EurasiaNet.org - Central Asia, Caucasus News
EurasiaNet provides information and analysis about political, economic, environmental and social developments in the countries of Central Asia and the Caucasus, as well as in Russia, the Middle East, and Southwest Asia.



Iran: Tehran Plays for Time as Nuclear Talks Enter Crucial Phase (Jul 24)
BY KAMAL NAZER YASIN
Discussions over the fate of Iran’s nuclear program have entered a critical stage. Faced with the stiffening resolve of the international community, Iranian leaders are frantically maneuvering to find a way to avoid the expansion of sanctions against their country. With no clear solution to its dilemma at hand, however, Tehran appears to be playing for time.


Turkey: "Muslim Calvinists" in Anatolia Show How Piety Can Blend with Modernity (Jul 24)
BY NICHOLAS BIRCH
"Tell me where Allah is and I will give you an orange. Tell me where Allah is not and I will give you an orange grove." This particular Koranic phrase graces a whiteboard at the entrance to the third biggest company in Gaziantep, a city of 1 million close to Turkey’s border with Syria.


Uzbekistan: How the Uzbek Government Maintains a Choke-Hold over the Internet (Jul 23)
BY DEIRDRE TYNAN
In Uzbekistan, responsibility for controlling the web begins at the cabinet level and ends with plainclothes police officers who physically intimidate internet cafe owners and customers.


Down on the Farm: Georgia Struggles to Open EU Market for Agricultural Exports (Jul 23)
BY GIORGI LOMSADZE
Gone are the days when a female tea worker in a straw planter hat symbolized Georgia to regional neighbors, or when bottles of Georgian wine and mineral water were commonplace on the dining tables of citizens in formerly Soviet states. Barred from the Russia market, Georgia is now trying to reorient agricultural exports toward Europe. But stringent European Union quality and safety rules are proving a formidable export obstacle.


Uzbekistan: Capital Amnesty Initiative Stalls in the Face of Public Skepticism (Jul 17)
Authorities in Uzbekistan are trying to curb the underground economy and bolster confidence in the country’s financial sector by offering an amnesty on individual assets. But the people aren’t buying into the government’s offer.


Medvedev Unveils Little New In Russia's Foreign-Policy Course (Jul 17)
When Dmitry Medvedev became Russian president in May, many wondered whether the soft-spoken young lawyer would find ways to set himself apart from his domineering predecessor, Vladimir Putin.
A EurasiaNet Partner Post from RFE/RL


British Defense Secretary Reaffirms Transatlantic Solidarity in Afghanistan (Jul 16)
BY RICHARD WEITZ
British Secretary of State for Defense Des Browne expressed guarded optimism about Afghanistan’s democratization process during a recent speech in Washington, DC. At the same time, Browne cautioned that the conflict-ravaged nation will take at least a generation to rebuild.


Georgia: Rumored Merger Heightens Concern About Press Freedom (Jul 16)
BY MOLLY CORSO
Rumors of a plan to merge Georgia's three main television broadcasters are stoking concerns about the state of media freedom in Georgia.


Uzbekistan Continues To Drift Away From Russia, But Not Necessarily Toward the West (Jul 15)
For those striving to divine the intentions of the Uzbek government, all signs suggest that Russia’s star, from Tashkent’s perspective, is in retrograde. But local experts stress that Uzbekistan’s recent efforts to downgrade relations with Russia are not necessarily a harbinger of a renewed alliance with the United States and European Union.


Turkey: Free-Speech Issue Remains a Sensitive Subject (Jul 15)
BY NICHOLAS BIRCH
Under ordinary circumstances, Mehmet Tursun’s emotional outburst probably would have been overlooked, given that he suspects police of trying to cover up the fact they had shot his son for failing to stop his car for an identity check. But in Turkey, where the free-speech issue remains a touchstone of controversy, devotees of the existing order are not taking lightly anything that seems to threaten the system. As a result, Tursun is facing charges of insulting the judiciary and security police. He could receive a two-year prison sentence if convicted during his trial, due to start July 15.