Peter Kenyon http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=2100740&ft=1&f=2100740 Peter Kenyon is NPR's international correspondent based in Istanbul, Turkey, covering the Iran crisis and the business of Persian Gulf oil. en Copyright 2013 NPR - For Personal Use Only NPR API RSS Generator 0.94 Fri, 24 May 2013 04:00:00 -0400 http://media.npr.org/images/npr_news_123x20.gif Peter Kenyon http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=2100740&ft=1&f=2100740 Iranian Council: Ex-President Rafsanjani Unfit To Run Again The Iranian presidential election is just weeks away, and voters are faced with a very narrow range of pro-regime candidates to choose from. All the high-profile or independent candidates have been eliminated by the Guardian Council. One man considered unfit to run has already held the post of president. Fri, 24 May 2013 04:00:00 -0400 http://www.npr.org/2013/05/24/186410388/iranian-council-declares-ex-president-rafsanjani-unfit-to-run-again?ft=1&f=2100740 http://www.npr.org/2013/05/24/186410388/iranian-council-declares-ex-president-rafsanjani-unfit-to-run-again?ft=1&f=2100740 The Iranian presidential election is just weeks away, and voters are faced with a very narrow range of pro-regime candidates to choose from. All the high-profile or independent candidates have been eliminated by the Guardian Council. One man considered unfit to run has already held the post of president.

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]]> Iran's 'Zahra' Tells Alternate Tale Of Presidential Campaign What do you do when you can't openly wage a campaign for the presidency? Some Iranians inside and outside the country have turned to the heroine of an online graphic novel who has embarked on a virtual campaign. Mon, 20 May 2013 16:02:00 -0400 http://www.npr.org/blogs/parallels/2013/05/20/185558815/irans-zahra-tells-alternate-tale-of-presidential-campaign?ft=1&f=2100740 http://www.npr.org/blogs/parallels/2013/05/20/185558815/irans-zahra-tells-alternate-tale-of-presidential-campaign?ft=1&f=2100740 What do you do when you can't openly wage a campaign for the presidency? Some Iranians inside and outside the country have turned to the heroine of an online graphic novel who has embarked on a virtual campaign.

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]]> A Sign Of Disunity? Iranian Candidates Jockey For Position The country is gearing up for a presidential election next month, and the lack of a clear front-runner, analysts say, is a sign the political elite isn't united behind a single candidate. The late entrance of a former president, in particular, will likely alter the shape of the race. Tue, 14 May 2013 16:57:00 -0400 http://www.npr.org/2013/05/14/183967299/a-sign-of-disunity-iranian-candidates-jockey-for-position?ft=1&f=2100740 http://www.npr.org/2013/05/14/183967299/a-sign-of-disunity-iranian-candidates-jockey-for-position?ft=1&f=2100740 The country is gearing up for a presidential election next month, and the lack of a clear front-runner, analysts say, is a sign the political elite isn't united behind a single candidate. The late entrance of a former president, in particular, will likely alter the shape of the race.

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]]> Kurdish Militants Begin Historic Withdrawal From Turkey In a landmark first step, thousands of militant Kurdish fighters of the PKK are pulling out of Turkey and into northern Iraq. There's cautious optimism about the process, which has failed before. Kurds say unless Turkey reforms its policy toward Kurds, the militants won't disarm completely. Wed, 08 May 2013 11:03:00 -0400 http://www.npr.org/blogs/thetwo-way/2013/05/08/182241088/kurdish-militants-begin-historic-withdrawal-from-turkey?ft=1&f=2100740 http://www.npr.org/blogs/thetwo-way/2013/05/08/182241088/kurdish-militants-begin-historic-withdrawal-from-turkey?ft=1&f=2100740 In a landmark first step, thousands of militant Kurdish fighters of the PKK are pulling out of Turkey and into northern Iraq. There's cautious optimism about the process, which has failed before. Kurds say unless Turkey reforms its policy toward Kurds, the militants won't disarm completely.

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]]> PKK Fighters Begin To Withdraw From Turkey In a landmark step, militant fighters from the PKK, the Kurdistan Workers Party, are beginning to withdraw from Turkey back to northern Iraq. The withdrawal will take months and the peace process will likely collapse unless Ankara enacts significant changes recognizing Kurdish rights within Turkey. But for now, people are allowing themselves to hope that this time it might work. Wed, 08 May 2013 04:00:00 -0400 http://www.npr.org/2013/05/08/182175915/pkk-fighters-begin-to-withdraw-from-northern-iraq?ft=1&f=2100740 http://www.npr.org/2013/05/08/182175915/pkk-fighters-begin-to-withdraw-from-northern-iraq?ft=1&f=2100740 In a landmark step, militant fighters from the PKK, the Kurdistan Workers Party, are beginning to withdraw from Turkey back to northern Iraq. The withdrawal will take months and the peace process will likely collapse unless Ankara enacts significant changes recognizing Kurdish rights within Turkey. But for now, people are allowing themselves to hope that this time it might work.

