Biden's red line...
President Biden publicly revealed his disagreement with Netanyahu over the Gaza issue in his 'red line' statement over the weekend. Biden stated that a military operation into Gaza was a red line for the Rafah that Netanyahu had planned. Facing heavy criticism from his own base for not calling for a ceasefire for a long time, Biden finally started to mention a ceasefire. On the other hand, by stating that he would never abandon Israel, Biden showed that his red line was not that strict. He also said that Netanyahu's policies were harming Israel. While expressing his intention to continue financing defense systems like Iron Dome, which protect Israel, Biden also mentioned that they could not tolerate the deaths of another 30,000 Palestinians and urged Netanyahu to be careful about the deaths of innocent civilians. It is no coincidence that Biden is making such statements at this stage of his presidential campaign, as the message of the Democratic electorate in Palestine was clear after the primary results.
More
Will there be cease-fire in Gaza during Ramadan?
For the past five months, Israel has been targeting the innocent people of Gaza, with the United States and most Western governments continuing to mobilize their resources to support Israel’s brutal attacks against Gaza. By now, the attacks have become Israel’s longest intensive military operation against the Palestinians. On the one hand, while the Palestinian people are at their most vulnerable position and facing genocide, hundreds of millions of people around the world are chanting their just cause. On the other hand, as Israel continues its longest and most brutal attacks against the Palestinians, it has lost legitimacy not only in the eyes of the international community but also in the eyes of most of its supporters. It seems that this is the main paradox of post-Oct. 7.
More
The municipal election campaign of the main opposition Republican People’s Party (CHP) has been riddled with crises, and I am not talking about their various statements that have become the subject of controversy. For example, this is not about the CHP chairperson’s remarks about Turkish citizens who paid for their exemption from military service or Istanbul Mayor Ekrem Imamoğlu’s comments on housewives.
With the municipal election just three weeks away, the relationship between the People’s Alliance and the New Welfare Party ("Yeniden Refah" in Turkish - YRP) becomes more apparent. The most significant development of the current election cycle was the opposition parties, which formed an alliance with the main opposition, the Republican People’s Party (CHP), in May 2023 and decided to field their own candidates.
In American elections, especially in swing states, the turnout of party voters is crucial. Trump, while seeking to win over independent voters against Biden, also needs to court Republican voters. Haley's announcement of withdrawing from the race and not endorsing Trump in her speech aimed to remind the party's internal opposition that cannot be easily ignored. Haley indicated this by stating that Trump would "make an effort to win the votes of those who didn't vote for him." Despite the knowledge that Trump would comfortably win on Super Tuesday and secure the party nomination, a quarter of voters in many states expressed their dissatisfaction by voting for Haley. Haley's ability to garner significant support without spending substantial amounts on campaign ads last week demonstrates the presence of a considerable number of people dissatisfied with Trump's candidacy.
I attended the Antalya Diplomacy Forum on Friday. Bringing together politicians, diplomats, academics, journalists and think tankers from 147 countries, the event has already claimed a respectable place among the world’s leading platforms.
Antalya Diplomacy Forum: Turkish brand in diplomacy
The Antalya Diplomacy Forum (ADF) is one of the biggest brands of Turkish diplomacy. The forum, which fills a gap by focusing on diplomacy, is on its way to taking its place among the long-established international forums of its kind. It shows the high-level organizational capacity of Turkish institutions. The ADF, held since 2021, is a beneficial tool to advance foreign relations and set international political agendas.
More
Antalya Diplomacy Forum and Türkiye's choice
Over the weekend, I had the opportunity to attend the Antalya Diplomacy Forum organized by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. The forum addressed numerous issues concerning Türkiye's foreign policy priorities, with a particular focus on the reconstruction of the international system in an era of regional instability and global challenges. The theme of rebuilding the international system in the post-World War II era, based on 'rule-based' principles established by the United States, stood out as a central topic. However, it's evident that this system has failed to effectively address problems or maintain stability in today's world. Amidst discussions highlighting this fundamental issue, it was clear that Türkiye is seeking grounded leadership through realistic assessments of diplomacy's possibilities and limitations.
More
It was Josep Borrell, the European Union’s high representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy, who said that a hurricane was brewing in the West. He made that remark in an interview with the Spanish newspaper El País where he accused Ursula von der Leyen, the European Commission’s president, of assuming a completely pro-Israel stance. Recalling that the EU’s policy toward the Russo-Ukrainian war and Israel’s massacres in Gaza came with a hefty price tag, Borrell predicts a hurricane in the West, warning against the approaching “circle of violence” – a reference to Dante’s Inferno – and urging Europe to wake up.
The effect of Israel's attacks on the Gaza Strip and tensions in the Middle East were discussed Friday at the Hope or Deception? Imagining a New Ground in the Middle East panel at the Antalya Diplomacy Forum.
Today’s world is facing rapidly changing security dynamics and increasing geopolitical competition. This competition, which has accelerated and morphed, especially with the COVID-19 pandemic, has also created a deep security crisis following Russia’s invasion of Ukraine and Israel’s attacks in Gaza.
In the recent primary elections held in Michigan, a state where Arab and Muslim voters could have a critical impact on the November 2024 presidential race, a clear message was sent to Biden regarding Palestine. Michigan, known as a swing state, saw Trump win over Clinton by a narrow margin of 11,000 votes in 2016. In this week's Democratic Party primary elections, the fact that over 100,000 voters opted for the 'uncommitted' option against Biden constitutes a critical warning to the President. The highly effective 'Dump Biden' campaign launched before the primaries was evidently impactful. Despite Biden's attempts to address the Palestinian backlash with some statements to the press before the primaries, it was revealed that these remarks did not suffice to appease the Palestinian sentiment within the party. So far, Biden has been gauging the reactions of young people, African Americans, and Muslims within the party through polls, but the results of the Michigan primaries indicate a shift in voting behavior among these demographics.
