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| Turkish PM Erdogan wants to be a peacemaker (Photo courtesy of Turkey's Office of the Prime Minister) |
Turkey: Can Ankara Promote Rapprochement Between the United States and Iran?
BY YIGAL SCHLEIFER
Hoping to build on its growing relations with Iran and its traditional alliance with the United States, Turkey recently offered its services as a mediator between the two countries. Analysts in Turkey say Ankara’s offer, though sincere, may be a tough sell in both Washington and Tehran.
Helsinki Commission Hears Gloomy Predictions For Turkmen Election
BY HEATHER MAHER
Can an authoritarian country that still bears the strong imprint of its Soviet past and has just one political party, no independent media, and prisons full of political opponents hold free and fair elections?
A EurasiaNet Partner Post from RFE/RL
Armenia: Experts Say Government’s Economic Crisis-Prevention Plan Lacks Specifics
BY HAROUTIUN KHACHATRIAN
The Armenian government has unveiled a plan to mitigate the effects of the global economic slowdown. Experts in Yerevan say a lack of specifics makes the plan difficult to evaluate.
Russia Opens Afghan Transit Route For NATO’s Germany
Germany has became the first NATO nation to win Russian permission to use the country’s railways to transit military goods bound for Afghanistan.
By Ahto Lobjakas
A EurasiaNet Partner Post from RFE/RL
Kyrgyzstan: Hospital Abuses Documented
A series of recently released reports has found that patients from marginalized sectors of society face routine harassment and discrimination in hospitals and clinics across Kyrgyzstan.
Turkmenistan: Germany, Austria Embrace Realpolitik in Their Dealings with Ashgabat
BY JAN-THILO KLIMISCH
The global economic slowdown appears to be giving Turkmenistan’s leader, Gurbanguly Berdymukhamedov, a boost.
Russia: Bully No More?
Hubris has been a source of woe for many powers throughout history. Just in the last decade, hubris induced the United States to get bogged down in Iraq, and now it looks like it’s pushing Russia into a financial disaster.
Tajikistan: Journalists Concerned over New Legal Obstacles
BY KONSTANTIN PARSHIN
Journalists and human rights experts in Tajikistan have raised concerns about recent amendments to the country’s criminal code that appear to make it easier for officials to launch prosecutions for libel and defamation.
Uzbekistan: Tashkent Has the Power to Influence the Outcome of the Afghan War
The battle for Afghanistan may well be won or lost in Uzbekistan. With the Taliban making it increasingly difficult to re-supply NATO and US troops in Afghanistan via Pakistan, Tashkent offers the easiest solution to a vital logistical dilemma.
Cartoon Dispatches from Central Asia
Political cartoonist and columnist Ted Rall has travelled extensively in Central Asia. Here, EurasiaNet features his irreverent take on the region.
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Kazakhstan: IMF Official Praises Kazakhstani Bank Bailout Plan
The International Monetary Fund (IMF) is endorsing Kazakhstan’s multi-billion dollar bailout program, which aims to shore up the country’s sagging banking sector.
Tajikistan: More Woes With the Cotton Harvest
Tajikistan’s cotton crop is lagging far behind government targets, officials say. The crop shortfall could serve as an early warning sign of a humanitarian crisis in the Central Asian nation.
Taliban’s Spiritual Fathers Denounce Terror. Could Taliban Be Next?
BY JEFFREY DONOVAN, ABUBAKAR SIDDIQUE
What would happen if the Taliban’s spiritual fathers denounced terrorism? That, in effect, is what has taken place in Deoband, the northern Indian hometown of the austere form of Sunni Islam followed by the Taliban.
A EurasiaNet Partner Post from RFE/RL
Kyrgyzstan: Energy Crisis Threatens Country’s Stability
BY ARSLAN MAMATOV
It is the main topic of conversation at every dinner table in the country. After nine months of erratic blackouts and broken government promises, the Kyrgyz are growing restless. Many are even saying the situation is worse than before the Tulip Revolution in 2005.
Kyrgyzstan: 1,500 Attend Anti-Government Rally
An anti-government protest in Kyrgyzstan on November 18 drew a crowd of about 1,500. Organizers asserted that in the days leading up to the rally, authorities used violence and intimidation in an attempt to foil the event.
Afghanistan: Refugee Returns Should No Longer Be a Cause for Celebration in Kabul
A EURASIANET COMMENTARY BY AUNOHITA MOJUMDAR
Afghanistan lately boasts few reasons for optimism. But on the short list that international community representatives and Afghan government officials regularly point to as cause for optimism, one holds pride of place: the fact that 5 million refugees have returned to their homeland since 2001.
Uzbekistan: Islamic Radical Cell Broken Up in Tashkent
The Uzbek Interior Ministry has announced the break-up of an all-female Islamic radical cell that had been operating in Tashkent.
Afghanistan: Can Karzai and the Taliban Make Peace?
A EURASIANET COMMENTARY BY MARK N. KATZ
There have been several news stories recently about talks taking place between the US-backed Karzai government and the Taliban aimed at achieving a peaceful resolution to the conflict in Afghanistan. But can these two parties actually reach such an agreement? If so, what would it look like?
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EurasiaNet Special Feature 
EurasiaNet Special Feature 
EurasiaNet Special Feature 
EurasiaNet Special Feature 
EurasiaNet Special Feature 
EurasiaNet Special Feature 
Turkmenistan Project 