Steven A. Cook

Egypt March/April 2017 Response

O Brotherhood Where Art Thou?

Ahmed Abu Zeid and Steven A. Cook

Members of the Muslim Brotherhood and supporters of Egypt's President Mohamed Morsi hold pictures of him after he was overthrown by the Egyptian army, Cairo, July 2013.

Middle East November/December 2016 Essay

Egypt’s Nightmare

By almost every measure, conditions in Egypt are worse now than prior to the revolution. Yet Egypt’s rulers continue to focus on repression. More than three years...

Steven A. Cook

Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi attends the graduation of 83 aviation and military science at the Air Force Academy in Cairo, Egypt, July, 2016.

Turkey Jul 19, 2016 Snapshot

Where the Turkish Military Fails, Egypt's Succeeds

The Turkish military has long been politically weak, to which its four previous coups and its abortive intervention last weekend attest.

Steven A. Cook

A damaged window is pictured at the police headquarters in Ankara, Turkey, July 18, 2016.

Terrorism & Counterterrorism Mar 14, 2016 Snapshot

Between Ankara and Rojava

The United States has, whether it intended to or not, midwifed Rojava and for that matter, Iraqi Kurdistan. And it cannot continue to enlist the Kurds as bulwarks of U...

Steven A. Cook

Kurdish people carry flags and flash victory signs as they take part in a protest in the city of al-Derbasiyah, on the Syrian-Turkish border, against what the protesters said were the operations launched in Turkey by government security forces against the

War & Military Strategy Apr 23, 2015 Snapshot

One Hundred Years After Gallipoli

For Gallipoli’s Turkish defenders, the battle there was an important victory in defense of the Ottoman Empire. Paradoxically, it also became a touchstone of the...

Steven A. Cook

Soldiers stand at attention during a ceremony marking the 100th anniversary of Battle of Canakkale.

Political Development Jun 8, 2014 Snapshot

The Banality of Abdel Fattah al-Sisi

If Sisi uses his presidency to establish order, that will be an accomplishment. But it will be a small one, nothing compared to those of Nasser, the man he wishes to...

Steven A. Cook

A Sisi campaign banner along a highway in Cairo, May 22, 2014.

Politics & Society Mar 27, 2014 Snapshot

Man in the Middle

Watching Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan resort to increasingly authoritarian measures in recent months, many observers have called on President Abdullah...

Steven A. Cook

Gul and Erdogan at a ceremony to mark Republic Day, October 29, 2013.

Democratization Jan 8, 2014 Snapshot

Turkey's Democratic Mirage

During the AKP decade there have, no doubt, been important changes in Turkish politics, in particular the participation of marginalized groups. But the ongoing...

Steven A. Cook

Shadows of protesters fall on a Turkish flag, October 28, 2006.

Economics Dec 3, 2013 Snapshot

Why Suez Still Matters

Nearly 150 years after its completion, the Suez Canal continues to inspire awe. But given recent developments in politics, economics, and security, some see it as a...

Steven A. Cook

Political Development Jul 22, 2013 Snapshot

Presidents and Pretenders

Egypt has had its fill of heroes in the form of Gamal Abdel Nasser, Anwar al-Sadat, Mubarak, and Morsi -- all false prophets of particular versions of modernity -- but...

Steven A. Cook

Egypt's interim President Adli Mansour attends a meeting with U.S. Deputy Secretary of State William Burns.

Political Development Jun 3, 2013 Snapshot

Keep Calm, Erdogan

As the tear gas wafts over Taksim Square, there is no question that Erdogan still holds the reins of power. For one, it is hard to see how Turkey's moribund opposition...

Steven A. Cook

Political Development Dec 2, 2012 Snapshot

Morsi's Mistake

Morsi and the Muslim Brotherhood think of themselves as uniquely qualified to rebuild Egypt. Moreover, they believe that they were entrusted with doing so during this...

Steven A. Cook

Political Development Aug 13, 2012 Snapshot

Morsi Makes His Move

Morsi's sacking of Egypt's top military officials follows a familiar playbook. Gamal Abdel Nasser and Anwar al-Sadat made similar moves to consolidate control when...

Steven A. Cook

Politics & Society Jun 27, 2012 Snapshot

The Turkish Paradox

Since Recep Tayyip Erdogan took power, the world has watched closely to see if Turkey would become more democratic or more autocratic. Yet it is doing both...

Michael J. Koplow and Steven A. Cook

North Africa Jan 25, 2012 Letter From

January 25th and the Egypt the Revolution Has Made

Hosni Mubarak professed that Egypt was growing economically and progressing politically. The harsh, hopeless reality behind those fabrications proved to be his undoing...

Steven A. Cook

Turkey Sep 15, 2011 Snapshot

Erdogan's Middle Eastern Victory Lap

The Turkish prime minister's recent tour of Egypt, Tunisia, and Libya was meant to distract from his missteps during the Arab Spring. More importantly, it was aimed at...

Steven A. Cook

Political Development Aug 1, 2011 Snapshot

Istanbul on the Nile

Many Egyptian military officers and some civilian politicians are interested in replicating the so-called Turkish model for Egypt, in which the military would play a...

Steven A. Cook

Political Development Feb 2, 2011 Snapshot

The U.S.-Egyptian Breakup

With the political era of Hosni Mubarak coming to an end, is the strategic relationship between Cairo and Washington similarly finished? The Obama administration must...

Steven A. Cook

Politics & Society Mar 26, 2010 Postscript

Is El Baradei Egypt's Hero?

The return of Mohamed El Baradei to Egypt has raised questions about the country's political system and the rule of President Hosni Mubarak. Is reform possible, and if...

Steven A. Cook

Strategy & Conflict Jul 22, 2009 Reading List

What to Read on the Middle East Peace Process

An annotated Foreign Affairs syllabus on the Middle East peace process.

Steven A. Cook

This article is paywall-free.

Steven A. Cook

O Brotherhood Where Art Thou?

Egypt’s Nightmare

Where the Turkish Military Fails, Egypt's Succeeds

Between Ankara and Rojava

One Hundred Years After Gallipoli

The Banality of Abdel Fattah al-Sisi

Man in the Middle

Turkey's Democratic Mirage

Why Suez Still Matters

Presidents and Pretenders

Keep Calm, Erdogan

Morsi's Mistake

Morsi Makes His Move

The Turkish Paradox

January 25th and the Egypt the Revolution Has Made

Erdogan's Middle Eastern Victory Lap

Istanbul on the Nile

The U.S.-Egyptian Breakup

Is El Baradei Egypt's Hero?

What to Read on the Middle East Peace Process

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