SETA Security Radar | Türkiye’s Geopolitical Landscape in 2025
This edition sheds light on Türkiye’s approach to mitigating economic constraints, strengthening defense exports, and leveraging diplomatic influence to shape the regional and global security order in 2025.
Murat Yeşiltaş
Bilgehan Öztürk
Murat Aslan
Mehmet Çağatay Güler
Kutluhan Görücü
Muhammed Hüseyin Mercan
İsmet Horasanlı
Tunç Demirtaş
Mehmet Uğur Ekinci
Mehmet Salah Devrim
Sibel Düz
Rıfat Öncel
The Spillover of Terror in the US: New Terror Wave After 9/11th
On September 11, 2001, the attack on the Twin Towers shattered the American public's sense of 'trust'. The American society, which until then had lived a trouble-free life between two oceans, realized that there was no country beyond the outreach of terrorism. American interventionism was materialized in Afghanistan and Iraq after the then-US President George W. Bush declaration of the Crusader War. It has led to the death or injury of millions, the destruction of cities, and the emergence of new types of instability due to ethnic and sectarian divisions.
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Understanding the Revolution in Syria
After Assad’s fall, Syria faces rebuilding challenges, but Türkiye’s support ensures stability ahead
The opposition's military gains hold the power to reshape Syria’s status quo or push Damascus into the heart of a wider regional conflict
U.S. policy in the region remains rigidly isolationist and self-serving, and under Trump, nothing will change
Window of Opportunity for Terror-Free Türkiye
Erdoğan’s address signals a new, people-centered approach in Turkish politics focused on fighting terrorism and seizing a historic opportunity for change
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Vision and Strategy in Türkiye's Fight against Terrorism and PKK’s Response
Amid intense political discourse and debates on terrorism, it’s essential to reevaluate Türkiye’s approach to its fight against terrorism and terrorist threats. Such a review could help refine the current vision, address any gaps, and correct missteps to improve both efficiency and effectiveness. Recognizing that combating terrorism is a dynamic process, regular updates to vision and strategy are natural. However, updating should never imply compromising on resilience.
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Amid regional turmoil, Türkiye’s strategic security outlook remains focused on countering terrorism, particularly the PKK. Against the backdrop of ongoing conflicts in Syria and Iraq, Türkiye confronts the persistent threat of mass migration and instability spillover. In response, Türkiye has implemented measures to secure its borders, including the establishment of buffer zones within Iraqi territory to prevent terrorist infiltration.
Coinciding with NATO's 75th anniversary, the summit will convene in Washington on July 9-11. While security concerns over Russia and China will be voiced at the highest level, as in every summit, NATO's restructuring and strengthening, in other words, reinforcing its resolve and resilience, will probably be emphasized again.
Recent developments have brought the ongoing discussions on normalizing Türkiye-Syria relations back to the forefront. Following his meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin’s special envoy, Alexander Lavrentiev, Syrian leader Bashar Assad, according to the Syrian News Agency, stated, “Syria is open to all initiatives for Syria-Türkiye relations based on its sovereignty over the entire territory of the country and the fight against terrorism and terrorist organizations.” Similarly, the Syrian News Agency quoted Lavrentiev as saying that Russia supports all initiatives for Syria-Türkiye relations, adding: “We see that the conditions for successful mediation are more favorable than ever. Russia is ready to work to advance the negotiations. The goal is to succeed in restoring relations between Syria and Türkiye.”
In response to a question from journalists, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan recently gave positive signals about "normalization" with Bashar al-Assad. This statement, which coincides with a series of talks at the technical level mediated by Iraq, is important in terms of timing. If two neighboring countries find a solution to their problems by talking, it may make it easier to be ready for regional and global crises. At this point, it is useful to focus on the reasons underlying Türkiye-Syria normalization and the expectations of the parties.
