To quell the revolt sparked by Mahsa Jina Amini’s death in 2022, Iran committed crimes against humanity, including gender persecution. EU governments must coordinate to advance judicial accountability of those responsible while protecting vulnerable groups and countering digital repression.

Erdogan and his aides have wasted no time offering three reminders of the president’s power.

Turkey continues its balancing act, siding with the West on Ukraine but relying on Russia to pursue its ambitions of becoming a regional energy center. While progress toward bringing Turkey closer to the West will have its limits, there is scope for more cooperation between Brussels and Ankara.

Turkey’s dependence on energy imports has an impact on the country’s economic and geopolitical orientation. Turkish leaders should devise energy policies that respond to domestic priorities, regional ambitions, and the challenges posed by climate change.

Brussels is overlooking Egypt’s lack of democratic reforms to secure Cairo’s cooperation in other fields. This short-sighted approach is emboldening the regime and hurting Egyptian civil society.

Iran’s regime is using digital repression to control the country’s citizens and further isolate them from the world. The EU should ensure safe online spaces for Iranian activists and tie its Iran policy into a comprehensive global strategy against digital authoritarianism.

Regardless of whether Türkiye can ever become an EU member, fostering cooperation over rivalry is beneficial for both sides. Brussels should redefine its ties with Ankara and revitalize the Western alliance for tackling regional and global challenges.

In response to developments in the Middle East, the EU has been weak and divided. Its leaders need to be strategic in addressing the growing insecurity and instability on the continent.

The conflict between Hamas and Israel reveals deep divisions within and among EU member states. These tensions are fueling both anti-Semitism and Islamophobia.

President Erdogan has sought to rally the Turkish people around the republic’s centenary. But to realize its domestic and global ambitions, Ankara must tend to its economic crisis and rule-of-law deficiencies.

In the short term, Hamas and Iran may appear to gain from the horrific events unfolding in Israel and Gaza. But the situation is volatile, and winners can quickly turn into losers.

Iran, hit hard by global warming, is ruled by a regime that thrives on regional instability and enmity with the West. By cooperating with Tehran on shared environmental challenges, the EU could help Iranian society and become a more relevant global player itself.