Gaza has long been a theatre of military confrontation, witnessing four major battles before Israel finally occupied it in the 1967 war

Founded in secularism, this strong republic faces further change. Religious groups are rising, it has joined NATO but not the EU, and has yet to resolve the Kurdish question. This is its story so far.

The 100-year-old accord defined modern Turkey, but also set up new conflicts by disregarding the rights of weaker peoples and defeated nations

From the 1639 Shirin Palace Agreement to the Lausanne Treaty of 1923, Kurdish self-determination was ignored by the world's dominant powers who were looking out for their economic interests.

Signed on 24 July 1923, the treaty had profound consequences for the Middle East and beyond. On its centennial, an understanding of it rests on an appreciation of the complex factors that led to it.