With Iran's influence on the rise and proxy wars being fought in multiple countries, there are but two options available to Middle Eastern nations: More of the same or a fresh start.

There is an incentive for Iran and Turkey to cooperate on Syria, as both countries are faced with a huge burden from the fallout from the conflict. If they can identify issues they agree on, they can work toward an eventual resolution.

The Syrian crisis has created a new cold war environment that calls on countries to take sides. This new environment has given rise to a state of "inaction" which has worked well for the Assad regime.

Egypt represents the heart of the Arab world. The country has the potential to create new regional trends in terms of the balance of power in the Middle East and the transformation of Islamic movements.

If anyone actually thought that the Arab revolts, the most recent wave of change in the Middle East, would allow Iran and Israel to put pressure on the region, though, time has proved them wrong.

It is imperative to rethink how to frame security around the question of Israel-Palestine within policy-making circles.

There can be no security for Israel if Palestinians do not have their basic rights.

What are the sources of recent unrest in East Jerusalem? What does Israel want to achieve? How is this received by Palestinians? What is a proper course of action by the international community?

It is quite ironic that a supposedly pro-Western opposition seeks to undermine the possibility of Turkey's critical integration into the West.

Israel has emerged unchallenged despite the level of its impunity this year. This evasion speaks to the international pattern where state officials' voice outrage against its impunity but do not follow up with concrete sanctions.

Is this draft guaranteeing Muslims the same rights as other legally recognized churches and public religious bodies?

Turkey wants regional players to establish a regional order in a peaceful and cooperative manner; it wants governments to reflect the sentiments of their citizens and end the conflicts in the region.

Life is a perpetual quest for renewal, and the not-so-uncommon pain of change often calls for a strong narrative. After all, one tends to find some comfort in the magic of words. The power of discourse allows us to blend yesterday's memories with the promise of today and the future.

During his term in office, Davutoglu withstood domestic and international attacks with grace and passed every political stress test.

What did Israel want to achieve in its latest assault on Gaza? What does the Palestinian reconciliation reveal at this current stage of the Israeli Palestinian conflict? Have the international and regional perceptions changed with this latest attack on Gaza?