Loss of flexibility in Saudi foreign policy
The new Saudi administration changing King Abdullah's 'engagement to the world' policy isolates Saudi Arabia in the region and risks its position in global balances
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Regional polarization and Turkey's Gulf policy
In the midst of the Saudi-Iranian polarization, that is promoted by many to stir up new troubles in the Middle East, Turkey seeks to pursue a balancing policy
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There are two countries that enjoy the deepening chaos of the Middle East. One is Russia, which has increased its influence by filling the gaps left by the U.S. after 2015. It has achieved regional power that affects the balances with a relatively limited military presence.
In retrospect, this neo-medieval order did not emerge by happenstance or as a result of sporadic developments, but as a result of a deliberate, flexible and long-term regional transformation strategy conducted by the U.S. and its interlocutors.
In particular, the successive U.S. administrations made it clear that their quest to promote "moderate Islam" was ingenuine at four points:
Despite the push to present Meral Akşener, the chairwoman of the newly established İYİ Party, as an alternative candidate against President Erdoğan in the run up to the 2019 presidential elections, Professor Duran thinks this will not translate into results, as a true candidate for the opposition parties is yet to be identified
A Comeback for Moderate Islam in the Middle East?
The reappearance of discourse on ‘moderate Islam', possibly with on the U.S. administration's request, cannot be a solution in the fight against extremism
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To Do or Not to Do What Obama Did
The already existing confusion among the U.S. allies is because of Trump always taking the wrong steps while dealing with them
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Turkish-U.S. relations are going through neither a structural crisis nor conjectural tension. I think relations are experiencing structural tension.
The Trump administration, which is still completing its first year, has so far not produced any result other than consolidating Moscow in the Middle East.
The neo-medievalism in regional geo-politics enforces passing alliances and unlikely groupings in several areas in the Middle East
The Kurdish nationalists who believe that the time is right for a referendum seem unable to keep their ambitions under control
It is impossible for Turkey to stand idly by while YPG terrorists interfere in Idlib and threaten the security of the whole region
The Trump administration seems to be taking some initiatives now that the deadline has passed in the Gulf crisis
The Gulf clearly wants to fuel polarization between Sunnis and Shiites in the region to contain Iran and, believing Turkey's partnership with Qatar to be an obstacle before their agenda, wants to sever Doha's ties with Ankara
Gulf nations must realize the danger of their current policies in the region and do something about it
Trump does not seem to face much difficulty in finding allies in the Middle East who associate their national interests with perpetual tension and instability
The current crisis is a prelude to Qatar's disciplining, the deeper polarization between Iran and the Gulf and the undermining of the Muslim Brotherhood and Hamas
Turkey, along with Saudi Arabia, Egypt and Israel, is trying to develop a new kind of relationship with the Trump administration – which still looks unpredictable
In the Middle East, the Trump administration wants to defeat Daesh in the short run and then focus on containing Tehran's regional hegemony
To make the region stronger and politically more powerful, Turkey and the Gulf states should shoulder the responsibility and start taking steps to develop a close mutual cooperation
