New Atlanticist

The Perils of a Failed Coup in Turkey

By Sabine Freizer

The condemnations came swiftly on the night of the attempted coup. From critics of Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan’s human rights record to Selahattin Demirtaş, the head of the opposition Peoples’ Democratic Party (HDP), to Russian President Vladimir Putin and German Chancellor Angela Merkel, the consensus was clear: military coups bring misery. The history of […]

Energy Implications of Turkey’s Attempted Coup

By John M. Roberts

The Turkish government may have survived an attempted coup on the night of July 15-16, but it is still a country at war—and it is still a country through which around 10.5 percent of the world’s internationally traded oil passes. Nothing can, therefore, be taken for granted when it comes to considering a crucial issue […]

From Scandal to Silver Lining: Petrobras’ Offering Opportunity for Brazil’s Energy Sector

By Meghan Rowley

The Lavo Jato corruption investigations, also known as Operation Car Wash, into Petrobras, Brazil’s oil giant, shocked the energy sector and helped fuel one of the country’s worst recessions. Nonetheless, some analysts are optimistic that the industry can open itself up to foreign investors and domestic competition to once again generate prosperity. “The energy industry […]

In France, More Security, But Not at the Expense of Inclusivity

By Ashish Kumar Sen

France must strike a delicate balance between securing its homeland while integrating all communities into French society, and one cannot come at the expense of the other, according to the Atlantic Council’s Damon Wilson. “If France gets this right, it can offer a path forward for all of Europe and much of the West,” said […]

Nigeria’s Optimists

By Kelsey Lilley

The International Republican Institute’s (IRI) Nigeria Country Director Sentell Barnes likes to describe Nigeria as a house. “When you see it from the outside, maybe it looks like it’s falling in. But when you see it from the inside, there are things in place where the country is preventing itself…from going off the edge,” said […]

US-Russia Cooperation on Syria Seen as Catalyst for Syrian Conflict Resolution

By Julia Goldman

Reports of newfound military cooperation between Russia and the United States to resolve Syrian conflict are welcomed with caution by Syrian negotiation committees. “The hope is there may be serious cooperation at the highest level to finally address the Syrian situation in a serious way and at the level that is required,” said Bassama Kodmani, […]

In Zimbabwe, Robert Mugabe Cornered by a Nonviolent Opposition

By TK Spandhla

Zimbabwe’s government has never before had to deal with a nonviolent civil resistance movement as it is currently facing, according to Chloë McGrath, a visiting fellow at the Atlantic Council’s Africa Center. The non-partisan nonviolent nature of the protests has “really changed the narrative of the way that protests have worked in Zimbabwe in the […]

Deploy the NATO Response Force to Deter Russia

By Ian Brzezinski

At the NATO Summit in Warsaw on July 8 and 9, the Alliance decided to deploy a multinational battalion in each of the following frontline states:  Poland, Lithuania, Latvia, and Lithuania. These forces, totaling some 4,000 personnel, are expected to arrive sometime in 2017. Their mission: to deter Russian aggression. Six to nine months, if […]

Human Rights is No Game

Panelists call for protections in nations hosting sporting events International sporting organizations need to step up to the plate and pressure countries hosting major sporting events to increase institutional transparency, reduce corruption, and prevent human rights abuses. “This is a moment of great concern and crisis for world sport defined by human rights [negligence], corruption, […]

Innovative Energy Technology Makes India Prime Candidate for Nuclear Suppliers Group

By Anil Kakodkar

Subsequent to the setback India suffered to its effort to join the Nuclear Suppliers Group (NSG) at the group’s Seoul plenary in June, the Atlantic Council’s South Asia Center commissioned a series of essays on India and its integration into the nonproliferation regime. This initiative seeks to engage academics, policy makers, and analysts on some […]