Foreword: September 2015 Newsbrief

The issue contains a special focus on the situation in the Middle East. It opens with an article considering the current political impasse in Turkey, the future of President Erdogan’s political ambitions and the worsening tensions with the Kurdistan Workers’ Party. It proceeds with articles examining the strength of the Kurds in the fight against Daesh (also known as the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria); the threat posed by Daesh in the Caucasus and the opportunity, conversely, that this offers Russia in terms of taking a lead on international efforts to defeat the group; and the need to protect cultural property from destruction by Daesh and other actors.

The edition then moves on to examine the role of Oman as an international mediator – and the prospect that it could play a similar role in the ongoing conflicts affecting the region.

The remainder of the issue covers a selection of other topical issues, including the use of female suicide bombers as a new tactic by Boko Haram in northeastern Nigeria and neighbouring countries.

Finally, the recent story of international justice as it applies to the African continent is examined in detail, and particularly the waning reach and influence of the International Criminal Court.

Further contributions that may catch your eye include the EU's fading footprint in the Balkans; the lessons of the Greek crisis for Gulf Monetary Union; and China's military medical assistance as a form of soft-power projection.