Türkiye’s main opposition leader, Kemal Kılıçdaroğlu, lost the race for Republican People’s Party (CHP) chairperson to Özgür Özel over the weekend.

Amid the ongoing conflict in Gaza, a tragic situation unfolds daily, with thousands of civilians losing their lives. This includes the merciless killing of babies and children, the murder of pregnant women and their unborn children, and the targeting of ambulances carrying wounded individuals. Hospitals, schools, and refugee camps have become the target of bombings, while essential services like water, fuel, electricity, and internet access are cut off.

The pursuit of Turkic integration has been a cornerstone of Turkish foreign policy in recent years. That development was directly linked to the Central Asian republics “opening up” and seeking to perform a “balancing act” between the great powers. This also included Uzbekistan and Kazakhstan’s opening up to the world. At the same time, the ever-stronger strategic partnership between Türkiye and Azerbaijan changes the regional balance of power.

Israel has been targeting Palestinian people for decades. Palestinians living in tormented territories, namely the occupied West Bank, the Gaza Strip and occupied East Jerusalem, have been living under strict Israeli control. They cannot move without the permission of the Israeli security forces. Therefore, Palestinian people have been living under prison conditions. The blockade that has been implemented against Gaza keeps more than 2 million people in an open prison. Naturally, the conditions are unbearable. Everyone was expecting that sooner or later, this would explode, which it did on Oct. 7.

The operation launched by Hamas against Israel on Oct. 7 continues, accompanied by Israel’s extensive air and ground operations. Israel’s military attacks carried out to overcome the shock experienced within the country, reestablish military deterrence and eliminate Hamas through the collective punishment method have now completed their 24th day.

The Biden administration hasn't fundamentally altered its unwavering support for Israel since the beginning of the crisis. However, in the face of heavy criticism from the international community, regional countries, and even its own party and American public, especially in the past two weeks, it has started emphasizing the humanitarian crisis more. As Washington increasingly finds itself isolated on the international stage, it has begun to add qualifiers, such as the need to protect civilians and ensure humanitarian aid access, while reiterating its full support for Israel. Reports have also suggested that Israel is preparing for a large-scale invasion of Gaza, but Washington is recommending a narrower operation that takes into account the safety of hostages and civilians. The change in rhetoric seems to reflect the administration's growing awareness of the need to alleviate public pressure.

While the Israeli army continues its occupation of Gaza step by step, that country’s prime minister, Benjamin Netanyahu, attempts to justify the killing of Palestinians with reference to the Torah. In the immediate aftermath of Hamas’s Oct. 7 attack, Netanyahu embraced Jewish theology by bringing up the Prophecy of Isaiah regarding the “promised land.”

The stakes in the Israeli atrocities against the Palestinians are quite high for Western countries, the United States in particular. Due to their unconditional support for the Israeli war crimes in Palestine, the U.S. and European partners cannot get support for their position in other international crises such as the Ukrainian-Russian War. It means that the Israeli-Palestinian question will serve as one of the most important turning points in the decay of the Western, i.e., American hegemony.