Who Threatens Turkey's Christians? Mustafa Akyol writes that the "Islamic-oriented" AKP government has been friendlier to Turkey's Christian communities that its secular and more nationalistic predecessors. By Mustafa Akyol
EU Trade Sustains Israeli Settlements in West Bank Despite the EU's outspoken criticism of Israeli settlements in the West Bank, imports from settlements are actually entrenching their existence, Dalia Hatuqa reports from the West Bank. By Dalia Hatuqa
Can Ocalan Rein In the PKK? Any agreement between Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan and PKK Leader Abdullah Ocalan on the Kurdish issues will be complicated by Turkey’s policies toward Syria and Iraq, writes Denise Natali. By Denise Natali
Iraqi Parliament Struggles to Ratify Budget Amid Political Crisis As political and sectarian crises escalate in Iraq, the country’s parliament is struggling to reach an agreement over this year’s budget, writes Omar al-Shaher. By Omar al-Shaher
Proposed Sudan Media Law Targets Press Freedom A newly proposed media law is a setback for press freedom in Sudan, Reem Abbas reports from Khartoum. By Reem Abbas
US ‘Public Diplomacy’ Funded By Private US Companies Cash-short State Department gets private money to fund outreach to Middle East youth. By Barbara Slavin
Syria and the Lebanon Model Nassif Hitti asks whether the "Lebanon model," which breeds fragile and sectarian democracies, is suited for Syria. By Nassif Hitti
Kurdish Women in Turkey Struggle for Rights Kurdish women struggle for their rights as both Kurds and women in Turkey, writes Sibel Utku Bila. By Sibel Utku Bila
Bibi’s Choice After Election Will Set Course for Israel Assuming Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu comes out on top in next week’s elections, his choice about who to include in the governing coalition will affect Israel for years to come, writes Shai Feldman. By Shai Feldman
Flooding Brings Misery For West Bank Residents Recent flooding has led to frustration among West Bank residents with poor planning and services provided by Palestinian Authority, writes Linah Alsaafin. By Linah Alsaafin
Syrian Refugees in Lebanon Try to Keep Hope Nasser Chararah reports on a young Syrian couple in Beirut who have fled from the conflict in Syria and, despite the tough conditions, maintain optimism that they will one day return. By Nasser Chararah
Salafists Vow to Fight Until There Is 'Islamic State in Syria' In a rare interview, an Ahrar al-Shams fighter tells Al-Monitor that the goal of his Salafi group is to establish an Islamic state in Syria and that "We will not let go until we achieve our goal." He explained that most of his comrades “don’t know anything” about the external Syrian opposition, and that he believes Turkey is profiting from the war. By Tulin Daloglu
Paris Killings Highlight Kurdish, Regional Issues for Turkey The murders of three PKK activists in Paris highlight the centrality of the Kurdish issues in Turkey, Iraq and Syria, writes Cengiz Candar. By Cengiz Candar
What Next for PUK, Iraqi Kurdistan? Iraqi Kurdish leaders are holding intensive meetings to address Iraqi Kurdish politics in the absence of Iraqi President Jalal Talabani, writes Abdel Hamid Zebari. By Abdel Hamid Zebari
Iraqi Protests Escalate, Enter Third Week As anti-Maliki protests in Iraq enter their third week, the demonstrations are increasing in size, and all sides are urging calm and restraint, writes Ali Abel Sadah. By Ali Abel Sadah
Israeli Security Sources Anticipate Third Intifada As the deadlock in negotiations between Israelis and Palestinians persists, the signs of a popular uprising in the West Bank can already be sensed, writes Reuven Pedatzur. By Reuven Pedatzur