All articles from Tom A. Peter
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Poll shows Erdogan's popularity has taken a hit. Could he lose his mandate?
Turkish Prime Minister Erdogan's approval rating has dropped almost 10 points since December, with a sharp decline since he began cracking down on protesters in Istanbul.
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Erdogan's supporters rally, dismissing Turkish protests as a 'big game' (+video)
Turkey's Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan addressed hundreds of thousands of his cheering supporters in Istanbul saying, 'My patience has run out' with anti-government protests.
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How Syria's conflict became more complicated as US debated arms for rebels
The Syrian rebels have long begged for the US to give them military assistance. Now some argue it may be too little, too late.
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Will Erdogan's referendum bid be enough to quiet Turkey's furious crowds? (+video)
Prime Minister Erdogan has proposed that the fate of Gezi Park be put to a vote, but protesters are deeply skeptical the process will be enough to address underlying problems.
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Global News Blog Turkish street vendors turn on a dime to make a lira off Taksim protests
Swimming goggles and 'V for Vendetta' masks cropped up in street vendors' hands within days of the first demonstrations in Taksim Square.
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Erdogan, protesters circle in eye of Taksim storm (+video)
Prime Minister Erdogan and the protesters are plotting their next steps after police overran the Taksim Square demonstration.
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Turkey's faltering economy, not protesters, could bend Erdogan
The Turkish lira has dropped to an 18-month low since protests began. That could undermine Prime Minister Erdogan, whose popularity has been tied to strong economic growth on his watch.
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Pinned under government's thumb, Turkish media covers penguins, not protests
The protests throughout Turkey have brought issues of media self-censorship, government control, and ownership by large conglomerates to the fore, disgusting many Turks.
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Turkey's protesters seize world's attention, but what's their goal? (+video)
Turkey's protest movement is burgeoning, but has so far failed to find a common goal or person to coalesce around, other than opposing Prime Minister Erdogan.
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Syrian opposition says no to peace talks in Geneva
The US and others had been hoping a united Syrian political opposition would attend peace talks in Geneva in June. But the opposition says they won't participate, and the Syrian civil war still rages.
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McCain visit, end of arms embargo signal that West won't let Syrian rebels sink
The EU decision to allow its arms embargo on Syria to expire and US Sen. John McCain's brief meeting with Syrian rebel leaders signal they are not prepared to let the opposition lose.
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Terrorism & Security Russia says Syria peace talks in Geneva set, Syrian rebels not so sure
Russia says the Syrian government is willing to attend a peace conference in Geneva next month. But Syria's rebels doubt much progress is possible.
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Iraq's demand for Hello Kitty keeps one Aleppo factory open as others close doors
Aleppo was once the economic heart of Syria, with factories ringing the city. But war destruction and a lack of electricity and materials has caused most of them to shut down.
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Aleppo's elected council ignored as foreign funds go elsewhere
Syria's most-developed rebel government is struggling for legitimacy because it can't afford to provide public services. Foreign aid is going to fighters, NGOs instead.
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Focus Excitement fades to despair in rebel-held Syria as war grinds on
Early rebel optimism in Syria has given way to a grim realization that victory may still be years away. For the past two months, civilians have been fleeing Syria at a rate of 8,000 per day.
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Focus Syria: Damaged landmarks await peace, restoration
The loss of a famous mosque's minaret brought world attention to threats facing Syrian landmarks. But the Umayyad Mosque is just one in a long list of ancient monuments damaged by fighting.
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Outside the camps, Syrian refugees face further hardship
With 74 percent of Syrian refugees living outside camps, life is a daily struggle to find affordable housing, jobs with living wages, and schooling for their children.
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Al Qaeda in Iraq and Syrian rebel group Jabhat al-Nusra make it official
The leader of Iraq's local Al Qaeda affiliate has claimed sponsorship of Jabhat al-Nusra, a militant group fighting alongside the Syrian rebels – confirming what everyone long suspected.
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Is a leader from Texas a good fit for the Syrian opposition?
International donors will like Ghassan Hitto, the newly elected leader of the Syrian opposition, because of decades spent in the US, but that undermines his credibility among Syrians.
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Two years on, aid efforts struggle to keep up with a shattered Syria
Embattled aid workers in Syria say they can only do so much to counter the effects of the spiraling conflict, which is now entering its third year and shows little movement toward a political solution.
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