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]]> Foreigners At Home: Turkey Beckons To Germany's Turks After years of being treated as second-class citizens in Europe's economic powerhouse, large numbers of Turks — descendants of the first wave of immigrants — are returning to Turkey. Prospects in their homeland are looking up, while times are harder in Germany. Sun, 05 May 2013 02:16:00 -0400 http://www.npr.org/2013/05/05/181262307/foreigners-at-home-turkey-beckons-its-people-in-germany?ft=1&f=2100740 http://www.npr.org/2013/05/05/181262307/foreigners-at-home-turkey-beckons-its-people-in-germany?ft=1&f=2100740 After years of being treated as second-class citizens in Europe's economic powerhouse, large numbers of Turks — descendants of the first wave of immigrants — are returning to Turkey. Prospects in their homeland are looking up, while times are harder in Germany.

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]]> New Aid To Syria Comes With Fear Of Funding The Wrong Opposition The Obama administration is doubling its non-lethal assistance to the Syrian opposition, Secretary of State John Kerry announced at an 11-nation "Friends of Syria" meeting in Turkey this weekend. The aid comes amid concern about the rising presence of Islamist fighters among the opposition. Sun, 21 Apr 2013 07:22:00 -0400 http://www.npr.org/2013/04/21/178229732/aid-to-syria-comes-with-fears-of-islamist-presence?ft=1&f=2100740 http://www.npr.org/2013/04/21/178229732/aid-to-syria-comes-with-fears-of-islamist-presence?ft=1&f=2100740 The Obama administration is doubling its non-lethal assistance to the Syrian opposition, Secretary of State John Kerry announced at an 11-nation "Friends of Syria" meeting in Turkey this weekend. The aid comes amid concern about the rising presence of Islamist fighters among the opposition.

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]]> Talks Over Iran's Nuclear Program Resume In Kazakhstan Iranian envoys are to meet over the next two days with diplomats from the U.S., Russia, Britain, France, China and Germany. No one is expecting a breakthrough though in the long-running confrontation over Tehran's nuclear enrichment program. Fri, 05 Apr 2013 04:00:00 -0400 http://www.npr.org/2013/04/05/176309430/talks-over-irans-nuclear-program-resume-in-kazakhstan?ft=1&f=2100740 http://www.npr.org/2013/04/05/176309430/talks-over-irans-nuclear-program-resume-in-kazakhstan?ft=1&f=2100740 Iranian envoys are to meet over the next two days with diplomats from the U.S., Russia, Britain, France, China and Germany. No one is expecting a breakthrough though in the long-running confrontation over Tehran's nuclear enrichment program.

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]]> Release Of Turks Could Speed Cease-Fire With PKK A fragile peace process between the Turkish government and the PKK, the militant Kurdistan Worker's Party, got a boost with the release of several Turks who had been captured by PKK fighters and held in northern Iraq. It's the latest sign of goodwill in a rapprochement effort that many in Turkey hope will lead to a PKK cease-fire, and a halt to Turkish military operations. Wed, 20 Mar 2013 04:00:00 -0400 http://www.npr.org/2013/03/20/174812900/prisoner-release-may-aid-ceasefire-between-ppk-turkish-government?ft=1&f=2100740 http://www.npr.org/2013/03/20/174812900/prisoner-release-may-aid-ceasefire-between-ppk-turkish-government?ft=1&f=2100740 A fragile peace process between the Turkish government and the PKK, the militant Kurdistan Worker's Party, got a boost with the release of several Turks who had been captured by PKK fighters and held in northern Iraq. It's the latest sign of goodwill in a rapprochement effort that many in Turkey hope will lead to a PKK cease-fire, and a halt to Turkish military operations.

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]]> Syrian Rebels Describe Fight As Revolution For Justice, Not A Civil War The opposition Syrian National Coalition's new interim prime minister says the world must acknowledge that Syria is undergoing a "revolution for justice and freedom, not a fight between two teams." Ghassan Hitto says he'll attempt to form an interim government as violence continues across the country. Tue, 19 Mar 2013 15:00:00 -0400 http://www.npr.org/2013/03/19/174767350/syrian-rebels-describe-fight-as-revolution-for-justice-not-a-civil-war?ft=1&f=2100740 http://www.npr.org/2013/03/19/174767350/syrian-rebels-describe-fight-as-revolution-for-justice-not-a-civil-war?ft=1&f=2100740 The opposition Syrian National Coalition's new interim prime minister says the world must acknowledge that Syria is undergoing a "revolution for justice and freedom, not a fight between two teams." Ghassan Hitto says he'll attempt to form an interim government as violence continues across the country.

