey policy Published: 6 April 2021 Commentary The EU’s positive agenda in its Turkey policy is based on wrong assumptions where Europe’s strategic interests lie. By Kristian Brakel
10 years "Arab Spring" Published: 16 March 2021 Dossier To mark the occasion, we will be publishing a series of literary essays by authors from the region over the next few weeks. The contributions reflect what the protagonists hoped for and how they look today at what they have achieved, a kind of "look back to the future". They make clear how important the personal confrontations are in order to develop political alternatives.
Giving up has no future: Ten years and three stories of the 2011 Arab Spring uprisings Published: 10 March 2021 Feature It’s a decade since democratic protests began in the Middle East and North Africa and still for many activists the fight against authoritarian regimes and in pursuit of dignity and political reform is far from over. In fact, it’s quite the opposite. Three stories from Egypt, Syria and Tunisia illustrate how the revolutions in these countries are still a work in progress – in spite of violent repercussions and the all-round terrible toll they have taken. By Mohamed Amjahid and Diala Brisly
Georgia: trapped in a spiral of escalation Published: 9 March 2021 Commentary Georgia has been unable to find peace since the parliamentary elections in October 2020. The resignation of Prime Minister Giorgi Gakharia, respected for his handling of the coronavirus pandemic, in conjunction with the imprisonment of opposition leader Nika Melia on 23 February 2021, is merely another low point in this trend. The egotism of the neoliberal political elite favours informal structures leading to a creeping "Russification" of the country. By Dr. Stefan Meister