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]]> Interim Prime Minister Elected By Syrian Opposition Syria's main opposition group elected a naturalized American citizen as the first prime minister of their interim government. Ghassan Hitto is expected to pick a Cabinet in the next two to four weeks. Tue, 19 Mar 2013 04:00:00 -0400 http://www.npr.org/2013/03/19/174708595/interim-prime-minister-elected-by-syrian-opposition?ft=1&f=2100740 http://www.npr.org/2013/03/19/174708595/interim-prime-minister-elected-by-syrian-opposition?ft=1&f=2100740 Syria's main opposition group elected a naturalized American citizen as the first prime minister of their interim government. Ghassan Hitto is expected to pick a Cabinet in the next two to four weeks.

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]]> Iran's Political Infighting Continues, Despite Calls To Maintain Calm Iran's raucous political infighting shows no sign of calming down, despite the best efforts of the political leadership. With presidential elections slated for June, new competitors are applying to replace Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, while the president continues to lash out at the powerful Revolutionary Guard Corps and, indirectly, at supreme leader Ayatollah Khamenei. Meanwhile, a riot among farmers in Isfahan recently suggests that public unhappiness with the economy will be an important issue in the campaign. Fri, 15 Mar 2013 15:00:00 -0400 http://www.npr.org/2013/03/15/174443507/irans-political-infighting-continues-despite-calls-to-maintain-calm?ft=1&f=2100740 http://www.npr.org/2013/03/15/174443507/irans-political-infighting-continues-despite-calls-to-maintain-calm?ft=1&f=2100740 Iran's raucous political infighting shows no sign of calming down, despite the best efforts of the political leadership. With presidential elections slated for June, new competitors are applying to replace Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, while the president continues to lash out at the powerful Revolutionary Guard Corps and, indirectly, at supreme leader Ayatollah Khamenei. Meanwhile, a riot among farmers in Isfahan recently suggests that public unhappiness with the economy will be an important issue in the campaign.

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]]> In Kazakhstan, No Horror At Horse Meat Horse meat may strike horror in Great Britain. But in Kazakhstan, horseflesh isn't just acceptable, it's a traditional treat. Visitors can eat spicy horse meat sausage and drink fermented mare's milk — the same fare that fueled Genghis Khan's marauding army as it swept across the steppe. Mon, 04 Mar 2013 17:06:00 -0500 http://www.npr.org/blogs/thesalt/2013/03/04/173448013/in-kazakhstan-no-horror-at-horse-meat?ft=1&f=2100740 http://www.npr.org/blogs/thesalt/2013/03/04/173448013/in-kazakhstan-no-horror-at-horse-meat?ft=1&f=2100740 Horse meat may strike horror in Great Britain. But in Kazakhstan, horseflesh isn't just acceptable, it's a traditional treat. Visitors can eat spicy horse meat sausage and drink fermented mare's milk — the same fare that fueled Genghis Khan's marauding army as it swept across the steppe.

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]]> Iran Nuclear Talks Set Stage For Future Bargaining Another round of talks on Iran's controversial nuclear program ended Wednesday in Kazakhstan. There were no breakthroughs but Iran's envoy suggested cooperation is possible on at least one of the item in the latest offer from the P-5 plus Germany. Wed, 27 Feb 2013 15:00:00 -0500 http://www.npr.org/2013/02/27/173086620/iran-nuclear-talks-set-stage-for-future-bargaining?ft=1&f=2100740 http://www.npr.org/2013/02/27/173086620/iran-nuclear-talks-set-stage-for-future-bargaining?ft=1&f=2100740 Another round of talks on Iran's controversial nuclear program ended Wednesday in Kazakhstan. There were no breakthroughs but Iran's envoy suggested cooperation is possible on at least one of the item in the latest offer from the P-5 plus Germany.

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]]> Talks On Iran's Nuclear Program To Resume In April Two days of talks on Iran's nuclear program ended in Kazakhstan Tuesday. Although there were no dramatic breakthroughs, officials reported there was enough movement to return to the table in April to try to resolve concerns and questions about the program. Wed, 27 Feb 2013 04:00:00 -0500 http://www.npr.org/2013/02/27/173034863/talks-on-irans-nuclear-program-to-resume-in-april?ft=1&f=2100740 http://www.npr.org/2013/02/27/173034863/talks-on-irans-nuclear-program-to-resume-in-april?ft=1&f=2100740 Two days of talks on Iran's nuclear program ended in Kazakhstan Tuesday. Although there were no dramatic breakthroughs, officials reported there was enough movement to return to the table in April to try to resolve concerns and questions about the program.

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